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Council approves transfer of city-owned animal hospital to regional nonprofit
Summary
The City of Desert Hot Springs authorized sale and lease terms to Greater Palm Springs Animal Allies for the city-owned Animal Hospital at 13700 Palm Drive, using discounted veterinary services (totaling $400,361.31) to satisfy the purchase terms; council approved the arrangement unanimously.
The City Council of the City of Desert Hot Springs on March 18 voted unanimously to authorize staff to finalize a purchase-and-sale agreement transferring the city-owned Animal Hospital at 13700 Palm Drive to Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, doing business as Greater Palm Springs Animal Allies.
City staff recounted the city’s acquisition of the hospital from the Humane Society of the Desert in November 2023 and a subsequent search for an operator. The negotiated agreement calls for the nonprofit to assume operations and provide discounted veterinary services to the city, with the total consideration structured as $1,361.31 to cover delinquent property taxes plus $300,000 in discounted services, for a total of $400,361.31. The agreement includes a promissory-note structure for the discounted services and gives the city a right of first offer should the nonprofit later seek to dispose of the property.
Dan Rossy, the nonprofit’s executive director, told the council the organization is prepared to begin work immediately and has bids in place for interior and exterior upgrades, new landscaping and security lighting. “We want to repaint the whole exterior, we want to do landscaping, new security lighting as well,” Rossy said, adding the nonprofit plans to provide affordable services and community trap–neuter–return for unsocialized cats.
A member of the public, Sandra Munoz, urged quick spay-and-neuter services for animals owned by people experiencing homelessness. Staff noted that the transfer is subject to review and approval by the California Attorney General and the Department of Justice because the hospital is a charitable asset; in the interim the city will lease the building to the nonprofit to allow operations to begin while the state review proceeds.
Council members praised the partnership as long-awaited. On a motion, second and unanimous vote the council authorized the city manager to negotiate, execute and make substantive changes to the purchase-and-sale agreement, to execute documents required by state agencies including the AG/DOJ, and to negotiate and execute a lease with Greater Palm Springs Animal Allies to enable immediate access pending final approvals.
The council did not specify a timetable for the state review, but staff said lease and operational preparations would proceed while the charitable transfer is reviewed.
