County staff seek clearer animal-control agreement after Tender Hearts invoice dispute

Lincoln County staff and representatives from the sheriff's office updated the board on an invoice from Tender Hearts Veterinary Center for treatment of an injured dog. The county had previously denied the claim; staff said they told the veterinary clinic that any payment would need to be arranged directly with the dog owner.

Jen Newton of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office summarized contacts with the clinic and the owner and said the clinic raised concerns that it might stop providing services for county animals if unpaid bills continued. Staff reported that the owner initially agreed to make payments and that the clinic sometimes uses third-party financing for customers.

County staff reviewed the existing agreement with Tender Hearts, signed Dec. 16 (year not specified), and noted ambiguous language. The contract text discussed that the county "shall bear all financial responsibility for the care and health of the dog and or cat, including all reasonable and necessary veterinary bills as determined in the sole discretion of the city or their agent, until such time as an animal shall become the property of the city as contemplated under section 4," which staff read to mean animals become city property after three days in the pound. Staff recommended clarifying when county financial responsibility begins and ends, especially in cases where an owner is later identified.

Captain Jen Newton and county staff volunteered to engage with Tender Hearts and animal-shelter partners to resolve the outstanding account and to prepare clearer contract language for the agreement's renewal to avoid future disputes.

No formal action was taken; the item was listed as an update and remains open for follow-up.