ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – In about three months, the animals at APA Olivette will be back in the hands of St. Louis County.

“People who walk through the facility now tell us it was night and day from what it was,” APA president and CEO Sarah Javier said.

APA took over operations at the shelter two years ago at a time of turmoil for the county’s Animal Care and Control.

“The main goal of having the APA come in and operate this facility was to implement best practice and turn the facility around and make it operate in a way that was most beneficial to the animals,” Javier said.

A 2019 audit highlighted several problems at the shelter when it was under county control, ranging from euthanasia rates to the facility conditions. So, the county came up with an action plan to address overcrowding for a more sanitary, safer environment, decrease the euthanasia rate and pursue a potential non-profit partnership. That is how APA came to manage the facility—a partnership that the county says it has learned from.

“That previous history, I understand it. I’m aware of it, but I truly hope people will give me, my leadership and my team the opportunity to do something different for the shelter,” Dr. Kanika Cunningham, director of St. Louis County’s Department of Public Health, said.

In the past two years, APA says it made several changes, including starting a foster program, an enrichment program and a volunteer program. But leaving the shelter in the hands of the county will allow APA to dedicate more resources to some of its other services, like spay and neuter services, free vaccinations and family support.

“In response to the need that we’ve seen operating this facility, we have intentions on expanding that so we can keep pets in the homes with people who love them,” Javier said.

Dr. Cunningham says people will notice some changes at the shelter. The adoption and foster programs will remain. But she says there will be a revamped volunteer program that could result in some unique community partnerships.

“I am really, really interested in making sure that we can help address mental health and other social determinates of health with animals,” she said. “I do know that pets can fill that gap for individuals. It can also help with maintaining recovery.”

Right now, the county pays APA more than $3 million a year to operate the facility. Dr. Cunningham says this transition will not affect the department’s budget and that it could end up saving them money.

The transition is currently scheduled for February.