On-Call Veterinary Clinic Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RFP #26-0027
ON-CALL VETERINARY CLINIC SERVICES
March 3, 2026
Sedgwick County, Kansas (hereinafter referred to as "county") is seeking a firm or firms to provide On-Call Veterinary
Clinic Services. If your firm is interested in submitting a response, please do so in accordance with the instructions
contained within the attached Request for Proposal. Responses are due no later than 1:45 pm CDT, March 24, 2026.
All contact concerning this solicitation shall be made through the Purchasing Department. Proposers shall not
contact county employees, department heads, using agencies, evaluation committee members or elected officials with
questions or any other concerns about the solicitation. Questions, clarifications and concerns shall be submitted to the
Purchasing Department in writing. Failure to comply with these guidelines may disqualify the Proposer's response.
Sincerely,
Jaimee O'Laughlin
Purchasing Agent
JO/ch
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RFP #26-0027

Table of Contents
I. About this Document
II. Background
III. Project Objectives
IV. Submittals
V. Scope of Work
VI. Sedgwick County's Responsibilities
VII. Proposal Terms
A. Questions and Contact Information
B. Minimum Firm Qualifications
C. Evaluation Criteria
D. Request for Proposal Timeline
E. Contract Period and Payment Terms
F. Insurance Requirements
G. Indemnification
H. Confidential Matters and Data Ownership
I. Proposal Conditions
VIII. Required Response Content
IX. Response Form
X. Appendix A
XI. Appendix B
XII. Appendix C
XIII. Appendix D
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I. About this Document
This document is a Request for Proposal. It differs from a Request for Bid or Quotation in that the county is seeking a solution,
as described on the cover page and in the following Background Information section, not a bid or quotation meeting firm
specifications for the lowest price. As such, the lowest price proposed will not guarantee an award recommendation. As
defined in Charter Resolution No. 68, Competitive Sealed Proposals will be evaluated based upon criteria formulated around
the most important features of the product(s) and/or service(s), of which quality, testing, references, service, availability or
capability, may be overriding factors, and price may not be determinative in the issuance of a contract or award. The proposal
evaluation criteria should be viewed as standards that measure how well a vendor's approach meets the desired requirements
and needs of the county. Criteria that will be used and considered in evaluation for award are set forth in this document. The
county will thoroughly review all proposals received. The county will also utilize its best judgment when determining whether
to schedule a pre-proposal conference, before proposals are accepted, or meetings with vendors, after receipt of all proposals.
A Purchase Order/Contract will be awarded to a qualified vendor submitting the best proposal. Sedgwick County reserves the
right to select, and subsequently recommend for award, the proposed service(s) and/or product(s) which best meets its
required needs, quality levels and budget constraints.
The nature of this work is for a public entity and will require the expenditure of public funds and/or use of public
facilities, therefore the successful proposer will understand that portions (potentially all) of their proposal may become
public record at any time after receipt of proposals. Proposal responses, purchase orders and final contracts are subject to
public disclosure after award. All confidential or proprietary information should be clearly denoted in proposal responses
and responders should understand this information will be considered prior to release, however no guarantee is made that
information will be withheld from public view.
II. Background
Sedgwick County, located in south-central Kansas, is one of the most populous of Kansas' 105 counties with a population
estimated at more than 514,000 persons. It is the 16th largest in area, with 1,008 square miles, and reportedly has the
second highest per capita wealth among Kansas' counties. Organizationally, the county is a Commission/Manager entity,
employs nearly 2,500 persons, and hosts or provides a full range of municipal services, e.g. - public safety, public works,
criminal justice, recreation, entertainment, cultural, human/social, and education.
Sedgwick County has a total population of 525,525, according to 2022 U.S. Census estimates. A majority of this population
(396,192) live in Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. Sedgwick County Animal Control (SCAC) is a program within the
Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD), providing services to the residents of the unincorporated areas of Sedgwick
County and contracted small cities within Sedgwick County (www.sedgwickcounty.org/animal-control/).
The purpose of SCAC is to protect the public against zoonotic diseases and promote public safety through education and
code enforcement. SCAC routinely obtains physical custody of (confines) a variety of companion animals, including but
not limited to cats, dogs, small animals (such as guinea pigs and ferrets), as well as horses, goats, pigs and other livestock.
Some of these animals come into the care and custody of SCAC with illness or injuries that require veterinary care during
that animal's state-required stray holding period. An animal may need to be seen by a veterinary clinic for a variety of
medical concerns such as broken bones or a need for medication for a potentially communicable illness like feline upper
respiratory infection or ringworm diagnosis. The goal of the animal care is to reduce pain and treat basic illness or injuries.
SCAC must observe the Kansas state mandated hold period of three (3) days as referenced in KSA 47-1710 and no animal
should be euthanized before this period without the express written statement of a licensed veterinarian that this holding
period would be inhumane for the individual animal. During the holding period, depending on circumstances of acquisition,
SCAC may take different actions such as look for an animal's owner or investigate allegations of animal cruelty or inhumane
treatment. The latter situation may extend SCAC's required custody of the animal.
In 2024, SCAC delivered more than 150 animals to contracted veterinary clinics in Sedgwick County with immediate
euthanasia being the outcome for less than a third of presented animals. SCAC is responsible for the disposal of any remains
resulting from the veterinary care of presented animals. In most cases, SCAC Officers bring animals to veterinary clinics
for treatment. For about five (5) or fewer requests per year, SCAC Officers request veterinary clinics to visit locations other
than their clinic (Farm Calls) to treat animals in SCAC custody.
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Sedgwick County is seeking contracts with multiple veterinary clinics to provide veterinary services to sick or injured
animals in custody of (confined by) SCAC. The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to procure services based on
best overall value, considering qualification, responsiveness, and ability to meet the needs of SCAC and confined animals.
Multiple veterinary clinics will be considered in, near, or at advantageous locations to SCAC. This will include clinics in
Sedgwick County and could include clinics in other counties.
III. Project Objectives
Sedgwick County, Kansas (hereinafter referred to as "county") is seeking a firm or firms to provide On-Call Veterinary
Clinic Services. The following objectives have been identified for this contract:
1. Acquire On-Call Veterinary Clinic Services that meet the parameters outlined in Appendix A, the Firm Criteria,
the Scope of Work, and the conditions and mandatory requirements presented in this document.
2. Develop a network of multiple veterinary clinics that can work with the county to reduce response time for sick or
injured animals.
3. Establish contract pricing with multiple vendors that can provide basic services focusing on pain reduction,
treatment of basic illness or injuries and possible euthanasia, if deemed necessary by the attending veterinarian.
4. Acquire On-Call Veterinary Clinic Services with the most advantageous overall cost to the county.
IV. Submittals
Carefully review this Request for Proposal. It provides specific technical information necessary to aid participating firms in
formulating a thorough response. Should you elect to participate with an electronic response, the RFP number must be
entered in the subject line and email the entire document with supplementary materials to:
Purchasing@sedgwick.gov
Should you elect to participate with a physical response, the response must be sealed and marked on the lower left-hand
corner with the firm name and address, bid number, and bid due date. Submit one (1) original AND one (1) electronic
copy (.PDF/Word supplied on a flash drive) of the entire document with any supplementary materials to:
Jaimee O'Laughlin
Sedgwick County Purchasing Department
100 N. Broadway, Suite 610
Wichita, KS 67202
SUBMITTALS are due NO LATER THAN 1:45 pm CDT, TUESDAY, March 24, 2026. If there is any difficulty
submitting a response electronically, please contact the Purchasing Technicians at purchasing@sedgwick.gov for
assistance. Late or incomplete responses will not be accepted and will not receive consideration for final award. If you
choose to send a hard copy of your proposal, Sedgwick County will not accept submissions that arrive late due to the fault
of the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service, DHL, FedEx, or any other delivery/courier service.
Proposal responses will be acknowledged and read into record at Bid Opening, which will occur at 2:15 pm CDT on the
due date. No information other than the respondent's name will be disclosed at Bid Opening. We will continue to have
Bid Openings for the items listed currently. If you would like to listen in as these proposals are read into the record, please
dial our Meet Me line @ (316) 660-7271 at 2:15 pm.
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V. Scope of Work
1. The process SCAC will use with contracted veterinary clinics is as follows:
a. An SCAC Officer will obtain physical custody of an animal that needs to be seen by a veterinarian.
b. The Officer with custody of the animal will evaluate their location for the closest veterinary clinic that
can provide the services needed for the type of animal in their care as well as the clinic best equipped to
render the necessary medical intervention in a manner that considers both the relative time constraints,
primarily of the animal's injury and secondarily the officer's schedule.
c. The Officer with custody of the animal will attempt to contact the veterinary clinic they deem the best fit
for the animal in their current care.
d. If the Officer enroute to the clinic of their choice cannot contact the veterinary clinic, the Officer will
notify Animal Control dispatch who will continue to attempt to contact the clinic.
e. The Officer may decide to go to the clinic even if no contact is made or the Officer may decide to go to
another clinic.
f. Over the phone or when the Officer arrives at the veterinary clinic, the clinic may accept or refuse any
animal from SCAC.
g. When an animal is taken into the care of a contracted veterinary clinic, the clinic has the responsibility to
communicate with SCAC regarding the status and treatment approval of the animal in their care.
2. Contracted clinics are expected to respond to a request for service from the county during the clinic's business
hours. If the clinic offers an emergency or after-hours response timeframe, that clinic would also be expected to
respond to requests for service during their identified emergency or after-hours timeframe. This response may
include a denial of service as SCAC recognizes that clinics have private clients scheduled with appointments.
a. SCAC recognizes that clinic hours will vary between clinics and could include weekdays, weekends,
holidays, and clinic-specific in-service closures.
3. SCAC will make a reasonable effort to contact a contracted clinic by phone prior to arriving at their clinic to
advise them of an animal control officer enroute to their location as well as the type of animal and extent of
visible injury or illness.
a. If SCAC is unable to elicit a response via phone an officer may show up to a contracted clinic with an
animal in need of care.
b. A contracted clinic has the right to advise SCAC if they are unable to facilitate evaluation and treatment
of the described animal at any time.
4. SCAC may present multiple animals at the same time for evaluation, such as for animal cruelty or inhumane
treatment cases.
5. SCAC's focus is that any provided veterinary care be rendered with the purpose of stabilizing any animal and
alleviating pain. SCAC wants the animal in care to remain alive, if it is deemed humanely possible by the
attending veterinarian and during this time it will be the responsibility of SCAC to attempt to contact the animal's
owner.
6. The spending limit per animal must be no more than $750.00 unless explicitly authorized due to extenuating
circumstances.
a. Exceeding the $750.00 limit must be authorized by the SCAC supervisor or most senior Officer on duty
and verified by at least one (1) clinic employee (preferably two (2) if enough clinic staff are present). The
authorization can be made over the phone or in person. Either way, authorization must be documented in
writing by the most senior SCAC officer on duty within 24 hrs.
b. The clinic has the responsibility to contact SCAC if the amount of the care is nearing the maximum.
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7. The veterinary clinic must work with the SCAC as they observe the Kansas state mandated hold period of three
(3) days as referenced in KSA 47-1710 and no animal should be euthanized before this period without the express
written statement of a licensed veterinarian that this holding period would be inhumane for the individual animal.
8. Protracted cruelty or inhumane treatment cases may require boarding services with a base level of care. If
boarding is a service offered by a contracted clinic, a clinic may be asked to board animals requiring ongoing
medical attention.
9. Any written documentation provided by any contracted clinic could be considered as part of a court case and the
documentation may be read by a Sedgwick County legal representative and/or Sedgwick County judge with
reference to the animals presented to that clinic.
Specific Activities
1. Communication
a. The veterinary clinic must communicate with SCAC on all matters of veterinary treatment before
treatment occurs, with the exception of time sensitive or life-saving interventions. If the latter,
communication must occur directly after and no later than the next business day after the time-sensitive
treatment.
2. Billing
a. The veterinary clinic must monitor expenses per animal and notify SCAC if nearing the $750.00
maximum. A per animal exception amount may be authorized on a case-by-case basis with the process
outlined previously in Scope of Work.
b. Payment for services must be invoiced per animal and submitted within 30 days from the date of service.
i. Properly submitted invoices will be paid within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt by county.
ii. Failure to submit billing in a timely manner will result in a delay of payment.
iii. Failure to include an identifying animal number or designation provided by SCAC on invoicing
will result in a delay or denial of payment.
iv. Verbal invoicing will not be considered valid and will not be paid.
v. All invoices must be per animal and must contain:
* A date of service.
* The billing clinic's name, address, and a contact telephone number.
* The text "Bill to: Sedgwick County Animal Control / 1015 Stillwell / Wichita, KS 67213
/ 316-660-7070".
* A description of the animal presented, including species and color.
* The animal's numerical or unique name designation provided to the clinic by the SCAC
Officer.
* A description of all services rendered that incurred a fee, with a clear cumulative total for
the specified animal to be paid by Sedgwick County.
Outcomes
1. Provide care according to SCAC outlined scope of work and cost-effective service for animals in SCAC custody
as needed for pain, injury or illness alleviation.
2. Achieve timely bi-directional communication between SCAC and contracted veterinary clinics regarding the
treatment, comfort, cost, and medical needs of animals in care.
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VI. Sedgwick County's Responsibilities
* Provide information, as legally allowed, in possession of the county, which relates to the county's requirements or
which is relevant to this project.
* Designate a person to act as the County Contract Manager with respect to the work to be performed under this
contract.
* County reserves the right to make inspections at various points of the project. Contractor agrees to openly
participate in said inspections and provide information to the county on the progress, expected completion date
and any unforeseen or unexpected complications in the project.
VII. Proposal Terms
A. Questions and Contact Information
Any questions regarding this document must be submitted via email to Jaimee O'Laughlin at
Jaimee.O'Laughlin@sedgwick.gov by 5:00 pm CDT, March 10, 2026. Any questions of a substantive nature will be
answered in written form as an addendum and posted on the purchasing website at
https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/finance/purchasing/current-bids-and-proposals/ under the Documents column associated
with this RFP number by 5:00 pm CDT, March 17, 2026. Firms are responsible for checking the website and
acknowledging any addenda on their proposal response form.
B. Minimum Firm Qualifications
This section lists the criteria to be considered in evaluating the ability of firms interested in providing the service(s) and/or
product(s) specified in this Request for Proposal. Firms must meet or exceed these qualifications to be considered for
award. Any exceptions to the requirements listed should be clearly detailed in proposer's response. Proposers shall:
1. Have a minimum of five (5) years' experience in providing services similar to those specified in this RFP.
2. Have an understanding of industry standards and best practices.
3. Have an employee who is a licensed DVM on site during 50% or more of the clinic's business operating hours.
4. Have the ability, training, and appropriate licensure to euthanize animals as deemed necessary by the clinic's DVM.
5. Have staff that understand the SCAC primary objective of pain alleviation in treating animals presented from SCAC
during the state mandated hold period of three (3) days as referenced in KSA 47-1710.
6. Have the means to invoice SCAC for any expenses incurred within 30 days of service.
7. Have experience in managing projects of comparable size and complexity to that being proposed.
8. Have knowledge of and comply with all currently applicable, and as they become enacted during the contract term,
federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations. All laws of the State of Kansas, whether
substantive or procedural, shall apply to the contract, and all statutory, charter, and ordinance provisions that are
applicable to public contracts in the county shall be followed with respect to the contract.
9. Municipal and county government experience is desired, however, the county will make the final determination
based on responses received and the evaluation process.
10. Have the capacity to acquire all bonds, escrows or insurances as outlined in the terms of this RFP.
11. Provide clinic supervision and care of animals (as required) and quality control procedures.
12. Have appropriate material, equipment and labor to perform specified services.
13. Park only in designated areas and display parking permit (if provided).
14. Wear company uniform or ID badge for identification purposes.
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C. Evaluation Criteria
The selection process will be based on the responses to this RFP. County staff will judge each response as determined by
the scoring criteria below. Purchasing staff are not a part of the evaluation committee.
Component Points
A. Qualifications (Appendix A) 30
B. Scope of Work (Appendix B) 25
C. Services and Availability (Appendix C) 15
D. Service Fee Estimates (Appendix D) 25
E. Completed proposal (all documents required were received by date RFP application was
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due)
Total Points 100
Assume the following cost proposals (examples only)
A. $50,000.00
B. $38,000.00
C. $49,000.00
Company B with a total price of $38,000.00 is the low offer. Take the low offer and divide each of the other offers into
the low offer to calculate a percentage. This percentage is then multiplied by the number of points available for the cost.
In this case, 10 points are allocated to cost.
A. $38,000.00 divided by $50,000.00 =.76 .76*10 7.6 points
B. $38,000.00 divided by $38,000.00 =1.00 1.00*10 10 points
C. $38,000.00 divided by $49,000.00= .77 .77*10 7.7 points
Any final negotiations for services, terms and conditions will be based, in part, on the firm's method of providing the
service and the fee schedule achieved through discussions and agreement with the county's review committee. The county
is under no obligation to accept the lowest priced proposal and reserves the right to further negotiate services and costs
that are proposed. The county also reserves the sole right to recommend for award the proposal and plan that it deems to
be in its best interest.
The county reserves the right to reject all proposals. All proposals, including supporting documentation shall become the
property of Sedgwick County. All costs incurred in the preparation of this proposal shall be the responsibility of the firm
making the proposals. Sedgwick County reserves the right to select, and subsequently recommend for award, the proposed
service which best meets its required needs, quality levels and budget constraints.
D. Request for Proposal Timeline
The following dates are provided for information purposes and are subject to change without notice. Contact the
Purchasing Department at (316) 660-7255 to confirm any and all dates.
Distribution of Request for Proposal to interested parties March 3, 2026
Questions and clarifications submitted via email by 5:00 pm CDT March 10, 2026
Addendum Issued by 5:00 pm CDT March 17, 2026
Proposal due before 1:45 pm CDT March 24, 2026
Evaluation Period March 25, 2026 - May 6, 2026
Board of Bids and Contracts Recommendation May 7, 2026
Board of County Commission Award May 13, 2026
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E. Contract Period and Payment Terms
A contractual period will begin following Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approval of the successful firm(s) and
continue for a period of two (2) years with three (3) one (1) year options to renew.
County may cancel its obligations herein upon thirty-day (30) prior written notice to the other party. It is understood that
funding may cease or be reduced at any time, and in the event that adequate funds are not available to meet the obligations
hereunder, either party reserves the right to terminate this agreement upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other.
Payment will be remitted following receipt of monthly detailed invoice.
Payment and Invoice Provisions
https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/media/55477/payment-and-invoice-provisions.pdf
F. Insurance Requirements
Liability insurance coverage indicated below must be considered as primary and not as excess insurance. If required,
contractor's professional liability/errors and omissions insurance shall (i) have a policy retroactive date prior to the date
any professional services are provided for this project, and (ii) be maintained for a minimum of three (3) years past
completion of the project. Contractor shall furnish a certificate evidencing such coverage, with county listed as an
additional insured including both ongoing and completed operations, except for professional liability, workers'
compensation and employer's liability. Certificate shall be provided prior to award of contract. Certificate shall
remain in force during the duration of the project/services and will not be canceled, reduced, modified, limited, or
restricted until thirty (30) days after county receives written notice of such change. All insurance must be with an
insurance company with a minimum BEST rating of A-VIII and licensed to do business in the State of Kansas (must be
acknowledged on the bid/proposal response form).
NOTE: If any insurance is subject to a deductible or self-insured retention, written disclosure must be included in your
proposal response and also be noted on the certificate of insurance.
It is the responsibility of contractor to require that any and all approved subcontractors meet the minimum insurance
requirements.
Workers' Compensation:
Applicable coverage per State Statutes
Employer's Liability Insurance: $500,000.00
Commercial General Liability Insurance (on form CG 00 01 04 13 or its equivalent):
Each Occurrence $1,000,000.00
General Aggregate, per project $2,000,000.00
Personal Injury $1,000,000.00
Products and Completed Operations Aggregate $2,000,000.00
Automobile Liability:
Combined single limit $500,000.00
Umbrella Liability:
Following form for both the general liability and automobile
__X__ Required / ____ Not Required
Each Claim $1,000,000.00
Aggregate $1,000,000.00
Professional Liability/ Errors & Omissions Insurance:
__X__ Required / ____ Not Required
Each Claim $1,000,000.00
Aggregate $1,000,000.00
Pollution Liability Insurance:
____ Required / __X__ Not Required
Each Claim $1,000,000.00
Aggregate $1,000,000.00
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Special Risks or Circumstances:
Entity reserves the right to modify, by written contract, these requirements, including limits, based on the nature of the
risk, prior experience, insurer, coverage, or other special circumstances.
IF CONTRACTOR IS PROVIDING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES:
In addition to the above coverages, contractor shall also provide the following:
Builder's Risk Insurance: In the amount of the initial Contract Sum, plus the value of subsequent
modifications and cost of materials supplied and installed by others, comprising the
total value for the entire Project on a replacement cost basis without optional
deductibles. Entity, contractor, and all Subcontractors shall be included as named
insured's.
G. Indemnification
To the fullest extent of the law, the provider, its subcontractor, agents, servants, officers or employees shall indemnify and
hold harmless Sedgwick County, including, but not limited to, its elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and
agents, from any and all claims brought by any person or entity whatsoever, arising from any act, error, or omission of the
provider during the provider's performance of the agreement or any other agreements of the provider entered into by
reason thereof. The provider shall indemnify and defend Sedgwick County, including, but not limited to, its elected and
appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, with respect to any claim arising, or alleged to have arisen from
negligence, and/or willful, wanton or reckless acts or omissions of the provider, its subcontractor, agents, servants,
officers, or employees and any and all losses or liabilities resulting from any such claims, including, but not limited to,
damage awards, costs and reasonable attorney's fees. This indemnification shall not be affected by any other portions of
the agreement relating to insurance requirements. The provider agrees that it will procure and keep in force at all times at
its own expense insurance in accordance with these specifications.
H. Confidential Matters and Data Ownership
The successful proposer agrees all data, records and information, which the proposer, its agents and employees, which is
the subject of this proposal, obtain access, remains at all times exclusively the property of Sedgwick County. The
successful proposer agrees all such data, records, plans and information constitutes at all times proprietary information of
Sedgwick County. The successful proposer agrees that it will not disclose, provide, or make available any of such
proprietary information in any form to any person or entity. In addition, the successful proposer agrees it will not use any
names or addresses contained in such data, records, plans and information for the purpose of selling or offering for sale
any property or service to any person or entity who resides at any address in such data. In addition, the successful
proposer agrees it will not sell, give or otherwise make available to any person or entity any names or addresses contained
in or derived from such data, records and information for the purpose of allowing such person to sell or offer for sale any
property or service to any person or entity named in such data. Successful proposer agrees it will take all reasonable steps
and the same protective precautions to protect Sedgwick County's proprietary information from disclosure to third parties
as with successful proposer's own proprietary and confidential information. Proposer agrees that all data, regardless of
form that is generated as a result of this Request for Proposal is the property of Sedgwick County.
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