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PUEBLO, COLO. -- Pueblo is considering making cuts to its city budget, and that could include cuts to Pueblo Animal Services.

The division runs on a $2.1 million budget annually, which hasn't changed since 2008.

"Pueblo Animal Services is a division if the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, and we do animal control as well as sheltering 8,000 animals a year," Jan McHugh-Smith with Pueblo Animal Services said.

Smith said her division requested a budget increase to Pueblo City Council for 2013, but council has responded with a cut instead.

"City Council has talked about cutting us 10 percent, which is obviously different than what our request was," Smith said.

That 10 percent cut would likely mean less animal control, which would put more pressure on law enforcement.

"If people were calling about a dog at large or an aggressive animal, they would need to rely on the city or county staff to respond if they cut us," Smith said.

Councilmembers said they don't want to cut any services but know they have to meet the budget.

"You know, I think a lot of folks will say that if you don't fund the Humane Society or the existing organization that's there, then you don't like animals," City Councilwoman Sandy Daff said. "And I think there could not be anything further from the truth. I speak on behalf of all of the Pueblo City councilmembers. This is the tightest budget we've seen in recent history."

The budget will be presented Monday.

"My hope is that we have a seamless transition or that we maintain the services we already have," Daff said. "It's just all in the numbers at this point, which is really sad. But it's the reality in the world today."

Reporter: John Martin