City, county examine stray dog responsibilities

As the expirations of their stray dog intake contracts approach, Sandpoint and Bonner County have begun examining their legal responsibilities. 

Stray dog services became a subject of local attention after Better Together Animal Alliance, a Ponderay shelter, announced earlier this year it was raising its rate for stray dog intake contracts held with Sandpoint, Ponderay, and Bonner County. 

Under the current agreements — which all expire at the end of September — BTAA accepts about 400 stray dogs each year brought in by residents and law enforcement and cares for the animals until they are reconnected with their owners or adopted. 

All three municipalities have stated that they don’t intend to renew their contracts at the proposed rates and have begun to explore alternative options and assess their legal obligations.

At an Aug. 21 Sandpoint City Council meeting, Chief of Police Corey Coon announced that ordinance changes to eliminate Sandpoint’s dog license law would appear before councilors at their Sept. 18 meeting. 

“It's my opinion that these ordinance changes that we are proposing to council will relieve the city of the obligation to impound stray dogs under most circumstances,” said City Attorney Zachary Jones at the Aug. 21 meeting. 

Jones later alluded to Idaho Code 25-2804 and its phrase, “... it shall be the duty of the sheriff of the county to seize and impound any and all dogs, other than those located in a municipality within said county which has enacted and is enforcing a dog license law ...” 

“The way that we read the statute is that the responsibility falls back on the sheriff’s department,” said Coon of the state law. 

City officials explained that Sandpoint Police still intends to impound stray dogs at its discretion, and that the move is designed to prevent the city from being required to care for all stray dogs presented by community members. 

“That's the distinction that we're trying to make, so that basically, someone can't just pick up a dog, bring it to the impound center and say, ‘we found in the city of Sandpoint, the city of Sandpoint has to pay for it,’” Jones explained. 

“We're seeing a lot of dogs being dropped off and basically associated with the city of Sandpoint,” said Coon. By repealing the license law, officials hope to avoid being obligated to care for an animal if an owner falsely presents a pet they no longer wish to care for as a stray. 

Coon also announced that Sandpoint plans to put out a request for proposal seeking bids for a stray dog intake contract Sept. 19. 

Coon confirmed that the contract will be specifically for caring for stray dogs picked up by Sandpoint Police, not residents. 

Recently, Bonner County has also examined its legal obligations surrounding stray dog intake. 

At an Aug. 26 meeting, Sheriff Darryl Wheeler shared his interpretation of the county’s statutory obligations. 

“Idaho Code 25-2804 is only applicable in counties that have chosen to enact a dog licensing tax as set forth in Idaho Code 25-2801,” Wheeler told county commissioners. 

“Bonner County does not have a dog license ordinance in place, so we are not statutorily mandated to be responsible to seize and impound any and all stray dogs,” Wheeler said. 

Since Wheeler announced that the sheriff’s office does not intend to renew its contract with BTAA, Bonner County has not publicly shared a specific plan going forward regarding stray dog intake. 

“As the elected sheriff, I will follow Idaho Code that addresses my statutory requirements associated with animal control,” Wheeler told the Daily Bee in a July 29 email. 

With the stray intake contracts of Sandpoint, Ponderay, and Bonner County expiring in about a month, the future of dog management across the county remains unclear.