Voters need to press local government to take care of stray dogs

By Mark Hon
Reader Contributor

If your beloved dog went missing, and was found alone, sick or injured, what would you want to have happen to it? Would you want it humanely cared for and provided veterinary care if needed? If searching for and finding your companion at an animal shelter took you longer than five days, and you found out it was euthanized, how would you feel?

The answers to these questions are in your hands. 

Bonner County stray dogs need your voice. Animal control is a mandated function of law enforcement. City and county governments must manage stray dogs, ensuring their humane treatment and efforts to reunite them with their owners. Better Together Animal Alliance has provided stray dog services for our local government for 30 years. We do everything from an intake and a quick reunification to handling abandonment of sick and injured animals who need emergency veterinary care. Right now, BTAA is at risk of losing this contract. 

City and county budgets are formulated based on what we value. The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office under-budgets for animal welfare year after year. You may remember that in 2023, a couple abandoned 20+ husky-type dogs throughout Bonner County. The dogs were emaciated and riddled with parasites. The sheriff’s office called BTAA to let us know they did not have the budget to pay for veterinary evaluations for each of the dogs, which was required to prosecute this unthinkable act. 

BTAA told them we could handle it. The cost to BTAA and our donors was $26,000. 

In October of last year, a dog involved in an animal abuse case was brought into our care. The perpetrator was accused of beating her dog with a garden spade. Because this dog was considered property of the accused, the dog had to be held as “property.” She refused to relinquish custody, which would allow us to adopt the dog to a new family. We cared for the dog for more than five and a half months at a cost of $8,000. We received no compensation for this service on behalf of law enforcement. 

In 2023, BTAA assisted 250 stray dogs from Bonner County, providing a safe place to wait for their families or find new homes if their families never came. Our previous contract with the county was $15,000 for our services and facility usage. The actual cost to BTAA was $169,913. This doesn’t include the two cases mentioned above. 

It is clear that Bonner County does not prioritize the care and management of stray dogs in our community. They are comfortable taking advantage of a local nonprofit to pay for their legal responsibilities. We can no longer afford to do this, it isn’t a sustainable model.

It is up to you — the taxpayer — to tell the county how you want animals to be treated in our community. So far, there has been no plan to outline how they will care for stray dogs or even that they plan to at all. 

This change could result in stray dogs being housed in insufficient facilities and euthanized after five days if unclaimed by their owners. All stray dogs would have to be taken to city or county facilities, which currently do not exist. Your voice is needed now to guide local officials to make this decision. 

Visit bit.ly/btaastrays for more information and to access sample letters and contact information for local officials. 

Mark Hon is the president of the Better Together Animal Alliance Board.