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Staff explain animal impound fees and shelter costs; small number of owners paid higher court-ordered fee last year
Summary
Staff outlined the city’s impound and shelter-cost charges, explained the five-business-day hearing window and said eight citizens paid a court-ordered $256 charge in 2024; shelter daily costs are charged separately by the nonprofit shelter.
City staff briefed the committee on impound fees and related shelter charges and explained how ownership and recovery processes work under state law and local practice.
The committee discussed the difference between the city’s impound fee and shelter daily costs. Staff said that the city-collected impound fee of roughly $2.65 is distinct from a shelter’s daily care charge, which is imposed by the nonprofit shelter and typically runs about $25 per day depending on care and stay length. The shelter’s daily cost is charged to recover the shelter’s expenses; it is not collected directly by the city.
On deadlines and court procedures, staff explained the shelter is open seven days a week but the city provides a five-business-day window for owners to pursue a hearing; this window allows time to reach the court for a recovery hearing. Staff referenced state law under the Pet Animal Care Facility Act (PAFSA) that governs when a shelter may claim ownership if no owner comes forward.
Staff also reported that in 2024 the court ordered eight citizens to pay a $256 amount tied to impound matters; staff said all eight paid and animals were returned. Staff noted the impound fee is not charged for “safe holds” when the city temporarily houses an animal—typically when an owner is at a hospital—though the shelter may waive its own holding fees in such cases.
Why it matters: understanding the difference between municipal impound fees, shelter costs and legal timelines helps residents know how to recover animals and where charges originate.
Next steps: no policy changes were proposed; staff offered to provide clarifying language to public-facing materials to explain impound fees and shelter charges.
