An interlocal agreement (ILA) recently approved by both the Whitesboro City Council and the Grayson County Commissioners Court could result in a new destination for dogs found in or surrendered from unincorporated areas of the county.
Whitesboro Animal Control Officer Chancelor Vance said the city already has several contracts with other shelters, so they are able to move dogs out of their city pound. He said the county has been limited with its contract for the care of animals from unincorporated areas of the county.
“Grayson County has been trying to find help,” he said, with their animal control contract.
He said the agreement with the county will just include dogs.
Whitesboro City Administrator Phil Harris said Grayson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Hardenburg approached him at an event.
Harris said Hardenburg started their conversation with, “Hey, I hear you have a dog pound.” The county does not have one and was paying, Harris said, another entity $250 a dog to take a dog that is turned over to the county or that is a stray from the unincorporated area of the county.
“They are used to using Sherman,” Harris said.
Harris said Whitesboro is able to take dogs that do not have owners to Oklahoma or to Gainesville where there are programs that work to see that the dogs get adopted.
He said the ILA is about the city helping the county with a problem.
“We are not losing money on this deal. Our hope is that we can advance our adoption program so that the dogs find a good home,” he added.
The terms of the agreement passed unanimously by both the Whitesboro Council and the Commissioner’s Court will run from July through September this year. The agreement is eligible for renewal. Under the terms of the contract, the county will pay Whitesboro $150 per dog for up to 75 dogs with the costs to the county not to exceed $11,250.
County commissioners approved the matter without any discussion during their last meeting in June.
Source: Vecteezy.com