King County Councilman Julia Patterson initially wanted the county to get out of the animal control and sheltering business by this year.
But Patterson, whose District 5 covers much of Kent, said the newly formed Regional Animal Services of King County is the best option to give the county and cities more time to figure out a long-term solution as the cities take over more and more of the funding for animal control and sheltering.
“I think considering the fact we really don’t have a place for animals to go in King County if we dropped the service cold turkey, the regional model is the best we can do for now,” Patterson said in a July 7 phone interview. “We wanted to be out of it this year but that was too soon.”
King County started a new regional model for animal services July 1 when 27 cities, including Kent, agreed to contracts to pay the county to provide animal control and sheltering services.
The county-owned and operated Kent Shelter serves as the primary housing facility for dogs, cats and other animals.
Patterson said the facility is “barely adequate” because it is such an old building, first used as a shelter in the 1970s. But she added there have been many changes at the shelter over the last few years to reduce overcrowding, separate the cats from the dogs and protocols to keep the shelter clean.
“With the new management the working atmosphere is going to continue to improve so the shelter is adequate but I do not consider it the solution,” Patterson said.
But she expressed optimism that earlier status reports on the shelter, which pointed out dire issues, would be a thing of the past.
“The days of horrendous reports of the conditions and operations at the shelter have come to an end,” Patterson said. “The executive branch (of County Executive Dow Constantine) has pretty much hired all new management. They are going to be more focused on animal welfare and finding homes and reducing the euthanasia rate.”
Representatives from the city and county need to work as partners over the next couple of years to find a better shelter for the animals as well as for the cities to take over most of the funding of the animal care and control program, Patterson said.
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