Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Friday, September 8, 2023 at 9:42 a.m.
In a joint statement, Council Members Michael Cathcart and Karen Stratton respond to constituent concerns of unethical treatment at Spokane County Regional Animal Protective Services (SCRAPS).
The City of Spokane currently contracts with SCRAPS to provide animal shelter services under an interlocal agreement signed in 2019. The practices at SCRAPS, especially relating to the destruction of animals, have come under fire recently from community groups and former volunteers.
“We are firmly committed to addressing constituent concerns based on allegations raised by current and former SCRAPS employees and volunteers regarding recent incidents of animal euthanasia, unethical animal treatment, and whistleblower retaliation reported at Spokane County Regional Animal Protective Services (SCRAPS),” said Council Member Michael Cathcart. “If true, as Council Members, we are concerned these actions violate the terms of the City of Spokane’s interlocal agreement for animal control services related explicitly to determinations for euthanasia. This is an incredibly timely issue, and it’s frustrating we must take this step; however, we’re left with very few options at our disposal.”
Council Member Karen Stratton added, “As Council Members, we have attempted to take legislative steps to bring accountability and relief by meeting with SCRAPS and Spokane County leadership and sending a letter requesting an investigation and code changes. Unfortunately, these efforts have not resulted in any satisfactory outcomes. The Spokane City Council must enact stronger policies with clear expectations to ensure transparency and promote ethical practices relating to citizen demand for animal protection and control.”
Council Members Cathcart and Stratton have prepared an ordinance that, if enacted, will ensure that animals are euthanized only when necessary and not just when SCRAPS lacks the space to care for them.
The ordinance is slated for review at the City Council’s Urban Experience (UE) meeting on Monday, September 11th with a possibility to vote on it at the September 18th Legislative Session of the City Council as an emergency ordinance. If enacted, the ordinance will amend the Spokane Municipal Code (SMC) to closely align with the animal control and shelter practices that were intended to be implemented during the previous negotiation of the interlocal agreement with the SCRAPS, thus ensuring the agreement is implemented in a manner that is consistent with the municipal code and the City’s policy on euthanasia. These code changes will not apply to any other jurisdictions contracting with SCRAPS.
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About the Spokane City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Spokane, which is home to more than 220,000 people and is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. The City’s 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit SpokaneCity.org/CityCouncil/ and follow us @SpokaneCityCouncil on Facebook.
