NORWICH – The Chenango County SPCA recently renewed its animal shelter services agreement with the City of Norwich for 2012 and looks to do the same with surrounding communities.

So far, the CSPCA has sent out 25 renewal agreement forms to individual townships throughout Chenango County and surrounding regions, but has received only eight in return. Agreements were mailed in October and each town has until January to renew. The city, which has maintained the same agreement with the CSPCA for several years without any cost increase, has agreed to pay the organization $75 for every stray dog that is seized by the city and taken to the shelter.

“The $75 barely covers the cost of the dog. It provides everything including food, vaccinations and the labor to take care of it,” said CSPCA Director of Operations Lisa Teller. “Being a non-profit organization, there is nothing more that the SPCA gets from the $75.”

The city needs such an agreement only for dogs, said Teller, because they are considered property by law. Other animals brought into the shelter are not part of the same agreement and separate laws exist pertaining to them.