MADRAS, OR -- Jefferson County is at odds with the former manager of its animal shelter, and County Commissioners want the public to come tour the facility. Earlier this year, Rockn EZ Rescue Ranch announced it would end its county contract on June 30th, after financial talks broke down. Jefferson County Commissioners have been heavily criticized over the last several months for their handling of negotiations with the nonprofit. Commissioners are now trying to defend themselves.
Commissioner Kelly Simmelink believes most people don't realize Rockn EZ was asking for a $120,000 increase to the annual contract, which he says the county couldn't afford. Simmelink says the group refused to take less money and he tells KBND News they failed to appropriately fundraise, as other Central Oregon shelters do. Rockn EZ issued a statement in February saying the county refused to pay for the care of its own animals, and the additional funding was necessary to keep the shelter operational.
Due the impasse, the Madras animal shelter closed July first, after all of the dogs were either adopted or released to other local agencies. Commissioner Simmelink says the nonprofit took nearly all of the indoor kennels out of the shelter when it left, claiming it purchased the fixtures from the Three Rivers Humane Society, the previous shelter operator. "There's obviously a discrepancy in what the ownership of the kennels are. We believe they belong to the community and the shelter itself. They disagreed. And we told them not to take the kennels, and here we sit; our community has no kennels." He claims they also took other fixtures and supplies, "I was out there the other day and, I mean, the cameras are still there but the recording equipment is all gone, as an instance." Simmelink says "all options are on the table" to deal with what Commissioners consider theft of county property.
The county now invites the community to an open house Monday, to see what's left at the facility, "We can clear the air. We can finally start talking about what it is that we provide and how others - whether it be a nonprofit - that comes in and takes over a facility like this." He adds, "I think it's important that the Commissioners are observed in their element at this facility, showing that they do care. Because we've had the bus run over us and backed up on us by the public quite a bit, over this whole thing." Tours are July 22 from 5 to 7 p.m., at the shelter on McTaggart Road in Madras.
For now, Jefferson County is contracting with Brightside Animal Center in Redmond for emergency animal services.
