Knox County Commissioners are preparing for changes after the City of Vincennes moved to end its agreement to house county animals.

Mayor Joe Yochum addressed commissioners Tuesday, saying the interlocal agreement had not been working as intended. He provided written notice to terminate the agreement, starting a 30-day timeline.

Yochum did not detail specific incidents but said recent events led to the decision.

Yochum said the agreement was “not working out the way it should” and noted the terms require a 30-day written notice from either party. He said letters were submitted to begin that process and added that recent events led him to believe the agreement should be discontinued.

Yochum also suggested the county consider developing its own animal shelter.

Commissioners acknowledged the end of the longstanding arrangement and thanked the city for years of service.

Sheriff Doug Vantlin told commissioners the issue has been an ongoing challenge and outlined possible next steps, including working with kennels outside Knox County. He said three kennels have been contacted, with at least one already taking dogs.

Vantlin also addressed the idea of housing animals at the county jail.

Vantlin said there are concerns about placing a kennel at the jail, including disease risk, waste management, and long-term care for animals. He also pointed to the presence of trained law enforcement K9s at the facility and said bringing stray dogs to that location would not be a good combination.

Commissioners say they will now work with their attorney to negotiate a new agreement with an outside provider.

In the meantime, the county’s animal warden will continue handling calls, with law enforcement responding if needed.