PAWS to be paid to take stray animals

Thursday, February 12, 2004

By M.L. LYKE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

EVERETT -- Lost puppies and stray kitties received a governmental reprieve yesterday.

The Snohomish County Council unanimously approved a contract with the Progressive Animal Welfare Society that reimburses the low-kill animal shelter $60 for each animal from unincorporated Snohomish County brought in by citizens or animal-control officers.

Actual cost of caring for strays is closer to $180, shelter managers say.

PAWS had an unwritten good-faith agreement with the county to take in the animals, but that was dropped in October. Shelter workers had to send good Samaritans bringing in strays north to the Everett Animal Shelter.

County concerns over costs led to the agreement being dropped.

With the high number of strays brought into the Lynnwood shelter, the bill was topping $10,000 some months.

Under the contract approved yesterday, some of the sheltering costs will be passed on to pet owners, including a $7 transportation fee, a $3-per-day boarding fee and any medical expenses.

PAWS will have to verify that both the good Samaritans and the stray animals are from unincorporated areas of the county -- and not from cities that have their own sheltering services. That provision could cost PAWS. "We're going to get a lot of animals we won't get reimbursed for," said Kay Joubert, PAWS director of companion-animals services.

County Councilman Gary Nelson said the new contract is based on the "good management skills" of PAWS, and said the county would be auditing the organization. "We have to assure that they are, in fact, fulfilling their side of the arrangement."

The contract still has to be signed by County Executive Aaron Reardon. PAWS Executive Director Annette Laico said that is expected to happen by March 1.

"We're just delighted for the animals and the community that the County Council took this step," Laico said yesterday.

PAWS is a low-kill shelter that euthanizes animals only if they're physically compromised or unadoptable because of behavior problems. Despite working without a contract since October, the shelter took in some county strays when citizens were unable or unwilling to take them to another shelter.

Shelter managers said it came down to doing what is humane and correct.

"They're a good-hearted bunch of people who don't want to see animals hurt," Nelson said.

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