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Board approves animal‑control budgets; staff to return on proposed vet‑of‑record contract
Summary
The Board approved animal control (27‑03) and veterinary clinic (27‑11) budgets 5‑0 after the director said the county is losing its long‑time volunteer veterinarian and presented a proposed $104,000/year vet‑of‑record contract tied to UC Davis assistance with recruitment.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted 5‑0 on June 16 to adopt the animal control general fund budget (27‑03) and the veterinary clinic fund (27‑11), after a departmental presentation that highlighted staffing, call volumes, and a proposed interim contract for a veterinary of record.
Marie Smith, introduced as the animal control director, told the board the shelter handled roughly 1,200–1,300 animals annually and the four officers had completed about 1,648 calls through mid‑June. She said the county’s long‑time veterinarian of record is retiring after decades of volunteer service and that the department received a contract proposal from Dr. Bennett (associated with UC Davis shelter medicine) for a vet‑of‑record role that would not place a veterinarian onsite for surgeries but would allow drug ordering and provide recruitment assistance. The proposed contract cost is about $104,000 per year.
Supervisors discussed the advantages of having a vet of record versus potential downsides of paying for services that are not performed onsite; several expressed a preference to continue working with UC Davis recruitment programs and to return the contract for full board review. The county administrative officer recommended bringing the proposed contract back to the full board when all members can review County Counsel’s standard contract language.
Members of the public — including residents and advocates — supported accelerating recruitment and sought stronger collaboration with UC Davis, loan‑forgiveness tools and benchmarking site visits to successful shelters. The director said some extraordinary capital requests (fencing for small livestock areas, pens, and housing for impounded animals) remain under review and that the county is exploring a volunteer/foster coordinator to increase foster placements and adoptions.
The board’s motion to approve 27‑03 and 27‑11 passed 5‑0; the vet‑of‑record contract will return for review and potential approval after County Counsel and the full board examine contract terms and program metrics.
Next steps: County Counsel review of the Dr. Bennett contract; staff to return with finalized contract language and any recommended performance metrics and budget adjustments.
