Pittsburgh officials are looking into whether it would be more efficient for the city to open its own animal shelter instead of paying a local nonprofit for services.
Currently, the city pays Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh $375,000 a year to house abandoned animals, according to Emily Bourne, a public safety spokeswoman.
On average, the city sends nearly 600 dogs, about 350 cats and more than a dozen small pets to the shelter each year, she said.
A bill introduced Tuesday in City Council would authorize spending nearly $50,000 on a yearlong study by Arlington, Tex.-based Shelter Planners of America to determine whether Pittsburgh would be better served to build and operate its own shelter.
The bill would have Shelter Planners of America explore the feasability of a city-run facility that could provide humane shelter for abandoned animals, as well as non-emergency veterinary care and low-cost spay/neuter, vaccination and microchip services.
Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh said in a statement that it was open to finding “creative solutions” to help homeless pets.
Pittsburgh in February paused part of its spay and neuter program amid allegations that people living outside of the city were abusing an initiative that allowed city residents to have pets spayed and neutered at no cost.
The city has since reimplemented a portion of the program aimed solely at feral cats. That work is split between Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh and Ohio Township-based Animal Friends.
Ideally, Bourne said, a city-run shelter would house all the services the Bureau of Animal Care and Control currently contracts out to other vendors, including spay and neuter programs and veterinary services, possibly with help from outside partners.
The study, if approved by council, also would also look at the city continuing to use Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.
The city controller’s office in a 2021 audit of the animal care bureau recommended exploring the possibility of a city-run shelter. It made a similar recommendation in 2010 which went nowhere.
