Animal shelter addresses concerns

MOSES LAKE - Public concerns were raised after a resident expressed fear that Grant County Animal Outreach sends animals to Washington State University for research and testing.

Moses Lake resident Brian Healy voiced his concerns at a Moses Lake City Council Dec. 18 about why he didn't wish to give 26 of his cats to the animal shelter run by Grant County Animal Outreach.

At the meeting Healy said he investigated taking the cats to the shelter but feared they would be shipped to the Washington State University (WSU) for animal research and testing.

Healy is being ordered by the city to reduce his pet cats from 29 to 26 to comply with a city ordinance limiting household pets to three pets per household.

Since his comment, a portion of the public voiced concern about whether pets are sent from the shelter to the university for lab testing.

Grant County Animal Outreach Manager Mary DeHerrera said the shelter does not send animals to WSU.

She said the organization is continuing to work on an agreement to send animals to WSU for spaying, neutering, microchip implants and exams. DeHerrera said they hope the service can begin in January.

The Grant County Humane Society had a similar agreement with WSU when the humane society ran the shelter, she said.

Fourth-year students conduct the services with supervision, DeHerrera said.

"At no time do our animals go up there to do any type of research," she said.

DeHerrera said she toured the university's veterinary department because she wanted to know what the animals would go through when they leave the shelter.

"It was awesome," she said. "Each (veterinary) student gets an animal and that is their animal for ten days."

The student is responsible for such tasks as walking and bathing the animal. Oftentimes, the students end up adopting the animal themselves, she said.

"We could send 10 dogs and get three back," DeHerrera said.

Grant County Animal Outreach currently has approximately 70 cats and 80 dogs at the shelter, she said.