Delco SPCAs New Animal Control Policy
2010 Animal Control
Policy and Fee Changes
Animal Control—the activities relating to the care and management of stray animals—is a municipal function, meaning it is the responsibility of municipal governments. Delco SPCA, a private nonprofit organization, offers services related to animal control, meaning that we accept, shelter and care for stray animals from the 49 municipalities we serve. We do our best to reunite them with their owners or find them new homes.
For years, Delco SPCA did not charge municipalities for this service, meaning money raised from private donations was used to cover the costs we incurred. A few years ago, however, the SPCA instituted a fee for the service, but the amounts charged
covered only a fraction of what it actually costs to care for the stray animals brought to us by the municipalities’ animal control officers and citizens.
In the fall of 2009, with the shelter facing serious financial difficulties, a committee consisting of several board members and
skilled volunteers began to gather data to assess our animal control costs and policies. At the end of October, 2009, Delco SPCA sent letters notifying the 49 municipalities that as of January 1, 2010 we must raise our fees for animal control services from approximately $25 per animal to $116 per animal in order to cover the true costs we incur. Following is data we used to arrive at the new per-animal fee:
Annualized 2009 Animal Care Costs = $872,400
§ Animal care is a subset of our operating budget, covering the following line items:
o Veterinary care expenses
o Adoption and intake expenses
o Kennel expenses
o Cruelty investigation expenses
§ We used January through June 2009 figures (and annualized them) to give municipalities the benefit of recent operational improvements that have reduced expenses in those areas. Using data from earlier periods would have resulted in a higher fee.
§ This amount does not include “overhead” costs that the SPCA incurs just to remain in operation, including building maintenance and renovations, legal and accounting fees, utilities and insurance, and management staff.
Annual Animal Intake = 7,506
§ This is the total number of stray dogs and cats we received from our municipalities in 2008.
§ While 2009 intake figures are not complete, the projections based on intake to date are consistent with the 2008
figures.
Per-Animal Fee = Annual Animal Care Costs ($872,500) ÷ Annual Animal Intake (7,506) = $116
For Delaware County’s population, this fee amounts to an average of 85 cents per person per year – a very reasonable cost to ensure that stray animals have a safe and secure place to go with the best chance of being reunited with their owner or adopted to a new family.