Animal shelter battle continues

Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

The dogfight over animal shelters continued at the Clark County Commission meeting Monday, but a split board did not indicate which local shelter operator would ultimately prevail.

The county asked staff to look again at competing proposals for the animal shelter contract and come back with another report in 30 days.

Dewey Animal Clinic, which now has the county contract for housing, feeding and ultimately either destroying or releasing stray animals for adoption, squared off against supporters of the Animal Foundation Inc. over a new contract for the service.

Dewey's contract is up in 2005. County Animal Control Manager Joseph Boteilho criticized conditions at the for-profit Dewey shelter. He said animals were exposed to extreme temperatures, sometimes lacked food and water and that the shelter building has toxic mold.

However, more than a half-dozen speakers criticized the Animal Foundation, arguing that too many of the animals that go to the foundation shelter are euthanized and that the foundation did not work well with animal rescue groups.

Doug Duke, director of the local branch of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, argued that the county should have a moratorium of one year before considering the new contract for animal services.

The SPCA and the Dewey operators, among others, are targets of an Animal Foundation lawsuit for comments about its operation. Mark Fierro, a foundation spokesman, told the commission that an audit by the city of Las Vegas last year found problems at the organization's shelter, which now provides service to the city. Fierro said those problems have been corrected.

The county staff is looking at a shelter that could serve most of the metropolitan area and could serve as a one-stop center for families looking for lost pets or to adopt a pet.

North Las Vegas is considering the foundation to operate the animal shelter for its city. Jim Spinello, Clark County assistant director for administrative services, said the choice of the Animal Foundation for the new contract would unify most of the municipally funded shelters under one roof.