The financial pressures on the area’s only no-kill animal shelter continue to increase, and officials from the Humane Society of the Ochocos said it’s time for the city and county to contribute more money to the shelter.

“What we have here is a Humane Society that is a nonprofit entity, and we perform a service for the city and the county,” said board President Greg Lynch.

“Historically, we have contracts with the city and county, and the contribution is woefully inadequate, $100 from the county and $900 from the city. So, we said … we need to increase the amount of money the city and county are paying us for our services. This isn’t some kind of financial bailout. This is compensation for services.”

In August, the Prineville City Council agreed to pay the Humane Society $3,000 per month for three months. The council recently extended that for six more months, and the $3,000-per-month deal looks likely to become permanent. The Crook County Court will discuss Wednesday whether to honor the same agreement.

“The city and county recognize the fact that if we don’t have Humane Society of the Ochocos, we’ll have to have a Humane Society funded by the city,” said City Councilor Betty Roppe. “We’ve looked at that closely, and it would be an expensive proposition.”

City Manager Steve Forrester said it would cost the city at a minimum at least $14,000 per month to fund its own Humane Society.

“It behooves us to work with them,” Roppe said.

Lynch said the Humane Society’s financial hardships are caused by a variety of factors, mainly the rescue of more than 100 dogs from one couple in Powell Butte. The rescue started in August 2007 by the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and continued into 2008.

“The rescue completely deleted our reserve fund,” Lynch said. “The Powell Butte rescue of 102 dogs — that has taken us two years to get over financially. It drained every nickel we had in the bank. We had almost $60,000. … When the Sheriff’s Office brought those dogs to us, they were sick.”

He said the economy also has played a role.

“The unemployment rate in Prineville is pushing 20 percent, and people are abandoning their animals,” he said. “They are dropping them off and claiming they are abandoned animals so they don’t have to pay a surrender fee.”

And being a no-kill shelter, meaning an animal can stay indefinitely without being euthanized, also contributes to the shelter’s financial hardships.

“We have more animals, and they need to be taken care of, and the sick animals need to be treated,” Lynch said.

“Yeah, I think no-kill has contributed to an increase in the expenses, but not dramatically.”

As part of the city’s agreement to help fund the Humane Society, the nonprofit has to come up with a finalized business plan by December.

A draft business plan shows the Humane Society’s 2010 projected budget is $225,900, with expenses of $220,532, leaving a balance of $5,368.

In 2009, the Humane Society income reached $213,450, with expenses of $230,120, leaving it $16,670 in the red, according to documents.

In October, the county approved an animal control ordinance that could bring more animals into the shelter. Starting in April, deputies will be able to issue a citation to pet owners and impound an animal if it is causing problems. Currently, deputies can’t issue a citation unless the violation occurs in their presence.

The $3,000 from the city will come out of training funds set aside for city employees’ professional development, according to Forrester.

“When we do something like that, it does have to come from somewhere,” he said. “It had to come out of a line item scheduled for something else.”

Through August 2009, the Humane Society has housed 418 dogs. In 2008, the shelter took in 676 dogs, and in 2007 it sheltered 753 dogs. The shelter also takes cats and other animals.

Although the prices fluctuate and there are often specials on adopting animals, adopting a cat generally costs about $30 at the Humane Society. Adopting a dog can run anywhere from $40 to $125, with the average about $75. The shelter spays, neuters, microchips and often gives the animals at least one vaccination before they are adopted.