Contract considered with Adams County Pet Rescue

RITZVILLE – With a 10-year county contract coming to an end in December, staff from Adams County Pet Rescue (ACPR) met with county commissioners on September 20 to consider options for the future. Hiring an Animal Control Officer and strengthening existing ordinances were among the issues discussed.

Revised ordinances, for example, might provide ACPR staff greater authority to issue tickets or levy fines. Agency representatives noted that repeated admonitions to some dog owners have been disregarded, which may highlight a need to employ financial penalties to promote compliance.

Agency representatives also said that they accept hundreds of dogs and cats annually, and their facility space and staff resources are limited. As a result, animals initially housed in Othello are routinely transported to other pet shelters throughout the state. In addition, agency employees sometimes work with Adams County sheriff deputies to apprehend animals deemed a danger to the community.

Before signing a new contract, attendees agreed to take a fresh look at these issues and others.

Founded in 1997 as a tax-exempt organization, ACPR’s current facilities (located on Bench Road in Othello) accept “abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs and cats throughout the county.” They also work with inmates at the Coyote Ridge Corrections facility to provide canine obedience training prior to adoption. The program known as Ridge Dogs has trained over 5,000 dogs since its inception in 2007, according to the agency’s website.