Colfax declines $2,254 contract with Dunn County Humane Society
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Village of Colfax will not have a contract with the Dunn County Humane Society in 2024.
There is no change in the rate from 2023 to 2024, so the contract is still $2.04 per capita at 1,105 residents in Colfax for a total of $2,254, said Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, at the Colfax Village Board’s October 23 meeting.
According to information from the Dunn County Humane Society, five cats and one dog have been taken to the humane society from Colfax so far this year.
In 2019, there were 12 cats and three dogs, for a total of 15.
In 2020, there were two cats and three dogs, for a total of five.
In 2021, there were four cats and no dogs.
In 2022, there were four cats and one dog, for total of five.
The village paid $2,254 to get rid of six animals? asked Carey Davis, village trustee.
The contract with the humane society is for the humane society to house the animals brought in, Niggemann said.
In addition to housing stray animals, a contract with the Dunn County Humane Society also makes sure that state law, in Chapter 173 of Wisconsin statutes pertaining animals and humane officers, is being followed.
According to state statute 173.15(2) and 173.17, when a political subdivision — city, village, town or county — contracts for services, the contractor must provide adequate care and treatment, and maintain adequate records consistent with 173.17, which includes a physical description of the animal, the date that custody was taken of the animal, the date the animal was delivered into the possession of another person and the identity of the person, the reason for taking custody of the animal and the ultimate disposition of the animal, including the name and address of the person to whom the animal was ultimately released.
According to Wisconsin statute 173.23(1m), unclaimed animals may be released to any person other than the owner if the person provides his or her name and address; the animal is licensed or assurance of licensure is given by evidence of prepayment; the animal is vaccinated or assurance of vaccination is given by evidence of prepayment; and the charges for the care, custody and treatment are fully paid or waived.
If the municipality does not contract for services, then the municipality must follow state law in housing stray or abandoned animals, keeping proper records, transferring the possession of the animal to another person and making sure the charges for the care, custody and treatment are fully paid or waived.
In-house
“I’d be more than happy to take care of that myself,” Davis said, presumably referring to providing care and shelter for a stray or abandoned animal.
Does the village still have a facility to house an animal for a few days? he asked.
The longest the village has kept an animal is for a day, Niggemann said.
Does the village take them to the humane society, or does the humane society come and get them? Davis asked.
The village tries to find the owner. Colfax Police Chief William Anderson will keep the dog and feed it, if necessary, and usually the owner turns up in a few hours, Niggemann said.
Cats are often “out of here” when you see them, but a dog will come when you talk to it, she said, adding that the police chief might deal with two dogs per year.
“We don’t give them a ride [to the humane society]. You catch it, you take it there,” said Rand Bates, director of public works.
Members of the public take the animals to the humane society, so if Colfax does not have a contract, the general public cannot take them there? Davis asked.
“Correct,” Niggemann said.
If a municipality does not have a contract with the Dunn County Humane Society, the resident must pay a fee for turning in a stray or abandoned animal to the humane society.
If the municipality does have a contract with the Dunn County Humane Society, the resident would not pay a fee for turning in a stray or abandoned animal.
Owners of stray animals pay a recovery fee for getting their animal back from the humane society.
People who adopt animals from the humane society pay an adoption fee.
Contract
Does it make sense to have the contract? Davis asked.
Do all of the municipalities contract with the humane society? asked Anne Jenson, village trustee.
The Dunn County Humane Society’s second quarter newsletter contains a list of the municipalities that contract with DCHS.
Dunn County has 22 townships, seven villages and one city.
The villages in Dunn County that contract with the Dunn County Humane Society are Boyceville, Downing, Elk Mound, Knapp and Wheeler. The village of Colfax was included on the list for 2023 but would not be on the list in 2024. The Village of Ridgeland was not on the 2023 list.
The City of Menomonie also is on the 2023 list.
The Towns of Colfax, Dunn, Eau Galle, Elk Mound, Hay River, Knapp, Lucas, Menomonie, Otter Creek, Peru, Red Cedar, Sand Creek, Sheridan, Sherman, Spring Brook, Stanton, Tainter, Weston and Wilson also contract with DCHS, so 19 of the 22 townships.
The Towns of New Haven, Tiffany and Grant are not on the 2023 list.
So all together, 26 of the 30 municipalities in Dunn County contracted with the humane society in 2023.
The humane society encourages pets to be licensed and tagged for identification, Niggemann said.
As was previously noted, state law requires the animals to be licensed and vaccinated prior to transferring them to the possession of another person.
Outside of Colfax
Some of the dogs running at large in the village may be from the Town of Colfax, Niggemann said.
If those dogs are taken to the humane society, they are not recorded as coming from the village, she said.
“I used to be all for this, but after seeing the numbers, I am not sure I am for it,” Davis said.
The village board could have the humane society’s shelter director, Harvey Weidman, come and answer questions. The shelter has a new director, and the village has six weeks to sign the contract, Niggemann said.
The Dunn County Humane Society’s new director was introduced in the humane society’s third quarter newsletter.
Before becoming the humane society’s shelter director, Weidman said her background is in the non-profits art scene, and that most recently, she had served as the marketing manager of a contemporary arts museum near Seattle, Washington.
Weidman grew up on a small livestock farm near Seattle, “where we woke up regularly to creatures big and small wandering through our kitchen. From abandoned dogs and unexpected kittens to injured chickens, bottle-raised lambs and newborn calves …”
More work?
Davis wondered if not signing the contract would make more work for village employees.
The animals would have to be kept in the kennel and would have to be fed and watered for a day or two, Bates said.
According to Wisconsin state statute 174.042(3) “‘an officer shall attempt to capture and restrain any dog running at large and any untagged dog.’ An ‘officer’ may be a peace officer, local health officer, humane officer, warden, an employee designated by Department of Agriculture, Trade or Consumer Protection (DATCP), or other person designated by the governing body of the county, city, village or town.”
If Colfax were to appoint a humane officer, that person would have to take training approved by DATCP and be certified as a humane officer (state statutes 173.05, 172.27(1)(b), 173.27(3)).
According to state statute 173.17 “a humane officer or law enforcement officer taking custody of an animal on behalf of a political subdivision shall maintain … as appropriate, records for each animal containing the following information: (1) A physical description of the animal. (2) The date that custody was taken of the animal, the date that the animal was delivered into the possession of another person and the identity of the person to whom delivered. (3) The reason for taking custody of the animal. (4) The ultimate disposition of the animal, including the name and address of any person into whose custody the animal was ultimately released.”
Overnight
The last time the village kept an animal overnight was when Mike Madrid was a police officer, and that was years ago, Niggemann said.
There used to be a fee to get a dog out of the pound in Colfax, said Jeff Prince, village president, who had noted that when Ron Hodgson was the police chief, village employees would take care of the dogs during the day, and a police officer on duty would take care of the dogs at night.
How long does the village have to house a dog or a cat before it can be put on Facebook and given away? Davis asked.
The village board would have to adopt a policy, Niggemann said.
State law stipulates how long an animal can be held and can be determined as unclaimed according to the way in which the animal was taken into custody.
As was noted previously, the village would have to follow state law in transferring the animal to the possession of another person, including keeping a record of the name and address of the person and making sure the animal is licensed and vaccinated, and that the cost of taking care of the animal, including any medical care or medication, is paid to the village or the amount is waived.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved not signing the Dunn County Humane Society contract for 2024.
Voting in favor of the motion were Prince, Davis, and Jenson as well as village trustees Clint Best, Margaret Burcham, and Jen Rud.
Village trustee Gary Stene was absent from the meeting.
The village board reviews the humane society contract every year and could go back to the humane society contract next year, Davis said.
Niggemann said she would check into the legal timeline for how long an animal must be held.
In addition to stipulating who can take the animal into custody, how long it can held, and the requirements for releasing an animal to someone who is not the owner, state law also addresses a variety of other issues, such as taking an animal into custody if the animal is being abused or neglected, reimbursement for taking care of the animal while it is in custody and the requirements for holding an animal that is suspected of being infected with rabies.
