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Council voted Nov. 2 to oppose a contract with the Humane League for the collection of stray cats and dogs.
Instead, council approved an offer of $1,000 to the animal shelter, which is a 25 percent increase over last year's payment of $800.
Scott Hershey, acting borough manager, said Mount Joy is facing a budget deficit for 2010 of about $220,000.
Robert Golicher, a council member, said the Humane League request put borough officials in a tough position.
"The people out there are losing their jobs, and I have to tell them I have to put $4,000 aside to pay for someone else's dog or cat," he said.
Bill Hall, a council member, said, "I will not allow this organization to hold us hostage. Now they come up with some exorbitant number of animals. That's crazy. … We don't give them $4,000 worth of workload."
Police Chief John O'Connell said, "If I had another game plan to throw at you, I would."
Chris Metzler, a council member, said, "Bottom line, what are our options? I'm not going to put the police department in a situation where he has 29 dogs show up and (and officers have) no place to put them."
The Humane League offered the borough two options. The first costing $5,550 annually and the second option costing $4,059. The higher cost is based on a per animal fee, and the lesser cost is based on a per capita fee.
Hall wanted documented numbers on the strays that were picked up from the borough. He said the animal shelter has not provided a list. Hall said if all 60 municipalities in Lancaster County vote no, the Humane League will have to come up with another option.
Council members also accused the League of "double dipping." The Humane League charges for each cat and dog that it takes in from the borough but also charges residents a fee to turn in animals and to adopt animals and does not credit the borough.
"Again, they double dip. When the person gets the dog, they have to pay, and the Humane League does not rebate that to us," Hall said.
John Rebman, council president, said, "The double dipping thing bothers me."
Rebman also was disturbed about the Humane League's feral cat program in which cats are trapped, neutered and returned to the borough. Rebman thinks the cats should not be returned.
The Humane League will not accept pets from municipalities that do not have a contract with it. The shelter's Web site lists 14 municipalities in the county that did not have contracts in 2009.
Townships with no contract with the League are Bart, Colerain, Conoy, Drumore, East Drumore, Ephrata, Fulton, Leacock, Little Britain, Providence, Rapho, Sadsbury and Salisbury. Ephrata Borough also does not have a contract.
