SPCA halting services in New Orleans in budget dispute with city

[Louisiana1976]

Unless the city of New Orleans and the Louisiana SPCA reach an agreement soon, animal control officers will stop rounding up stray dogs and removing raccoons from attics.

SPCA officials threatened similar cutbacks last year before signing a $2.35 million contract in February that did not cover the costs of providing the city with animal control services for the full year. The SPCA will drastically scale back starting Tuesday, retaining only emergency services such as handling dog-bite cases and treating critically injured animals.

In a typical year, negotiations between the two parties are fractious and drawn-out. City officials are working to trim $68 million from the 2010 budget, which they must approve by Tuesday, putting added pressure on the annual talks with the SPCA. They're also working to plug a huge shortfall in this year's budget.

According to the SPCA, Orleans is the only parish ithat contracts for animal control rather than providing the service itself. City spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said in an e-mail message that all city agencies have been asked to take a 10 percent budget cut in the coming year.

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http://www.nola.com/pets/index.ssf/2009/11/post_9.html