Four council members so far favor idea

King County could turn over the animal-sheltering business to a private agency, under a proposal that county staff presented last week to the King County Metropolitan Council.

Council members Dow Constantine, Julia Patterson, Reagan Dunn and Larry Phillips said during the meeting that they favored an option for a private agency to run the shelters.

The four serve on a council that is composed of nine members. Dunn represents part of Bellevue.

The options for the county to continue managing its shelters don’t appear to be many. The county could either keep operations the same – with increased funding and staffing – or reorganize the current model, with several departments taking on specific duties.

“This is not a budget decision or a policy change,” said Constantine, chairman of the Committee of the Whole that met to hear the report on the animal-services plan. “This is a moral issue that we are responsible for the animals and we need to succeed for the animals.”

The council took no formal action at the briefing, but asked county staff to further study what it would take to bring another organization to the table, to run the two county shelters in Bellevue and Kent.

Nobody has set a timeline for when the council would vote on such a proposal, but it was made clear at the meeting the council would conduct a public hearing before making any decisions.

The council opted to look at major changes to its shelter system after a critical report by a citizens advisory committee last October called shelter conditions “deplorable.” Another report in March by consultant Nathan Winograd said that “the county has failed for more than a decade to take the necessary steps to reform the shelters.”

A county interbranch task force with members from the Executive branch, County Council, Public Health, Sheriff’s and Prosecutor’s offices spent the last five months devising a strategic plan and an operational master plan for animal services.

Who would do the job?

The Seattle Humane Society looms as a potential partner to provide shelter services. The Humane Society is a private, nonprofit animal-welfare group that provides adoption, veterinary and other services at a shelter in Bellevue.

“The county is in trouble because the animals are not getting what they need,” said Brenda Barnette, chief executive officer of the Seattle Humane Society, in a phone interview. “We’re willing to do anything we can to help out.”

The Humane Society contracts to handle animals from the cities of Renton (which has its own animal-control officers) and Medina.

If the council approves a proposal to partner with a private agency, it could take as long as a year before services are transferred, said Marilyn Cope, council policy staff member, at Monday’s meeting.

Barnette said she and Humane Society board members met with County Executive Ron Sims two weeks ago to talk about a potential partnership. Barnette said she also has had unofficial meetings with individual council members.

“When communities start looking at services, they find out privatizing does allow for more efficiency and others can do the services more economically,” Barnette said.

Executive has other idea

Sims favors more of a shared approach to sheltering animals than what the council favors. Sims has recommended the county care for stray animals through a holding period, while a community partner would provide longer-term care and adoption services, said Jim Lopez, deputy chief of staff to Sims.

The executive branch plans to work with community partners to refine operations of the shelter as well as talk to cities that contract with the county about a new animal-services model.

Patterson wants switch

Patterson said she favors switching animal services to a private agency because it would cost less money than if the county remained in the animal-sheltering business.

Estimates show it would cost the county about $8.3 million per year to continue operating the shelters as the sole entity, and would require 76 employees. Having another entity operate the shelter system would cost the county about $5.7 million per year.