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But volunteers are worried about a lack of details.

Page said county public health Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham will soon release information about the pilot program at the Olivette shelter, which has been managed by the nonprofit Animal Protective Association for the past two years. The county originally planned to pause volunteering indefinitely after the APA leaves.

“Dr. Cunningham has shared with me her vision for this new program in the animal shelter, and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead to serve our animals and take care of the well-being of our community,� Page said at the County Council’s regular meeting Tuesday night.

The health department will announce details next week, spokeswoman Sara Dayley said in an email Wednesday.

Page also pushed back on a lawsuit filed this week that alleges a county transition plan, detailing how St. Louis County will take back shelter operations, calls for “shelterwide euthanasia.� He said a Post-Dispatch article about the suit made “wild allegations about the shelter.�

“Dr. Cunningham has never considered shelterwide euthanasia at the animal shelter as part of taking back operations later this month,� Page said. “I hope our councilmembers will talk to Dr. Cunningham and learn more about her plan.�

But volunteers said they haven’t seen any details about the pilot volunteer program and they’re worried it won’t be in place when the APA ends its management on Feb. 21. Hundreds of volunteers spend tens of thousands of hours annually walking dogs, intaking animals, cleaning and promoting adoptions, according to the APA.

Volunteer Joan Morrissey wants to see a written plan that tells volunteers how the program will work.

“The APA is going to be done with that shelter in roughly a week and a half and we haven’t even seen anything yet about opening up an application process,� Morrissey told councilmembers at the Tuesday meeting.

All volunteers are welcome to reapply with the county, and newcomers are also welcome, the health department spokeswoman, Dayley, said in the email.

“We are excited to bring in a diverse group of volunteers representing more of our county, especially North County, where a large percentage of our animals come from,� Dayley wrote.

In the meantime, Morrissey said she worries there won’t be enough people to walk dogs, clean, do laundry and help with other shelter operations between when the APA leaves and the county’s program starts. Dayley said the county will have “plenty of employees to handle the work� as it launches a new volunteer program, and will also have software to help track volunteer hours.

For the past two years, the county has paid the APA $3.2 million annually to operate the shelter, which for years prior had suffered from understaffing, overpopulation, euthanasia scandals and disagreements with volunteers.

When the APA took over operations in December 2022, its staff found neglected animals and filth. The nonprofit began refreshing the shelter and working on boosting adoptions. In January 2023, Cunningham started her job as director.

In August, the APA announced it had accomplished its mission at the shelter and was pulling out of its contract with the county three years early. In November, the county said it planned to pause a volunteer program after the APA’s management ended. Cunningham said the health department looked forward to “welcoming volunteers back to the shelter when foundational and essential operations are in place.�

At that point, the county had no timeline for the return of volunteers, officials said.

But Dayley said on Wednesday the health department had always planned for the program to return.