TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo city officials agreed at a council meeting on Wednesday to spend more money on a contract working with the Lucas County Canine Care and Control and the Toledo Police Department to keep people safe.
"We have a collaboration of both to assist when we have dogs that might be a stray or loose or sometimes even dog fighting rings," said council member John Hobbs III.
The original contract lists the city not spending more than $75,000. Council increased it to $100,000.
So far this year, the city has spent more than $83,000 due to an increase in calls, according to county commissioners.
Hobbs said the $25,000 increase is worth it if it means LC4 can do more for the rest of this year.
"We want to make sure that we are in a place where they can comfortably again finish out the great work that they're doing, coming from the general fund," he said.
The general fund means taxpayers will not have to pay more for the price jump.
While the current contract has been amended to the new amount, the city also wants to continue it for next year.
"The cost of the care that they have to give the animals is increasing they probably will need more so we're able to make that amendment for that and that it's going to," Hobbs said. "That's why we have a one-year extension and if they need more, if there's something else needs to be added, we can go back and make an amendment to it."
Hobbs said the city now has to sort out when a person should call LC4 and when they should call the humane society. That line is unclear for many council members.
"My frustration is that it's the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing and inner municipalities having these agreements that no one follows through with," council member Adam Martinez at meeting earlier in November.
"When is it your responsibility for LC4 and when is it humane society?" council member Theresa Morris asked in another meeting.
Hobbs said the solution should not negatively impact either entity.
"If it's something the humane society is supposed to do, we don't want to be in their way. If it's something that we're supposed to be doing, we're making sure we're holding our end of it between the Toledo Police Department and LC4," he said.
The Board of Lucas County Commissioners must also approve the contract, which will likely happen at the meeting on Dec. 10.