On Monday, September 28, the Salina City Commission voted unanimously to hand the city's animal shelter to Prairie Paws Animal Shelter of Manhattan. The deal is a one-year contract worth more than $400,000, with options to renew for two more years, and the takeover is expected within eight weeks.
This follows a hard year for Salina's shelter. It failed inspections earlier in 2026, including over its euthanasia procedures, and reports cited widespread failures in sanitation and disease control. Two shelter managers, Andrea Murphy and Monique Hawley, each face three misdemeanor animal cruelty counts over the euthanasia of three puppies that had tested positive for parvovirus. Both have pleaded not guilty, and they are presumed innocent until a court decides otherwise.
Whatever happens in court, the next eight weeks matter. A new operator is a fresh start only if the rules are written down. I am asking the Salina City Commission to make sure the contract and its renewal terms include the following: sedation before any euthanasia, done under written procedures and by trained staff; regular independent inspections with the results posted publicly; and public reporting every quarter on how many animals come in, go out, are adopted, transferred, or euthanized.
The commissioners also have the power to tie renewal in years two and three to meeting those standards. Taxpayers are paying more than $400,000 a year. Dogs and cats who end up in a city shelter cannot speak for themselves, so the public needs to see how they are treated.
I'm Eric, and I run I Love Every Dog. I believe every shelter animal deserves a safe, humane, and dignified experience while waiting for a home. Please sign and ask the Salina City Commission to put those protections in writing.
