Humane Society for Southwest Washington reviews 2024 Battle Ground intakes, outlines Hazel Dell clinic and outreach programs

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington presented its 2024 municipal-sheltering results and community programs to the City of Battle Ground during a March 17 study session.

HSSW leaders said their contracted municipal services for Battle Ground cover stray intake, dangerous-dog holds, bite quarantines, and abuse/neglect cases, and stressed diversion and “upstream” services that aim to keep animals in homes when appropriate. "Our goal is not to increase or build a bigger shelter," Andrea Bruno, executive director, said. "If we can keep an animal in the home, that is a win for the community and for the jurisdiction paying for these services."

HSSW also described organizational changes and expanded services. Megan Dennis, vice president of strategic initiatives, said HSSW completed the acquisition of the former Humane Society of Cowlitz County effective Jan. 1 and now operates a Vancouver campus and a Longview campus. "We are now one organization," Dennis said, and she said the merger was intended to share expertise and avoid duplicative services across counties.

Why it matters: the city contracts with HSSW to provide municipal animal services instead of operating a municipal shelter. HSSW argued the public–private model saves money and adds volunteer capacity while allowing donor-funded programs to address needs outside the contract.

Key service lines and programs HSSW listed the functions it provides under municipal agreements: intake and sheltering of strays; protective custody and forensic support for neglect and abuse cases; medical care, vaccination and spay/neuter; animal husbandry, behavior support and enrichment; pathway planning for outcomes; trap-neuter-return (TNR) for community cats; return-to-field and wildlife intake. Dennis described HSSW as an "extension" of local code enforcement and animal-control work, coordinating triage and intake decisions with local officers.

The presenters emphasized diversion programs that try to prevent shelter intake: mobile low-cost spay/neuter and wellness services, a free pet-food pantry, temporary boarding (Safe Haven) for people with short-term needs, donor-funded medical assistance, and partnerships with human-service providers serving seniors and people experiencing homelessness. "When we build trust by helping someone's animal, we can connect them with other needed services," Bruno said.

Battle Ground figures and contract notes HSSW provided unaudited 2024 figures and a contract breakdown for Battle Ground. Dennis said the number of animals billed under the municipal contract from Battle Ground was 136 for 2024 and that those represent contracted intakes only. "These only represent the animals that came in under the contract," Dennis said when councilors asked whether the number included surrenders.

HSSW described a method for calculating an average cost of care: total shelter expenses tied to direct animal care divided by live intakes. The organization reported an average cost of care for 2024 of $7.33 (unaudited) using that method and said the contract was written on a flat-fee basis with a subsidized per-animal assumption; HSSW also told councilors donors subsidized part of the municipal cost. HSSW cautioned the 2024 numbers were unaudited and subject to final financial statements.

Large-case example and capacity Bruno recounted a 2021 hoarding/neglect case the shelter took from Battle Ground — more than 50 animals on one property — and described how HSSW coordinated with Battle Ground code enforcement and animal-control staff to triage, notify veterinary staff, and intake all animals on the same day. She said one of the dogs from that intake became a staff foster and was later adopted.

On shelter capacity, HSSW said the Vancouver campus can typically house about 90–100 dogs (more if small puppies are co-housed), about 100 kittens (foster network expands capacity), and roughly 20 adult cats in the building at one time; the organization emphasized a robust foster program to manage seasonal surges. "Our goal is always to be no more than 80% so that we always have room to provide the service to you when you have a need," Bruno said.

Mobile clinic and Hazel Dell community clinic HSSW described donor-funded expansion of medical services. Bruno said HSSW now operates a 30-foot mobile surgical unit that provides low-cost spay/neuter and wellness care, and that the mobile clinic runs pop-up clinics (including at the Battle Ground library) for income-qualified families. She also said HSSW recently broke ground on a 5,400-square-foot community veterinary clinic in Hazel Dell, leased on Highway 99, that HSSW expects to be built out by August with an anticipated opening by September. The clinic will be income-qualified only under state law, Bruno said, and will phase services: initial focus on spay/neuter and wellness, then later dentals, specialty surgery and some urgent care.

Volunteers, partnerships and workforce development HSSW leaders highlighted volunteer support: the organization reported more than 1,000 active volunteers whose work, if valued at federal volunteer wage calculations, equals several million dollars of labor. Dennis and Bruno also described partnerships with human-service organizations (examples cited: Living Hope Church, Clark College, food banks and shelters) and said HSSW runs internships and externships for veterinary students and techs in cooperation with regional programs.

What councilors asked and next steps Councilors asked about the split between contracted intakes and donor-funded surrenders (HSSW said the 136 count covered contracted intakes only and donor funds covered non-contract surrenders), partnerships with human-service agencies, whether HSSW tours and presentations could be offered to senior groups, and how the organization manages capacity during seasonal "kitten season." HSSW invited councilors and the public to the clinic opening and said it would share its published 2024 impact report with the city.

Ending: HSSW requested feedback on the impact report and offered to provide additional data if councilors want more detail. "If there's any information you would like to see on here that's not included, then please let me know," Dennis said.