By Trisha Walker
Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER — Hood River County will continue to provide animal control services, shelter services, and legal support for the city for the next five years, city councilors decided at the Aug. 10 meeting.
The decision followed a lengthy discussion. Shelter services — specifically, those Hood River Adopt A Dog (HRAAD) provides — were a point of contention.
Currently, the county contracts with HRAAD, but, as previously reported, the shelter is in danger of closing next year, when funds bequeathed by Ross and Daphne Hukari in 2007 are expected to run out.
Councilors voiced concerns that if the shelter closed, the county might not be able to provide the same level of care as HRAAD, a nonprofit, no-kill shelter with a mission of adoption or reunification of all dogs in their care.
Councilors also questioned whether the city gets the full benefit of the services it pays for, as city officers take calls and deliver dogs to the shelter on nights and weekends, when the county’s animal control officer isn’t on duty.
City Manager Abigail Elder said the city’s funding is applied to the animal control officer position, not the shelter itself.
“We’ve always thought of it as, we’re paying for part of a person,” she said. “The whole program is the county’s responsibility, however they choose to deliver that.”
Police Chief Neal Holste agreed, noting the department’s 24/7 coverage, while the animal control position is 40 hours a week.
The value, he said, is officers can “drop and go,” and the animal control officer handles backend tasks like finding dog owners, making sure they’re licensed and vaccinated, and citing owners with any violations. The county also assumes any liability.
Both Elder and Holste said the contract can be terminated at any time if the city feels like the county isn’t providing adequate shelter services.
Councilors Ben Mitchell, Grant Polson, Amanda Goeke, and Doug Stepina, Council President Gladys Rivera, and Mayor Paul Blackburn all voted in favor, with Anna Cavaleri opposed.
The county and city have entered into a series of intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) since 1984, with the city compensating the county for animal control services.
The new contract goes into effect Sept. 1. The first year will cost the city $41,700, paid in quarterly installments, with an additional one-time payment of $6,089 due at signing to cover inflationary costs.
The amount will then increase by 5% each year after, with year five coming in at $50,687.
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