Animal Care and Control warns of rising euthanasia, food and medical costs in draft budget

Supervisor Emily Katner presented the Animal Care and Control draft budget to the Woodford County Fiscal Court Budget & Finance Committee, saying the office faces multiple growing costs heading into the next fiscal year.

“One of those items is going to be the euthanasia cost of euthanasia continuing to go up,” Katner said, linking higher euthanasia spending to increased intake of dogs described as behavior risks and therefore not safe for adoption. She told the committee some animals are being signed over in poor condition, which raises medical costs.

Katner also asked for a larger food line item after the department’s supplies were strained during recent flooding. “Hopefully we can make it to the end of this fiscal year without running through our food budget,” she said. She described a rise in veterinary costs and examples such as abscesses that have worsened when owners delay care.

On facility maintenance, Katner said several kennel doors, chain‑link fencing and drainage grates are rusting and developing sharp edges that pose risks to animals and workers; she recommended replacing doors, some chain link and drainage grates to reduce injury risks and potential workers‑comp claims.

Committee members asked about staffing and salary lines. Katner said recruitment remains difficult: two officers are pursuing education and likely to leave for other fields once they complete studies, and a recent hire did not work out as expected. The committee did not adopt budget changes during the meeting; Katner’s presentation was taken as part of the rolling draft process for further review.

The committee recessed briefly for a livestream issue and then resumed. No formal action on the Animal Care and Control draft budget was taken at the meeting; staff were thanked for the presentation and invited to provide further clarifications as the budget process continues.