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Council approves $37,200 payment to Mesabi Humane Society for hoarding seizure, seeks county reimbursement
Summary
The council voted to pay a Mesabi Humane Society invoice for care of animals seized from a Saint Louis County tax-forfeit property and to send the bill to the county for cost recovery. The shelter said the case overwhelmed its resources and that per-animal charges reflect intake, care, veterinary and staffing costs.
The Virginia City Council on July 1 approved payment of an invoice from Mesabi Humane Society for animal services after the shelter took in a large hoarding case at a St. Louis County tax-forfeit property.
Nancy Andrews, chair of Mesabi Humane Society, told the council the shelter took in roughly 51 cats from a single residence and that the shelter’s costs — roughly $600 per animal on the invoice — reflected intake, veterinary care, staffing, food, litter and extraordinary care for neonates. “We have had employees that take these kittens home. They're syringe feeding them,” Andrews said, describing the intensive care required in a mass-intake situation.
Councilors said they were surprised by the size of the invoice when it arrived. Councilor Paulson moved to pay the invoice; Councilor Motley supported the payment. The motion to pay the shelter’s invoice — reported in the meeting packet as approximately $37,200 — passed. Councilor Motley then moved, and Councilor Paulson supported, a follow-up motion directing staff to submit the paid invoice to St. Louis County for cost recovery; that motion passed.
Shelter and staff context: Mesabi Humane Society said the event overwhelmed its normal operations and required extra staffing and medical care. Shelter representatives noted the case was a tax-forfeit property in St. Louis County and said the county’s property status complicates reimbursement. The shelter also said it follows the city’s contract and intake procedures and that spay/neuter and vetting are customary parts of the shelter’s care protocol.
What happens next: Council approved payment and directed staff to pursue reimbursement from St. Louis County. Councilors asked staff and the shelter to review the contract for clarity on billing and to consider options to minimize future fiscal exposure, including clarifying which types of properties or cases the city will bill the county for directly.
Ending: Council members said they appreciated the shelter's work and asked staff to review the billing and notification protocols so the city and shelter can better anticipate and recover extraordinary costs related to large-scale animal control events.
