By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
The consultant for the Salina Animal Shelter has released to the public its operational assessment covering the shelter's practices that include sanitation, facility and environmental, safety, welfare, leadership, training, overall procedures and more.
Salina Commissioners approved a $30,000 bid from Animal Shelter Services LLC to conduct an operational assessment back on May 11, 2026.
Based on the report, the consultant identified several operational challenges and discovered many areas of concern.
According to the City of Salina, they believe it may be difficult to hire an experienced animal services manager who could address the identified challenges while also achieving their desired objectives for operating an efficient and effective shelter.
The report states that the assessment is based on a structured, evidence-based methodology to evaluate operational performance, organizational capacity, and alignment with statutory and ordinance-driven responsibilities for animal care, impoundment, and public safety.
A statement from the report said:
"During the evaluation, it became immediately apparent that SAS (Salina Animal Shelter) is experiencing systemic operational breakdowns that cut across all traditional assessment categories. The severity and pervasiveness of these issues—spanning sanitation, biosecurity, workflow, environmental health, chemical safety, animal handling, and organizational oversight—require a reporting structure that is both more direct and more urgent than a conventional narrative format. The conditions documented were not isolated deficiencies within individual departments; they were interconnected failures that collectively compromise animal welfare, staff safety, public health, and regulatory compliance."
Moreover, it said the finding of the assessment reflected a "historical pattern."
This meant that many of the deficiencies found with the shelter were previously documented in the Animal Control and Shelter Study prepared by the National Animal Care and Control Association in July 2018.
"Several have persisted or worsened over the past eight years," according to the report.
It said that the earlier evaluation noted that the "Animal Services Manager at the time acted largely on her own authority, a leadership condition that contributed to operational instability and persistent operational problems."
There were a total of six themes the consultant pointed out within the assessment.
According to the consultant, each theme is supported by specific examples documented during the on-site assessment, illustrating not only what was found but why it matters and how it impacts the shelter's ability to meet its legal, ethical, and operational responsibilities
Those themes included:
1. Sanitation & Biosecurity Failures
2. Facility Hazards & Environmental Risks
3. Chemical Safety & Controlled Substance Risks
4. Lack of Functional Policies & Protocols
5. Leadership, Training and Oversight Deficiencies
6. Animal Welfare Risks & Inhumane Housing Conditions
Back in the July 27 public meeting, Commissioner Doug Rempp said volunteers would be back if a private organization partners with the city's shelter.
At that same meeting, a volunteer from Prairie Paws said Brandon Sokol, Director of the Manhattan location, would love to operate the shelter
Rempp said he has met Sokol and said he is an “outstanding man.”
However, a 3-1 vote was held to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the general operation of the shelter way before the assessment was finalized.
Before that, Rempp motioned to make an immediate RFP before the consultant’s assessment was submitted, but no second was made.
The next Salina City Commission public meeting will be on Monday, August 24.
To gain access to the entire report, click here.