Monrovia City Council to Consider Contracting Out for Animal Control Services

The city of Monrovia may opt to contract out for its Animal Control services.

The City Council Tuesday night will consider a proposed one-year agreement totaling $165,856 with the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA for animal control services. The agreement includes options for renewal.

The Monrovia Police Department has provided animal control services for the city since 2007.  However, that could change because the Inland Valley Humane Society recently told the city that it no longer wants to provide sheltering services for Monrovia, according a staff report prepared by Police Chief Jim Hunt.

The Inland Valley Humane Society's contract expires Dec. 31.

City staff contacted the three other humane societies that serve the San Gabriel Valley.  Los Angeles County did not have room to provide services to Monrovia, Hunt wrote.  The Pasadena Humane Society said it was only wanting to provide full animal control services. The San Gabriel Valley Humane Society told staff they were mainly interested in full animal control services but would consider sheltering, he wrote.

Staff also reached out to local veterinarians for sheltering.Huntington Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Domotor's Veterinary Hospital both said they were interesting in providing sheltering services for Monrovia, according to the staff report.

Bids ranged from $35,000 to $75,000 for sheltering services only.

As for full animal control services, the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society proposed to take on Monrovia for $155,000 for the first year, with an increase $4,000 in year two and an increase of $5,000 in year three, according to the report.  The Pasadena proposal was for $165,856, with each additional year increased by inflation. 

Both agreed to split animal licensing revenues down the middle with the city and each agreement represents a "significant savings" for Monrovia, Hunt wrote.

Also at issue is that the city will no longer have its two Animal Control officers effective Jan. 1.  When the two officers learned that the city was looking for a new provider for sheltering services, they applied for open positions with the Monrovia Police Department, Hunt wrote.  Hiring two new animal control officers  would take significant time, he said.

"The last two hiring processes to hire animal control officers took over 6 months and 12 months to hire an officer, then additional time required to train them," he wrote in the report. "Keeping the City's animal control in house would pose a significant hiring and training challenge."

The Monrovia City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night at City Hall.