Marana breaks ties with Pima Animal Care Center over service

A vote by the Marana Town Council will change how the town handles stray and unwanted animals.

The town council on Tuesday voted 5-2 to cut ties with the Pima Animal Care Center in favor of establishing a new contract for sheltering animals with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The change was made in order to improve services some council members said, but debate remains on how much it will cost the town.

The current PACC contract is estimated to cost the town $230,000 a year, although about $100,000 of the town’s cost is paid for by various licensing and adoption fees paid by the public.

The new agreement with the Humane Society, which will need to be in place before July 1, is expected to cost the town $212,000 a year, according to an estimate by town officials. Marana will handle animal control calls by hiring two animal control officers. The officers will pick up strays and take them to the Humane Society facility.

Councilwoman Roxanne Ziegler, who along with Councilman Herb Kai voted against the Humane Society contract, repeatedly criticized the town’s estimates.

She said the figures aren’t specific, noting it doesn’t include contracts with emergency veterinary services, underestimates the costs of animal control officers and isn’t specific on the surcharges for registering dogs and cats.

Ziegler argued the change in service is unlikely to save a significant amount, noting that a best-case estimate by the town was a savings of $18,000 annually.

County officials have stated that PACC will continue to bill the town for animals surrendered to the shelter, animals brought to PACC from the Humane Society for vet services or for temporary shelter.

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry went a step further, saying the total costs to the town will easily exceed its estimates. “It will probably cost them double,” he said.

Additionally, Marana residents will have to pay a $45 fee to relinquish their animals at the Humane Society as part of the new agreement.

The town is also planning to establish a partnership with local veterinarians to provide emergency medical care for animals picked up by town officers.

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The new arrangement will not affect the ability of residents to adopt unwanted animals, get licenses or drop off strays, said Lisa Shafer, town director of community development and neighborhood services, in a news release.

For a majority of the Town Council backing the change, the issue was about service. Mayor Ed Honea, who voted against renewing the PACC contract, said he got at least two calls a week complaining about poor service by PACC.

He complained that in the last week PACC did not answer a resident’s call about a stray feral cat and in another case did not respond to a call about a dog that had killed a resident’s birds.

“It is not about the money,” Honea said. “It is about the service.”

Last year, PACC received 426 calls about stray animals in Marana, according to Pima County. The Humane Society said it expects to take in about 600 animals a year for the town.

Tensions grew during the meeting, with Honea attempting to cut off Ziegler after she spoke for 20 minutes, telling her that other council members also wanted to speak.

Town Manager Gilbert Davidson said he believes the customer-service levels will increase once the town and the Humane Society take over animal control duties.

“Our top priority is to be responsive to resident requests,” said Davidson. “By managing our own animal control officers, the town will be able to tailor animal care to the needs of our community. We will be able to respond promptly to all calls and meet the high expectations our residents have for their government.”

Officials with Pima County are still studying what, if any, effect this will have on the costs other municipalities pay for PACC services.

“Some of our costs will go down because Marana’s animals will now be diverted to the Humane Society and we won’t be responding to Marana calls for service any further. We also won’t have to pay for Marana’s dog licensing overhead costs,” said Mark Evans, a spokesman for the county.