A budget battle over the troubled Stanislaus County Animal Services Agency drew a packed meeting in Modesto, California, as community members and advocates pressed for answers. The dispute between residents and the agency over a lack of low-cost services has been simmering for more than two years.
The budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year is just over 6.8 million dollars, up only about 3% from last year. According to the figures, salaries and benefits are going up by more than 300,000 dollars, while services and supplies are going down by nearly 200,000 dollars.
What advocates said they did not see was a specific line item for a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, or for trap-neuter-release services for stray animals. Those programs have been a central demand of community members who have followed the agency closely.
Another major point of frustration was something called safety tags. These are a way for nonprofit rescues to buy more time for animals they are trying to take into their care before those animals are euthanized, and some nonprofits accused the agency of suspending them from working with it.
Asked about the complaints, agency director Lily Yap acknowledged that there may be differences of opinion. She said the agency ultimately works with rescues even when they do not see eye to eye, while also indicating that some tagging privileges had been considered for suspension.
While the joint powers authority did approve the budget, officials said they will hold another meeting in July focused specifically on the safety tags issue. The depth of feeling was clear at the meeting, with some advocates traveling from out of state to make their voices heard.