Performance Audit Response

APPENDIX 4THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR TACOMA AND PIERCE COUNTYP ERFORMANCE A UDIT R ESPONSEI. IntroductionThe Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County has been providing animal controlservices under contract with Tace County since the 1950s. In the year2000, the Humane Society provided 12,000 hours of field services, housed 25,091animals and sold 76,505 licenses. Pierce County’s share was 6,090 field hours, 10,205animals and 33,797 licenses. The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce Countymanages the largest shelter in Washington and provides a number of donor fundedservices independent of its municipal contracts.In concert with our Municipal clients, The Humane Society has embarked on a programto ensure that animal control contracts are fully funded by the municipalities that benefitfrom those contract services. Pierce County has historically under funded its contract. In1993 the International City County Management Association (ICMA) in its publication“Local Animal Control Management” gives a “low-end budget” figure of three dollarsper capita of population for all services. In addition that report states that “According tothe 1990 survey of 100 Colorado municipalities by the Colorado Municipal League,licensing fees alone funded more then 75 percent of the cost of animal control in 11percent of the municipalities, and less then 25 percent of the cost in 72% of the cities.”Pierce County has historically funded its animal control program with user fees, ...