WILTON – Selectmen agreed to add a statement to the contract they recently signed with the Franklin County Animal Shelter, opposing some of the shelter’s policies, when they met Tuesday.

At their last meeting, officials renewed a contract with the animal shelter for $1.25 per resident, an increase of 10 cents per capita. The contract will be $412.30 more than last year’s $4,714.45 outlay. Wilton’s portion is 7.7 percent of the area shelter’s budget.

Nielsen contacted the shelter to ask Director Patty Lovell to come in to answer officials’ questions, such as why a per-capita fee is charged, how many animals the shelter receives from the town of Wilton, and the shelter’s policies on the adoption of animals.

Lovell said a total of 106 stray cats and dogs came to the shelter from Wilton. That amounts to 9.3 percent of the total. Of those, about 3 percent of the cats and 50 percent of the dogs are claimed by owners.

Lovell said it is easier to charge per-capita fees than billing each month based upon the number of animals that come to the shelter from each town. She said it makes budgeting easier for both the town and the shelter because the number of animals fluctuates. “We are hoping not to increase it in the next couple of years,” she said.

Selectman Russ Black asked why the shelter does not allow adoptions to people who already have animals that are not spayed or neutered. He said he raises hunting beagles, which he breeds. Lovell said the idea is to encourage animal population control, but anyone registered with the American Kennel Club can adopt pets from the shelter.

“I can understand the policy of animals going through the shelter being spayed or neutered, but not the animals we already have,” Black said. He pointed out that people can go to other shelters that do not have such requirements, or circumvent the policies by lying.

Selectman Rodney Hall asked why people who have cats that have not been vaccinated also cannot adopt pets from the shelter. Hall said he was told by a veterinarian that his cat did not need to be vaccinated because it is an indoor cat. Lovell said it is her understanding that state law requires cats more than three months old to be vaccinated against rabies.

Lovell said the shelter is now at full capacity, as it usually is. She said only about one in every 10 people who wants to adopt pets is turned down.

“I think it’s bad policy that you are penalizing the animals that could be adopted. Are you telling us it’s better policy to lay a healthy animal away instead?” Hall asked Lovell.

Lovell said the shelter does not euthanize animals to create more space at the shelter. “It’s a long-standing policy. I have looked into revisiting the policy,” Lovell said. She said she has heard the same concerns from many community members. Lovell added that the shelter is in need of board members, and that such issues should be raised with the board.

Lovell said that while there is no longer a policy stating that people who adopt animals from the shelter keep them indoors, they do recommend it. She said what individuals do with their current animals is an indication of what they will do with animals they adopt.

Selectmen agreed to add a statement to the contract they signed two weeks ago, saying they do not agree with the shelter’s adoption policies.

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