SAN DIEGO (CNS) - On Monday the City Council will discuss and possibly approve spending $12.8 million so the San Diego Humane Society can take over the city's animal service needs in the upcoming fiscal year.
RELATED: Future of animal services in San Diego up in the air
San Diego County has provided animal services to the city since 1971, but the Board of Supervisors notified the city in May that it will explore outsourcing county Department of Animal Services duties in the fiscal year that begins July 1. As such, San Diego officials are rushing to figure out how to
handle the city's animal service needs.
The city shelters about 18,000 animals per year, including impounded and surrendered animals. Animal services also include adoptions, field enforcement services, medical and veterinary services, as well as coordination of the city's dog licensing program.
The proposed San Diego Humane Society contract, which has an 18-month term, would divert $1.8 million from a shelter-related fund for start-up costs and nearly $11 million from the city's general fund for ongoing costs.
Projected ongoing costs are 4.2 percent higher than the current ongoing animal service budget, but are still lower than the $11.1 million projected budget included in the city's Fiscal Year 2019-2023 Five-Year Financial Outlook.
Several changes were made to the proposed contract ahead of Monday's meeting as requested by Budget and Government Efficiency Committee members several weeks ago.
The county will "make its best effort" to achieve a live-release rate of 85 percent, instead of 80 percent. When possible, the Humane Society will try to transfer animals to at least two rescue partners before
euthanization. The Humane Society hasn't euthanized a healthy or treatable animal since 2001. With an annual intake of 16,250 animals, it has a live-release rate of 94 percent.
The contract also recommends the Humane Society consider prioritizing the hiring of laid-off county animal service employees. Thirty-eight full-time county animal services employees were laid off last week. There are more than 200 live Humane Society job listings; former county employee applicants are expected.
There was public and committee member demand during the budget committee meeting for labor peace language to be added to the contract that would allow animal services employees to unionize The City Attorney's office is reviewing the legality of such language and will deliver its findings to the council before it meets today, according to a city report.
Last October, the city issued a Request for Information intended to gauge local interest in providing animal services for the city. The Humane Society was the sole respondent. City officials said they also reached out to other local organizations, but none were equipped to offer every animal service
needed.
The Humane Society has serviced the region since the 1880s. It currently operates shelters in San Diego, Oceanside and Escondido and has provided services to the cities of Imperial Beach, Poway, San Marcos and Vista.
San Diego would become its largest municipal contract to date.
