Kodiak’s two municipalities will continue to share animal control costs around the island’s road system. The cost-sharing agreement recently passed by both the City Council and Borough Assembly effectively extends the current one for the next two years through the end of June 2026.
Currently, the city provides animal control services through the Kodiak Police Department and contracts with the Humane Society of Kodiak to operate the local animal shelter. However, the borough does not provide these services to its residents, hence the agreement with the city.
During a regular meeting on June 27, Borough Manager Aimee Williams told the borough assembly this agreement is similar to the last one. This is a two-year agreement beginning July 1, 2024. The contract amount the borough will owe for fiscal year 2025 is $154,430 and $156,930 for fiscal year 2026.
“This is a contract that we do once every two years because the Kodiak Island Borough recognizes the need for the control of animals outside of the city of Kodiak for the purpose of protecting public health and safety," Williams explained.
The updated contract includes a slight increase from the previous agreement of roughly $8,000 total, spread out over two years.
The previous agreement specified that the police department had a singular animal control officer. That’s since switched to a community service officer filling that role.
Police Chief Tim Putney said even when the department is short staffed, the animal control agreement has been working well for years. When a call does come in from an area outside city limits, Alaska State Troopers will assist the community service officer in responding to the animal control incident.
“The community service officers are able to either proactively patrol a lot of the areas inside and outside of city limits, or respond to the loose, sick dog, aggressive animal complaints and try to work with the community, issuing warnings first usually before citations," Putney stated.
The updated agreement went into effect July 1 after being approved by both the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on June 27 and City Council on June 13.
This agreement states the community service officer will only respond to complaints on the road system, which includes areas like Anton Larson, Chiniak, and Pasagshak, but not island communities outside the road system.
If you live in the area and require animal control services, contact the Kodiak Police Department at 907 486 8000.