Bradley County commissioners voted Monday night to approve a contract with the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for animal sheltering services. The current contract with SPCA expires Feb. 29.
For continuing the contract for the last four months of the fiscal year 2015 that ends June 30, the county will pay SPCA $35,000 which will total $120,000 paid for the complete year. Beginning July 1, the contract will continue for the next three years at the yearly cost of $135,000.
Bradley County owns buildings that have been converted to shelters, at 1655 Washington Ave. and 157 Johnson Blvd. in Cleveland. These will be leased and maintained by the SPCA. The SPCA is in charge of the employees who currently consist of one full time and two part time workers and many volunteers. There are plans to add a second full time member to the staff. It has been recognized that for the price the county is paying, the services provided would not be possible without the volunteers.
The agreement is for SPCA to accept from all sources within Bradley County, outside of the corporate limits of the city of Cleveland, any domestic animals without charge. Provisions are for housing only, there will be no pick-up service.
Normal business hours, at a minimum, will include four and one half hours per day, five days per week. On-call retrieval and sheltering of animals will be provided 24 hours, seven days a week when requested by the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department, the county Fire and Rescue or Emergency Medical Service through the 911 call center. One employee must be on-call at all times for emergency response.
Capacity of the shelter is 40 animals however there have been as many as 60 being cared for on occasion. This is a no-kill facility and when there are an excess number of animals, some are fostered and others are transported to different parts of the country where more adoptions are in demand.
With the new contract, the SPCA has agreed to appoint two current members of the Bradley County Commission to serve as members of the board of directors.
Only Commissioners Bobby Goins and Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber voted in opposition to entering into this contract.