Pulaski County court raises animal-shelter adoption fee amid higher veterinary costs

The Pulaski County Fiscal Court voted to raise shelter adoption fees after a shelter representative said rising veterinary charges made the current $60 fee unsustainable.

Adam Scales, the shelter representative, told the court the county—s veterinarian plans to add a $125 service-call fee and increase per-animal surgical costs—about $20 more per dog and $10 more per cat. "A couple weeks ago, our vet got ahold of me and informed me that they was gonna raise our vet bills on the spay and neuters of the animals adopted through the shelter," Scales said, explaining the proposed increase.

Scales recommended raising the adoption fee to $105 and cited nearby counties— rates for context, saying the Blasque County Humane Society charges $130 per dog, Knox Whitley $120 and Madison County $108. He also proposed offering low-cost microchipping for $5 per animal to improve recovery rates and help rehome dogs, but cautioned the court to confirm supplier availability and reminded owners that microchips must be registered online to be effective.

During discussion court members noted shelter intake pressures and inter-jurisdictional cost-sharing. Scales said the shelter takes in roughly 1,700 to 1,800 dogs annually and estimated Russell County accounts for about 218 to 220 of those. A commissioner noted a previously passed resolution to adjust Russell County—s contribution had not been implemented and said they would raise the issue with Russell County—s judge.

A motion to approve the new rates was moved by Mr. Strunk and seconded by Mr. Ranshaw; the presiding officer called for the ayes and declared the motion passed.

The court did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the motion was announced as approved. The court also discussed staff verification of microchip supplier availability before any low-cost program begins.