Fair wages and a finished union contract for Louisville Metro Animal Services staff

The union employees of Louisville Metro Animal Services have not had a pay increase since 2022, even as inflation and the cost of living have climbed. Their contract was extended for one year in 2023 to keep it from expiring, and negotiations on a new one have now dragged on far too long. In June 2025, staff took their concerns directly to the Metro Council.

The numbers speak for themselves. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a single adult with no children needs $21.70 an hour to cover basic costs in Louisville. Published pay rates for the shelter's union roles range from about $13.19 for a kennel assistant to $20.47 for an Animal Control Officer II. Almost everyone on the team earns less than what it takes to live without savings for emergencies or the future.

These are demanding jobs. Animal Control Officers respond to sick and dangerous animals, investigate cruelty, take animals into protective custody and work alongside police, yet they are still classed as non-hazardous employees and are not issued body armor. The animal care team feeds, cleans and treats every animal that comes through the doors, facing bites, disease and compassion fatigue on every shift.

Low pay drives people away, and high turnover leaves those who stay covering the gaps. The whole city feels it in slower responses to stray, injured or dangerous animals.

We are asking Louisville to close the contract and pay these workers fairly, before more good people are forced to leave work they care about.