Parkview ends sheltering services with city, prompting council action

Parkview Animal Hospital is dissolving its animal control agreement with the city this month, which prompted the Newton City Council to hold a special meeting on Sept. 25 and move forward with the purchase of a modular animal control facility staffed by the police department’s community service officers.

Per city code, Newton is required to provide animal control services. Council members passed a resolution authorizing the purchase of a more than $84,000 kennel from Backyard Escapes of Pocomoke City, Md. They also authorized the installation of a concrete pad, utilities and fencing around the facility.

Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess said the agreement with Parkview ends Oct. 15, which means the city has to look elsewhere to shelter stray and lost dogs. Ever since late 2020, Parkview has provided sheltering services to the city after the Jasper County Animal Rescue League announced its closure.

Parkview Animal Hospital did extend an offer to continue taking some animals in on a non-contractual basis for a higher fee.

“Regardless of what your decision is today we’re going to be working with them in the near future because even if you approve this today you won’t be up and running by Oct. 15,” Burdess said. “So that’s still something we’re still going to have to have conversations with them to continue some services.”

Establishing an animal control facility was a project the city contemplated for some time. Which is why the police station has hired staff members that have animal backgrounds, degrees and other certifications that would better facilitate those services. Burdess said now it just hit the city sooner than expected.

“Even though this seems a little bit rushed, I would say the facility that we’re looking at may have been something we still would have considered a year-and-a-half to two years from now,” he added. “…This building that we’re proposing is made specifically for animals, for kenneling dogs.”

According to city documents, the modular dog kennel is 12 feet by 52 feet and features eight units to house dogs. There are indoor and outdoor dividers with guillotine doors, door feeders and a water bowl system and a 10 feet by 12 feet lobby area with a stink, storage and animal handling area.

Electricity and water infrastructure will need to be installed, and the estimates will depend upon the site in which the animal control facility is located. Council did not get to decide a location at its special meeting, but it will decide on the final site at a future meeting. The site will have to be 300 feet away from homes.

Community service officers will handle animal control services and use the facility on a regular basis. Kennels will primarily house dogs found by or turned in to officers, but staff will take in cats occasionally. Code states officers are not required to bring in cats unless they are sick or injured.

Prior to approving the purchase of the commercial kennel unit and the installation of utilities, fencing and a concrete pad, the city council voted 5-0 on a resolution to allow the city to recoup the fiscal year 2025 general fund dollars spent on the project with future bonding. The city scheduled $175,000 for the project.

“Typically, I would prefer not to have to do business this way,” city administrator Matt Muckler said. “…If we move forward and spend the money, you can’t go back after the fact and say, ‘Oh, I want to bond for that now.’ You have to establish the fact that you have to bond for it before you spend any dollars.”