The King County Council's April 14 town hall meeting at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien began on a warm and fuzzy note with an outside pet adoption fair.

But once participants moved inside the building to share their feelings on the county's animal shelter system, the mood changed.

Council members received sharply differing testimony from many of the estimated 600 attendees, who included shelter volunteers, animal control officers, rescue groups, veterinarians, and private animal welfare organizations.

Council chairwoman Julia Patterson (D-SeaTac) remarked, "I'm impressed by how many people care about this issue."

Animal control is handled by the county in Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and North Highline.

Des Moines and Normandy Park share animal control services. A speaker complained that the animal control officer is often not available three days a week.

Councilman Dow Constantine (D-West Seattle), chairman of the committee of the whole, outlined a joint proposal from County Executive Ron Sims and the council for short-term reforms to the aging shelters.

The proposal would create new cat cages, dog runs, and more staff at the county's Kent and Bellevue shelters.

An inter-branch work group will develop a strategic plan in the four months.

The group will report to the lawmakers by Aug. 15 with the council deciding on long-term solutions, according to Constantine.

"Every animal in the shelter has a right to be treated well," Constantine declared. "We are committed to a model program."

Jennifer Knutson was among about 30 volunteers who vigorously defended the shelters and their employees saying they had not seen animals being abused. The volunteers also urged that shelters remain public instead of being turned over to private groups.

"Yes, there are problems, large and small, but," Knudson said. "But progress is occurring, euthanasia rates are dropping and more pets are being adopted."

A county animal control officer said the officers want to investigate more animal cruelty cases but lack training.

She also advised lawmakers, "don't throw away more money on consultants who tell you what we've been telling you for 20 years."

A representative from a "No Kill" advocacy group noted she was "sadly disappointed by what I saw in the shelters.

"Most depressing, the shelters make animals sick and then they are not adoptable."

The day after the April 14 meeting, Sims released a report by a team of University of California, Davis veterinarians charging the shelters are overcrowded, inhumane and inadequate.

A previous report to the council by Nathan Winograd, director of the No Kill Advocacy Center, found some of the sickest animals didn't receive food or water for up to four days and high rates of disease.

Some volunteers testifying at the town hall accused consultants and media of being biased against the animal control employees and having ulterior motives for their criticisms.

Scheduling the town hall meeting in Burien made it easier for a few Highline residents to take home a new pet during the adoption fair.

Verona Hofm of Burien said she has always had cats but her last cat had to be euthanized a few years ago. Recently, a neighbor boy had volunteered to take care of her pet anytime she went away.

So Hofm picked "Bandit," a three-year-old black and white domestic short-hair cat at the fair.

Nancy Damon, executive director of the South King County Chamber of Commerce, took home "Kitty."