West Des Moines launches new RFP and in‑house cat program after inspection issues at shelter contractor

West Des Moines leaders said July 14 they will move forward with a city-run trap‑neuter‑release program for feral cats and are seeking outside contractors to adopt out animals after inspection and safety problems at a former partner led the city to end that contract. The mayor said the city will expand pound capacity, hold animals for evaluation and veterinary care, and award one or more contracts through a reissued request for proposals (RFP) for cat adoption services.

City officials framed the action as a response to Department of Agriculture inspection violations and public‑safety incidents tied to the city’s previous contractor, and to the recent decision by a private partner to stop taking cats. The mayor said the city did not renew its contract with Furry Friends Refuge after a series of Department of Agriculture findings and other incidents; the city then arranged for dog services with a separate contractor and issued an RFP for cat adoption and feral‑cat services.

The mayor said the Department of Agriculture found conditions including unsanitary areas, vermin, and kennel defects at the prior contractor’s facility, and described an incident in which an employee and a volunteer were injured by a dog that later was euthanized. “To characterize this group of elected officials, our animal control officers, our city staff as not caring about animals, is really an injustice,” the mayor said, adding the city expanded its pound and prepared to run a trapping, neuter and release program.

Under the city’s plan, incoming cats will be checked for owners first and reunited when possible. Animals will be observed for 24–48 hours (and up to seven days, the mayor said) so staff can determine whether an animal is feral or adoptable; adoptable animals will be transferred to the successful RFP bidder(s). The mayor described a team of four neighborhood services specialists — “animal control officers” with a combined 70 years of experience — who will make those determinations and carry out calls for service, including bite investigations and nuisance complaints.

Councilwoman Rochelle Hartman, speaking during the council manager reports, and several residents at the public forum praised the steps the city was taking while urging transparency. Bridal Gania, who identified herself as an advocate for Furry Friends Refuge, said the organization had corrected prior inspection items and thanked the council for relocating fireworks away from the shelter to reduce stress on animals. Andrea Solomon, a resident who addressed the council, said she remained concerned about how staff will distinguish feral from frightened, adoptable cats and asked for clarity on training and procedures.

The mayor said the city’s first RFP attempt could not produce a legally qualified award because applicants did not follow submission requirements; the RFP was canceled and reissued. The mayor encouraged Furry Friends Refuge, the Animal Rescue League (ARL), and any qualified providers to apply. He said dogs will continue to be cared for and adopted out through the city’s dog contractor, while the city or its contractor(s) will handle cat care, spay/neuter, and release for feral animals.

No formal council vote on policy changes was recorded during the meeting; the actions described were operational steps taken by staff and existing contracts. The mayor said the city will hold animals for veterinary assessment, spay or neuter adoptable animals, and release feral animals after trap‑neuter‑release procedures and veterinary care.

City officials also said the city does not accept owner surrenders directly — it impounds stray animals, searches for owners, and helps refer surrendered animals to partner shelters and rescue groups. The mayor reiterated that neither city code nor state law prohibits private shelters from accepting owner surrenders.

The city asked that interested contractors attend the voluntary RFP consultation and submit the required materials; the mayor noted that legally the city could not award the first RFP to organizations that did not meet the application requirements. The mayor closed by urging qualified providers to apply so the city can “do right by the animals.”

Officials said practical details — including the RFP timeline, how many contractors might be awarded work, and the precise hold period for animals — would be determined through the RFP process and operational procedures, and residents asked the council to publish those details and the staff qualifications used to assess feral versus domesticated animals.