Residents and shelter warn Leavenworth County commissioners of shelter strain as sheriff contract shifts

Residents and Leavenworth County Humane Society leaders told the Leavenworth County Board of County Commissioners on an agenda item that volunteers and a contract change at the sheriff's office have left the county's only no-kill shelter under strain and facing a potential closure.

David Clifton, a county resident of more than 25 years, said county residents rely on county-funded animal control because many live outside city limits. He told commissioners there is a dispute about how sheriff's funding and responsibilities for animal control are being handled and that the shelter is an important no-kill resource for stray and abandoned animals in the county. "As far as I know, the humane society is one of very few no-kill shelters within Leavenworth County," Clifton said.

Crystal Blackdeer, executive director of Leavenworth County Humane Society, said the shelter has worked with the sheriff's office on cases with criminal case numbers but that most strays and abandoned animals are handled by volunteers or brought directly to the shelter by residents. Blackdeer said the shelter received county contract support previously at $1,250 per month (with annual increases to $1,474.03 at the contract's fifth year) but that the organization requested $8,333 per month (about $106,000 per year) to cover intakes from the county, Basehor and Lansing. Blackdeer said the shelter placed a deadline of March 31 to avoid closure if the situation does not improve, and that recent community donations have extended operations only through that date.

County staff told commissioners that Sheriff's Office communications to the board said the sheriff has a contract with Debs Riverview Kennels and Rescue to shelter dogs and cats caught in the county; that contract runs through May 2026 and uses the same terms previously used with Lorimer County Humane Society, the staff memo said. Blackdeer said Debs is inspected under state Department of Agriculture standards as both a kennel and a rescue, but that the kennel may not have sufficient capacity for the volume of strays brought in by residents or handled by volunteers.

Speakers and shelter staff described a large volunteer response in the county, naming one frequent volunteer, Sierra Jost, who they said individually brings dozens of animals to the shelter each year. Blackdeer said volunteers and residents often transport animals after finding them; she said the sheriff's office typically handles animals that come with a cruelty or neglect investigation (criminal case number) but that deputies are generally not allowed to transport animals in patrol vehicles. "Most of the deputies aren't allowed to transport," Blackdeer said.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the shelter during the meeting. Several commissioners said they will look at the budget and the sheriff's upcoming presentations to determine whether funding or a revised approach is feasible; one commissioner noted the earliest practical review could come during the county budget cycle in a few months.

Why it matters: local shelter capacity affects animal welfare, public safety (road hazards, livestock risk), and volunteer time; if the shelter closes, residents and volunteers said they fear increased euthanasia or unmanaged strays.

Community members and shelter officials asked for clearer county-sheriff coordination and for the county to consider funding levels that match the shelter's intake from unincorporated areas. Officials and residents provided data on last year's intakes: Blackdeer said 52 dogs came from county areas last year and only 18 were reclaimed by owners. She also said the shelter is assessing temporary operations limited to Basehor and Lansing while the board considers a county contract.

The board encouraged further individual follow-ups with the shelter director and sheriff's office and signaled it would review the matter during the budget process if necessary.