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Animal services urges funding for five care attendants as shelter strain deepens
Summary
Montgomery County Office of Animal Services told the council budget committee that chronic overcrowding and rising owner surrenders require funding for five animal care attendants; staff proposed placing the request on the reconciliation list and suggested a two‑tranche approach (3 then 2) to increase the chance of partial approval.
The Office of Animal Services warned the council budget committee on Thursday that the county shelter is operating at roughly 125% capacity and that rising owner surrenders have pushed staff to the limit, prompting a request to place five animal care attendant positions on the reconciliation list.
Director Harfield told the committee the department is routinely over capacity and that animals at the shelter are often caged about 23 hours a day. The director described staff "moral injury" tied to having to euthanize animals when there is no capacity for care and said the positions are essential to maintain humane operations and protect staff safety.
Council staff presented the executive's recommendation for a $299,791 increase for the department (2.72%), saying it would cover compensation adjustments and operational cost increases but contains no programmatic additions unless approved by the council. Staff also noted progress on the department's low-cost spay/neuter program and implementation of 52 of 80 recommendations from the Maddie's Million Pet Challenge consult.
Logan Anbinder, presenting executive staff analysis, said the county has authorized 15 animal care attendant (ACA) positions but best practices suggest at least 24. He identified a $437,410 total cost for five ACAs and advised the committee to consider placing the request on the reconciliation list so filled positions would not be lost later in budget negotiations.
Several council members expressed strong support for funding at least an initial tranche of positions and recommended a split approach—fund three now and two later—so the committee does not risk ending up with zero. Members also asked staff to provide more granular metrics (hours of enrichment, adoption outcomes, and the projected operational impact of funding 0/2/3/5 positions) to prepare for the full-council discussion.
On the packet overall, Chair Katz recorded the committee's consensus for the recommended tranche approach and the packet items, registering a 3–0 committee decision for the packet to move forward with the reconciliation-list flag on the ACA positions.
The committee requested additional performance and operational data from the Office of Animal Services to clarify downstream impacts of funding decisions and to support strategy at full council.
