A nonprofit volunteer organization will officially resume its role supporting Sitka’s animal shelter, after the assembly unanimously signed off on an agreement Tuesday night (2-25-25).

The Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the Friends of the Sitka Animal Shelter ends a long-simmering dispute and a seven-month lockout of volunteers at the facility, and – hopefully – will give animals better care and a better chance at adoption.


While Sitka’s animal shelter is owned by the city and managed by an animal control officer, it has a long history of volunteer support going back to the building of the facility in the early 1990s. In 2021, volunteers created their own nonprofit, the Friends of Sitka Animal Shelter or FOSAS, and even took over management of the shelter in 2022 when the city was struggling to fill the vacant ACO position. 

The new MOU between the city and FOSAS is a product of months of negotiations, and many hope it will mark the end to a period of turmoil that began last July when the group was barred from the building by the former animal control officer due to “security concerns” after a cat went missing (the cat was later found).

Volunteers have been negotiating to get back in the building ever since — they’ve had some cleaning days, and can access the shelter by requesting a key from police, but haven’t had regular scheduled access in months.

Over 40 Sitkans filled the assembly chambers to listen to the MOU discussion, but only a handful spoke, all in support. Kate Johnson is a FOSAS volunteer, and she urged the assembly to pass the MOU.

“While we think there are improvements to be made in the long term operations, this MOU will allow the hard working volunteers to get back into the shelter to care for the animals,” Johnson said. “It’s a viable, short term solution that’s long overdue.”

The MOU establishes a new set of policies and procedures for shelter operations, and clarifies responsibilities for volunteers and staff. It includes veterinary consultations prior to euthanasia, and includes a three month holding period for shelter pets, extending beyond the 3 to 5 days required by city code. After three months, if an animal hasn’t been adopted yet, FOSAS will be notified and have first right of adoption so the group can continue seeking a permanent home for the pet.

Discussion didn’t just focus on the document at hand. Several audience members asked the assembly to reopen the municipal administrator’s investigation, to examine whether police euthanizing six shelter pets by gunshot last September conformed with American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines. Galen Paine is a retired attorney who wrote a letter to the assembly challenging whether the actions taken by police were legal. Paine said she wouldn’t go into the details of the letter at the meeting because it was divisive, but she felt the assembly should take action beyond passing the MOU.

“But there has to be something, I think, to bring this community back,” Paine said. “And I think one of the things would be an acknowledgement that there were some serious missteps in the handling of the shelter from, you know, for the last seven months…because I hate to see the community further divided, and blame just spread around where it doesn’t belong.”

During deliberations, several assembly members acknowledged that the process to get the MOU to the table had been long and challenging, including Kevin Mosher who lamented the series of events at the shelter.

“I’m glad to acknowledge the mismanagement and any unfortunate circumstance that happened over the past seven months. That is not something I’m pleased with or happy with. I would imagine each assembly member feels the same way,” Mosher said. “So having said that, I am really excited about the MOU.”

“We shouldn’t have had to meet on these terms,” Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said, echoing Mosher’s frustrations. “Initially, this should have been something that was identified previously and moved forward at that point. The simple fact that volunteers were removed from a shelter after successfully running it as the primary should have been an indication. The simple fact that we do not…that we did not take actions that were in consideration of the community’s will should have been an indication. So I’m sorry for that, but again, I’m glad that we’re here.”

Across the board, assembly members voiced support for the MOU and for future plans to update city code and change how the city shelter is operated, which could include transferring operations to a nonprofit group. Assembly member JJ Carlson said she was encouraged by the volunteer group and city coming together to find a solution. 

“That gives me energy to see this group working well with with us through our untimely process. But thank you. Thank you for all of that, because it matters,” Carlson said. “These are animals that can’t necessarily speak for themselves, and so we need to come together to do to do what’s right for them.”

Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said while the MOU doesn’t change city code, he will consider it the letter of the law, and will hold staff and FOSAS to the MOU while work is done to change the code. He said he’s eager for that process to begin. 

“So that we can get to the point where we transfer the operations of an animal shelter to a nonprofit organization. That would be my ultimate goal. When I first heard of these issues, that was my instant solution. ‘Well, let’s let someone run it.’ Obviously, it’s more complicated than that, but I’m I’m looking forward to the days where this is but a distant memory, and we have a fully functioning animal shelter, not simply animal control within our municipality.” 

The MOU will be in effect for one year. In the meantime, the assembly and community will have to decide how they want the local animal shelter to look in the future. That process begins with a town hall on March 10.

Editor’s Note: Galen Paine, who was quoted in the preceding story, is a member of KCAW’s Board of Directors.