Colorado Springs cuts budget for animal control and contracts with outside agency

For decades, pet overpopulation, animal abuse and neglect and stray, dangerous and barking dogs have been a bone of contention for most city and county governments. It is estimated that eight to 10 million homeless animals enter shelters in the United States on an annual basis, according to Animal

Contracts with for-profit and nonprofit organizations have unburdened many cities from animal-control regulations, which ICMA says are a constitutionally legitimate exercise of local government power to protect public safety and welfare.

Under ICMA guidelines, essential animal-control government services should include the following: enforcing public health and safety laws, responding to nuisance complaints, investigating animal abuse and neglect complaints, rescuing mistreated or injured animals, sheltering homeless animals, reuniting lost pets with owners, placing healthy pets in responsible homes, euthanizing suffering or unclaimed animals, promoting mandatory identification of dogs and cats, creating incentives for pet sterilization and deterring future problems through education and other programs.

Just how much money should a city allocate to all of the above?

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and the city of Colorado Springs have debated that question for several years. The discussion was recently halted when Springs officials announced they will terminate the 53-year-old contract between the humane society and the city on Jan. 1, 2004. Instead, the city awarded the 2004 animal-control contract to Colorado Humane Society, a Lakewood, Colo.-based animal welfare organization. The reason: CHS bid $895,000 for animal-control duties compared to the local humane society's $1.4 million bid.

City Council budgeted $696,000 plus $500,000 (revenues retained from licensing and other fees) for 2004. But the city significantly slashed its animal-control budget this year. Tom Albertson, the fiscal services manager for the Colorado Springs Police Department, reported the 2003 animal-control budget, which is a part of the CSPD budget, was $818,000 plus the $500,000 (revenues), and the 2002 budget was $909,000 plus the $500,000.

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region made a business decision, said Albertson, and there is not a whole lot I can do about that. But the HSPPR has been unburdening the city of Colorado Springs for the past 53 years of its animal-control responsibilities, and Dr. Wes Metzler, executive director of the HSPPR, doesn't think Albertson believes the city should assume all of the responsibilities in the first place. However, government expectations have been thoroughly defined by ICMA guidelines, and City Council may hear from angry citizens if barking-dog calls are ignored because of budget cuts.

Currently, the HSPPR is not responding to noise-related complaints. The barking dog responsibility was yanked from the HSPPR for financial reasons a couple of months ago and handed off to the CSPD.

The city's decision to contract with an outside agency is bound to raise eyebrows and impact operations, and layoffs may be forthcoming. Will the decision compromise the quality of animal control in the community?

The annual cost per citizen for animal control in Colorado Springs is now $3.90, said Metzler. Denver citizens pay $5.50 per year, and Pueblo residents are taxed over $5 per year. The average per-citizen cost, according to national standards, said Metzler, is $4.25.

The HSPPR employs 16 full-time animal-control officers, and CHS plans to employ eight officers. Metzler said CHS will attempt to provide the same overall services as the HSPPR with half the staff. A 50 percent staff reduction could mean compromised services, said Metzler. The HSPPR received 21,000 calls in 2002 for the city of Colorado Springs alone. Sixty-five animals are brought into the shelter every day - 40 are from the city. And where will the city's wayward animals be housed come Jan. 1?

In a Dec. 2 article in The Gazette, it was reported the city owns 60 percent of the Humane Society shelter on South 8th Street. ... On Dec. 3, The Gazette referred to the city as owning a part of the shelter. Not true, said Metzler and Albertson. The city contributed $3 million from SKIP monies for the building of the new shelter. In return, the city is entitled to lease 60 percent of the facility. And citizens may get a bit confused when one door is allotted to CHS and another is maintained for the HSPPR, which is Metzler's vision of what might happen on Jan. 1.

Mary Warren is the executive director of CHS, and, although there are still no plans for how the operations will be handled (as of Dec. 5, she and Metzler had not talked), Warren said, All the bells and whistles will be in place by Jan.1, and CHS will not leave the city unprotected. Warren relayed the CHS bid was based on the set of perimeters outlined in the city's procurement process.

A few things will definitely change: City pet owners who were once able to relinquish their animals to the HSPPR without a charge will now have to pay a $45 fee to hand over their animals, which, Metzler said, might encourage desperate owners to improperly abandon animals. Hours of operations will change: CHS will answer calls from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. only. Emergency calls will be handled by the CSPD.

The HSPPR will continue to contract with outlying areas and El Paso County. Terry Harris, county administrator, recalled the days when the county made a decision to contract outside of the HSPPR. It was a comical disaster, said Harris. We are truly lucky to be able to privatize this; I appreciate anyone that keeps this off our backs. The two most dreaded calls we receive at the county are related to pot holes and barking animals. Harris said the county keeps close tabs on the costs of providing animal control. We watch the HSPPR contract closely, and we think the price is right.

Richard Skorman, vice mayor of Colorado Springs, was a bit shocked when he received the e-mail from Lorne Kramer, city manager, regarding the new contract. We have so many demands for everything, and we've cut the budget $20 million. But I am uncomfortable with the end of the relationship (with the HSPPR); we have a lot of transient people, and we have to put extra effort into this. The ramifications of an outside contract could be big - it's a public safety issue and a value system reflective of our community.

Pullout: City Council budgeted $696,000 plus $500,000 (revenues retained from licensing and other fees) for 2004. But the city significantly slashed its animal-control budget this year. Tom Albertson, the director of finance for the Colorado Springs Police Department, reported the 2003 animal-control budget, which is a part of the CSPD budget, was $818,000 plus the $500,000 (revenues), and the 2002 budget was $909,000 plus the $500,000.