Webster County approves retroactive changes to animal pound fee schedule
Summary
After hearing from the pound operator about rising veterinary and disposal costs, the board approved amended pound fees for 2025—2027 and made the changes retroactive to the operator's acquisition date of July 1, 2025; one supervisor voted no.
Kayla Benson, who identified herself as the county's animal control officer and the operator of the county pound, told the board that the pound has operated at a loss under the previous fee schedule and asked the board to adjust rates for rabies vaccinations, euthanasia and other items so the operation can break even.
Benson said the prior fee schedule paid $18 for the rabies vaccination and that, to break even, the pound needs $25 per vaccine. She also described euthanasia and disposal costs and said contracts and local veterinary capacity have changed since the 2023 agreement.
"We do not make money from that. It is just allowing us to break even," Benson said, explaining why she requested retroactive application of the new schedule back to July 1, 2025, the date she acquired the business. Board members questioned whether the county needed to rebid the contract; the county attorney and supervisors said the change was a marginal adjustment to existing contract rates and did not require rebidding.
A motion to approve the amended fee schedule and apply it retroactively to July 1, 2025 was made and seconded; the motion carried, with one recorded "nay."
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