Valley County commissioners voted on Nov. 10 to contribute $25,000 from the fiscal-year 2026 grant program to McPaw's, a local animal-welfare nonprofit, and directed staff to update the county contract and develop a separate agreement to ensure sheriff's-office access to the facility.

Courtney, a representative for McPaw's, told the board she had expected county legal review before presenting any new contract terms to her board. The county's prosecuting attorney summarized the written opinion provided to commissioners: "It does not state that we would have to run a shelter...it does state we would have to care for the animals in a humane way." The memo, the attorney said, explains statutory requirements for animals at large but does not impose a duty on the county to operate a shelter.

Commissioner Caldwell said he supported a contribution but preferred routing funds through the grant program to ensure equity among nonprofit recipients. He added that he wanted the sheriff's office to have contract-based access to McPaw's so the department could manage liability and invoice the county when appropriate. "I definitely appreciate all that Big Paws does, and I understand that a contribution probably should be made," Caldwell said, while urging the board to keep grant procedures consistent across applicants.

Other commissioners discussed splitting county support into two parts: a fixed contract to recognize baseline services and guaranteed sheriff access, and a separate grant application for programmatic or additional community services. Commissioners outlined a possible baseline contract amount (discussed informally at $10,000) to cover typical law-enforcement-related intakes, with grant funds available for services above that baseline.

Board members noted McPaw's provided year-to-date billing numbers and historical context. Commissioners used an example from the discussion—60 animals at roughly $150 per animal—to illustrate that a $10,000 baseline could cover typical annual stray intakes, while a one-time $25,000 payment would cover larger shortfalls given grant-timing constraints.

Because the grant cycle was delayed this year, the board agreed to a one-time $25,000 payment from the FY2026 grant pool for the coming year and directed the prosecuting attorney's office to update the existing contract (the prior contract had ended in September 2025) to reflect the new amount and dates. Commissioner Caldwell moved the measure; another commissioner seconded. The motion passed and the board instructed staff to prepare a separate, longer-term contract structure for the next funding cycle so sheriff access and baseline services are guaranteed.

Courtney said McPaw's will reopen sheriff access as soon as updated agreements are signed. The county clerk and prosecuting attorney will complete the contract revisions and return them for signature.

What happens next: county staff will draft the updated contract reflecting the $25,000 contribution and prepare a recommended contract structure for the next fiscal cycle that separates baseline law-enforcement access from grant-funded program support.