BL2025-952 - Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC) Commission

This discussion topic was requested by Council Member Sheri Weiner regarding Ordinance No. BL2025-952, an ordinance establishing the Metropolitan Animal Care and Control Commission.

From CM Sheri Weiner:

Vice Mayor Henderson and Colleagues,

As outlined in the agenda for our upcoming meeting on Tuesday night, I’ve introduced legislation—BL2025-952—proposing the establishment of a dedicated commission to support Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC). This proposal is part of a broader, multi-faceted strategy to finally provide the long-overdue support that MACC staff need and deserve.

The work done by MACC is both vital and emotionally demanding. As described by the staff themselves, working at an animal shelter is “wonderful, stressful, fun, heartbreaking, frustrating, rewarding, and depressing—and we wouldn’t think of doing anything else. The most frustrating part is that we do not have the tools to do the job as we know we should. We want to offer more, do more, and help more. We just don’t have the staff, facilities, or technology to make it happen. We need help.”

These words should not be ignored.

MACC staff’s unwavering commitment to serve our pet population with limited resources is remarkable. Yet commitment alone is not enough. We must recognize the structural and systemic gaps that have made it difficult for MACC to fulfill its mission at the level our community expects and deserves. This commission is intended to close those gaps and elevate the support for MACC to a more strategic and sustainable level.

Some may ask why a new commission is necessary given that MACC technically falls under the Board of Health. The reality is, through in-depth conversations and site visits—including work alongside the Health Department’s John Finke, former Director Ashley Harrington, and MACC’s exceptional staff—it became clear that meaningful engagement from the Board of Health has been absent for years. A visit to MACC and a conversation with its staff will quickly demonstrate just how critical this support structure is.

The proposed commission will consist of seven members who bring relevant and diverse experience in areas such as veterinary medicine, animal welfare nonprofits, shelter operations, and pet ownership. One seat will be reserved for a non-voting council member to ensure ongoing legislative insight and connection. Commissioners will meet quarterly and serve as advocates, strategists, and sounding boards. Most importantly, they will bring the subject-matter expertise necessary to understand MACC’s realities and help shape thoughtful, effective solutions.

This initiative is not symbolic—it is urgently needed. I hope you will see, as my co-sponsors and I have, that now is the time to act.

I appreciate your time and consideration.