The Longview City Council voted last evening to approve a one-year contract with the Humane Society of Southwest Washington to provide animal sheltering and control services to the city.

The motion passed in a 5–2 vote, with Mayor Erik Halvorson and Councilmember Kalei LaFave voting no. The contract is part of an interlocal agreement that will cost Longview $218,000 this year. The decision comes as Kelso rejected continuing services with the Humane Society last week after, earlier this year, Cowlitz County commissioners chose not to renew their contract with the organization.

The Longview City Council had a lot of the same debate; council members questioned why taxpayers should fund services beyond what state law requires, particularly cat services and spay-and-neuter programs.

Longview Police Captain Branden McNew told the council that without sheltering services, the city would stop responding to stray animal calls entirely. McNew said the police department handled more than 1,400 animal calls in the past year alone. He warned that losing that service would mean a return to the chaos the city experienced just a few years ago. With the change, they would have only been able to respond to calls about aggressive dogs and abused animals.

The council did include a 60-day termination clause in the contract, giving them an exit if Cowlitz County’s developing shelter becomes operational sooner than expected. Many said they wanted to join the county’s services but felt they were not ready to handle Longview yet.