Stray animals raise concerns for Cache Humane Society
Stray animal populations are continuing to rise in Logan, years after the city council cut funding to the Cache Humane Society —a nonprofit animal shelter— in 2018.
Stacey Frisk, who runs the Cache Humane estimates that at least 80% of stray animals are currently being left to roam the streets of Logan, and that the problem will likely grow worse.
“All Utah cities the size of Logan actively manages feral cat populations as a matter of public safety. With our climate and plentiful food sources, populations grow quickly,” Frisk said. “I’d estimate we get 40 to 50 calls per week from Logan residents with stray cats on their property, and it’s definitely a growing problem.”
Frisk said the issue began when funding was cut and has since tried to get information pertaining to Logan’s animal sheltering contracts.
Frisk is also concerned with public health risks that can come with the increasing number of stray cats.
“Most cities take state guidance regarding rabies prevention pretty seriously. Logan City Council did not provide their reasoning for rejecting state guidance,” Frisk said. “The likelihood of human exposure to rabies is increasing as feral cat populations grow. Without immediate treatment, rabies is nearly 100% fatal.”
Though Frisk has been told there is a veterinarian contract in place, she has been repeatedly redirected and denied when seeking further information about said document.
After filing a request for records on animal control outcomes under the Government Records Access and Management Act, Frisk was told that although the records exist within reports, she would need to pay $23 an hour for someone to go through each report since 2015 and organize the statistics in a spreadsheet in order to obtain them.
Though Frisk hasn’t been able to find information about Logan contracting out animal shelter services, Amy Anderson, a Logan City Council member, claimed that these services were contracted with Brigham City and then a veterinarian practice.
They now plan to coordinate with a county site.
“Logan had a contract in place with the Humane Society for sheltering and during renegotiations, and could not come to agreement with them,” Anderson said. “That caused us to pursue other alternatives. It wasn’t straight funding to shelters, but contracted.”
While she doesn’t know the details of any of these contracts, Frisk is concerned that certain state laws are not being followed.
“We have repeatedly requested information about a veterinarian contract, as it appeared the Logan city shelter was adopting out intact dogs in violation of state law,” Frisk said. “Both the mayor’s office and police department declined to respond and our GRAMA request was denied.”
Frisk recommended that residents who find or have problems with stray animals contact their city council member.
-Brock.Marchant@usu.edu
Featured photo by: Kate Smith