CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — After reaching an impasse with West Valley Humane Society (WVHS) regarding its financial needs, the Board of Canyon County Commissioners has selected a new operator for its animal shelter services: Copper Quill Haven (CQH).
A committee consisting of representatives from Caldwell, Nampa, and Canyon County submitted the recommendation to switch service providers.
The pivot comes after nearly a year of negotiations between Canyon County, Caldwell, Nampa, and WVHS regarding a funding agreement that would support the animal shelter's operations. WVHS has provided animal shelter services for Canyon County since 2011.
WVHS originally requested a total budget increase of $1.5 million to fund its operations, but Canyon County, Nampa, and Caldwell balked at that offer. Instead, the municipalities offered a combined $1 million funding increase. WVHS countered that a $1 million increase would not be enough to sustain its operations into the future. "Underfunding these services doesn’t solve the problem; it simply delays it," said WVHS in a statement.
As a result of the deadlock, Canyon County decided to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for animal shelter services. Ultimately, two proposals were submitted, including one from CQH and one from WVHS.
According to a news release from Canyon County, "the Committee determined that Copper Quill Haven demonstrated the strongest alignment with the County’s needs."
The County cited WVHS' "financial instability" along with resident concerns about their operations as reasons for initiating the RFP process.
After evaluating the proposals, the committee landed on CQH "due to its demonstrated experience, organizational approach, and community-oriented service plan."
WVHS expressed its disappointment with the County's decision, stating, "We are concerned about the challenges that come with such a transition. Canyon County’s shelter serves thousands of animals and families each year, and that scale requires tested systems, experienced staff, and organizational capacity built over time."
The shelter underscores that CQH has not previously operated at the heightened capacity.
"Shelter work at this level is complex, and accountability is vital to ensuring animals and residents receive the care they deserve," said WVHS.
Canyon County will now work to finalize the service agreement with CQH following a "RFP 7-day objection window."
WVHS has released that they will be filing an objection to the County's decision.
Statement from WVHS:
West Valley Humane Society will be submitting a formal objection to this decision. We will continue to advocate for fairness and accountability in this process, and above all, we will keep supporting the people and pets who rely on us. We will continue to uphold our mission of animal welfare in Canyon County, independent of this decision.
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