SPCA seeking new contract to provide services for Albemarle and Charlottesville

Virginia law requires localities to make sure that they offer an animal shelter for dogs that are running at large without a required tag. Many jurisdictions including Albemarle and Charlottesville contract to a third-party to carry out this mandatory public service. 

The Charlottesville-Albemarle Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals runs the official animal shelter but are seeking new terms to do so. 

“The [Charlottesville Albemarle Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] terminated the existing contract in March of this year and that termination takes effect in March of 2025,” said Eden Ratliff, Charlottesville’s deputy city manager for administration.

In the current fiscal year that began on July 1, Albemarle contributes $804,093 to CASPCA, a five percent increase over FY2024. Charlottesville is paying $317,355. 

That’s about 20 percent of CASPCA’s budget according to an August 26, 2024 blog post on the organization’s website. 

“Our contract, originally agreed upon in 2009, no longer reflects the current, increased cost of labor and goods, which has far outpaced inflation,” wrote Luke Waldron, CASPCA’s director of marketing and communications.”  

Waldron said that private donations cover the cost of many services that are not in the contract such as clinics for people on public assistance and microchipping companion animals He also said CASPCA wants to be able to expand services and increase overall quality. 

“Animal sheltering standards have advanced so dramatically in the past decade that our facility no longer meets the needs of our community,” the post continues. “We are excited to get this work started, but in order to do so, we need the City & County to cover the majority of the cost of the services we perform for them.” 

Ratliff said there have been multiple negotiations to understand what the SPCA’s needs are and to give city and county officials insight into how the shelter works. That includes understanding what the two localities are required by Virginia law to provide.

“It’s a complex negotiation, “Ratliff said. “There’s a lot that goes into it but we’re continuing to be privileged to be meeting with them.”

One obstacle is that the SPCA’s budget operates on a calendar year basis as opposed to Albemarle and Charlottesville working on a fiscal year that begins on July 1. If Albemarle and Charlottesville both end up paying additional money that may require a budget appropriation separate from the budget cycle which sees Charlottesville City Council adopting its spending plan in April and the Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopting theirs in May. 

Waldron claims in the CASPCA blog post that if Albemarle and Charlottesville were to meet their legal obligation alone, the capital cost to build a new shelter would be between $10.5 million and $16 million with an annual budget of between $5 million and $8 million to maintain no-kill status. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the September 10, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.