SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Spokane Valley residents and local activists claim the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services (SCRAPS) is not following its contract with the city of Spokane Valley based on its recent practices.
At the last several city council meetings, people have demanded that the council review its contract with SCRAPS.
That review is happening at Spokane Valley's city council meeting Tuesday night. The city also invited management from SCRAPS to answer questions during the meeting.
Kimberly Pollari has an invested interest in the care and treatment of dogs in her community. For two decades, she’s fostered several dogs and now runs a private dog park on two acres of her home called "Speedy Tail Acres."
Pollari is one of many people who raised concerns about SCRAPS at previously council meetings. She claims SCRAPS does not consistently respond to reports of dogs running loose.
"Yesterday, somebody caught contacted us and said, Hey, we have a dog here. I don't know what to do with them. I called SCRAPS and they won't take him,” Pollari said.
Under SCRAPS's contract with the city, current animals impounded within Spokane Valley must be posted on the SCRAPS website. Pollari claims SCRAPS is not doing this regularly.
In both instances, Pollari said these are services SCRAPS should be providing, and that’s why she believes reviewing the current contract is necessary.
“This is the time when SCRAPS could say we need certain exceptions," Pollari said. "Then, they could update that contract with those exceptions.”
Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley told KREM 2 SCRAPS is not violating any parts of the contract. But she hopes Tuesday's discussion will address concerns raised by the community.
“The reality is that I understand that there’s concern, and I’m an animal person, so I get it," Mayor Haley said. "But there’s a space issue, there’s all kinds of other issues that happen that may not be SCRAPS fault. But we don’t know until we talk to them.”
It’s not just Spokane Valley residents raising concerns. A local coalition of community members called the Underground Rainbow have spoken up at recent council meetings as well. They’re advocates for animal rights and welfare.
Spokane Valley is under a 20-year contract with SCRAPS. It currently has 10 years remaining.
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