Animal shelter funding tabled

Grant County Commissioners seek more information

GRANT COUNTY — The Grant County Commissioners tabled a funding request from Grant County Animal Outreach during a Monday morning meeting.

Outreach requested $45,000 from the county to care for impounded animals at the Moses Lake-Grant County Animal Shelter.

The commissioners tabled the request until next week. They plan to meet with outreach representative Harmony White to discuss funding concerns.

Commissioner LeRoy Allison is concerned with the nearly $7,000 request increase. In previous years, the county paid approximately $38,000 per year to the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society for similar services.

The purpose of the additional funding remains unknown.

The commissioners are also concerned with the number of animals coming into the shelter and where they are impounded from.

The percentage of impounded county animals versus the percentage of impounded city animals should be determined to decide how much funding is paid, Commissioner Richard Stevens said.

"It's kind of silly for us to make up half the cost," Stevens said.

After speaking with a shelter employee, Commissioner Cindy Carter stated more city animals are impounded than county animals. The average number of animals impounded from each jurisdiction remains unknown.

Moses Lake City Council approved $45,000 to outreach last week and agreed to rent the shelter facility to the group for $1 per year.

The Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society is ending their animal care contract with the city and the county July 9th. Outreach will control the shelter when the contract runs out.