Despite continued concerns about euthanasia policies, Spokane approves new contract with SCRAPS

Despite disagreements over operations and leadership, the city of Spokane has renewed its contract with the county’s animal protection service for another five years after securing a few, likely minor, concessions.

“As we approach the end of this year, the contract was expiring, and … there’s really just not a ton of options that are out there as an alternative to SCRAPS,” said Councilman Michael Cathcart, who has been the City Council’s loudest voice seeking reforms from the county’s shelter system.

The city has raised concerns for years regarding the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service’s euthanasia practices, concerns that flared in 2023 after former employees and volunteers accused the organization of negligence, unethical behavior by leadership and unnecessary euthanasia. In a single day that September, 14 dogs were put down, one of which a former employee alleged had been put down in retaliation for voicing concerns about the shelter’s practices.

Officials with SCRAPS have maintained that all animals were put down in accordance with the shelter’s policies, primarily due to health concerns or an inability to rehabilitate the animals. Critics, including former staff and volunteers, have argued that health or behavior concerns for many of the animals could have been better addressed by SCRAPS’ previous leadership or another shelter, claiming they were instead put down primarily due to capacity.

Not long after these accusations surfaced, the Spokane City Council approved a law limiting the discretion of SCRAPS’ director to sign off on euthanizing animals. County officials have argued against this ordinance, stating it conflicted with county code and the city’s prior contract with SCRAPS, while also maintaining that they had never violated the terms of the ordinance.

The new contract between Spokane and SCRAPS will give the city at least three days notice prior to the euthanasia of any animal due to capacity, providing the city an opportunity to have the animal moved to another facility.

SCRAPS leadership has repeatedly denied ever euthanizing an animal for capacity reasons, so it’s unclear whether this change will impact any animals.

“That’s a great question,” Cathcart said in a Thursday interview, noting that Mayor Lisa Brown had recently appointed him to SCRAPS’ advisory board and that he hoped to have an active role shaping the organization’s euthanasia policies.

The agreement approved Thursday requires SCRAPS to publicly publish their euthanasia policy, which the organization had declined to do previously, Cathcart argued.

In exchange, SCRAPS reportedly requested the City Council abolish its 2023 law prohibiting euthanasia for capacity.

Cathcart has previously argued in favor of the city launching its own animal protection service. On Thursday, he said those dreams are not dead.

“But I think this is certainly an opportunity to buy some time to consider all our options, including and hopefully just continuing to make improvements at SCRAPS,” he said.