Clallam to contract with RISE for dogs
Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 28, 2026
PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office is changing which animal services organization it will use for housing and caring for dangerous dogs.
Chief Civil Deputy Elizabeth Baisell told commissioners Monday that the Sheriff’s Office is canceling its contract with Olympic Peninsula Humane Society.
The contract began April 1, 2025, and it was the second time the Sheriff’s Office contracted with the humane society. Its first contract was from 2003-2024.
“We’re ending that contract due to their lack of availability or interest in discussing the services they’re providing,” Baisell wrote in an email.
“The earlier contract were for services on behalf of our department as well as the citizens of the county, while the most recent one was for only a select few law enforcement services.”
The Sheriff’s Office will start a new contract with RISE Rescue Alliance next month.
The commissioners are slated to approve that contract during their regular meeting on Tuesday.
“RISE will be providing housing/care services for dogs we have to seize by law for being dangerous or potentially dangerous, as well as when we need to temporarily hold non-dangerous dogs, such as when an owner is arrested for DUI and there are dogs present in their car or following a vehicle collision if the owner goes to the hospital and they had dogs in their car,” Baisell wrote. “Our department is excited to work with RISE, which is a passionate and capable component of our animal welfare community.”
Commissioner Mark Ozias expressed support for the new contract on Monday.
“I would add that the RISE Rescue Alliance as an organization has been very active on the Animal Solutions Advisory Committee and had really been working to meet the needs in a lot of different ways,” Ozias said. “I believe this is a big step for this organization, but I have a high level of confidence based on the interface that has taken place at those Animal Solutions Advisory Committee meetings. So we’re fortunate that this organization is willing to take on this responsibility.”
RISE head trainer and president Meagan Karnes spoke to the commissioners about what the organization, located in the Agnew area, does.
“We specialize in more complex behavior cases,” Karnes said. “We do rescue rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs and then we also consult and do education for other organizations, other agencies around safe dog handling, things of that nature.”
RISE has a capacity for 40 dogs. The organization has a network of fosters and also has a training facility.
“We don’t have a public-facing shelter, so it is just a training facility where we bring the dogs and rehabilitate them,” Karnes said. “They work with certified dog trainers and it works out real well.”
RISE has agreed to provide many services, according to the contract. The organization will provide up to three secure kennel enclosures along with secure exterior exercise space for the dogs and ensure the facilities are designed to prevent escape, minimize risk to the public and ensure humane care.
RISE will provide food and clean water twice daily, clean and sanitize enclosures, visually check health and behavioral assessments each day and control exercise opportunities based on safety assessments.
The organization will provide access to a licensed veterinarian as needed, provide emergency care in the event of injury or illness, administer vaccinations/medications, test for rabies and follow quarantine procedures as required by law, and provide follow-up care per veterinary instructions.
RISE will keep daily care and observation logs, report incidents of aggression, injury or escape attempts, keep copies of veterinary invoices and reports for each animal, and provide records as requested.
RISE also will work with dog owners when an animal is eligible for release and may collect all holding fees for the animal.
One special consideration in the contract is that dogs with evidence of illness or injury will be declined by RISE and will need to be held by a veterinarian instead.
Dog owners will be expected to compensate RISE for services provided at the following rates:
• $75 per day for each animal
• $60 for each animal requiring a second handler per day
• $50 for each animal requiring staff coordination outside of normal hours
• $25 per day for each animal requiring unique documentation or monitoring
• $50 per animal requiring a behavioral assessment
• $35 per animal requiring standard vaccine/flea treatments
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
