NIGP 91789: Rental of Animals

NIGP 91789 Rental Of Animals, an Item code, covers the procurement of trained service animals for law enforcement, security, and wellness applications by state and local government agencies. State and local governments buy service canines — specifically police service dogs, explosive detection canines, and wellness canines — supplied by specialty vendors who meet rigorous breed, health, temperament, and training standards. Recent solicitations emphasize fully trained animals with documented veterinary certifications, breed restrictions (typically German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, or Belgian Malinois), and performance guarantees including return and replacement provisions within specified timeframes. The procurement spans municipal police departments, city courts, and other public service agencies; the City of Tucson has issued multiple RFPs for service canine contracts, indicating sustained demand from at least some jurisdictions.

The City of Tucson in Arizona accounts for the visible recent activity under this code, having posted two service canine solicitations in 2026 — RFP 260121 issued March 10, 2026, with a response deadline of October 23, 2025, and RFP 260209 issued May 12, 2026, with a response deadline of June 5, 2026. Both solicitations solicit proposals for three canine categories across the Tucson Police Department and City Court, require pre-submittal meetings, and carry one-year initial terms with options to extend for up to four additional one-year periods. Evaluation criteria emphasize method of approach, vendor qualifications and experience, and pricing, in that order. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability and commercial automobile liability coverage of $1,000,000 each, comply with federal equal employment opportunity and debarment requirements, and meet federal compliance provisions including American Rescue Plan Act terms and HUD Section 3 economic opportunity requirements.