By Robert King -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — Warren County's animal shelter wants more money to help handle a growing demand for services.

The shelter, run by the Humane Society of Warren County, and the county are negotiating a new three-year contract.

Located on Progress Drive in Front Royal, the shelter houses cats and dogs and puts them up for adoption. It also houses animals caught by the county's animal control department, which is run by the Sheriff's Office.

The three-year contract between the county and the Humane Society expires this fiscal year, which ends in June.

Under the current contract, the shelter receives roughly $126,000 a year. It is asking for a $60,000-a-year boost in the next contract.

Shelter officials said the increase is needed as demands on the shelter continue to grow.

"As the county grows, we are taking in more and more animals," said Jeanette Farrell, the shelter's director. "When you do the math on the thousands of animals that come through our door, we need more financial help."

Farrell said that the poor economy has also increased demand.

"As the recession is hitting, we are taking in more and more animals," she said. "We are taking in double the amount of dogs this year than last year."

Farrell said one reason for the increase is that more people are moving away, because of the bad economy, and giving up their animals.

Costs have also increased, said Kim Vohs, vice president of the Humane Society's board of directors.

"Everybody's electric bills have gone up, taxes have gone up," she said.

Vohs said the shelter also receives donations and revenue from adoption and reclamation fees.

The new county funding wouldn't just help the shelter handle the volume of animals or rising costs. It would also help initiatives such as low-cost spay and neuter programs that help control pet populations, Farrell said.

"We've got so many animals spayed or neutered, and that has significantly lowered the pet population in this county," she said.

Farrell said surrounding localities give more to their animal shelters.

Fauquier County gives $200,000, said Judith Hagerman, executive director of the county's chapter of the Society for the

Warren County officials want to hear the reasons for the funding boost, which would represent a 47 percent increase over the current contract.

"We are a little bit concerned that a 47 percent increase without knowledge of what is being requested is a little excessive," said Deputy County Administrator Richard J. Magnifico. "We wanted to talk to them about programs, and talk about the issue of what is required by state code or ordinances."

State code requires each county to have an animal shelter.

The county wants to meet with Humane Society board members, but decided to wait until its board elections were finished, which should happen next week, Magnifico said.

Meanwhile, the county has already included funding for the shelter in the upcoming budget, which still needs approval by the board of supervisors. County staff recommended providing $138,901 — a boost of about $13,000 — in the upcoming budget.

"It's a fairly unusual circumstance in that by most cases [when] the budget is adopted you would have had a final, agreed-upon figure," Magnifico said. "We simply will have to work it out."

* Contact Robert King at rking@nvdaily.com