Pittsburgh considers extending contract with nonprofit animal shelter for over $1M

Pittsburgh City Council is considering a proposal to extend the city’s partnership with Humane Animal Rescue, a nonprofit that takes in stray animals and aids in the adoption process.

Humane Animal Rescue has partnered with the city’s Bureau of Animal Care and Control for about 15 years.

The proposed contract before council would extend those services through 2024 for a total cost of more than $1 million.

This comes after City Controller Michael Lamb in October released a performance audit of the Bureau of Animal Care and Control. In the audit, he identified the bureau’s contract with Humane Animal Rescue as an area of “immediate concern.”

The partnership is one of necessity, as the city does not have its own shelter to care for stray animals.

There have been cost increases in recent years, but the city has continued to extend its agreement with the nonprofit shelter, according to the audit.

“The city needs to evaluate the benefit and costs of building our own shelter,” Lamb said in the audit. “The services provided by Humane Animal Rescue are substantial. It’s imperative (that the bureau) does a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.”

Some other cities that are comparable in size to Pittsburgh have built their own shelters, an option the audit recommends.

In responding to the audit, Lee Schmidt, assistant director of operations and administration for the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Animal Care and Control, said evaluating the possibility of creating a city-owned shelter is “very much the responsible action to take.”

Considering such a measure “is in no way a reflection on the current contract and relationship with Humane Animal Rescue,” but an effort to ensure the department is being “effective and responsible” in its use of tax dollars, he said.

Humane Animal Rescue CEO Dan Rossi told the Tribune-Review he was aware the city was considering establishing its own shelter. Rossi said Humane Animal Rescue “would happily work with them” and continue offering assistance “in any way we could” if the city went that route.

Rossi said the city was already engaged in contract negotiations to extend the agreement when the performance audit was released.

The proposed contract was introduced on Tuesday with no discussion. Council could take a final vote on the measure in two weeks.