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Animal control seeks higher adoption and vetting fees as shelter runs short of spay/neuter funding
Summary
The animal control director proposed raising adoption and vetting fees after shelter costs climbed and grant funding for spay/neuter ran out; commissioners asked staff to pause and return with a revised fee schedule and interim funding options to avoid litters in the shelter.
Vicki Hennessy, director of Animal Care and Control, asked the board to approve increases to adoption and veterinary vetting fees, citing sharp price increases for veterinary services, supplies and spay/neuter procedures since the county’s fee schedule was last updated in 2018.
Hennessy told commissioners that the shelter had adopted 703 animals and spayed or neutered 480 animals in the past period, and that veterinary costs have risen substantially — she provided sample vendor price comparisons and said pediatric spay/neuter capacity is limited. She said the shelter currently charges $35 for a fully vetted adoption but that charge does not cover the actual cost when the county is paying for spay/neuter and medical care.
Hennessy recommended a vetting fee and higher owner‑surrender fees aligned with estimated costs; she said the current ordinance allows the county to recover sterilization costs for an impounded animal (ordinance citation discussed during the presentation). Commissioners expressed concern for affordability and asked whether grants or the county’s contingency funds could cover emergency spay/neuter while staff complete a revised fee and policy.
Commissioners and Hennessy discussed owner surrender practices, unaltered permits, eligibility criteria for exemptions (breeders, hunting dogs, kennels) and the frequency of people seeking low‑cost unaltered permits instead of paying for surgeries. Hennessy said the shelter had some reclaimed gear and uses reclaimed turnout gear for trainees when appropriate (context: protective equipment for staff was also discussed earlier in the meeting).
The board agreed to table the proposed fee schedule for a later workshop so commissioners could review the proposed rates, related ordinance language, grant options and short‑term funding to prevent animals giving birth in the shelter while the county lacks spay/neuter funding.
