County animal shelter reports steady intakes, seeks guidance on fundraising and future veterinary services

Shelter staff reported to the County Board on August intake and outcomes at the county animal shelter and asked the board to review options for fundraising and future veterinary services. The staff member gave counts for August and said the shelter is also pursuing grant funds for kennel improvements.

The staff member said the shelter took in 16 cats in August — including two owner surrenders, 11 captured in city trapping, and three county strays — and transferred seven to rescue groups; there were zero adoptions and nine cats marked as adoptable. For dogs, the staff member reported 16 intakes: three owner surrenders and 13 brought in by city animal control; seven were adoptable, eight were reclaimed and one adopted. Current inventory, the staff member said, included 21 cats (one on hold for pregnancy) and 18 dogs (four of those associated with court cases).

The staff member also described several medical and legal cases: a person identified in the record as Jessica Jones has an upcoming trial date on Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m.; a separate individual, named Andrew Christ, has been cited multiple times for pigs running at large and faces two court dates. The staff member said a female cocker spaniel that previously had not been spayed required surgery to remove a tumor and is now in foster-to-adopt status. The staff member added that one male dog with health issues (a history of strokes) remains in the shelter’s care and may not be a candidate for neuter surgery.

On operations and outreach, the staff member said kennel funding is being sought via grants and that efforts to update photos and listings (Facebook, Petfinder, and the shelter window) are underway; the staff member also plans to resume making short YouTube videos of adoptable dogs. The staff member reported outreach to a beagle rescue that collected one beagle last week and said another cocker spaniel will be transferred next week.

Board members asked about the city’s role in cat trapping. A county board participant asked whether city trapping was performed by the city or private residents; the shelter staff said it is city animal control that traps and brings cats to the municipal animal hospital, which operates under the county license and therefore is recorded under the shelter’s license for auditing by the state Department of Agriculture. The staff member said the city historically paused trapping when their longtime animal-control employee was ill and resumed after a new licensed staff member began trapping, which has increased intake numbers.

On fundraising, the staff member asked whether the county could run a GoFundMe to raise money for kennel improvements. A county official said the main concern is auditing and revenue tracking: if donations are collected under the county tax ID or deposited into county accounts, the revenue would have to be brought into the county budget and tracked for auditing and IRS purposes. The board member advised the staff member to first consult Adrian (budget/audit staff) for accounting and Carl Larson (county attorney) for legal guidance before starting any crowdfunding. The staff member said they would follow up with Adrian and Carl.

On veterinary services, the board discussed how the county currently pays the county’s contracted veterinarian and what will happen when that veterinarian retires. A county official clarified that the county contracts for veterinary services rather than employing a county veterinarian on payroll; when the current contracted veterinarian retires, the county would seek another contractor rather than hire a vet as a county employee.

Why it matters: shelter intake, medical care, and the ability to accept donated funds affect animal welfare operations and the county budget. The board directed staff to obtain legal and auditing guidance before soliciting public donations and noted the need to plan for continuity of contracted veterinary services.

The shelter staff concluded by asking the board for direction on GoFundMe and legal/auditing reviews; the staff member said they would contact Adrian and the county attorney and report back at a future meeting.

Ending: The board did not take formal action at the meeting on fundraising or veterinary contracting; staff were directed to seek legal and audit advice and return with recommendations.