The City of Des Moines announced significant reductions to its animal control services as part of efforts to address the city’s $4 million budget shortfall.

In a statement released on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, Chief of Police Ted Boe confirmed that the city had cut its animal control contract with Burien CARES, limiting available services to legal responsibilities such as animal and bite investigations.

Under the new plan, effective Mar. 1, 2025, Des Moines will no longer offer community animal drop-off services.

The city has prepared informational flyers to help residents understand what to do if they find an animal, with details available on the City of Des Moines and Police Department websites.

The cuts were part of a broader budget strategy discussed at multiple city council meetings in 2024.

Here’s Boe’s full statement, as posted on the city’s Facebook page:

“January 27, 2025

“Statement from Chief of Police, Theodore A. Boe on Animal Control Services

“In 2024, our city faced a tough challenge: finding over $4 million in savings and new revenue to balance the budget. One of the difficult decisions made was to cut our animal control services contract with Burien CARES. This was discussed multiple times at city council meetings as part of the budget process.

“We’ve allocated funding for the most critical public safety concerns including animal and bite investigations.

“Unfortunately our reduced services can only cover our legal responsibilities. We are no longer able to offer community animal drop off services.

“To help the community, we’ve created a flyer with information on what to do if you find an animal. You can also find this information on the City and Police Department websites. This new plan will start on March 1, 2025.

“As funding allows we will look to bring back additional animal control services.

“Thanks for understanding as we navigate these challenges!

“Chief of Police, Theodore A. Boe”