The county commissioners are considering a policy change that would take euthanasia responsibilities off the shoulders of county employees and establish an on-call arrangement with a local veterinarian.
The change is part of an Animal Control Ordinance update the Johnson County Board of Commissioners approved 2-0 on first reading late last month. The second reading and final vote is set for 10 a.m. Monday.
The change raises the current euthanasia fee to $75 from $45, to reflect the cost the county will pay Dr. Bob Oliver to put down each animal, said Michael Delp, Johnson County animal control director. Oliver is a retired veterinarian who founded Franklin Animal Clinic and now runs Home Pet Euthanasia, which is an in-home pet euthanasia service that Oliver provides.
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The $75 fee is a discounted rate the county negotiated with Oliver for the public service, Delp said. The supplies and time county employees spent on euthanasia roughly equals that rate, he said.
Taking the emotional burden of euthanasia off the shoulders of county employees is worth the fee and more, Delp said.
“It saves manpower here and the emotional toll on staff,” he said. “The biggest reason for turnover in animal shelters is euthanasia and the stress that brings.”
The policy change would also restrict elective euthanasia with a new clause, “euthanasia services will not be provided solely at the owner’s request.”
As a practice, Delp has turned down owners who want to put their pet down for any reason other than violence, terminal illness or injury, he said.
Surprisingly, Delp occasionally receives requests to put down an animal following a divorce or because the owner is going on vacation. Now, irresponsible pet owners would have that policy in writing, he said.
The Johnson County Animal Shelter last year put down 70 cats, 39 dogs and a turtle due to terminal illness, injury or aggression, according to county data. Those euthanasia’s were among the 1,500 animals the shelter cared for last year.
No animals were put down for any other reason, Delp said.
The change would also establish a new voluntary surrender fee of $25 for cats and dogs, and $15 for other small animals. This fee was added to help the shelter pay the costs to care for surrendered animals until they can be picked up by an animal rescue, Delp said.
The impoundment fee would be used to pay employees and for the rising cost of supplies, he said. The $15 fee for the first day would remain the same, but the $5 fee each additional day would be raised to $10, a draft of the ordinance shows.
Impoundment fees are charged to pet owners upon pick up if an animal control officer picks up their animal.
