Caring for our animals

New cat cages, dog runs, more staff and continued operational reforms are among immediate upgrades now being implemented at King County’s aging animal shelters, along with strategic planning underway for development of a model animal welfare program.

The Council in April approved nearly $1 million worth of immediate, short-term shelter and operating improvements following negotiations between Council leaders and Executive Ron Sims. The funding will reduce crowding and the spread of disease at shelters in Kent and Bellevue that house approximately 13,000 stray, abandoned and neglected animals each year.

Council chair Julia Patterson and vice chair Dow Constantine led Council adoption on April 21 of a long-term strategic plan to provide recommendations on whether the County should build a new shelter, reorganize the delivery of animal services among different agencies, or reorganize animal services in partnership with other providers.

In the short term, the County will replace all of the cat cages and add dog runs in a separate area on the Kent shelter’s property or nearby. A shortage of space at the current facility has resulted in overcrowding, increased stress and risk of disease among shelter cats and dogs. Separate facilities for dogs and cats will greatly reduce stress on cats at the shelter. The funding would come from existing public donations in the Animal Benefit Fund, new Capital funds, and money redirected from the County’s capital improvement funds.

The Executive is proposing new staff especially during peak animal population months and new training for staff. The new positions include another veterinarian and a veterinarian technician as well as additional veterinary contract services to provide on-going medical care as well as spay/neuter services. The number of new animal control officers at the shelter would vary depending on demand for shelter services.

The policy framework calls for creation of a King County inter-branch animal services work group that will work over the next four months. It will consist of members from the offices of the Executive, County Council, Public Health, Sheriff and Prosecutor. The work group will develop an animal services Strategic plan, an Operational Master Plan, and a Facilities Master plan for the three-year period from 2009 through 2011:

• The Strategic Plan will develop a framework for determining how services are provided and who is best able to provide them, prioritize short and long-term goals, and create performance measures for each goal and specifying which County department will be accountable in achieving them.

• The Operational Master Plan will determine how we move forward in providing shelter and animal care services in King County and develop at least three options, including:
  • A status quo option of continuing to provide animal services as currently organized, or 
  • A reorganization of animal services within the departments of county government, or 
  • A reorganization of animal services in partnership with other providers.
  • The Facilities Master Plan will inventory existing animal services facilities throughout the county, forecast the future needs for shelter facilities, including where they should be located and, if a new shelter is called for, propose a six-year plan for financing construction.

  This process will include an investigation into whether or not the county can create a model animal welfare program and should continue in the sheltering business. The three pieces of this policy framework will be reviewed by a group of community stakeholders before the Executive transmits the three plans to the Council by August 15, for Council review and potential adoption.

  Public comment on the policies and funding was taken April 14 when nearly 700 citizens turned out for a Council Town Hall meeting in Burien.