The estimated, combined cost is about $20,000 a month in agreements with three separate entities.

“I cannot explain what it’s been like to have a team that has come together to put this together,” Police Chief Michael Frye told the council. “We should be proud of how the city manager and everyone else has brought this together, because this was not an easy task and people have stopped everything they were doing to get us to this point.”

The council approved a lease agreement with Ward County that charges no rent for the use of a highway department building but is roughly estimated to have upkeep and other costs of about $1,000 a month, plus $8,000 for purchasing kennels. The space would accommodate up to 12 dogs.

The council also approved an agreement with Animal Empowerment League (AEL) to care for dogs in the pound and any exotic animals. The agreement with AEL calls for an upfront fee of just over $13,000. The daily fee is $49.95 for dogs, regardless of the numbers, and $2 for exotic animals. The fees include food costs.

Submitted Photo Wearing a cap, Pittsburg snuggles into a blanket on a cold winter day. Photo from Animal Empowerment League.

An agreement with Hairball Haven provides for housing up to 15 cats at a time from the city and county, with a maximum of 35 cats a month. With the monthly administration fee and per-cat charges, 15 cats in a month would cost the city about $4,500, according to city information.

All animal transfers will take place at the police department in each of the contracts. The contracts do not include costs for veterinary care, although Hairball Haven has a veterinary technician who could provide some services. Frye said the police department has veterinarians interested and will be talking with them regarding potential contracts.

The council debated whether the temporary pound costs are positive or negative versus the cost of the 2025 contract with Souris Valley Animal Shelter, whose proposal for 2026 was rejected by the council. The council is advertising a new request for proposals (RFP).

“We’re already seeing what I think maybe some of us envisioned would happen,” council member Mike Blessum said in identifying a cost savings when considering an increase in animal capacity.

“Now, the hope would be that the RFP process also produces a long-term version of something along these lines,” he said.

David Lakefield, city finance director, reported the 2025 contract with SVAS cost $176,674, which included veterinary care and fees to transfer animals out of city custody. The city paid for a set number of kennels, whether full or empty, and paid additional for animals above the reserved kennel number.

“Doing the rough math, looking at what we paid annually last year, compared to what the minimum amount that we’re anticipating under these contracts today, it’s going to be more money,” Lakefield said. Looking into the future, costs for a long-term solution would need to add veterinary care, holding expenses and facility costs, he said.

Frye said SVAS has been a fantastic partner, but its contract reserved only five kennels. The ability to take more depended on whether SVAS had room, he said.

“It’s an emergency situation,” Frye added of the temporary agreements. “It’s going to cost a little bit initially, but as you look long term, we will be servicing these citizens better.”

The temporary agreements also will help develop a business model for future pound services that is more efficient, he said.

“As the city manager states to me all the time, we’re going to put it together and we’re going to show where we can offset these costs and bring it back down,” he said.

Council member Paul Pitner noted the city is not getting financial information from the entities or seats on their boards, which was the sticking point in rejecting a 2026 contract with SVAS. He also saw potential for what he called a pretty hefty increase in costs with the temporary agreements.

“This is what we have to do,” he said. “We have to move this along. But again, I’m excited to see the RFP process work out because, right now, this one isn’t,” he said.

Blessum responded the contracts are temporary but provide an opportunity to continue working toward a permanent solution, now with additional entities in the market. He added the RFP process could result in a permanent selection by mid-summer, eliminating the need to continue the temporary contracts through the end of August.

“All of this looks to me like we’re treating a symptom rather than a cause,” Mayor Mark Jantzer said. “Some of it’s caused by owners who aren’t being responsible. I don’t know that we shouldn’t be doing something – or more – on that end of things. Make sure that there are some stiff penalties.”

Fuller said the additional capacity offered by the temporary agreements, along with spaying and neutering, should cause problem animals to dwindle and costs to drop.

“Yes, there is going to be a short-term spike in what it costs us,” Fuller said. “But I think Chief and the group that is together behind the scene, working on this, has a fantastic and viable long-term plan. So, let’s go through the process and see what happens. If we get to the end of it and it doesn’t work, and Souris Valley Animal Shelter has applied to the RFP and that’s the way we go, then so be it.”