27 cities signal intent to join new regional model for animal control, sheltering and licensing

Roadmap for reforms to address remaining areas for improvement; code changes create incentives for more pet licensing

Twenty-seven cities have signed letters of intent to join a collaborative new approach for the provision of animal services, enabling King County Executive Dow Constantine to deliver a comprehensive package to the King County Council for implementation of a new regional model for animal care, control, and licensing.

"With this new regional model the county and cities can provide better public health and safety, animal welfare and customer service, at a lower cost than cities could provide on their own," said Executive Constantine. "At the same time we will continue to work on reforms that earn the respect of the community and lead to innovative partnerships that will reduce future costs."

The Executive today transmitted a "Roadmap for Reform" to address remaining areas for improvement in animal services; legislation containing the proposed contract with the cities; a proposed ordinance to make a variety of code changes to restructure license fees and enable public-private partnerships in support of the new model; and a supplemental budget request for $3.2 million, backed by $2.5 million in revenue, to implement the new model in the second half of this year and for other related costs.

"For the past three years I have worked to address the systemic problems in King County animal care and control," said Council Budget Chair Julia Patterson, who worked closely with Constantine on the Council since 2007 to reform animal services. "I am pleased to see this model reflect the County's values about care and treatment of animals. It takes a big step forward in fixing a broken system and meeting the needs - both programmatically and fiscally -- of the county, the cities, our citizens, and the animals."

CITIES OPTING-IN FOR REGIONAL ANIMAL SERVICES

Twenty-seven of the 34 original contracting cities have indicated interest in participating in the regional model through interlocal agreements lasting two-and-a-half years. If a critical mass of those cities follow through to sign contracts and the County Council approves, the new Regional Animal Services of King County would be implemented starting July 1.

"This regional model provides a cost-effective way to ensure that our residents can get the animal services they need, while giving us time to work with King County on creating some new partnerships and revenue opportunities that will further reduce our costs," said Redmond Mayor John Marchione.

Cities that have historically received all animal control services from King County but have elected not to opt-in going forward are Federal Way, Burien, Algona, Pacific, and Hunts Point. Bothell has indicated it would like to participate for six months. Newcastle previously contracted only for sheltering and control and has indicated interest in now contracting for licensing as well. Seattle will continue to administer its own animal services and shelter.

The county has distributed cost estimates to participating cities that are based on the number of cities that have signed letters of intent; the more cities that participate, the lower the cost for each city. Total revenue from pet license sales in each city will be credited back to the amount each city would pay for services.

CODE CHANGES FOR REGIONAL ANIMAL SERVICES

The proposed code changes would create incentives to promote pet licensing, which both supports the return of animals to their homes and is critical to the funding of services. The proposal would establish a "no-tolerance" policy for enforcement of licensing, and make changes to the structure of license fees. Revenue from pet license fees and related fines currently defrays about 60 percent of the cost of the regional service model.

"The facts are clear. The county must revise its plan for animal services because only 18 percent of the citizens receiving animal control services in South County are licensing their pets," said Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis. "Clearly we must increase awareness to have the services we want to keep our communities safe."

Among many code changes, the proposed ordinance would:

• Remove a significant disincentive to pet licensing by removing a provision that allows owners who are caught with an unlicensed pet to avoid penalties.
• Lower the license fee for unaltered pets to be more in line with other jurisdictions and encourage licensing.
• Authorize the county to enter into concession agreements with vendors to sell animal-related products and services, and to sell advertising, sponsorship and naming rights for the benefit of regional animal services.
• For the first time, authorize acceptance of credit and debit cards both at the Kent shelter and in the field to improve customer service and increase revenues.
• Create a long-awaited animal bequest fund to enable the disbursement of funds donated for the benefit of animals, in accordance with donor restrictions, and to enable the county to accept and solicit gifts, bequests and donations in support of regional animal services.
  
  

ROADMAP FOR REFORM FOR REGIONAL ANIMAL SERVICES

The Executive's Roadmap for Reform outlines actions, some of which are already underway, to address remaining deficiencies in animal care, disease prevention, shelter overpopulation, systems management, and animal cruelty investigation that have been identified as areas for improvement in the county's Animal Services Strategic Plan and in past reports and studies that have been conducted under the leadership of the King County Council.

Among the key actions are to:

• Hire a field operations and external affairs manager, ideally with proven experience in animal services, to improve animal care, manage the animal population, work with community partners, and develop operating procedures and ensure that those procedures are followed.
• Hire a full-time volunteer coordinator, essential for increasing the number of volunteers and effectively managing them, maintaining animal care within available resources and moving animals quickly through the shelter system - in particular during the approaching peak summer season.
• Hire a veterinary medical director and two additional veterinary technicians to provide a higher level of care in the Kent shelter, in part through the use of funds donated for improved animal care.
• Refine and continue to establish procedures to systematically identify all new calls about animal cruelty, follow up weekly with field sergeants, and provide guidance to the animal cruelty sergeant when pursuing the most serious cases.
• Work with the Sheriff's Office to develop procedures for responding quickly and more effectively to potential animal cruelty cases and issues of public safety, engage police earlier in the investigation of serious cases, and establish policies and procedures for after-hours dispatch.
• Work with the King County Prosecuting Attorney to develop procedures to more clearly establish the actions that animal control officers can take in potential animal cruelty cases, particularly with regard to the seizure or impoundment of healthy animals in situations where other animals have died or been harmed, and to clarify when criminal as opposed to civil actions can be taken.
• Engage outside experts to review shelter, veterinary clinic, and field operations, objectively evaluate the progress that has been made, and identify additional improvements that are needed.

BACKGROUND TO REGIONAL ANIMAL SERVICES

Animal control, sheltering and licensing are discretionary local services for which individual cities historically had responsibility within their own borders. After being approached by leadership of the Suburban Cities Association in the mid-1980s, King County agreed to provide animal services on behalf of cities on a regional basis, in exchange for the revenues from pet license fees that fund the system.

That arrangement has not been revisited since its inception, and over the past quarter-century the gap between license revenues and the cost of the system has grown to a level that is not sustainable for the county. In recent years, the county has subsidized the system with nearly $3 million per year from the county general fund.

King County currently provides animal services to all residents in the unincorporated areas, and contracts with all other cities within the county except Seattle, Renton, Skykomish and Milton.

A proposed contract has been sent to the 27 cities for staff review and prospective action by their respective city councils. The King County Council must also approve the contracts, which must be in place by June 30.

The full County Council is scheduled to hold public hearings on the regional animal services model on June 14 and 21, with potential action set for June 21.