Milton, Washington, is ending its contract with Metro Animal Services on September 1, shifting animal control and shelter duties over to the Milton Police Department. City leaders say the move will save around $80,000 a year, cutting animal services spending from about $104,000 last year to roughly $20,000 going forward.

Milton Police Chief Tony Hernandez says two officers have been trained to handle animal control calls, and the department will keep sending animals that need shelter to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. That plan may cover a lot of situations. But stray and lost animals — the ones with no owner to call and no address to return to — are exactly the animals most likely to fall through the cracks when a dedicated animal services team is replaced by officers who are also handling every other call in the city.

City spokesperson Carmen Palmer described the change as a "cost-cutting measure," according to The News Tribune. Saving taxpayer money is a reasonable goal. But it shouldn't come at the cost of fewer resources for animals who have no one else to speak up for them.

We're asking the Milton City Council and Police Chief Hernandez to set clear, public standards for how stray and at-risk animals will be located, sheltered, and cared for under this new system — including response times and a public report on outcomes within the first six months.

Milton is a community that cares about its animals. Sign this petition to make sure the strays and lost pets with no one else to advocate for them aren't the ones who end up paying the price for this cost-cutting measure.