HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.08.14 TCACA Agenda
AGENDA
Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority
5:30 PM - Thursday, August 14, 2025
Pasco City Hall, Council Chambers
Page
1. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - The public may address the Tri-Cities Animal
Control Authority (TCACA) on any items related to animal control within
Kennewick, Pasco or Richland. This is to provide the opportunity to bring
items to the attention of the TCACA or to express an opinion on an issue. Its
purpose is not to provide a venue for debate or for the posing of questions
with the expectation of an immediate response. Some questions require
consideration by the TCACA over time and after a deliberative process with
input from a number of different sources; some questions are best directed
to staff who have access to specific information. Public comments will
normally be limited to three minutes each. Those with lengthy messages are
invited to summarize their comments and/or submit written information for
consideration by the TCACA outside of formal meetings.
3. TCACA AGENCY REPORTS
4. TRI-CITIES ANIMAL SHELTER UPDATES
2 - 17 (a) TCACA Presentation covers topics in the attached PowerPoint.
5. OLD BUSINESS
18 (a) Meeting Minutes - June 12, 2025
6. NEW BUSINESS
7. NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 9, 2025
8. ADJOURNMENT
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Tri-Cities Animal
Control Authority
(TCACA)
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City of Pasco Representative: Parks & Recreation Director, Jesse
Rice
City of Richland Representative: Lt. Christopher Mason
City of Kennewick Representative: Commander BJ Moos
City of Pasco/TCAS Manager: Ben Zigan
City of Pasco Administrative Assistant II: Elizabeth Olivo
City of Pasco/TCAS Department Assistant II: Krista Hahn
TCACA Members
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The public may address the Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority (TCACA) on
any items related to animal control within Kennewick, Pasco or Richland.
This is to provide the opportunity to bring items to the attention of the
TCACA or to express an opinion on an issue. Its purpose is not to provide a
venue for debate or for the posing of questions with the expectation of an
immediate response. Some questions require consideration by the TCACA
over time and after a deliberative process with input from a number of
different sources; some questions are best directed to staff who have access
to specific information. Public comments will normally be limited to three
minutes each. Those with lengthy messages are invited to summarize their
comments and/or submit written information for consideration by the TCACA
outside of formal meetings.
Public Comments
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Tri-Cities Animal Services (TCAS)
General Responsibilities
•Animal Control Services – Response to nuisance animal complaints,
investigate reports of animal cruelty/neglect, assist law enforcement
and 24/7 response to sick, injured and aggressive animals. Public
education of pet owner responsibilities and resources.
•Animal Sheltering Services – Daily animal care to include medical
services. Stray animal intake. Adoption, redemption, transfer, foster
and rescue placement. Volunteer management.
•Community Outreach and Education – Adoption and community
events, community outreach dog, educational presentations, and
social media.
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POSITION NUMBER OF STAFF EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Animal Services Manager 1 Full Time
Animal Control Supervisor 1 Full Time
Animal Control Dispatcher 1 Full Time
Animal Control Officer 3 Full Time
Department Assistant II/Volunteer Coordinator 1 Full Time
Customer Service Representative 2 Full Time
Transfer/Foster Coordinator 1 Full Time
Animal Intake/Medical Assistants 2 Full Time
Vet Tech Assistant 1 Part Time
Animal Care Lead 1 Full Time
Animal Care Technician 5/7 Full Time
Veterinarian 1 Part-Time
Current Staffing
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DOGS CATS
JUNE - JULY JUNE - JULY
79 118 INTAKE 201 244
4 7 ADOPTED THEN RETURNED 0 1
35 61 ADOPTED 86 98
19 34 REDEEMED 5 6
9 28 TRANSFERRED 63 90
13 8 EUTHANASIA: MEDICAL 25 22
0 2 EUTHANASIA: MUNICIPAL CODE 0 0
2 0 EUTHANASIA: BEHAVIORAL 0 0
Bi-Monthly Intake/Outcome Statistics
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CASE TYPE NUMBER OF CASES
Animal At-Large 198
Abandonment 7
Attack 26
Aggressive 3
Barking Dog 10
Bite Case - Human 22
Code Enforcement Complaint 4
Cruelty 5
Deceased on Arrival (DOA)57
Door Tag 1
Follow- Up 1
Hit By Car 10
Information 17
In Custody 5
Injured Animal 65
Police Assist 15
Welfare Check 105
Stolen Animal 1
Total Cases: 552
Bi-Monthly
ACO Case
Breakdown
June/July
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Euthanasia Action Report:
Municipal
:
Behavioral:
If you have any questions or need to request records related to this,
please contact the shelter.
Name: Moose
Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier
Intake Date: 10/31/24
Intake ID: A0057186364
Intake Reason: Animal Control Seizure
Name: Dylan
Breed: Pit Bull Terrier
Intake Date: 2/7/25
Intake ID: A0057813438
Intake Reason: Found tied to a light post in Pasco
Name: Max
Breed: Shepherd
Intake Date: 7/11/25
Intake ID: A0058877352
Intake Reason: Deemed dangerous dog; owners declined to permit
Name: Brandie
Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier
Intake Date: 7/16/25
Intake ID: A0052704635
Intake Reason: Attack on person; owner declined to permit
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Managing Challenges:
Overcapacity and Parvo in the Shelter
At or over capacity for several consecutive months which has limited us often to only
taking in animals that are sick, injured, or too young to be on their own.
Animals Currently In Our Care on 8/1/25:
Dogs/Puppies: 60
Cats/Kittens: 143
Two parvo outbreaks in the last couple months, resulting in two-week
closures to our puppy area (run 5), increased medical costs, and added
stress on staff and resources.
These challenges have temporarily limited intake capacity, slowed some
placements, and increased the need for strategic resource planning and
outside support.
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Rescue Partnerships
Mikey’s Chance
Forgotten Dogs
Journey Home
Washington Alaskan Malamute Adoption League
(WAMAL)
The Last Road Dog Sanctuary
Sunny Sky’s Animal Rescue
American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue (CA)
HART
Smidget Rescue
Hope for Huskies
Old Dog Haven
American Bullmastiff Association
Pronto Puppy
Path of Hope Rescue
Church of Pug
Seattle Humane Society
Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Auburn Valley Humane Society
Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFE)
The NOAH Center (Stanwood, WA)
Tumbleweed Cat Rescue
Flower Feline Sanctuary
Benton Franklin Humane Society
Lar’s Pawsome Rescue
Cat Utopia (Pendleton, OR)
Okandogs Dog Rescue
Dave Buster Rescues
Madres Mutts
Tri-City Kitty
Mighty Meow
Blue Mountain Humane Society
Watson’s Paws for a Cause
SpokAnimal
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2026 TCAS Proposed Budget
(Pasco
)
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2026 TCAS Proposed Budget
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2026 Animal Control Action Plan
Our region is facing a chronic companion animal overpopulation crisis, pushing our shelter to operate at or
beyond capacity. Most of our resources are spent reacting to problems rather than preventing them.
The 2026 Animal Control Plan offers a unified, proactive approach focused on prevention and long-term
solutions. Centered on four pillars—Animal Control Services, Community Outreach & Education, Animal Shelter
Services, and Fiscal Strategy—the plan aims to standardize operations, reduce intakes, and ensure humane,
equitable outcomes.
By shifting away from a crisis-response model and investing in upstream solutions, we can lower costs, improve
outcomes, and build a more sustainable animal services system across the region.
Goals & Objectives:
•Mitigate the root causes of animal overpopulation through regionally aligned prevention and control
strategies.
•Standardize animal control ordinances and operations to ensure fairness, accountability, and consistency
across jurisdictions.
•Empower the community through accessible education and public-private partnerships to promote
responsible pet ownership.
•Transition from reactive sheltering to proactive field services through coordinated resource realignment.
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Fiscal Strategy
2026 Action Items:
•Develop service exchange partnerships with local nonprofits, veterinary clinics, and
community-based organizations to capitalize on regional assets and services.
•Reduce financial impact through strategic asset optimization:
•Leverage operational efficiencies in the new facility to decrease staffing costs, such as
evaluating the feasibility of eliminating one full-time kennel operations position.
•Minimize capital expenditures by identifying opportunities to reallocate existing assets—
specifically through the replacement of end-of-life vehicles without new purchases where
possible.
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Animal Control Services
2026 Recommended Action Items:
•Develop and implement pet licensing regionally. This program can implement tiered rates for
owners which spay/neuter as well as microchipping rate discounts to support identification and
return-to-owner efforts as well as pet population.
•Change Animals Injuring Property Unlawful code (KMC 8.02.030, PMC 6.05.020 and RMC
7.03.030) from may to shall be seized and impounded. Develop plan aligned with regional
veterinarians on disposition of animals.
•Adopt RCW 16.52 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regionally to grant Animal Control Officers
the necessary enforcement authority.
•Implement requirement for frequently impounded pets to be spay/neuter before redemption
(example: City of Yakima).
•Implement regionwide restriction of public sales of pets from unregulated sources to curb
impulse purchasing and abandonment (example: City of Richland).
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Community Outreach & Education
2026 Recommended Action Items:
•Launch a coordinated “Be a Responsible Pet Owner” campaign across jurisdictions through
increased visibility and accessibility of low-cost spay/neuter, vaccination, licensing and
microchipping.
•Identify grant funding opportunities for increased revenue for Tri-Cities Animal Services and non-
profits/low-cost organizations we (can) partner with.
Animal Shelter Services
2026 Recommended Action Items:
•Standardize codes and response protocols for behavioral and dangerous animal cases.
•Finalize and implement comprehensive Animal Services Facility Policies & Procedures Manual.
•Adopt a managed intake model to prevent overcrowding while preserving access to services.
•Expand foster and volunteer networks to decompress shelter populations and increase
community engagement.
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MINUTES
Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority
5:30 PM - Thursday, June 12, 2025
Pasco City Hall, Council Chambers
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attendees:
City of Kennewick Representative: Trever Davis
City of Pasco Representative: Jesse Rice
City of Richland Representative: Vincent Hupf
Animal Services Manager Ben Zigan
Administrative Assistant II: Krista Hahn
Mr. Rice opened the meeting with a welcome and provided a brief
announcement on structure of the meeting and introduced the other
cities' representatives.
TCACA AGENCY REPORTS
TRI-CITIES ANIMAL SHELTER UPDATES
TCACA Presentation covers topics in the attached PowerPoint.
OLD BUSINESS
Meeting Minutes - April 10, 2025
NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 14, 2025
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:39 PM
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