The La Plata County Humane Society is on board with the city of Durango taking over command of animal control services within city limits, said Julie Dreyfuss, the nonprofit’s executive director.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the Durango Police Department, under the purview of the city, will begin overseeing animal control efforts currently operated by the Humane Society. Assistant City Manager Bob Brammer cited an especially difficult year for animal control cases and a need for more hands-on management as the reason for the change.
“We just feel that (the city) can be more responsive – more reactive – and then potentially even save some money by enhancing the service that we’re providing,” Brammer said. “This was a particularly difficult year – several aspects of it – and we just (feel) that we need to have more operational control of that.”
Numerous bear encounters and off-leash dog incidents, including one encounter that led to the death of cyclist Steven Miller, 76, in March, have contributed to residents calling for changes in animal control measures and enforcement in the city.
Both Brammer and Dreyfuss said there are no hard feelings about the shift, and that the decision comes from an intention to do what’s best for the city and its animal population. The Humane Society will still work with the city on sheltering and adoption services.
The Humane Society has been Durango’s primary provider of Animal Protection Services for more than 20 years, working to ensure the comprehensive set of regulations outlined in Chapter 4 of the city’s Animal Protection Code is being followed and enforced.
Chapter 4 regulations extend beyond leash laws to also include rabies prevention, handling vicious animals and cruelty investigations, Dreyfuss said.
Last year in Durango, the Humane Society responded to 30 vicious animal incidents, 38 dead or injured animals, 51 bite cases, 78 barking complaints, 179 cruelty and neglect reports and subsequent court cases, 216 stray or abandoned pets, and 471 dogs off-leash.
While Dreyfuss supports the change, and said it is logical structurally, it has also come with some melancholy feelings for the Humane Society after so many years of handling animal control operations in the city, she said.
“For the Humane Society, even though it makes sense, it makes us sad because we’ve been doing it for decades,” Dreyfuss said. “Animal protection is an integral part of the Humane Society and has been for a very long time.”
The Humane Society has two separate contracts for animal control services: one with the city and one with the county. The county contract will remain intact, but the city’s $290,000 annual contract will be dissolved when the city takes over, which will likely mean three of the six animal control officers with the Humane Society will be let go, Dreyfuss said.
The city is open to possibly employing those being let go, Brammer said.
“We’re working with our HR team to see if there’s an interest from the Humane Society employees to become city members,” Brammer said. “We’d have to go through a specific vetting process with them, just to make sure that they meet the qualifications and criteria that we would need to be able to bring them on that important role. Hopefully we’re going to be able to retain them based off of their years of expertise.”
Dreyfuss said the Humane Society and the city remain good partners.
“We have utmost respect for each other,” Dreyfuss said. “We collaborate, we work well together. ... We’re all in this for the same mission. We’re all in this to do good in the community. We all have limited resources, and we’re just trying to figure out together the best way to serve the public, including our neighborhood pets.”
epond@durangoherald.com
