Six months after becoming the first city to leave the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, Sunnyvale will now contract with the city of Palo Alto for long-term animal-sheltering services. The city council unanimously approved the contract at its Dec. 2 meeting.

The contract, which ensures service beginning in December 2004, requires Sunnyvale to fund $1.1 million in capital improvements to the Palo Alto Animal Shelter. These improvements are necessary to handle the load of Sunnyvale's animals.

Palo Alto will charge Sunnyvale using a formula that ensures the city will pay an overall amount proportional to the number of animals the city supplies. The projected cost with Palo Alto is $187 per animal the first year and $147 the second, while the projected cost with SVACA would have been $262.19 per animal.

Sunnyvale was one of seven cities that formed SVACA in 2000 after the Humane Society of Santa Clara decided to stop offering animal-control services. The cost of the affiliation with SVACA prompted Sunnyvale to leave the group on June 30. In the meantime, Sunnyvale has been contracting with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley for short-term services.

"This gives us the long-term stability we're looking for," said Capt. Gregory Kevin with the department of public safety. "Palo Alto has a more aggressive adoption policy." He told the city council that the Humane Society declined a long-term contract because it was concerned it would have to euthanize more animals than it was comfortable with. Sunnyvale will continue to provide its own rescue and transportation services.

Councilwoman Julia Miller questioned the possibility of collaborating with the city of Cupertino, which recently became the second city to leave SVACA. Capt. Kevin responded that Cupertino decided to contract with San Jose instead.

The $1.1 million in capital improvements for the Palo Alto Animal Shelter has already been budgeted.