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Board debates Humane Society agreement and a $45-a-day fee for animals held beyond 10 days; asks for more data
Summary
The board reviewed a proposed contract with the Humane Society that would keep the annual payment (previously $19,000) and add a $45-per-day fee for animals held past ordinary holding periods; commissioners asked staff to return with average lengths of stay, potential caps and a plan to limit county budget exposure.
The board discussed a proposed annual contract with the humane society and a new provision to charge the county—or seek county reimbursement—$45 per day for animals held beyond the standard holding periods when cases are delayed by court proceedings.
The liaison (speaker 12) summarized the proposed contract and noted the annual payment has been $19,000 since 2017. Humane Society representatives explained that while most animals are held for required three-day or 10-day bite-quarantine periods covered by the annual fee, a small number of court-involved cases require weeks or months of care. The society asked the county to cover those extraordinary costs through a daily fee when animals cannot be returned because of pending legal processes.
County Attorney Marty (speaker 16) explained the procedural timeline for filing disposition motions (filing within 10 days and hearings thereafter) and why some cases can extend well beyond the initial holding periods. Commissioners expressed concern about the potential budgetary exposure if several cases accumulate (examples discussed included dozens of animals in extended custody). Several commissioners proposed setting a cap or differential fee structure (by animal size or grouping small animals together) and asked the Humane Society and staff to provide historical length-of-stay data and cost breakdowns.
The board did not adopt a final rate or contract at this meeting; members asked a small group of commissioners and staff to meet with Humane Society directors and return with a recommended structure that limits county exposure while recognizing rare, high-cost cases.
