Richmond this year will continue paying the Henry County Humane Society more than $40,000 to accept stray and seized animals.
The city’s Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously approved the 2026 contract during its Jan. 15 meeting. According to the contract, Richmond will pay $41,200 for placing up to 400 animals at the New Castle shelter. Any additional animals would cost $103 each.
Richmond began taking its animals to Henry County in 2022 after HELP the Animals notified RPD it could no longer find enough space for the city’s animals. The cost originally was $40,000 for 400 animals, then increased to the current $41,200 rate.
The 2026 contract was initially presented Aug. 28 to the board of works, but board members tabled it, asking Richmond Police Department to explore alternative options. The department had placed only 21 animals during 2024 and 60 to that point in 2025, all while paying the $41,200 annual cost.
Major James Doll told the board that RPD did send a request for proposals to other shelters, and all of them declined to provide services.
Doll said that “procedural changes and additional supervisory oversight” resulted in the department sheltering 52 animals from October through December last year. Therefore, the department requested a 200-animal contract with the Henry County shelter, Doll said.
“As part of that review, the shelter advised us that updated state requirements related to spay and neuter, quarantine and veterinary compliance are now reflected in their pricing structure. When applied to a lower-capacity contract, those requirements resulted in a higher overall cost, making the 200-animal option more expensive than the original contract.”
Recycling brand
Guide Studio of Cleveland, Ohio, will provide branding for Richmond Sanitary District’s recycling program.
The board approved an $18,720 amendment to the city’s contract with Guide. Pat Smoker, director of the sanitary district, said the district has received a $250,000 recycling grant and will cover the additional cost.
The amendment increases the contract total with Guide, which provided the city’s overall rebrand, to $61,770.
Lindsay Darnell, the city’s community development coordinator, said the recycling brand materials will “mesh well with the city brand.”
Other actions
- The board approved a reduction in the amount Spring Grove will pay for Richmond Fire Department fire coverage. The town will receive $65,404 from its levy to pay the city for fire service. The 2026 contract was originally for $78,589.
- New boundaries for available lots at the Midwest Industrial Park. The city’s plat commission had previously approved them.
- The board approved a contract with Integrity Testing and Safety Administrators to provide drug and alcohol testing for Rose View Transit.
A version of this article appeared in the January 21 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.