The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2026.06.11 TCACA Agenda Packet AGENDA Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority 5:30 PM - Thursday, June 11, 2026 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 - 16 (a) TCACA Presentation covers topics in the attached PowerPoint. 5. OLD BUSINESS 17 - 19 (a) Meeting Minutes - February 12, 2026 6. NEW BUSINESS 7. NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 13, 2026 8. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 19 Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority (TCACA) Pa g e 2 o f 1 9 City of Pasco Representative: City Manager: Harold Stewart City of Richland Representative: City Manager: Jon Amundson City of Kennewick Representative: City Manager: Erin Erdman City of Pasco Chairman/Interm Parks and Recreation Directior: Angela Pashon City of Pasco/TCAS Manager: Ben Zigan City of Pasco Administrative Assistant II: Elizabeth Farrell City of Pasco/TCAS Department Assistant II: Krista Hahn TCACA Members Pa g e 3 o f 1 9 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 Pa g e 4 o f 1 9 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. Pa g e 5 o f 1 9 P O S I T I O N N U M B E R O F S T A F F E M P L O Y M E N T T Y P E 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 0 of 1 Part Time Animal Care Lead 1 Full Time Animal Care Technician 6 of 7 Full Time Veterinarian 1 Part-Time Current Staffing Pa g e 6 o f 1 9 D O G S C A T S J A N - A P R I L J A N - A P R I L 411 T O T A L I N T A K E S 448 215 ADOPTED 212 28 A D O P T E D A N D R E T U R N E D 8 87 R E D E E M E D 16 88 T R A N S F E R R E D O U T 115 9 E U T H A N A S I A : M E D I C A L 44 2 E U T H A N A S I A : M U N I C I P A L C O D E 0 0 E U T H A N A S I A : B E H A V I O R A L 0 Quarterly Shelter Statistics Pa g e 7 o f 1 9 D O G S C A T S J A N - A P R I L J A N - A P R I L 58 R I C H L A N D I N T A K E S 81 14%R I C H L A N D P E R C E N T A G E 18% 181 K E N N E W I C K I N T A K E S 178 44%K E N N E W I C K P E R C E N T A G E 40% 172 P A S C O I N T A K E S 189 42%P A S C O P E R C E N T A G E 42% 411 T O T A L I N T A K E S 448 Quarterly Jurisdictional Intake Breakdown Pa g e 8 o f 1 9 Quarterly Metrics Jan - April Return Rate: Shelter Wide: 3.75% Cat: 1.8% Dog: 6.83% Average Length of Stay: Shelter Wide: 11.5 days Cat: 12 days Dog: 11 days Euthanasia: Total: 55 Cat: 44 Dog: 11 Euthanasia Reason: Medical: 53 Municipal: 2 Euthanasia Rate: 6.5% Daily Capacity: Shelter Average: 61 animals Cat: 57 Dog: 65 Housing Capacity: Cat: 68 Dog: 75 Foster Rate: 132 Animal Placements Live Release Rate: 88% Pa g e 9 o f 1 9 D O G S C A T S 2 0 2 6 Y T D 2 0 2 6 Y T D 528 T O T A L I N T A K E S 702 34 ADOPTED THEN RETURNED 10 275 A D O P T E D 256 119 R E D E E M E D 18 118 T R A N S F E R R E D 133 16 E U T H A N A S I A : M E D I C A L 65 2 E U T H A N A S I A : M U N I C I P A L C O D E 0 0 E U T H A N A S I A : B E H A V I O R A L 0 Year To Date Shelter Statistics Pa g e 1 0 o f 1 9 D O G S C A T S 2 0 2 6 Y T D 2 0 2 6 Y T D 83 R I C H L A N D I N T A K E S 104 16%R I C H L A N D P E R C E N T A G E 15 % 225 K E N N E W I C K I N T A K E S 307 43%K E N N E W I C K P E R C E N T A G E 44 % 220 P A S C O I N T A K E S 291 41 %P A S C O P E R C E N T A G E 41 % 528 T O T A L I N T A K E S 702 YTD Jurisdictional Intake Breakdown Pa g e 1 1 o f 1 9 Euthanasia Action Report: Municipal: Name: Lotus Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier Intake Date: 10/17/25 Intake ID: A0057020652 Intake Reason: Deemed Dog Surrendered for Euthanasia Name: Lucian Breed: German Shepherd Intake Date: 4/6/26 Intake ID: A0059995860 Intake Reason: Deemed Dog Surrendered for Euthanasia Pa g e 1 2 o f 1 9 C A S E T YP E T OTA L N U M B E R O F C A S ES R IC H L A ND K E N NE WI CK P A SC O Animal At-Large 501 97 217 187 Abandonment 15 2 6 7 Attack 44 7 17 20 Aggressive 9 3 2 4 Barking Dog 41 13 10 18 Bite Case - Human 32 3 18 11 Code Enforcement Complaint 12 6 3 3 Cruelty 5 0 4 1 Deceased on Arrival (DOA)131 18 60 53 Hit By Car 26 5 12 9 Information 40 19 8 13 In Custody 10 1 4 5 Injured Animal 96 15 39 42 Police Assist 37 8 17 12 Welfare Check 157 44 77 36 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 1156 241 494 421 PERCENT OF CASE VOLUME 100 %21 %43 %36 % Total Cases: 1156 ACO Case Breakdown 2026 YTDPa g e 1 3 o f 1 9 Adoptions: Dogs: 10 Cats: 11 Thank you for your support! Pasco Police Department Kennewick Police Department Washington State Patrol West Richland Police Department SECOMM Sweet Squeeze Lemonade Dog HausPa g e 1 4 o f 1 9 Pa g e 1 5 o f 1 9 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 S’mores Dog Rescue Pa g e 1 6 o f 1 9 MINUTES Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority 5:30 PM - Thursday, February 12, 2026 Pasco City Hall, Council Chambers WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Attendees: City of Kennewick Representative: Erin Erdman, Tever Davis, Joe Santoy City of Pasco Representative: Angela Pashon City of Richland Representative: Joe Schiessl Animal Services Manager: Ben Zigan Administrative Assistant II: Elizabeth Farrell Department Assistant II: Krista Hahn Ms. Pashon opened the meeting with a welcome and provided a brief announcement on structure of the meeting and introduced the other cities' representatives. 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. Natalie Vasquez Lopez Ms. Lopez is a volunteer with Little Life Animal Rescue and spoke about the increasing need for support for rabbits and other small animals, noting rising abandonment rates in the Tri-Cities area. While recognizing that cats and dogs remain the priority, she encouraged continued discussion on intake protocols and requested greater partnership, Page 1 of 3Page 17 of 19 resource allocation, and funding support from the animal shelter. Leo Perales, Council Member Mr. Perales is a Pasco resident and expressed support for the proposed 2026 plan and urged implementation next year. He suggested address to board oversight a Tri-Cities establishing shelter overpopulation and responsible pet ownership, and thanked the City Manager’s representative for attending. Cindy Hudon Ms. Hudson is a current volunteer at the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter since 2019 stated that volunteers are very familiar with the dogs in their care and expressed concern that adopters may need more thorough vetting, as some dogs are being returned. She encouraged board members to visit the shelter to observe the positive relationships among volunteers and partners to community and with collaboration urged rescues address issues cooperatively rather than contentiously. TRI-CITIES ANIMAL SHELTER UPDATES TCACA Presentation Covers topics in the attached PowerPoint. OLD BUSINESS Meeting Minutes - December 11, 2025 NEW BUSINESS Oversight Board item for discussion in the future. NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 9, 2026 MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION Mr. Stewart inquired about the average length of stay for animals at the shelter. Mr. Zigan responded that the shelter does not currently have software to track that information, but estimated the average stay to be approximately three to six months, with some animals remaining for several years. Ms. Erdman asked about the status of the veterinary software and whether it has been implemented. Mr. Zigan advised that it remains a work in progress. Page 2 of 3Page 18 of 19 Mr. Schiessl asked whether funding is available for the software. Mr. Zigan responded that the matter is currently under review. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:56 PM Page 3 of 3Page 19 of 19