Lancaster animal shelter seeks extra cleaning and kennel staff as intakes and surgical workload rise

Alan Wills, who operates the Lancaster County animal shelter, asked the council to approve three new positions: an administrative assistant, an additional kennel technician and a lead kennel technician. Wills said the shelter’s intake and surgical caseload have climbed (663 cats and 387 dogs sterilized this year to date), and that cleaning and kennel maintenance are time‑consuming tasks requiring multiple staff to prepare the facility each morning.

Wills said the shelter operates seven days a week, has difficulty retaining kennel staff and has at times had no one available to clean before opening. He described repeated operational strain and said two cleaning positions would allow schedule relief, better coverage for weekends and holidays, and reduced overtime for existing staff. He also asked for a lead kennel tech to handle duties that require more experience, including evidence and incinerator work used by law enforcement.

Council response: Several council members expressed support and emphasized shelter staff are under heavy loads; some suggested exploring volunteer/transport partnerships and pointed to existing transport relationships that have become less able to absorb Lancaster’s volume. Council members flagged the need for longer‑term strategies, including spay/neuter ordinances or registration, but did not take budget action at the workshop.

Ending: Staff will include the shelter’s personnel request in the broader FY26 recommendation package for council consideration.