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Meridian approves FY2027 animal welfare agreement after Idaho Humane Society presentation
Summary
The Meridian City Council approved a FY2027 animal welfare and enforcement agreement with the Idaho Humane Society after hearing IHS leaders outline service volumes, a facility upgrade need and a request for Meridian to pay $771,474 — about 22% of the regional contract pool.
Mayor Robert E. Simpson and the Meridian City Council on June 2 approved a multijurisdictional animal welfare and enforcement agreement with the Idaho Humane Society and heard a detailed presentation on the organization’s results and FY2027 budget request.
Jeff Rosenthal, chief executive officer of the Idaho Humane Society, told the council the regional system helped save 10,269 pets last year and that the shelter achieved a 95% save rate for dogs and cats. He said returning lost pets to owners — 1,410 last year — remains a critical part of reducing shelter demand, and he noted growing intake trends in Meridian, including a large recent increase in feral rabbit admissions.
Leanne Gilbert, IHS chief financial officer, presented the program budget: total program expenses for FY2027 of $3,550,000, funded primarily by contract fees from participating municipalities. Gilbert said Meridian’s share of the FY2027 ask is $771,474 (about 22% of the pool), an increase of roughly $22,470 (3%) from the prior year under the current allocation methodology. "The ask for Meridian for fiscal year '27 is 771,474," Gilbert said.
Council members asked for additional jurisdiction‑level breakdowns, per‑capita comparisons, and service‑level response times. Gilbert said IHS provides an annual jurisdictional data packet and confirmed Meridian’s FY25 call volume (2,381) represented roughly a quarter of county calls; Rosenthal added that average response time for priority calls in Meridian was 28.7 minutes.
Following the presentation and brief Q&A, Councilman Overton moved to approve the FY2027 animal welfare and enforcement agreement with the Idaho Humane Society; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: The contract funds regional animal control services that handle public‑safety calls, cruelty investigations and sheltering for Meridian residents. Council members flagged near‑term facility needs at Gowen Field and asked staff to monitor performance and budget impacts as the city’s population grows.
The council recorded the agreement as approved; staff said they will continue to monitor IHS performance measures and share jurisdictional cost‑per‑capita metrics on request.
