OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — After weeks of negotiation, the City of Oshkosh and the Oshkosh Area Humane Society reach a new deal for animal control services.
- Initially, the City proposed paying OAHS 40% less to take in stray animals.
- The new agreement has the City paying OAHS a flat fee of $50,000 for the first 500 strays the shelter takes in, then an additional fee for any extra animals.
- Shelter director, Ieva Engel, says she is satisfied with the new contract.
In the 2026 City Budget, Oshkosh allocated $60,000 for the humane society. The payment is meant to cover costs accrued by the shelter for taking stray animals off of city streets.
In years past, the City has paid OAHS over $100,000 for animal control, so the 2026 proposal was a 40% cut.
The Oshkosh Police Department and the City said they were reducing payments to closer match the contracts of surrounding municipalities.
Engel says the shelter relies primarily on donations; the contract with the City accounts for less than 5% of OAHS's total budget.
After negotiations, the City agrees to pay OAHS a flat fee of $50,000 for the first 500 animals. For any stray taken in after the first 500, the City will pay an additional fee.
That additional fee will be $100 for cats and dogs and $50 for small mammals.
Last year, the shelter took in 701 stray animals, according to Engel.
"There is no cap on those services, so if we bring1,000 animals in, we’ll get payment for those 1,000 animals," Engel says.
Also written in the contract– OPD will handle animal control at night, according to Engel.
“It’s structured differently," she says. "It’s closer to what surrounding cities have with their municipalities.”
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If the contract is approved by the Oshkosh City Council, the agreement will be set for three years.
“Overall, I feel good about this contract," Engel says. "We’re happy to be in this place, so we can continue doing the work and taking care of the animals.”
"We appreciate the great relationship we have with the Oshkosh Area Humane Society," Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith said in a press release. "I'm excited that this agreement has been reached, and the City is poised to continuing to work with the Humane Society for years to come."
Engel says she is grateful for the community support throughout the negotiation process.
"It really means the world to all of us- all the support that we received," she says. "It warms our hearts that people care about animals so much."
The Oshkosh Humane Society will host a holiday craft fair on Saturday, Dec. 6.
