Southwest Washington Humane Society Loses Key Contracts, Vows to Continue Operations

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington, which has sheltered animals in the region since 1897, finds itself without its two largest municipal contracts after Cowlitz County and the city of Kelso each severed ties within a span of seven weeks.

The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners voted on February 3 to end the county's animal sheltering contract with HSSW. Kelso followed on or around March 24, leaving the nonprofit to serve a region it has operated in for more than a century with sharply reduced government support. The city of Kalama had pulled out of contract negotiations with HSSW even earlier than either jurisdiction.

HSSW said it was "deeply concerned and disappointed" by the commissioners' decision and pledged to continue operations. An official identified as Hamilton said he would work with the county to find an alternative sheltering arrangement, a suggestion that came after Commissioner Harvey raised the possibility.

The procurement process underscored how few options exist in the region. When Cowlitz County issued a public request for proposals for animal sheltering services, only one organization applied: HSSW itself. With the county, Kelso, and Kalama now outside any contract, it remains unclear what alternative arrangements those jurisdictions will pursue.

The contract losses mark the second major blow to HSSW's government partnerships in three years. In July 2023, then-Director Darren Ullmann sent letters to partner jurisdictions announcing that HSSW would stop providing animal control services entirely as of January 1, 2024, citing a board vote to refocus the organization on animal care and sheltering rather than enforcement. That decision left Cowlitz County and Longview scrambling to house stray animals, with enforcement responsibilities shifting to law enforcement agencies.

The current dispute centers on sheltering, not enforcement. Cowlitz County and its cities had been bargaining jointly for sheltering services, according to Kelso Planning Manager Mike Murray. Longview spokesperson Angela Abel explained that the municipalities had previously held differing contract rates with HSSW, which prompted them to consolidate their negotiations into a unified front.

Not every municipality has followed suit. Longview, which ratified a one-year contract with HSSW in early 2025 to shelter animals at the nonprofit's Longview campus, had not been reported as cutting ties as of late March.

HSSW was formed through a merger of the original Cowlitz County Humane Society with a Vancouver, Washington shelter; the legacy Cowlitz County name still circulates locally but the operating organization is HSSW. Whether a 129-year-old institution can sustain operations without the municipal contracts that anchored its most recent expansion cycle is the question its board now faces.