City Council Approves $16.8 Million Animal Services Agreement Despite Cost Concerns

The City Council approved a $16.8 million three-year agreement with the County of Riverside Department of Animal Services on Nov. 18, despite concerns from several councilmembers about the cost and the county charging the City for meeting time.

The 5-2 vote, with Ward 1 and Ward 4 dissenting, came after extensive discussion about rising costs and the City's role in addressing shelter overcrowding. The agreement runs from fiscal year 2025-26 through fiscal year 2027-28 and integrates both animal control and sheltering services.

Diana Palatto, Principal Management Analyst, presented the Animal Services program to council, explaining that the county's Department of Animal Services has been partially subsidizing services for city partners. Program costs increased from $14.9 million in 2024 to $28.1 million in fiscal year 2025 as the county works to reduce its euthanasia rate and hire 38 additional staff members.

In 2023, the County euthanized 37% of dogs and cats, a rate activists claim is the highest in the United States.

The new agreement includes annual 5% increases in field labor rates and substantial increases in sheltering fees: 17% in the first year, 44% in the second year, and 20% in the third year. Riverside accounts for 24.6% of all impounds across the county's four-shelter system, based on data from based on data from mid-2022 through 2024.

The council also approved an $816,000 supplemental appropriation for community programs aimed at reducing the number of animals entering the shelter system. The county executive office agreed to reevaluate the third-year contract price if the city achieves a substantial reduction in animals kenneled.

The community programs include a microchip scanner pilot program in partnership with Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center, placing scanners at public libraries to help reunite lost pets with owners before they enter the shelter system. Pilato also plans to ask local veterinarians to perform three to five free spay and neuter procedures per month. The City will increase community adoption events, including free adoptions at Festival of Lights on Dec. 4 and 18.

"To achieve a substantial number of animals kenneled means I have a lot of work ahead of me," Pilato told council.

Carrie Ridgeway of Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center advocate for the microchip scanner program, citing results from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where shelter intake dropped 6.5% overall after implementing a similar program. In the first six months of Albuquerque's program, 166 pets were scanned at fire and police stations and 17% were reunited with owners without entering the shelter.

"The Pet Adoption Center recently has stopped accepting owner-surrendered adult dogs so we can focus on saving dogs at the highest risk of euthanasia," Ridgeway said. "This is how dire the situation has become."

Riverside County Department of Animal Services is currently operating at 200% capacity, she said.

Several councilmembers voiced concerns about the agreement's cost and provisions requiring the City to pay for county staff time beyond limited free meetings.

Councilmember Philip Falcone said he would "hold my nose and vote" for the agreement, calling it a county responsibility that should be funded by the county.

"We don't get many services from the county because we're an incorporated city," Falcone said, noting unincorporated areas receive more county support despite Riverside being the county's largest city.

Councilmember Jim Perry also questioned the contract provisions charging the City for additional county staff time.

"I can't remember a time when government entities started charging one another for services, especially before something is even started," Perry said.

Pilato said the provisions are part of a standard template used for all contract cities.

Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes called the billing provisions "ridiculous" and said the city should be partners with the county.

Pilato clarified that the $816,000 community program budget includes additional spay/neuter initiatives beyond the county events, including potentially renting mobile spay/neuter buses from a Los Angeles company to serve each ward.

Falcone was more direct in his criticism of the meeting fee provisions.

"It's absolutely absurd to me that a government would bill another government for meeting with them," he said. "That is absolutely unconscionable."

Councilmember Steven Robillard questioned why Riverside and other cities closest to the county's largest shelter on Van Buren have the highest animal impound numbers by far compared to cities farther from the shelter.

"I think there might be a correlation there that we're being overcounted," Robillard said.

She also noted that COVID-era pet adoptions led to animals being surrendered when owners returned to work. In a 30-month period, Temecula Valley had about 8,000 animals impounded while Riverside had 13,000, according to data presented to council.

Pilato warned council that without the agreement, the City would have no animal control services despite receiving 10 to 15 calls per day about strays, no dead animal pickup and no sheltering services. The City would still owe the county for services already rendered during the negotiation period.

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson closed the discussion with a pointed comment about pet ownership.

"What's clear is that people need to be more responsible for their pets," she said. "This drives me crazy. We're up here arguing about this, and people are just not responsible."