Animal control contract is OK’d

Jay County Humane Society will continue providing animal control services to the county next year.

Jay County Commissioners approved a $66,325 formal service agreement Monday with the organization, which has been in charge of animal control for the county since January 2021.

County attorney Wes Schemenaur explained a few revisions have been made to the contract since it was addressed at the Sept. 25 meeting.

It stipulates the organization will “respond to all calls for stray, nuisance or abandoned dogs or cats during regular business operating hours,” which are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Calls placed outside of those times are considered after hours.

Per the agreement, after-hours calls made by police will be taken for aggressive, abandoned, ill or injured stray dogs or cats. Schemenaur noted the section about after-hours calls has been extended to include definitions of a few of those criteria. Aggressive animals are defined as “animals that have bitten a human being or in imminent danger of biting a human being,” and abandoned animals are defined as “a situation where law enforcement has arrested an individual, an individual has suffered from a medical emergency, or an individual has died resulting in a dog or cat being abandoned or unattended.”

Schemenaur, who also serves as the Jay County prosecutor, explained he didn’t feel comfortable with Jay County Humane Society employees solely enforcing animal ordinances, which had previously been included in the contract. 

It now authorizes employees to instead assist in enforcing ordinances, such as providing witness statements or documenting animal conditions. (Police will remain lead investigators on each case and issue tickets as needed.)

The agreement also has a three-month termination clause, which Schemenaur pointed out is the reason the county chose to pay the organization quarterly installments over the course of the year.

“I’m comfortable with it, as it’s written,” said Schemenaur. “You know, it’s going to be a newer situation. We’re supposed to be guaranteed space available in their new facility.”

Jay County Humane Society took over animal control responsibilities for the city and county in January 2021 following the retirement of Bill and Kathy Fields. (Midwest Pet Refuge also provided animal control services alongside the organization for a period of time.) The organization has been raising funds for the last few years for a new, larger facility. 

Jay County Humane Society's current building on Shadeland Avenue has 12 dog kennels — visitors enter the building and immediately walk through a hallway attached to the kennels, raising concerns about safety — and a small area for cat cages. It sits at just over 1,000 square feet and 576 square feet of exterior kennel space.

The organization purchased the former Fastenal building along Indiana 67 on the western edge of Portland in 2022. Jay County Humane Society raised at least $1 million and Jay County officials agreed to contribute $275,000 toward renovating the building priced at about $1.2 million. (That includes land acquisition, construction and other fees.)

The new building is expected to house at least 40 dogs and 100 or more cats. Members of the organization have said previously there is additional space if needed, such as wall space to add more cages or room for expansion in the future.

Hopes are for Jay County Humane Society to move into its new facility by the end of the month. However, the new formal agreement with the county doesn’t go into effect until Jan. 1. 

Members of Jay County Humane Society, including consultant Linda Conn, have told county, city and town officials that more space for animals will be available once the organization has started operating out of its new building. 

Per the contract, cities and towns need to approve separate agreements with Jay County Humane Society to be able to utilize its animal control services. Dunkirk has turned down the agreement, instead choosing to continue using its own animal control officer. Schemenaur noted Salamonia, Portland and Redkey have expressed interest in the humane society’s services.

Jay County Humane Society will receive $66,325 in exchange for its animal control services in unincorporated parts of the county. The amount, negotiated down from the humane society’s proposed $68,500, was calculated using a formula developed by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Estimates from census data showed the county has approximately 2,330 cats and 1,457 dogs in rural, unincorporated areas. Their request was determined by the cost to service 10% of those animals at a rate of $175 each.

Commissioners Chad Aker and Rex Journay, absent commissioner Brian McGalliard, approved the contract.

Also Monday, commissioners approved a $13,750 quarterly claim from Jay County Humane Society.