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Commissioners, residents raise concerns about SPCA contract and capacity
Summary
Multiple commissioners and residents described operational problems with the county's SPCA contract — unresponsiveness to calls, an episode where kittens were refused despite a donation, and capacity stated as 87 dogs while capacity was cited as 40 — and commissioners discussed legal options and the need to ensure county service continuity if the contract were canceled.
Several commissioners and members of the public criticized the county's contract with the local SPCA, saying the organization has been unresponsive to calls and may not be using county funds in a manner commissioners can monitor. Commissioner Slater told the commission the SPCA currently has "87 dogs that their housing and their capacity is 40."
Commissioner Gilbert and other commissioners recounted instances in which callers reported the SPCA refused animals and would not accept donations as expected. "We hand them 2 over $290,000 a year to do whatever they want to with," Commissioner Gilbert said while arguing the county should examine whether the contract should be renewed. Gilbert and others proposed consulting the county attorney about whether cancellation is feasible, but chair and other commissioners cautioned that cancelling the contract does not eliminate the county's responsibility to provide animal services and that budget constraints limit immediate replacement options. No formal termination vote was recorded in the meeting — commissioners instead discussed next steps, including legal review and committee follow‑up.
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