The Columbus Animal Care Commission held a regular meeting on February 9, 2026. The meeting began with the swearing-in of new member Kelsey Arthur and the approval of previous meeting minutes. Reports were presented on animal control operations, shelter statistics, capital campaign, and new building progress. The commission also discussed conflict of interest forms and preferences for receiving meeting materials. Consent Calendar - The minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously. Discussion Items - Animal Control Update: No dangerous animals or court orders were reported. Friends of Cats completed 242 TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return) surgeries in 2025, down from 250 in 2024 and below the 300 goal, due to weather and space constraints. - Pet Food Bank: Over 15,000 pounds of pet food were distributed in 2025, an increase from prior years. Distribution occurs every third Thursday at the airport. - Community Spay/Neuter Clinic: The low-cost clinic is now scheduled through Brownsburg, with three clinics in February. A van will pick up animals. A grant from Reeves (for homeless residents) is helping to fix animals; about a handful of animals have been served so far, and the grant cycle ends in May. Efforts are underway to reach newly housed individuals. - Kitty Caravan Transport: In 2025, 98 cats and 2 dogs were sent to Massachusetts. A separate transport to Ohio of 20 cats occurred on February 10. - Capital Campaign and Harley Raffle: The campaign to match $1 million has raised approximately $780,000. The Harley Davidson raffle drawing was extended to March 21, with only $7,000 in sales so far. Marketing is being expanded to fraternal organizations, bars, and bowling alleys. Table tents are being considered. - 2025 Statistics: The live release rate reached 92%, achieving no-kill status (90%+ threshold) for the fifth out of six years, up from 88% in 2024. - Financial Report: The adoption medical fund had a year-to-date balance of $25,656; expenditures in 2025 were $193,407, down from over $200,000 in 2024. Discussion about potentially including a base amount in the budget for this fund. - Shelter Facility: The current building is experiencing significant water damage, including a ceiling collapse near the washer/dryer. City maintenance and airport staff have worked to mitigate ice dams. Several ceiling sections will need to be replaced. - New Shelter Building: Doug Sunkel (retired Cummins executive) is serving as project manager. A tour of Hamilton County's shelter informed material and design choices. An RFPQ for construction is expected this month. The sewer line runs through the building and must be moved; groundbreaking is anticipated for late spring or early summer. - Volunteer and Foster Programs: Volunteer appreciation and recruitment events are planned. Fosters receive all supplies. Adoptions can occur directly from fosters via social media. - Conflict of Interest Forms: Mary (city attorney) explained that all commission members must file annual conflict of interest forms due to a citywide expansion of the requirement. Forms are now due annually. - Meeting Materials: The commission discussed moving to digital distribution via Dropbox rather than printed binders. The majority preferred digital; only a few requested hard copies. The director will implement a digital option. - Ordinance Updates: Minor updates to the animal care ordinance are being compiled by staff and will be reviewed by the ordinance review committee after input from commissioners. Key Outcomes - Kelsey Arthur was sworn in as a new commission member. - The meeting minutes were approved unanimously. - The director will transition to digital meeting materials via Dropbox, with limited printed copies available. - The commission will consider deeper dives into individual programs at future meetings. - The Harley raffle marketing will be expanded to new venues and demographics.