Multiple cities to pay more for county animal control services
The Board of Supervisors today approved a series of cost increases to contracts with five cities that rely on the Riverside County Department of Animal Services for animal control enforcement and shelter space.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board cleared the changes sought by the department in its agreements with the cities of Indio, Cathedral City, Perris, Rancho Mirage and San Jacinto.
"The county has a comprehensive Animal Services Department that not only helps safeguard domestic animals but also provides resources to the community to assist pets, pet owners, as well as public safety regarding domestic animals,'' the agency said in documents posted to the board's agenda.
Officials wrote that a rate study was initiated to determine whether the county was netting "full cost recovery'' for its animal control services, and the conclusion was that a "more balanced approach" was required to enable the contracting municipalities to "continue to receive uninterrupted service'' while the Department of Animal Services was adequately compensated for use of its personnel and facilities in the current fiscal year.
That resulted in modifications to the five cities' contracts, with the county seeking to hike fees 5% across the board, which the supervisors authorized Tuesday.
Under the amended terms, which take effect immediately and expire on June 30, 2025, Cathedral City will owe a total of $317,904 for animal control services, while Indio will owe $1.15 million, Perris will owe $474,141, Rancho Mirage $34,610 and San Jacinto $939,087.
The cities did not send representatives to speak ahead of the board vote.
The Department of Animal Services' former director, Erin Gettis, signed the request for contract adjustments prior to leaving the helm last week to take an administrative position with Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley.
Her nearly three years as director were plagued by criticism of policies that animal welfare activists argue led to the county's having the highest sheltered pets "kill rate" nationwide since 2022.
A lawsuit filed in August, spearheaded by the Rancho Mirage-based Walter Clark Law Group, is seeking a permanent injunction against the Department of Animal Services' humane euthanasia programs.
Clark called it a "ground-breaking case'' that's predicated on the 1998 Hayden Act. That legislation, authored by then-state Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Santa Monica, states in part, "no adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home."
On Sept. 17, the board approved a $2.69 million contract with Austin,Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC to scrutinize animal services' operations and recommend steps to correct problems, including shelters operating beyond capacity. The chief consultant will be Kristen Hassen, whom the county Executive Office lauded in documents for her "expertise in animal shelter management and strategic planning.''
"Hassen has the distinction of achieving a sustained 90% live outcome rate at three different shelters,'' documents stated.
The contract will expire at the end of 2026.
