DANA POINT : Council OKs Sharing Animal Shelter Costs

The city will soon be sharing a new animal shelter with San Clemente.

The City Council on Tuesday approved a joint powers agreement with the neighboring city to create the South Orange County Animal Services Authority.

The shelter is to be built in Rancho San Clemente business park by January, 1996. Under the agreement, Dana Point will contribute about $197,000 a year for operating costs, with San Clemente kicking in about $200,000, city staffers said.

The Animal Rescue Foundation of Dana Point, known as ARF, will contribute $70,000 for construction of the new shelter and will provide animal support services, as will the Friends of San Clemente Animals.

Dana Point now contracts for animal control from Orange County, which offered its services to Dana Point this year for $56,000--about $141,000 less than the city is contributing for the new shelter.

But lately, many residents have maintained that animal control and animal shelter services could be provided more efficiently and humanely if the city joined forces with San Clemente, officials said.

Council members William L. Ossenmacher and Toni Gallagher voted against the agreement, however, saying that Dana Point should not have to pay so much for animal control services.