Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City scales back animal-control contract; new $20,000 scope focuses on dangerous-dog investigations
Summary
Following budget reductions, the City of Des Moines negotiated a reduced contract for animal-control services that focuses on legally required responses for dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs, trims lost-and-found and drop-off shelter services, and covers an average of five law-enforcement calls per month.
The Des Moines Police Department and city staff outlined a smaller animal-control contract on Jan. 23 that preserves legally required services for dangerous animals while reducing general stray and shelter services because of budget cuts.
Chief Beau (title given as Chief) told the council the city previously had a $100,000 annual contract with CARES that provided 40 hours per week of animal-control services, 24/7 emergency response and sheltering of seized animals. As part of the 2025 budget, the contract was renegotiated down to $20,000 annually to cover the city’s legal obligations for dangerous-dog and bite investigations and sheltering those animals required by code.
Why it matters: The change preserves the city’s ability to investigate potentially dangerous-animal incidents and comply with Des Moines Municipal Code requirements, Chief Beau said, but reduces or eliminates community-facing services such as drop-off, routine lost-and-found pickup and 24/7 public response for stray animals.
Service details: The new arrangement covers dangerous-dog and bite investigations, criminal-investigation support and maintenance of a shelter for animals the city is legally required to hold. The contract covers five police calls per month on average (the city averages two to three). If the provider performs more than five calls in a given month, the city will pay $50 per hour for additional hours. The city will no longer accept ad hoc drop-off of stray animals or provide general pick-up and housing as part of the $20,000 contract.
Mitigation steps and outreach: Staff said they will publish a flyer with regional shelter contacts, place links and guidance on the city website, use chip scanners at police facilities, and coordinate with county and nonprofit providers (e.g., Regional Animal Services of King County, Lost Dogs of King County) to help residents reunite pets and find sheltering resources.
Ending: Council members asked follow-up questions about the contract scope and cost exposure if calls exceed five per month; Chief Beau said the agreement was intended to meet the city’s legal obligations while recognizing reduced resources for broader stray-animal services.
