Three-year extension of animal control pact between La Crosse police and animal shelter okayed by city committee

The Coulee Region Humane Society and La Crosse police appear to be good partners, in managing stray animals.

The city council finance committee has voted to extend an animal control contract between the two agencies for three more years, after its first-year trial period. Police pick up the strays, and take them to the local animal shelter. The proposal goes to the full city council next week for a vote.

Assistant police chief Jason Melby tells the finance committee that the first year of the partnership has gone “very well.”

“The first month, we had a few wrinkles,” said Melby, but he added that “we’ve been able to make our operations very smooth and seamless.”

Melby says hundreds of animals have been picked up and impounded by police in the past year. “Many of them are reclaimed by the owners,” he said. “Others get pushed over to the other side of the humane society for adoption, after the mandatory impoundment period that they’re required to have, so it works out well for both entities.”

The city of La Crosse is expected to pay the humane society over $100,000 in fees for each year of the proposed three-year contract extension.