By JC Medina
The Joint Animal Services Commission (JASCOM) reviewed a proposed two-year contract to provide field services to Mason County during its meeting on Monday, April 21.
Under the proposed $175,000 agreement, JASCOM would assign one full-time animal control officer to cover Tuesday through Saturday shifts in Mason County.
The contract would include administrative costs, access to forensic veterinary services for cruelty cases, and the sheltering of up to 125 dogs and cats seized during field operations.
"This would be a good start," said JASCOM Executive Director Sarah Hock. "They wanted to actually have us contracted to do all of their animal control. At this point . ..that’s not something feasible they can do from a cost perspective."
Commissioners were briefed on the scope of services, which exclude sheltering for stray animals and after-hours responses, but include emergency support in specified cases, such as active cruelty investigations or public safety incidents.
“If there is … law enforcement assist … there’s animals on-site that need to be contained, that would be something that we would get called out for,” Hock explained.
Field staff would be rotated from Thurston County to Mason County during the contract's initial phase, with the long-term goal of training and deploying a dedicated officer.
“We would be hiring one for the two-year limited contract,” said Animal Control Supervisor Sierra Teas, who noted initial coverage would rely on senior officers.
Lacey Deputy Mayor Malcolm Miller highlighted the importance of starting the contract only after new staff are hired.
“Get new staff first . ..then we can start the contract,” Miller said.
Officials emphasized that the partnership does not affect JASCOM’s existing interlocal agreement with Thurston County jurisdictions, which remain the top priority.
The Mason County contract, if approved, would be structured similarly to current agreements with smaller cities like Yelm.
Discussions also touched on Mason County’s lack of current infrastructure and trained staff for animal control.
“They do need to update the municipal codes to reflect what the community wants,” said Hock, adding that Mason County officials are open to recommendations.
A formal vote on the contract was postponed due to the absence of a quorum. If negotiations proceed, the agreement is expected to return for final approval at the commission’s June meeting.
The proposal follows JASCOM’s involvement in high-profile cases in Mason County, including a 60-dog cruelty case last year, which revealed the urgent need for structured animal control services in the area.
“This county gets these services, and I feel honored that they’re asking us to do it,” Sierra said.
The contract may be renewed up to three times and could expand based on future needs and call volume. Mason County currently relies on its sheriff’s department, which lacks specialized animal control training.
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