Joint Animal Services Commission approves ASPCA emergency aid agreement 

Joint Animal Services (JAS) will have a new avenue for requesting national assistance during major disasters and large-scale animal cruelty cases. 

The Joint Animal Services Commission unanimously approved a working relationship agreement at a meeting on Monday, Oct. 12. The move authorizes Lacey City Manager Rick Walker to sign the agreement with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). 

The agreement provides a formal process for requesting assistance when local resources are insufficient. 

JAS Executive Director Sarah Hock said the agreement would expedite emergency response by reducing the need to negotiate contracts and funding arrangements during an active incident. The agency can request assistance through established procedures, subject to ASPCA approval and resource availability. 

Emergency resources 

Wildfires, flooding and large-scale animal cruelty incidents can create demands for animal sheltering and care beyond available local resources. ASPCA can provide additional personnel, temporary animal housing, veterinary services and emergency equipment. 

The organization can also seek assistance through its network of partner organizations. Such resources could help JAS accommodate displaced pets during disasters and respond to large-scale animal cruelty investigations. 

When JAS has legal authority over animals during a disaster, it may place them in temporary ASPCA custody. ASPCA must provide appropriate food, water, shelter, exercise and veterinary care. Any permanent transfer of animal ownership requires a separate written agreement. 

Hock said JAS has never previously requested ASPCA assistance, although other Washington jurisdictions have worked with the organization during emergencies.

She said the absence of a mutual aid agreement in Spokane complicated efforts to obtain emergency assistance. ASPCA personnel also assisted during flooding in Skagit and Whatcom counties. 

Responses follow the National Incident Management System and fall within the applicable Emergency Operations Center. Only the JAS executive director or an authorized designee can request ASPCA assistance, preserving local authority over response decisions. 

Funding and limitations 

The agreement also assigns emergency response expenses to each participating organization. Any costs shared between JAS and ASPCA must be agreed upon in writing before incurred. A staff report lists no fiscal note. 

Hock said the ASPCA could potentially provide grant funding during emergencies. Financial assistance could help pay for rented chain-link fencing for kennels or large event tents needed to accommodate displaced animals. 

Participation is voluntary for both organizations.

“They have a right of refusal if we are being a bad partner, and vice versa,” Hock said. “Like if we have a bad experience with them, then we have a right to ask that they do not come.” 

Lacey Assistant City Manager Shannon Kelley-Fong said the arrangement provides another option when JAS requires emergency support. She said resource shortages could prevent assistance during widespread disasters. 

JAS has also not agreed to send personnel to emergencies outside its jurisdiction. Hock said the agency did not sign the additional waiver permitting such deployments because it could create expenses for JAS. 

Hock said she remains in regular contact with ASPCA representatives outside emergency situations.

The agreement does not require periodic renewal and becomes effective upon the  signature from Walker. Either organization can terminate it by providing 15 days of written notice.