Animals in need of a shelter in Loma Linda now need to be moved to the Redlands Animal Shelter, according to an Animal Housing Agreement approved by the Redlands City Council on Tuesday, April 16.
The decision stems from the staff recommendation that the City Council approve the agreement.
Because Loma Linda does not have its own animal shelter, animal control in Loma Linda contracted with the San Bernardino animal shelter. San Bernardino’s shelter has been met with protests that it has inhumane practices earlier this year, such as not supplying bedding for the animals.
The San Bernardino shelter has also outsourced its services to Riverside County earlier this month, another move that elicited protests from more than a hundred animal advocates and rescue volunteers.
Animal advocate Alice Chow said the city needs a shelter, not an adoption center. “It needs a shelter that can take in stray animals, owner-surrenders and provide medical care for dogs and cats in need,” she said. “As far as adoption centers, currently we have PetSmart, Petco and other businesses that have rescues come in and do their adoption centers on weekends … The need of the city is a shelter.”
Proponents of the move state that the San Bernardino shelter is in need of repairs, while the Riverside County shelter can provide better services. "The primary goal of the mayor’s office and the council was to find a better facility for the animals – and that’s what we are able to do by partnering up with Riverside County,” San Bernardino Mayor’s Chief of Staff Bill Essayli said. "They have a brand new state-of-the-art $30 million animal shelter.”
According to the Redlands City Council discussion on April 16, the City of Loma Linda impounds an average of 0-4 animals per week. The current capacity of the Redlands Animal Shelter is sufficient to house the impounds expected.
The compensation for the impounding of animals from Loma Linda to Redlands is agreed to be $96,954 each full fiscal year and $13,673 for the remainder of this fiscal year, May 13, 2019, to June 30, 2019. The compensation is sufficient to provide a full-time Kennel Attendant and supply needed shelter improvements.
The agreement will commence on May 13, 2019, and terminate on June 30, 2022. The agreement may be extended up to two years upon the agreement of both parties.