Iroquois County health committee debates higher animal-control fees, schedules follow-up meeting

The Iroquois County Health Committee spent most of its Nov. 4 meeting reviewing a proposed animal-control fee schedule that would raise impound fees, add escalating fines for repeat offenses and increase relinquishment charges to recoup county costs.

Committee members discussed an initial impound fee increase to $100 with stepped amounts of $150, $300 and $500 for multiple offenses. Staff and committee members said increased fees are intended to cover mileage and daily staffing costs and to discourage repeat impounds. "There needs to be something after I've picked your dog up three times," said one committee member during debate.

The committee also debated relinquishment fees for animals turned over to the county. After discussion, members tentatively agreed to a structure that would set a $200 fee for adoptable animals, $350 for elderly animals (over 8 years) and $500 for animals deemed unadoptable, meaning likely to require euthanasia or where no rescue partner is available. Supporters said the higher fees reflect the county's veterinary, spay/neuter and boarding costs; opponents warned high fees could prompt people to abandon animals instead of paying.

Municipal service fees and deposits drew separate discussion. The committee agreed to a refundable $100 deposit for cat traps, an initial $100 service-visit rate with a $25-per-hour charge after the first hour, and a $25 daily boarding fee to standardize billing and better match actual expenses. After-hours visits without a contract were set higher than contracted visits to reflect added staffing costs.

Members asked staff to add precise ordinance language covering bereavement-related pick-ups (for animals of decedents) and to align the fee schedule with the county's CHIP intergovernmental agreements before final adoption. The committee agreed to continue the discussion at a special meeting on Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. and asked staff to circulate the current county ordinance and fee schedule in advance.

No final vote on the fee schedule occurred at the Nov. 4 meeting; members said the draft figures were intended to reflect the county's direct costs and to reduce chronic relinquishments.