St. Louis County regains control of its Main Animal Shelterwhich has been run by the Animal Welfare Association for two years.
The county signed a five-year, $16 million contract with the APA in late 2022 – four years after an independent auditor recommended a major change in the shelter’s operations. The facility, at 10521 Baur Blvd., had numerous operational problems that caused animals to stay “far longer than necessary,” according to the audit. Animal rights activists accused animal shelter officials of unnecessary Euthanasia of healthy animals and improper care.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
APA volunteers focused on training staff and ensuring compliance with animal care regulations, but operations are now being taken over by the county and it’s unclear if officials will continue to run the shelter in the same manner.
“We appreciate the partnership with APA and the work the organization has done with the DPH (Department of Public Health) to make the county animal shelter a better operation,” said County Executive Sam Page in a statement. “Our shelter is in much better shape and we have the resources to continue to enhance DPH’s important work in animal control, including animal adoption.”
The Animal Protective Association of Missouri has 4,000 adoptions since 2022says a statement from the APA. In the first year of the contract, the number of animal adoptions at the shelter increased by 70%.
But the APA will turn control of the shelter over to the county in the next few months. The nonprofit will instead expand to other parts of the St. Louis region, said Marissa Curran, board president of the APA Adoption Center.
“Transferring these responsibilities back to St. Louis County will allow APA to focus its energies on its next major initiative and increase adoption capacity in our region to help more animals and families,” Curran said. “We will announce details on the expansion… in the meantime, we will focus on a smooth transition at the Olivette shelter, with the care and welfare of the animals as our priority as always.”
