The Golden Belt Humane Society will continue to provide animal control services for Barton County after Commissioners approved a new three year agreement Monday. In addition, the Humane Society will continue to assist the Sheriff’s Office with animal control issues and will continue to assist the Health Department and 911 in animal bite cases. The county will have the option to determine the funding level each year, and both the county and Humane Society will have the option to opt out of the agreement by providing 30-days notice. The vote to approve the agreement was 4-1 with the only dissenting vote coming from Commissioner Alicia Straub.

Alicia Straub Audio

The funding level for 2018 will be $31,500, the same amount that has been in place since 2016. Commissioner Don Davis told Straub that the funding level can not be just calculated by taking the total funding amount and dividing it by the number of animals that are cared for.

Don Davis Audio

So far in 2018, the Humane Society has responded to 103 animal complaint calls that have taken place in the unincorporated areas of Barton County.