Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: MARCH 17, 2026
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: EDDIE MANFRO, CITY MANAGER
PREPARED BY: KIM CHAUDHRY, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST SUBJECT: AGREEMENT WITH COUNTY OF ORANGE FOR OC ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
SUMMARY
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the Master Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services on February 24, 2026 enabling participating cities, including the City of Fullerton, to enter into renewed agreements for continued service.
PROPOSED MOTION
1. Approve Master Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services between the City of Fullerton and the County of Orange for period June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2031.
2. Authorize City Manager to execute the agreement.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion
Do not approve the Master Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Fiscal and Organizational Stability
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City funds Animal Care Services provided by the County through the annual operating budget within the General Fund (Fund 10). Staff would include OC Animal Care services costs in the adopted budget in accordance with the established County fee schedule and billing methodology. OC Animal Care provides an annual Notice of Intent (NOI) to the City outlining the estimated cost of services for the upcoming fiscal year. The City has not yet received the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 NOI. The FY 2025–26 NOI and contract costs total $1,573,188, which provides a general estimate of anticipated annual service costs. Further, actual costs may vary depending on service demand and extraordinary circumstances requiring additional resources.
The new Master Agreement with OC Animal Care excludes the City capital investment for the animal shelter, providing an annual $246,000 General Fund savings.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a Participation Agreement to finance construction for a new County animal shelter located in the City of Tustin, along with a ten-year Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services on April 12, 2016. The cities of Anaheim, Brea, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano, Tustin, Villa Park and Yorba Linda entered Participation Agreements with the County of Orange to support the new shelter facility development. These cities entered ten-year service agreements with the County to provide animal care and control services. The agreements expire on May 30, 2026.
The City contribution to the new shelter facility supported construction for animal intake, veterinary services, adoption programs and animal control operations. As a result, the City has a financial investment and vested interest in continued use of the regional shelter for animal care services. The City’s annual payment for this capital investment will conclude, realizing approximately $246,000 annual savings beginning with the new agreement term.
The County of Orange continues ownership and operations and the City will continue to benefit from access to the regional shelter facility and services as part of the updated agreement.
OC Animal Care provides services including:
animal control and field response
shelter and care for stray and surrendered animals
licensing and rabies control
animal cruelty and neglect investigations
animal welfare public education and outreach.
The City of Fullerton pays the County of Orange annually for animal care and control services provided by OC Animal Care. OC Animal Care provides a Notice of Intent (NOI) each spring outlining estimated service costs for the upcoming fiscal year based on projected service levels and the approved County animal care services fee schedule. The City pays the net cost of services, calculated as the total cost of services provided minus revenue generated from service-related fees, such as licensing and impound fees, collected within the City. The County collects revenues credited toward the overall City cost of services.
Actual costs may vary from the annual estimate depending on service demands. For example, extraordinary incidents such as animal hoarding cases or other large-scale animal welfare investigations may require additional staffing, sheltering capacity and veterinary services, which could increase the total City cost for that fiscal year.
OC Community Resources and OC Animal Care collaborated with a committee of five City Managers appointed by the Orange County City Managers Association representing Placentia, Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Fountain Valley and Lake Forest to review and develop revised terms for the Master Agreement for Provision of Animal Care Services renewal.
The updated Master Agreement includes the following key provisions:
A single consolidated agreement preserving key provisions from the original Participation Agreement.
A five-year contract term starting June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031.
A billing stabilization methodology designed to smooth charges for actual costs over the fiscal year.
Provisions addressing participation by cities that choose not to renew or that may seek services in the future.
An opt-in provision allowing cities flexibility for service category changes.
The proposed Master Agreement does not include changes to the scope of services provided to the City of Fullerton and has no changes to the cost structure associated with OC Animal Care service provision.
Renewing this agreement would ensure continuity of animal care services for Fullerton residents and continue City participation in the regional animal care system operated by OC Animal Care.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services Attachment 2 – OC Animal Care 2026 Contract Renewals Fact Sheet cc: City Manager Eddie Manfro
Approval of Master Agreement for Provision of OC Animal Care Services March 17, 2026 - Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2