Cashmere City Council votes 4–1 to approve animal control contract with Humane Society

CASHMERE — On Oct. 13, the City Council voted 4–1 to approve a contract with Wenatchee Valley Humane Society for animal-control services, with Councilmember Jayne Stephenson casting the lone no vote.

During council discussion, Councilmember Jeff Johnson opened by noting that the city’s current practices were not in compliance with its own animal-control ordinance and that alignment was overdue. Councilmember Chris Carlson raised concerns about feral cats; Mayor Jim Fletcher clarified that feral-cat issues fall outside WVHS’s contract scope and were not the focus of the action before the council.

WVHS Executive Director BJ Anderson, who attended the meeting, explained that expanding the agreement to take on every service some residents have asked for would exceed what Cashmere can afford under this contract. The discussion also touched on response roles: Stephenson asserted that the sheriff’s office would handle dangerous-dog calls, while several in attendance and prior statements on record reflected that deputies’ role is limited to immediate public-safety threats rather than ongoing animal-control functions.

Stephenson suggested that community concern centers primarily on feral cats. Resident Melissa Chipman, who has been active on the issue and present for every City Council meeting regarding the contract, pushed back in the room, saying, “No, that is not generally what the town is most concerned about, it’s animal control altogether.” Indeed, the majority of discussion at previous council meetings has been regarding nuisance or dangerous dogs. The exchange briefly veered into whether Chipman’s address lies inside city limits before returning to the agenda.

Service levels and procedures received additional attention. Stephenson questioned a provision that allows up to 24 hours for removal of a deceased animal in the roadway, asking how overnight calls would be handled and how responders would know an animal was dead. Anderson indicated those procedures would be clarified in implementation and that officers are not dispatched in the middle of the night for carcass removal.

Following the discussion, the council moved quickly to a vote, approving the WVHS contract 4–1. With adoption of the agreement, city staff and WVHS will finalize points of contact, reporting formats and public-facing guidance so residents know how to file complaints, request welfare checks and follow case outcomes. The new contract, signed by Mayor Fletcher and delivered by early afternoon on October 14, runs through the end of 2027.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media