Written by: Britney Tennant, Cheyenne Animal Shelter CEO

Every day, the Cheyenne Animal Shelter provides safety and care for animals found wandering our streets, injured by vehicles, or brought in by law enforcement. Behind each one of those animals is a public responsibility — and a community partnership that ensures that responsibility is met with compassion, professionalism, and fiscal accountability.

Our relationship with the City of Cheyenne and Laramie County is rooted in shared purpose. Under Wyoming law, local governments are required to ensure that stray and impounded animals are safely housed and cared for. Though not legally required, live outcomes like reunification and adoption are also expected. The Cheyenne Animal Shelter fulfills the statutory obligation through a contract with both governments, serving as the region’s designated public animal shelter.

This arrangement offers an efficient solution for local government. Rather than operating their own animal shelter facilities, the City and County contract with a professional nonprofit that already has the staff, infrastructure, and expertise to deliver these services effectively. It’s a partnership that saves both lives and taxpayer dollars.

What the Contract Covers

The current sheltering contract covers all services required by law, including:

Housing for stray and impounded animals;
Veterinary consultation, assessment, and care
24/7 access for law enforcement drop-offs;
Quarantine and court-ordered holds; and
Humane euthanasia when medically or legally necessary.

These services protect public safety, fulfill legal mandates, and ensure humane care for thousands of animals every year.

What It Costs — and What It Doesn’t Cover

In fiscal year 2024, the total cost of providing contract sheltering services was $1,192,411, based on a cost-recovery model that isolates expenses directly tied to the City and County’s contract obligations. This includes animal care, lost pet reclaim services, food, cleaning supplies, and staffing.

That same model projects the cost of providing those services in the coming fiscal year at $1.45 million.

However, the current contract provides a total of $900,000 annually. That means the Shelter absorbs nearly $500,000 in uncompensated costs each year, made up through donations, grants, and earned income.

For the next fiscal year, the Shelter has requested a modest increase — to $1,000,000 total — less than half the difference between current funding and the true cost of services. Even with this increase, funding would cover only about 84% of the prior year’s expenses.

We recognize that local governments face real fiscal limitations, and our request is designed to balance those realities with the need to sustain critical public services. It is a reasonable compromise that helps prevent the Shelter from falling further behind as demand and costs continue to grow.

Donors Help Fund a Public Service

When community members donate to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter, they are not only helping animals — they are helping the community fulfill a public obligation. Private donors effectively subsidize a public service, ensuring that local governments can meet their legal responsibilities at a lower cost to taxpayers.

That’s something worth celebrating. The generosity of donors, local businesses, and foundations allows the Shelter to maintain a high standard of care, ensuring every animal — whether a stray, a victim of neglect, or a beloved pet in crisis — receives humane treatment and a fair chance at a new life.

Beyond the Contract: Preventing Costs Before They Start

The Shelter also operates programs that go well beyond the requirements of the City and County contracts — yet they ultimately save public dollars by reducing intake and the need for sheltering services.

These include:

Low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, preventing unwanted litters and reducing disease;
Pet retention assistance, helping families keep their pets instead of surrendering them;
Community cat management, reducing free-roaming populations humanely; and
Humane education and outreach, promoting responsible pet ownership and safety.

All of these programs are funded entirely by donations and earned income, not public dollars. Yet every one of them reduces the burden that would otherwise fall on City and County resources.

A Model of Partnership and Shared Responsibility

The Cheyenne Animal Shelter’s partnership with the City and County demonstrates what can happen when public responsibility and private compassion work hand in hand.

Local governments benefit from:

Professionally managed operations without the overhead of running a facility;
Access to experienced animal welfare professionals;
Savings through nonprofit discounts, in-kind contributions, and volunteer support; and
The reputational benefit of humane, community-centered animal care.

The Shelter benefits from clear expectations, transparency, and collaboration with its public partners. Together, we ensure compliance with state law, protect public health and safety, and promote humane outcomes for animals in need.

Looking Ahead

Our goal is simple: to provide essential public services responsibly, transparently, and sustainably. The cost-recovery model we’ve developed offers a fair, data-driven foundation for future partnership — one that reflects the true cost of sheltering services while honoring fiscal realities.

We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the City of Cheyenne, Laramie County, and the thousands of donors and volunteers who make this work possible. Together, we are creating a safer, more compassionate community for animals and people alike — a partnership worth preserving, and one we can all take pride in.