Costa Mesa Council backs shelter contract

Abandoned and stray animals found in Costa Mesa streets could be sent to the Orange County Humane Society shelter in Huntington Beach as soon as next month, as the Costa Mesa City Council unanimously approved a contract with the shelter Tuesday night.

Now, the city’s roughly 1,100 live stray animals a year are sent to the Irvine Animal Care Center. Irvine told Costa Mesa last year that it will be able to accommodate animals from Irvine only.

The main options Costa Mesa considered for a new contract were the county’s shelter in Orange and the Orange County Humane Society shelter, and they went with the Humane Society, which was more than $100,000 cheaper and closer.

Over the contract negotiation project, however, several residents of Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa came forward and protested the proposal to sign a contract because it was overcrowded, the care wasn’t adequate and too many animals were euthanized, they said.

During the months of negotiations with the Huntington Beach shelter and through conversations with people who complained about it, Assistant City Manager Tom Hatch and Animal Control Supervisor Sgt. Bryan Glass say they have resolved many of the concerns and will continue to collaborate with Dr. Samir Botros, the shelter’s owner, to make necessary improvements.

“I feel confident that Sgt. Glass and I can meet with individuals and Dr. Botros and solve whatever problems we might have,” Hatch said.

For instance, the shelter has committed to adding at least 12 new cat cages and adequate bedding for dogs, according to Hatch.

Before the agreement takes effect, the city will try to promote the new arrangement so that pet owners in Costa Mesa know where their animals might go.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.