City Animal Shelter Seeks Bids for Adoption Services

The City of San Angelo issued a request for proposal (RFP) for animal adoption services.  Proposals are due May 12th.  Shelter Director Morgan Chegwidden previewed the new arrangement with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee in October 2019.

The scope of services includes:

In October staff indicated by memo changes from the prior relationship with PAWS.  They include:

1.  Assigning the spay/neuter and rabies vaccine expense of adopted pets to the selected vendor; 
2.  Allowing the selected vendor to set and collect their own adoption fees; and 
3.  Opening the hours of operation to be set by the selected vendor no longer requiring them to match city shelter hours.

Those changes were not in the draft RFP shared with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee or the current version on the city's website.

The City contracted with Concho Valley PAWS for shelter veterinary services in 2018 but received little service in 2018 or 2019.  PAWS performance under the vet contract has hardly been "exceptional."

PAWS contract with the city expired the end of February but is renewable in one year terms.  I believe the city and PAWS are timing the new arrangement with the opening of PAWS new facility.

Concho Valley Homepage reported:

In 2020, Concho Valley PAWS’ adoptable animals will be getting a new home — the “David and Judith Hirschfeld Adoption Center.”

“We have leased land directly next door to the San Angelo Animal Shelter so the accessibility to the animals is functional,” explained Wilson.

The center will be built in two phases. Phase one has been underwritten by David and Judith Hirschfeld. 

“The front building will offer office space for our adoption staff, a spay/neuter clinic, a training room, a party room and an education room,” added Wilson.

 Phase two is the physical space for adoptable animals, with plans for over 50 kennels.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted shelter operations yet there is no mention of this in the RFP.
The medical community recently learned the coronavirus can be passed on to pets.  

While San Angelo has avoided widespread, serious COVID-19 cases over 58,500 people have died in the U.S. from the disease.  Serious illness or death is not a valid reason for the shelter to accept an animal under its surrender policies.  

Also, there is also no language regarding who performs spay/neuter surgeries prior to adoption or the mandatory microchipping. Why is this notable?  Local ordinances require:

All animals adopted from the animal shelter shall be spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to release.  No animal shall be eligible for adoption unless spayed or neutered and microchipped.

The City has hidden behind Concho Valley PAWS in the past when asked for compliance information.

Animal Services has provided an update that this (rabies certificate) is not a document of the city – an external vendor provides these services.

The City's standard contract language addresses ownership of documents and public information obligations.  A new arrangement looms, one that gives more responsibility to the contractor. 

Update 5-15-20:  The city's website indicated:

It's interesting City officials could send an RFP to area rescues after ignoring repeated offers from one listed rescue to buy the city's excess veterinary surgical equipment.  The City donated said equipment to Concho Valley PAWS which was under contract to conduct spay/neuter surgeries for the shelter but not performing.