DAVENPORT, IOWA (June 19, 2019) — We are writing in response to the news released last night regarding the Humane Society of Scott County. We recently found out that the city will be undertaking animal-control internally and a contract with King's Harvest is being negotiated to provide the shelter care.
As of 7/1/2019, we will no longer be providing animal-control services to the residents of Davenport. This was decided after roughly one year of making an effort to work with the City to reach an agreement that was financially sustainable for our private non-profit organization.
The fact of the matter is that over the last 4-5 years, the amount of stray animals and general calls from residents of Davenport have increased at a rate that we are not able to financially support with the money provided to us contractually.
When these animals come to us as a stray, we hold them for 8 days in hopes that their owner will come to take them home. We make every effort possible to contact pet owners, but many times these pets are without collars or micro-chips to identify their owners. After 8 days, the animal legally becomes our property. At this point, they go through an entire health work up including vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery if needed. After a behavior test, they are made available for adoption. If for some reason an animal is not in good condition either physically or mentally, we make our decisions about the animal based on The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare that sets forth standards for a quality life of a domestic pet. When adopted, we receive an adoption fee ranging from $20-$105 depending on species.
The increasing amount of animals, including an increased length of stay due to a reduction in pets being claimed has made it challenging for us to cover the cost of Davenport animals with Davenport dollars. To continue our relationship based on a contract negotiated 5 years ago would be fiscally irresponsible for the future of our organization.
Since 1902, the Humane Society of Scott County (HSSC) has provided animal-control and shelter-care services to the residents of Scott County. In the course of delivering services, HSSC has placed tens of thousands of pets into their forever-homes.
HSSC is committed to continually improving the quality of its shelter care. Over the last several years, we have:
- Invested in larger kennels and increased staffing to meet or exceed national standards for shelter care.
- Increased our budget for medical and behavioral care to meet the needs of our shelter animals.
- Increased our investment in personnel to ensure that quality staff can continue to be recruited and retained to provide the level of humane care that each and every one of our shelter animals deserves.
HSSC and the City of Davenport have been engaged for more than a year about the need to fully fund the services provided to animals originating from Davenport. At this time, HSSC and the City of Davenport have been unable to reach an agreement that is financially sustainable for the organization. We expect that the City will be transitioning animal-control services to another organization, and we will work with the new organization to ensure that animal-welfare remains the highest priority.
HSSC has been the community leader in animal control and shelter services for more than 115 years. We remain committed to the welfare of all animals in Scott County, and we will continue to provide shelter services.
We currently have more than 100 pets waiting to be placed into their forever homes. The shelter is open seven days per week for adoptions. For more information on adopting a pet, visit www.hssc.us or call (563) 388-6655.
