CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Laramie County Commissioners approved a three-year agreement to provide funding for the Cheyenne Animal Shelter, or CAS, during their regular meeting this afternoon.
For more than 20 years, the City of Cheyenne and Laramie County have provided CAS with funding for its operations. In March, however, the city and county announced they intended to cancel their contract with the shelter, citing CAS’s rising monetary requests and lack of financial transparency. In an effort to save money and offer more city-led animal services, the council planned on leasing empty property near South Greeley Highway to build a new animal shelter. Community and CAS members advocated for negotiations to continue between the city and the shelter, expressing concerns and doubts regarding the city’s ability to run the metro shelter without the CAS. The council agreed to cancel the shelter and unanimously voted to resume its three-year CAS contract.
The contract states that the City of Cheyenne and Laramie County will pay the shelter $800,000 for fiscal year 2024, $850,000 for fiscal year 2025 and $900,000 for fiscal year 2026. It also outlines a payment scheduled for the funds as well as the duties and responsibilities for all parties.
The county will contribute 35% of annual payment for sheltering services, which are $280,000 for 2024, $297,500 for 2025 and $315,000 for 2026.
The agreement passed 4–1, with Commissioner Linda Heath voting against it.
“We are very thankful we have arrived at this point with this contract,” CAS CEO Brittany Tennant said during the meeting.
