Moses Lakes council votes to fund animal shelter

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake City Council approved up to $1 million in funding for a new facility for Grant County Animal Outreach. Council Member David Skaug was the only dissenting vote in the 6-1 approval.

Interim City Manager Kevin Fuhr said the county is willing to offer up to $1 million in funding and that the city would be able to match that amount.

“What the county is going to do is they are going to ask (GCAO) to apply for the funds and then give them the funds,” said Fuhr. “Once they have the funds then they can build the facility and it wouldn’t be through a city or county government so they can build it a lot cheaper.”

According to Fuhr, the county has also offered to donate property at the fairgrounds for the new facility. The intent is to also have a veterinarian on staff which would be beneficial both for the shelter and for use at the fair to take advantage of the new shelter being close to the city’s dog park.

Officials said the project would not increase taxes at the city or county levels.

County Commissioner Rob Jones attended the meeting and said the county is willing to move forward as soon as possible with the project.

President of the Board of Directors at GCAO Sara Thompson Tweedy spoke on behalf of the shelter and said shelters and rescues across the country are being overwhelmed. Stray pets are a crisis locally and nationally. However, she said the board at GCAO is working hard to ensure the shelter remains a no-kill shelter. 

“There is kind of this outstanding question that what are we as a society going to do,” said Thompson Tweedy. “If something doesn’t change pretty dramatically, we’re going to have to have a serious conversation about what we do.”

Adams County Pet Rescue, the nearest large animal shelter outside of Grant County, announced last month that it is in financial trouble because of overwhelming demand. Many of the shelters and rescues that serve Grant and Adams counties, including GCAO and ACPR are at or above double their capacity.

Tweedy said there needs to be an increase in adoptions from the shelter. As it stands, they are currently above capacity. She added that the county and city will have to start considering policies such as the creation of a low-cost spay and neuter clinic and further restrictions on the number of dogs one person can own in order to get the stray pet crisis in the county in check.

Fuhr also said with the dramatic increase in people selling puppies on the side of the road, the city is looking into ordinances that can help prevent the practice.

“There have been times where one dog owner has filled our shelter with 11 animals”, said Thompson Tweedy. “Without policies in place to make it more difficult for people to get into that situation … those animals end up at our shelter.”

While Thompson Tweedy said she realizes building a bigger shelter is not addressing the animal population issues that are occurring, it is still necessary to alleviate the overcrowding at the current shelter. For a new shelter, they are estimating a 100-animal capacity which will cost around $1 million.

The city owns the current GCAO facility. Thompson Tweedy said details on who would own the new facility, county or city, are still being worked out.

Thompson Tweedy intends to keep the City Council updated on operations at GCAO.

Skaug said he voted against the measure because he felt a new facility would not solve the problem of overcrowding at GCAO and strays in the community.

The next Regular Council Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.

    Buddy, a pit bull mix at Grant County Animal Outreach, looks out of his kennel at a visitor to the shelter. Overcrowding, especially of larger and older dogs like Buddy, is part of the concern fueling a push in the community for a new animal shelter.