HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005/12/13 - Agenda Packet - Spec mtn. (Animal Shelter)
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lRANCHO CUCAMONGA
C][1['Y COUNC][lL
~JP>JECIIAlL MJEJE1I'IING
Tuesday, December 13, 2005 ~ 6:00 p.m.
Rancho Cucamonga City Hall ~ Council Chambers
10500 Civic Center Drive ~ Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3801
A. CALL TO ORDER
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call:
Ale)(ander _' Gutierrez_, lIIlichael_, Spagnolo_, Williams_.
R JPUBUC COMMUNiCATIONS
This is the time and place for the general public to address the City Council. State
law prohibits the Council from addressing any issue not previously included on the
agenda. The Council may receive testimony and set the matter for a subsequent
meeting. Comments are to be limited to five minutes per individual.
Co ][TEM(~) OF BUSiNESS
1. ANIIIIlAL SERVICES TRANSITION REPORT PHASE II - WITH NATHAN
WINOGRAD OF "NO KILL SOLUTIONS"
j[)). ADJOURNMENT
I, Debra J. Adams, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, hereby certify that a
true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on December 8, 2005, per
Government Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga,
California.
THE CITY OF
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RANCHO CUCAMONGA
Memorandum
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
December 8, 2005
Mayor and Members of the City Council".
Pamela S, Easter, Deputy City Manage0~ -1
Kimberly S, Thomas, Management Anarys(1I1 1\.,t ,
ANIMAL CARE AND SERVICES TRANSITION - PHASE II REPORT
SUBJECT:
This memorandum transmits the Phase II Report by Nathan Winograd, of No Kill Solutions
providing recommendations to the City Council on service levels and budgets related to the
upcoming transition of Animal Services to a City operated program,
Background
Earlier this year, the City Council made the decision to transition from a County contract to a
City operated animal services program. Nathan Winograd, of No Kill Solutions, was retained to
assist the City in the transition and to make recommendations on how to transition to a No Kill
program. In August 2005, Mr. Winograd presented a Phase I Report to the City Council that
identified what the City must consider and accomplish prior to operating an Animal Services
Program. Mr. Winograd is now presenting his Phase II Report that provides recommendations
to the City Council on personnel, programs, and budgets. In the upcoming months, Mr.
Winograd will be presenting his Phase III and Phase IV Reports. The Phase III Report that will
be presented in January 2006, will provide recommended policies and procedures. Phase IV
will be presented in February 2006, and include outside funding opportunities, anticipated
community partnerships, a summary of community input, recommended ordinances, and a
timeline of goals to move towards a No Kill community.
The attached Phase II Report seeks to provide recommendations and guidance to the City
Council for determining service levels, a recommended personnel and operational budget, and
one time costs associated with creating a new Animal Care and Services Department for the
City. The Report also provides an overview of physical repairs and modifications necessary the
to the facility to meet more focused lifesaving goals and due to the age of the building. During
the upcoming December 2005 Council study sessions, the Council will be asked to provide
policy direction in a number of areas discussed in the Report, including service levels and the
related expenditures necessary to operate at that service level. The service levels include a
Baseline Service level, what is necessary for the animal services program .to meet statutory
requirements/legal obligations and the No Kill Enhancement level of what is necessary for the
animal care and services program to implement the goals of the No Kill program. These
enhanced levels of service, include an animal behavior socialization and rehabilitation program,
a medical rehabilitation program, a strong public spay/neuter program, and community
programs.
As you will note in the Phase II Report, there are a number of policy directions that the Council
will be asked to provide to Mr. Winograd and staff. A summary of these policy items follows:
1. Approve budget recommendations related to Baseline 'program, including annual
operating and one time (non-recurring) costs associated with the personnel,
equipment and materials necessary to operate the department at the Baseline level
identified in the attached Phase II Report.
2. Approve recommended No Kill enhancement Program and associated budget costs
(including annual operating and one time (non recurring) costs, including the areas of:
. medical rehabilitation program
. animal behavior socialization and rehabilitation program
. community program
. subsidized spay/neuter program
3. Approve recommended first and second year of facility repairs and improvements and
request that the staff present at a future Council meeting, a recommended approach
of how to accomplish the first group of facility repairs in the upcoming months and
sources of funding.
4. Consider the recommended Fee structure and provide direction to bring back at a
future Council meeting for formal approval.
5. If interested in considering the recommended $2.00 annual surcharge on dog licenses
to fund community spay/neuter subsidies, direct staff to research the Proposition 218
impacts and to bring back recommendations on feasibility.
6. Provide feedback on implementing an eight-hour/five day a week work schedule, with
staff working various shifts to ensure coverage.
As mentioned in the Report, Mr. Winograd has provided an estimate of revenue that the City
could receive through the proposed Fee Structure, based on information received from the
County and an assumption that the City would retain a similar fee structure. The County advises
that it receives approximately $450,000 in revenues. However, it should also be noted that the
dog license revenue is based on one, two and three year licenses, and that it will take up to
several years for licenses to be renewed through the City, with the City receiving the revenue. It
will not be until the Department has operated for a period of time, that we will have a more
accurate revenue picture.
Attachment - Phase II: Staffing Analysis, Service levels & Budget for Rancho Cucamonga
Report
c: Jack lam, City Manager
City Manager's Office Staff
Animal Shelter Transition Project Team
SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING FOR
RANCHO CUCAMONGA
AND
No KILL PROGRAM AREAS
PHASE II
PRESENTED BY
NATHAN WINOGRAD
No KILL SOLUTION
DECEMBER 13, 2005
COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
.
PHASE II REPORT
BUDGET SUMMARY &
PROPOSED FACILITY
MODIFICATIONS I REPAIRS
ANIMAL SHELTER
TRANSITION REPORT
. PHASE II
ORGANIZATION CHART &
STAFFING ANALYSIS
PHASE I REPORT
December 13, 2005
NO KILL PROGRAM AREAS
.
.
PHASE II:
STAFFING ANALYSIS, SERVICE LeVELS & BUDGET
fOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA
.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA ANIMAL CARE AND
SERVICES PROGRAM
~
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.
December 2005
.
CONTENTS
Executive Summary ............................................................................ 3
Introduction ................................... ............... '0' ............................... ... 7
Part I: Baseline Operations ..................................................................9
Staffing Analysis ...... .... ... ... ... ... ....... ... ..... ... ..... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ..... ... ... ... ..... 12
Part II: No Kill Enhancements ............................................................ 19
Spay/Neuter .. ....... ..... .... ... ... .... .... ...... ..... ... ....... .... ... ..... ... ... ... .... ............ 20
Volunteer. Foster Care and Community Events ................................................. 21
.
Medical and Behavior Rehabilitation .............. ................................................. 22
Part III: Capital Improvements ............................................................ 24
Part IV: Fees ..................................................................................... 27
Attachments:
. Budget Summary
. Proposed Facility Modifications/Repairs
. Organization Chart
. Staffing Analysis
. Phase I Report
. No Kill Program Areas
.
2
.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Phase II report seeks to provide recommendations and guidance to the City
Council for determining service levels, as well as appropriating an operational budget
and one time (non-recurring) costs associated with creating a new Animal Care and
Services Department for the City of Rancho Cucamonga. The report also provides an
overview of physical changes to the existing facility to repair and correct physical
problems and helps meet its more focused lifesaving goals.
In January, 2006 recommended policies and procedures will be presented to the City
Council for review and consideration as a Phase III report. In February, 2006, the City
Council will be presented with a final report (Phase IV) encompassing outside funding
opportunities, anticipated community partnerships, a summary of community input,
recommended ordinances and a timeline of goals to move towards a No Kill Rancho
Cucamonga. In addition, although beyond the original scope of services, ongoing
assistance will be provided to help in recruitment, training, and opening of the new
Department to help ensure its success.
.
As it relates to Phase II, in order to staff, supply and build an environment for an
efficient and effective Animal Care and Services Department, the City Council will be
asked during the December 2005 Council study workshops to provide policy direction
in a number of areas, including service levels and the related expenditures that will be
necessary to operate at that service level. The expenditures will include recurring
departmental personnel and operational costs and one time costs associated with the
new Department as well as a capital (physical improvement) budget for Shelter facility
repairs modifications. (A summary of these expenditures is attached.)
This report provides guidance and recommendations with respect to these issues. With
the expertise of City Departments such as Purchasing, Public Works, Information
Systems, City Manager's Office, and others, expenditure and budget information has
been developed.
The recommendations begin with the costs associated with providing a full service
municipal animal services programs which meets its legal obligations. This is referred to
as a "Baseline" program. There are also costs and recommendations with increases in
service levels associated with four additional areas to provide enhancements to achieve
a No Kill orientation. These include an animal behavior socialization and rehabilitation
program, a medical rehabilitation program (beyond baseline medical care as required by
law), a public spay/neuter investment, and community programs. Beyond the baseline,
only four additional positions are being recommended for the No Kill enhancement
program, with associated costs.
.
3
At these December 2006 sessions, the City Council will be asked to:
.
I. Approve a budget for baseline operations, including recurring and one time (non-
recurring) costs associated with building a new department. This would also
include City Council approval of operating the Department on an eight hour/five
day a week work schedule, with staff working various shifts to ensure coverage;
2. Consider the Department's fee structure;
3. Approve recommended No Kill enhancements, and associated costs, in the areas
of medical rehabilitation, behavior rehabilitation and training, subsidized
spay/neuter (including a $2.00 annual surcharge on dog licenses to fund
community spay/neuter subsidies), and community programs; and,
4. Approve capital costs.
I. BASELINE OPERATIONS
Under the recommended baseline program and budget, the City's animal services
program will meet its legal obligations. This orientation assumes no real net change in
the service levels provided by the County, with the exception of certain staffing levels
based on the above analysis and an onsite veterinary technician to meet the mandates of
C~lifornia Civil Code Sections 597f which requires shelters to provide care and
treatment for impounded animals so that owners can reclaim them in reasonable
condition, and Civil Code Section 1834 which requires shelters to provide prompt and
necessary veterinary care to sick and injured animals. In addition, while service levels
may not change, the efficiencies and effectiveness of the delivery of those services
(including levels of lifesaving) will be significantly enhanced and increased under the City
run program.
.
Annual Department Personnel and Benefits: $1,043,244
Annual Operating Costs: $454,231
One Time/Start-up (Non-Recurring) Costs: $1,356,231
II. No KILL ENHANCEMENTS
The following sections are recommendations for programs/services and staffing above
baseline. As indicated earlier, these positions and programs, while No Kill
enhancements, are also in many cases essential to a well run shelter. They allow animals
to remain healthy and well behaved. increase adoptability, improve a shelter's delivery of
services, and promote a proactive positive public image. All of this translates into more
lives saved.
I. Community Spay/Neuter
An effective animal services program which includes low-cost public spay/neuter funding
not only saves cities and counties on present costs-by protecting citizens from
dangerous dogs. for example-but also helps reduce the costs of animal control in the
future. For example, a city that impounds and euthanizes 5,000 annually but does not
promote spaying and neutering will probably still euthanize at least 5.000 animals a year
in a decade. By contrast, a city that institutes a subsidized spay/neuter program will likely
.
4
.
euthanize significantly fewer animals and save on a host of other animal-related costs as
well. A $2.00 mandatory surcharge on dog licenses which is earmarked for low-cost
spay/neuter, combined with a $5.00 voluntary donation added to the cost of a pet
adoption would likely cover the costs of the program. The program would need to be
developed with local veterinarians, but under those circumstances could potentially be
self-sustaining financially assuming licensing data from the County is accurate.
2. Community Programs
A modern municipal animal care and control program interested in reducing killing to
the maximum extent practicable must expand on its baseline programs to include
medical and behavioral rehabilitation and social enrichment; remain open seven days per
week to adopt out animals; provide a volunteer and foster care program through which
members of the community can get actively involved in helping the animals; and provide
information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services. An experienced Community
Programs Coordinator would manage the shelter's relationships with rescue groups,
develop and grow a volunteer foster and volunteer program, coordinate the offsite
adoption and other community based events, provide a liaison with other City agencies,
private businesses and not-for-profit organizations who can assist the shelter, help
coordinate spay and neuter, licensing and vaccination clinics, provide post-adoption
support, and eventually assist in fundraising to augment City support of the shelter.
.
3. Medical Rehabilitation
Since 1963, shelters in California have been required to provide care and treatment for
impounded animals so that owners can reclaim them in reasonable condition, as well as
providing prompt and necessary veterinary care to sick and injured animals. Most of the
costs of a program to medically rehabilitate sheltered animals are borne of statutory
mandate. But beyond the care provided animals within the legally mandated holding
period, shelters can and should employ a series of strategies and programmatic
responses to improve lifesaving.
4. Behavior Rehabilitation & Training
On the behavior side, socializing dogs and cats will improve disposition, calm frightened
animals, and improve their adoptability. By contrast, animals who sit in their kennels and
cages for extended periods of time develop anti-social barrier behaviors (i.e., "cage
craziness.") By implementing an in-house behavior program, the shelter can be well on
its way to saving even more lives.
Annual Department Personnel and Benefits: $269,309
Annual Operating Costs: $149,400
One Time/Start-up (Non-Recurring) Costs: $25,000
.
III. CAPITAL REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS
A community's animal shelter is the heart of an animal care and protection program and
facilities and grounds should be maintained so that they are attractive and welcoming to
the public. The physical building itself can be-or can appear to be--reflective of how
5
strong and caring the internal programs are and the commitment to animal care is.
Modern shelters in communities with demonstrative commitments to lifesaving are
spacious places. where animals are housed in home-like environments, are clean and
well lighted, and provide ample opportunity for public and animal interaction. They are
public meeting places, they reduce costs of care for illness. reduce reliance on utilities
through skylights and picture windows and other use of natural light, keep animals
healthy and stimulated. increase adoptions by decreasing length of stay and increasing
public traffic, and improve community satisfaction with the job the shelter is doing. A
capital improvement plan will move the Rancho Cucamonga shelter in that direction.
,
.
First Year Capital Budget: $1,072.895
Second Year Capital Budget: $924,000
A detailed listing of the proposed two-year capital improvement plan is attached to the
Proposed Animal Care and Services Department Budget Summary that has been
included in this report.
IV. FEES
A municipal animal services program is funded through general tax revenues, licensing
fees, user fees, penalty fees. and donations/grants. It also receives subsidies through use
of volunteers, foster parents, fee-reduction arrangement with private veterinarians,
transferring animals to rescue groups, and other public-private partnerships. While fees
should reflect budget priorities and realities, they must also be balanced against agency
goals and community values. Keeping in mind that given the transition and its inevitable
public perception and relations issues, it might not be advisable that fees be increased at
this time, with the possible exception of a small surcharge on dog licenses to fund a
community spay/neuter program. However, the option remains for the City Council to
increase its fee structure to reduce general fund contributions required for running the
new Department.
.
.
6
.
PHASE II:
STAFFING ANALYSIS, SERVICE LEVELS & BUDGET
FOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA
INTRODUCTION
This Phase II report seeks to provide recommendations and guidance to the City
Council for determining service levels, as well as appropriating an operational budget
and one time (non-recurring) costs associated with creating a new Department. The
report also provides an overview of recommended modifications to the existing facility
to repair and correct physical problems and helps meet its more focused lifesaving goals.
In January, 2006 recommended policies and procedures will be presented to the City
Council for review and consideration as a Phase III report. In February. 2006. the City
Council will be presented with a final report (Phase IV) encompassing outside funding
opportunities, anticipated community partnerships. a summary of community input.
recommended ordinances and a timeline of goals to move towards a No Kill Rancho
Cucamonga. In addition, although beyond the original scope of services, ongoing
assistance will be provided to help in recruitment, training. and opening of the new
Department to help ensure its success.
.
As it relates to Phase II, in order to staff, supply and build an environment for an
efficient and effective Animal Care and Services Department, the City Council will be
asked during the December 2005 Council study workshops to provide policy direction
in a number of areas, including service levels and the related expenditures that will be
necessary to operate at that service level. The expenditures will include recurring
departmental personnel and operational costs and one time costs associated with the
new Department as well as a capital (physical improvement) budget for Shelter facility
repairs and modifications.
This report provides guidance and recommendations with respect to these issues. With
the expertise of City Departments such as Purchasing. Public Works. Information
Systems, City Manager's Office, and others. expenditure and budget information has
been developed.
.
The recommendations begin with the costs associated with providing a full service
municipal shelter which meets its legal obligations. This is referred to as "Baseline
Operations," which includes personnel, programs and services. There are also costs and
recommendations with increases in service levels associated with four additional areas
to provide enhancements to achieve a No Kill orientation. These include an animal
behavior socialization and rehabilitation program, a medical rehabilitation program
(beyond baseline medical care as required by law). a public spay/neuter investment, and
community programs. Beyond the baseline. only four additional positions are being
recommended. with associated costs.
7
.
As indicated in the Phase I report, to design a well run animal shelter program requires
consideration of a number of operational areas. T oday's animal services program is as
complex an operation as any municipal department. For example, a modern municipal
animal care and control program interested in reducing killing to the maximum extent
practicable must meet certain mandatory minimums. These are:
I. Providing nourishment, medical care and social enrichment/behavioral
rehabilitation for all domestic animals in its care;
2. Providing basic health screening for all animals;
3. Providing a preventative disease control program;
4. Vaccinating animals in its care;
5. Remaining open seven days per week to adopt out animals;
6. Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals who are not adoptable;
7. Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation
or quarantine;
8. Providing a formalized and structured volunteer and foster care program
through which members of the community can get actively involved in helping
the animals;
9. Providing lost and found services;
10. Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services;
II. Maintaining accurate and thorough records on all animal-related activities; and,
12. Providing community education.
.
To reach its No Kill goals, these duties translate into several key program areas
including working with rescue groups, providing access to low cost spaying and
neutering, developing a community-based volunteer, foster care and offsite adoption
program, providing options and solutions to overcome medical, behavioral and
environmental issues that may cause caretakers to relinquish their pets, medical and
behavioral rehabilitation, disease control and socialization, and a proactive and positive
public relations and marketing campaign.
These positions and programs, while No Kill enhancements, are also in many cases
essential to a well run shelter. They allow animals to remain healthy and well behaved,
increase adoptability, improve a shelter's delivery of services, and promote a proactive
positive public image. All of this translates into more lives saved. Because of the various
scenarios for each existing program, it is not possible to provide a complete cost
breakdown of every possible version. But these can be developed based on review and
guidance from the City Council. The costs reflected for programs, services, and
personnel associated with No Kill enhancements assume full funding.
.
8
.
I. BASELINE OPERATIONS
In order to meet its legal obligations, a municipal California animal shelter must provide
certain baseline operations. These are:
I. Providing nourishment, medical care and shelter for all domestic animals in its
care;
2. Providing basic health screening for all animals;
3. Providing a preventative disease control program;
4. Vaccinating animals in its care;
S. Meeting the minimum holding period for all animals (four or six days, not
including the date of impoundment, with exceptions and preconditions);
6. Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals that are not adopted;
7. Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation
or quarantine;
8. Providing lost and found services; and,
9. Maintaining accurate and thorough records on all animal-related activities.
In the context of its public safety obligations, it is also responsible for:
.
I. Enforcing local ordinances;
2. Dog licensure;
3. Dog bite investigations;
4. Investigation of animal cruelty cases (unless another police agency enforces
these);
S. Rabies compliance and abatement;
6. Stray animal sheltering; and,
7. Quarantine and/or destruction of dangerous and irremediably diseased animals.
In the context of a California shelter, this is further complicated by State oversight
which governs many of these aspects. Specifically, the 1998 Animal Shelter Law
(commonly referred to as the "Hayden Law") and its companion Spay/Neuter Law
("Vincent Law") requires:
· Animals, with some exceptions, be spayed or neutered before adoption;
· Reasonable efforts be made to reunite lost pets with their owners;
· Shelters partner with other animal welfare groups to reduce killing, including the
requirement that in certain circumstances shelters either adopt or transfer
animals rather than kill them (i.e., working with the rescue community);
· Shelters hold all animals, including owner surrendered animals, for four or six
days with defined statutory exceptions;
· Animals be provided with "prompt and necessary" care, including medical care
(although this has been the law in California since 1963);
. Fines and fees for unaltered animals; and,
. That certain records be kept.
.
9
Under the enclosed recommended baseline operations budget, these mandates can be
met. The budgets assume no real net change in the scope of services provided by the
County, with the exception of certain staffing levels based on the above analysis and an
onsite veterinary technician to meet the mandates of California Civil Code Sections 597f
which requires shelters to provide care and treatment for impounded animals so that
owners can reclaim them in reasonable condition, and California Civil Code Section
1834 which requires shelters to provide prompt and necessary veterinary care to sick
and injured animals. In addition, while service levels may not change, the efficiencies,
greater accountability of local staff, and greater effectiveness of the delivery of those
services (including levels of lifesaving) will be significantly enhanced and increased.
.
In conjunction with City staff from the City Manager's Office, Purchasing, Public Works,
Personnel, Information Systems and others, a several part budget has been developed,
including an operations (recurring) budget, one-time (non-recurring) start up costs, and
a two-year capital budget for facility repairs and modifications. In addition, based on the
City Council's October 2005 approval of the Salary Classifications for the new Animal
Care & Control Department, a personnel budget has also been established. These
budgets assume full support of all recommended policy initiatives in line with the
Council's prior No Kill policy orientation.
By default, the costs of any City-run program will necessarily be higher than a similar
orientation from the County due to City policy, most notably:
I. The current County contracts for Shelter and Field Services have not been
negotiated for a number of years and, therefore, do not reflect current costs and
expenses;
2. A higher expectation of performance and responsiveness to citizen needs (which
provided the basis for terminating the County contract for animal control
services);
3. Lack of economies of scale (e.g., for example, while the County only has one
field officer on duty for Rancho Cucamonga, it brings existing County staff from
other County locations to ensure field coverage. This will require the City to
staff more than one officer for a seven day/24 hour service response);
4. The previously recommended and approved salary classifications which were
established by looking at similar programs and service levels through job market
comparisons, as well as job comparisons within the City organization;
5. Provision of administrative support for the Department that provides clerical,
budget monitoring and other administrative functions that are currently provided
by County Health Department staff from its San Bernardino offices; and,
6. A higher standard of care to the physical care and look of City buildings.
.
An existing operation that was running inefficiently could have been improved in terms
of effectiveness and lifesaving on an aggressive cost effective basis utilizing cost savings
associated with neutering rather than killing feral cats, working with volunteers,
partnering with rescue groups and realigning positions. The City Council's decision to
terminate the County contract and take over operations would by necessity, increase
.
10
.
costs, although review of anticipated costs is deemed cost-effective within the
parameters of existing City policy and directives. In addition. as noted earlier. the
delivery of services and increases in lifesaving will improve even under a baseline
orientationl
Some public communication from members of the City Council suggested that the new
Department could be run at the same cost level as the County. but this is not realistic.
Others have suggested that the new department could be run predominantly by
volunteers. No municipal shelter running a program of any degree of lifesaving.
professionalism and sophistication is run with unpaid staff. Running a modern animal
shelter requires professional skill and training. It should be noted that no one would be
talking about running a library. for example, or any other City department. for that
matter, without paid and skilled professional staff, even though an animal shelter has a
more direct impact on lifesaving. and public health and safety. Volunteers supplement
and augment the work of paid staff; they are not designed to replace it.
As mentioned earlier. there will be recurring personnel and operational costs for the
new department. There will also be related one time costs for starting the new
department including furniture. supplies, uniforms, and other associated costs. In
addition, there are costs related to making physical infrastructure related improvements.
.
Annual Department Personnel and Benefits: $1.043.244
Annual Operating Costs: $454.231
One Time/Start-up (Non-Recurring) Costs: $1,356,231
The shelter is currently open for intakes. adoptions and all other services from II :00 am
to 6:00 pm Monday. Tuesday. Thursday. and Friday. It is open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
on Wednesday, pursuant to Food & Agricultural Code Section 31108. And it is open
from II :00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The shelter's commitment to being
open seven days a week for adoptions is important and changes are not recommended.
but it can theoretically close to the public two days per week in order to realize
personnel savings.
In addition, State law requires that municipalities take in stray animals, but there is no
requirement for taking in owner relinquished animals. Adopting this strategy, while not
recommended. would significantly reduce intakes. with attendant cost savings.
. Compare: According to available data, the County has 13 positions to run the
shelter and provide field services. A recommended City baseline operations program
has 15.0 positions, but reflects a full-time veterinary technician to provide in-house
medical care to meet the mandates of Penal Code Section 597f and Civil Code
Section 1834. In addition, the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery will be
significantly increased.
.
11
. Compare: The City of Irvine has 17.5 FTE positions yet does not handle field
services requests (which are done by the Police Department) and only handles 50%
of the dog and cat intake as the City of Rancho Cucamonga.
.
In addition,
. Compare: Beyond the baseline program, only 4 additional positions are being
sought to provide No Kill enhancements. If fully funded, the new City of Rancho
Cucamonga animal care and services program will have 19 positions as compared to
17.5 for the City of Irvine despite including field services, handling two times the
intake, and providing programs and services in behavior and training, medical
rehabilitation, community programs such as foster care, volunteer and events, and
low-cost spay/neuter.
BASELINE STAFFING ANALYSIS
The decision on types and volume of staff members is always a function of available
resources, shelter goals, desired levels of service, programmatic commitments, public
expectations, and desires of community leaders. Even with these considerations,
however, determination of adequate levels of staff, unfortunately, is not always capable
of being conducted with scientific rigor or precision. (For a detailed description of each
of these positions, please see the Memorandum, dated October 10, 2005, provided to
the City Council when it established salary classifications.) This analysis follows the
standard 8/5 work week. However, also considered was the City's 4/1 0 standard.
Unfortunately, given the seven day a week (and in some cases, 24/7 schedule) nature of
animal shelter operations, the latter would result in additional staffing needs. It is
therefore recommended that the Department operate on an eight hour/five day a week
work schedule, with staff working various shifts to ensure coverage.
.
Field Services (Humane Officers)
An effective animal control field service operation does many things, but at its core it
must serve both rescue and public health simultaneously to win the support of its
community. A program that ignores one for the other will lose public confidence.
According to the National Animal Control Association ("NACA"), determining the
optimum or desirable number of animal control officers has remained an elusive goal for
the profession. Several professional groups have tried to develop a model for justifying
the desired level of officers. In some cases, this model appeals to budget officials and
executives because of the apparent scientific approach to this issue. Results, however,
have been mixed.
A 1997 average ratio of field animal control officers to citizens, for example, was one
officer for every 16,000 to 18,000 people, but this is unrealistic. A community the size of
Rancho Cucamonga would have as many as ten field officers under this model. Not only
would this be" prohibitively costly, it would be wholly unnecessary. Another industry
model utilizes population density and recommends one officer for every 50,000 people,
.
12
.
which is probably more accurate. These models, however, may miss the mark if policies
are not considered. For example. City of Philadelphia animal control field officers pick
up of both stray animals and owner surrendered animals. San Diego animal control
officers. by contrast, pick up stray dogs. but not stray cats or owner surrendered
animals. Accordingly. Philadelphia animal control would need more field officers than San
Diego. although both have approximately 1.5 million human residents:
Staffing which is determined solely on the ability "to respond quickly to a call" does not
address a basic Animal Control responsibility-protection of people and animals.
Policies. and in some instances. ordinances affect staffing needs. In cases where officers
can give warnings or educate violators to prevent future occurrences, the officer has
spared an animal the distress of impoundment or reduced the possibility of further
violations. Attendance in court by officers also affects availability.
Although there is no universally accepted scientific methodology for determining the
number of Animal Control Officers needed in a given jurisdiction. there are three
models that are variously employed in Animal Control in determining an appropriate
number of personnel.
. Some jurisdictions have attempted to evaluate the estimated growth in
residential and business activity and predict the need for additional
personnel.
.
. The use of comparative data from the National Animal Control Association
Data Survey factoring in population, square miles served, and whenever
possible. enforcement responsibilities.
. The "calls for service" model is used primarily as a workload indicator
because the data represents a recognizable and readily measurable
demand for Animal Control service. Comparing the number of calls for
service from one jurisdiction to another, however. can be very tenuous,
because of the variety of calls and the response to Animal Control
efforts to encourage citizens to call on any perceived problem.
Determining the number of officers requires an assessment of citizen calls, officer-
initiated calls. citations, written warnings, assisting outside agencies. the need for safety
and security. a flexible beat structure, time spent on investigations, preventive patrol
time and the specific types of service that the public wants and expects.
.
. Philadelphia Animal Care & Control policy also provides for two officer details. whereas San Diego
utilizes the much more common "one officer per truck" deployment. This alone would double the
number of field officers needed in Philadelphia even without consideration of any other issues.
13
The basic elements of the "calls for service" model are as follows:
.
. Each 8-hour Animal Control position requires 2.920 hours to fill one
shift for 365 days.
. Officer availability for staffing is determined by deducting from 2.080
hours (the maximum for one year). and the time required for vacation.
sick leave, court time. "flex" days and training. In using this model, the
average number of hours for Animal Control will be 1,832 hours (a
standardized ratio), or 229 days.
. Determine the relief factor (relating to the number of officers needed
to fill one position for the entire year) by dividing the number of days
of work required for each beat area in a year (365) by the average
number of days officers actually work in a year. In using this ratio, the
365 divided by 229 = 1.60 officers per day, per beat area.
Animal service field calls can be generated in one of two main ways: (I) officers do
proactive patrolling; or (2) officers are dispatched in response to citizen or other agency
calls for service. In today's sheltering climate. where shelters are trying to balance their
service orientation between animal "care" and animal "control," the most popular and
cost-effective approach is to rely on the dispatch model. Consequently, this analysis
follows the "call for service" model for staffing determinations. However. City humane
officers will also proactively canvass during off-peak seasons in order to educate and
increase the rate of dog licensing compliance. a time consuming task.
.
Utilizing existing available data for this model. the County of San Bernardino animal
control program provides seven day per week regular business hours coverage for
animal control. Emergency or night calls were light according to statistics provided by
the County. For a twelve month period in 2004-2005, field impounds of stray dogs and
cats ranges from 81 to 167, with an average of about 103 stray pick ups per month. (In
addition to this. police agencies brought in between zero and ten field pick ups. with an
average of two per month.)
Reported totals for the last fiscal year include:
. 7.812 homes canvassed for dog licensing and five vaccination clinics held.
. 4.928 calls for service, including 654 high priority calls.
When factoring in a budget for field personnel, additional costs for "on call"
compensation and court time must also be considered. Getting good data from the
County has proved elusive. however according to the County, field office/court time for
FY 2005/2006 would have totaled $44,415 and this can be adjusted for planning
purposes under the City compensation plan. In addition. the City Personnel division
indicates that "on call" is typically paid as follows: $150 per week for being "on call,"
.
14
.
plus time and a half for time actually spent on call, with the first call constituting a two-
hour minimum.
Data for the first year of operations will not be available for accurate prediction,
however, night impounds appeared to be rare ranging from zero to four per month,
averaging about two impounds per month. (Although it is possible that after hours bites
are not listed as night impounds, but rather bite impounds, these are also not significant
in number and could have also occurred during regular business hours. These ranged
from zero to six per month, with an average of about two per month.)
Keep in mind that in addition to a salary administration plan (compensation and benefits)
that factors in market forces and industry realities, if the City has a different response
policy and a higher level of investigation and therefore more cases filed, these costs will
not be consistent with the County's. Taking these factors into account, City staff can
prepare a rough overtime budget/on-call budget for field services.
.
Under this scenario, the City should have two officers. (This assumes a six day "business
hours" week with supplemental days and times considered "on call.") However, the
need for relief, sick time coverage, court time, investigation time, license canvassing,
vacation coverage and "on call" coverage, necessitates an additional position, particularly
if two officers on duty at all times is desired. Currently, however, the County of San
Bernardino only assigns one field officer for Rancho Cucamonga at any given time.
(Additionally, two officers are assigned to be in the Shelter, which is not necessary in
the currently proposed operational structure for the County).
Because of the requirement for seven night per week "on call" time including potentially
Saturdays and/or Sundays (up to nine "shifts"), a 4-10 workweek would require an
additional half time position, to ensure two officers on duty during the day, for a total of
4 positions.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 3 Humane Officer positions for
baseline staffing.
Kennel Staff (Animal Caretakers)
Kennel cleaning staff is the backbone of animal shelter operations. Each shelter and
animal care facility must be staffed each day with the appropriate number of kennel
personnel to insure that every animal is properly cared for in a safe and humane manner
and to maintain a safe working environment for employees.
As indicated in the Staffing Memorandum, dated October 10, 2005:
.
[Claring for sheltered animals requires daily cleaning and sanitation to
reduce the spread of disease, maintain the health of the shelter
population and to maintain a clean and odor free facility. Shelters and
animal care facilities must maintain an appropriate daily feeding schedule
for each animal in its care and insure there is adequate staff and time to
15
complete all the other duties and responsibilities of caring for sheltered
animals including but not limited to laundry, dish washing, lost and found,
stocking and inventory of supplies, janitorial, and supplemental waste
removal throughout the day.
.
It is the responsibility of every animal shelter and animal care facility to
meet or exceed the minimum standards of animal care for all impounded
animals by maintaining a staffing level that insures that the minimum
animal care standards are adhered to on a daily basis without putting staff
at risk of injury."
But kennel staff impact shelter operations more than this. As noted
earlier, if an employee cuts corners and does not clean and sanitize water
bowls daily leading to a parvovirus outbreak, or an employee does not
scrub cat cages leading to spread of upper respiratory infection or
panleukopenia, large numbers of animals will be needlessly killed.
Saving lives requires a shelter to keep animals healthy and happy, make
the shelter more inviting for the public, and allow animals to move
through the system as quickly as possible. Animals who become sick
reduce a community's ability to save lives.
Finally, a cat or dog sitting in a filthy kennel undermines a smile and
"hello" at the door. Good customer service does not only mean being
courteous and friendly and responsive to the public, it means working
hard and keeping the shelter clean.
.
Regardless of public access hours, shelters are a 36S-day per year operation that must
provide care and emergency services for animals and for public safety. Even on days the
shelter is closed (such as holidays), animals must be cared for, fed and cleaned. The
responsibility for this falls on the kennel attendants. (While the standard industry term
is to call them "kennel attendants," more progressive agencies are shifting to calling
them "animal caretakers" as efforts to improve public perception take root and agencies
shift more toward a rescue orientation.)
Most staffing analyses used by shelters are simplified mathematical models based on
minimum needs to clean cages and kennels. Based on the most popular analysis used by
the National Animal Control Association and the Humane Society of the United States,
which takes the number of incoming animals, divided by the number of days in a year,
times the four day minimum holding period, cleaning time of about 10 minutes per
animal, the Shelter would need about four kennel attendants.
A more thorough analysis includes not only cleaning dogs and cat cages, but time spent
doing laundry, cleaning other rooms, hallways, helping with intake and all the other tasks
that fall on animal caretakers. Considering the average employee work time per year,
again four to five animal caretakers would be needed. If the shelter employs the concept
.
16
.
.
.
that other staff, such as animal handlers, act as utility workers and help where needed,
the shelter can hire four staff.
But there must be a minimum of three staff assigned to clean the full shelter 01] any
given day. One staff member would be primarily responsible for cats and assist with
other rooms, one assigned to dog kennels and assistance with other rooms, and a third
to assist with overflow and other rooms, including public spaces. Currently, the County
of San Bernardino only assigns two kennel staff to the Rancho Cucamonga Animal
Shelter. This is not adequate for improvement in cleaning regimens, which directly
impact lifesaving.
On a five day per week schedule, that would require four staff with utility support one
day based on average cleaning times per dog and cat kennel. On a 4-10 schedule, that
would require five full time staff members with utility support one day. It is therefore
recommended that the shelter utilize the standard five day-eight hour per day shift
schedule.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 4.0 Animal Caretaker positions as
part of its baseline staffing. (Please note: If the City Council does not fund Animal
Handlers as part of the No Kill enhancements, it would need to add an additional half-
time position for full coverage of duties for baseline staffing.)
Office Support (Shelter Assistants)
Where field services ensure public safety, rescue animals in distress and provide
important balancing between animal "care" and animal "control," and where animal
caretakers keep the animals clean, healthy and safe, office specialist staff are the primary
"eyes, ears and faces" of the organization.
They answer telephones, greet people at the door, impound and adopt animals, match
lost with found pets, license pets, handle cash, and perform data entry and other clerical
duties. In many shelters, they also help oversee inventory.
These duties are not simply ministerial. A good office specialist can make the differen.ce
between someone surrendering their pet and that person resolving environmental,
behavioral or medical problems that allow them to keep the pet. While many of the
reasons animals are surrendered to shelters are unavoidable, others can be prevented-
but only if shelters are willing to work with people to help them solve their problems.
Saving all healthy and treatable pets requires communities to develop innovative
strategies for keeping people and their companion animals together. And the more a
community sees its shelter as a place to turn for advice and assistance, the easier this
job will be. In addition, shelter assistants can make the difference between a good and
potentially failed adoption through careful screening and thoughtful counseling.
17
This is summarized in two key duties in the proposed statement of duties for the
position:
.
To educate potential adopters on animal care including listening to
customers and providing effective responses and remedies to their
questions and needs; answering questions and directing the public in a
pleasant and efficient manner; being pleasant, courteous, tactful and
professional with the public at all times, no matter how difficult the
situation; and listening to and understanding the public's needs and
making recommendations consistent with those needs, agency guidelines,
and available community resources.
To process adoptions including, but not limited to, evaluation of animal
adoption applications and surveys according to established criteria;
interviewing the public for suitability and aiding them in matching an
animal to meet their interests, needs and living environment; introducing
potential adopters to animal guests and providing time for interaction;
providing education for potential adopters in the areas of nutrition, care,
feeding, and socialization.
The need for well trained and sufficient staff to handle these duties, based on current
County call volumes and public traffic patterns (based on correlative data such as
adoptions and redemptions), requires two staff members during business hours, with a
third staff member during peak periods such as Saturday and Sunday. (This is the same
as what the County of San Bernardino currently assigns to the Rancho Cucamonga
Animal Shelter.) In addition, this staff will process dog licenses and license renewals that
are currently handled by County staff in their San Bernardino office.
.
On a five day per week schedule, that would require four staff with utility support one
day. On a 4-10 schedule, that would require five full time staff members with utility
support one day. It is therefore recommended that the shelter utilize the standard five
day-eight hour per day shift schedule.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 4.0 Shelter Assistant positions as
part of its baseline staffing.
Veterinary Care
Very few municipal shelters which take in 5,000 animals have a full-time onsite
veterinarian. In addition, Rancho Cucamonga's physical facility is not conducive to
extensive care needs, and many animals will still need to be transferred to local
veterinary facilities for care beyond simple "lumps and bumps," superficial wound
treatment, and common diseases like respiratory infections. A full-time veterinarian
would find him or herself performing mostly veterinary technician level work, and would
further need a veterinary technician to assist. A full-time veterinarian would, therefore,
not necessarily be needed or even desired at this time.
.
18
.
By contrast, a part-time contract veterinarian, working with a full time veterinary
technician who is located at the shelter would potentially provide more cost-effective
disease prevention and medical care delivery, could potentially also include "on call"
emergency care, allow medication to be given by trained personnel, and would augment
use of private veterinarians for more extensive cases as funds allow, and as the shelter
gets closer to its No Kill goals.
On a day-to-day level, the veterinary technician would be primarily, although not
exclusively responsible for doing physical examinations and vaccination of animals,
administering treatments and medications to sick and injured animals, performing
euthanasia as needed, monitoring the conditions of animals in the shelter and the
response to address any conditions which might warrant veterinary attention, helping in
the development of written protocols for checking the general health of animals at the
shelter, providing guidance and training as necessary to the staff in order to ensure
proper animal handling, care, sanitation and feeding, assisting staff in ensuring
environmental sanitation, record-keeping and disease surveillance, physical examinations,
vaccination, parasite control, disease treatment, nutrition, outbreak response,
environmental enrichment, and education of staff regarding animal disease, and finally
assisting in the identification and purchasing of medications, euthanasia solution and
other veterinary supplies.
.
A contract veterinarian would augment this work, providing needed diagnosis of
conditions, assist in monitoring and modification of overall medical delivery and animal
care issues. In addition, veterinary services can be further augmented by fostering
relationships with the local veterinary community and Western University, as identified
in the Phase I report.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 1.0 Veterinary Technician positions
for baseline staffing, and contract for part-time veterinary services.
As mentioned previously in this section, for the Baseline program, estimated costs are
as follows Annual Department Personnel and Benefits: $1,043,244, Annual Operating
Costs: $454,231, and One Time/Start-up (Non-Recurring) Costs: $1,356,231. A
recommended two-year capital improvement and repair budget is discussed in section
three of this report.
II. NO KILL ENHANCEMENTS
The following sections are recommendations for programs/services and staffing above
baseline. As indicated earlier, these positions and programs, while No Kill
enhancements, are also in many cases essential to a well run animal services progra",!.
They allow animals to remain healthy and well behaved, increase adoptability, improve a
shelter's delivery of services, and promote a proactive positive public image. All of this
translates into more lives saved.
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HIGH-VOLUME, LOW-COST SPAy/NEUTER
Spay/neuter is the cornerstone of a successful lifesaving effort-the single most effective
place to direct shelter resources. High volume spay/neuter will quickly lead to fewer
animals entering the shelter system, allowing more resources to be allocated toward
saving lives.
.
In the I 970s, the City of Los Angeles was the first to provide municipally funded spaying
and neutering for low-income pet owners in the United States. A city study found that
for every dollar it was investing in the program, Los Angeles taXpayers were saving $10
in animal control costs due to reductions in animal intakes and fewer field calls. Indeed,
Los Angeles shelters were taking in half the number of animals after just the first decade
of the program and killing rates in the city dropped to the lowest third per capita in the
United States. This result is consistent with results in San Francisco, San Diego and
elsewhere.
Research shows that investment in programs balancing animal "care" and "control" can
provide not only immediate public health and public relations benefits but also long-term
financial savings to a jurisdiction. According to the International City/County
Management Association,
An effective animal control program not only saves cities and counties on
present costs-by protecting citizens from dangerous dogs, for
example-but also helps reduce the costs of animal control in the future.
A city that impounds and euthanizes 4,000 animals in 200 I ... but does
not promote spaying and neutering will probably still euthanize at least
4,000 animals a year in 20 I O. A city that... [institutes a subsidized
spay/neuter program] will likely euthanize significantly fewer animals in
20 I 0 and save on a host of other animal-related costs as well.
.
Recurring Operations: $45,000
According to Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets, one of the nation's premier
spay/neuter advocacy groups, municipalities should budget approximately 30 cents per
capita for community spay/neuter programs in order to see the attendant benefits of
reducing intakes over time. For Rancho Cucamonga, that would be a cap of
approximately $45,000. A $2.00 mandatory surcharge on dog licenses which is
earmarked for low-cost spay/neuter, combined with a $5.00 voluntary donation added
to the cost of a pet adoption would likely cover the costs of the program. The program
would need to be developed with local veterinarians, but under those circumstances
could potentially be self-sustaining financially assuming licensing data from the County i~
accurate.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund a low-cost public spay/neuter
program.
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20
.
VOLUNTEER, FOSTER CARE AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
As indicated in the Phase I report, a modern municipal animal care and control program
interested in reducing killing to the maximum extent practicable must expand on its
baseline programs to include:
I. Medical and behavioral rehabilitation and social enrichment;
2. Remaining open seven days per week to adopt out animals;
3. Providing a volunteer and foster care program through which members of the
community can get actively involved in helping the animals; and,
4. Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services.
Indeed, a survey of more than 200 animal control agencies conducted by a graduate
student at the University Of Pennsylvania College Of Veterinary Medicine found that
"community engagement" was one of the key factors in those agencies who have
managed to reduce killing and increase lifesaving. One agency noted that "Public buy-in
is crucial for long-term improvements" placing primary importance on "the need to
view community outreach and public engagement as integral to the agency's overall
purpose and programs rather than simply as an add-on accomplished with a few public
service announcements..."
.
Rebuilding a relationship with the community starts with redefining oneself as a "pet
rescue" agency. The community must see improvement at the shelter, and
improvements in the area ot lifesaving. Public contact with the agency must include good
customer service, more adoptions, and tangible commitments by the City to give the
shelter the tools it needs to do the job humanely. Public contact, however, is not
necessarily a face-to-face encounter. The public has contact with an agency by reading
about it in the newspaper, seeing volunteers adopting animals at a local shopping mall,
or hearing the Animal Services Director promoting spay/neuter on the radio. It means
public relations and community education.
Increasing adoptions, maximizing donations, recruiting volunteers and partnering with
community agencies comes down to one thing: increasing the shelter's public exposure.
And that not only means offsite adoption venues and attending other community-based
events, it also means consistent marketing and public relations. Public relations and
marketing are the foundation of all a shelter's activities and their success. To do all these
things well, the shelter must be in the public eye.
Southern California communities have a strong rescue group network. These groups
can vastly increase the shelter's lifesaving rate if the shelter treats rescue groups as
partners. An adoption or transfer to a rescue group frees up scarce cage and kennel
space, reduces expenses for feeding, cleaning, killing and carcass disposal, and improves
a shelter's rate of lifesaving. Getting an animal out of the shelter in an appropriate
placement is important and rescue groups, as a general rule, can screen adopters better
than the shelter.
.
21
In addition, not only does a foster program maximize the number of animals rescued. it
allows an organization to care for animals who would be difficult to care for in a shelter
environment-orphaned or feral kittens, sick or injured animals, or dogs needing one-
on-one behavior rehabilitation. For animals who may need a break from the shelter
environment, foster care provides a comfortable home setting that keeps animals happy
and healthy.
.
Finally. volunteers are a dedicated "army of compassion" and the backbone of a
successful No Kill effort. There is never enough staff. never enough dollars to hire more
staff, and always more needs than paid human resources. That is where volunteers come
in and make the difference between success and failure and, for the animals, life and
death.
In San Francisco. a community of approximately 800.000 people. volunteers spend over
110,000 hours at the shelter each year. Assuming the prevailing hourly wage, payroll
taxes and benefits. it would cost the San Francisco SPCA over $1.4 million dollars to
provide those services. In Tompkins County. a community of about 100.000 people.
volunteers spend over 12,500 hours walking dogs. grooming cats, helping with
adoptions. and doing routine but necessary office work. at a cost saving of
approximately $85.000 if the SPCA were to pay for those services at the current hourly
rate. Put simply. it is not possible for a shelter to be successful without volunteers. The
volunteer program should be professionally structured and formalized to achieve
effectiveness. These programs are key to a successful No Kill effort and fall within the
ambit of the Community Programs Coordinator.
.
Community Programs Coordinator
An experienced Community Programs Coordinator would manage the shelter's
relationships with rescue groups. develop and grow a volunteer foster and volunteer
program. coordinate the offsite adoption and other community based events, provide a
liaison with other City agencies. private businesses and not-for-profit organizations who
can assist the shelter, help coordinate spay and neuter. licensing and vaccination clinics.
provide post-adoption support. and eventually assist in fundraising to augment City
support of the shelter.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 1.0 Community Programs
Coordinator positions and associated costs of running the program.
MEDICAL/BEHAVIOR REHABILITATION AND BEHAVIOR IMPROVEMENT
Since 1963, shelters in California have been required to provide care and treatment for
impounded animals so that owners can reclaim them in reasonable condition, as well as
providing prompt and necessary veterinary care to sick and injured animals. Most of the
costs of a program to medically rehabilitate sheltered animals are borne of statutory
mandate. But beyond the care provided animals within the legally mandated holding
period, shelters can employ a series of strategies and programmatic responses to
improve lifesaving. These include:
.
22
.
. Pre-surrender Strategies. Programs to responsibly keep these cases out of the
shelter where the cost of care increases;
. Pre-illness Strategies. Cleaning, behavior & vaccination protocols to reduce the
incidence of illness;
. Public-Private Partnerships. Programs that allow already ill/injured shelter animals
to receive care that is not cost prohibitive (e.g., partnerships with rescue groups,
foster care, veterinary and veterinary technician schools);
. In House Treatment. Strategies to reduce overall costs for the majority of
treatable illnesses, injuries and behavior; and,
. Fee-for-Service. Arrangements with private veterinarians to care for a small
number of cases that cannot be handled on site.
On the behavior side, socializing dogs and cats will improve disposition, calm frightened
animals, and improve their adoptability. By contrast, animals who sit in their kennels and
cages for extended periods of time develop anti-social barrier behaviors (Le., "cage
craziness.") By implementing an in-house behavior program, the shelter can be well on
its way to saving even more lives.
.
Animal Handlers
The primary function of an animal handler is as follows; (I) evaluating animals for
temperament; (2) socializing dogs and working with dogs undergoing behavior
rehabilitation; (3) socializing cats and working with cats undergoing behavior
rehabilitation; (4) driving animals to and from their medical appointments, off-site
adoption locations, and to other shelters; (5) assisting the clerical and adoption staff; and
(6) assisting the kennel staff as needed.
But animal handlers do so much more. As the staff most familiar with individual animals,
they provide a key source of community satisfaction and engagement and provide a
uniquely personal experience to potential adopters, much like a sales associate at a retail
store. They know the animals and can help match lifestyle with pet. In short, .they are
vital to excellent community service.
In addition, by working with the animals, animal handlers also help in determining not
only suitability for adoption (therefore preserving public safety and protecting the
reputation of the adoption agency), but suitability for events such as offsite adoption
venues, placement in foster care, transfer to an appropriate rescue group and potentially
to other shelters.
Animal handlers also drive animals to and from their veterinary appointments, as well as
to offsite adoption venues and other community-based events, and provide utility
support to clerical and kennel cleaning staff, stepping into those roles as needed.
Recommendation: The City Council should fund 1.0 additional Veterinary Technician
positions and 2.0 Animal Handler positions and associated costs with running the
programs.
.
23
Costs related to the No Kill enhancements are in addition to the Baseline numbers
presented earlier and are as follows:
.
Annual Department Personnel and Benefits: $188,124
Annual Operating Costs: $149.400
One Time/Start-up (Non-Recurring) Costs: $25,000
III. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
A community's animal shelter is the heart of an animal care and protection program and
facilities and grounds should be maintained so that they are attractive and welcoming to
the public. The physical building itself can be-or can appear to be-reflective of how
strong and caring the internal programs are and the commitment to animal care is.
Modern shelters in communities with demonstrative commitments to lifesaving are
spacious places, where animals are housed in home-like environments, are clean and
well lighted, and provide ample opportunity for public and animal interaction. They are
public meeting places, they reduce costs of care for illness, reduce reliance on utilities
through skylights and picture windows and other use of natural light, keep animals
healthy and stimulated, increase adoptions by decreasing length of stay and increasing
public traffic, and improve community satisfaction with the job the shelter is doing.
As indicated in the Phase I report, there are facility challenges which must also be
addressed for the City to improve the effectiveness of operations relative to its goals
for the Department. Since the deficiencies of the current facility will thwart some of
those policy decisions, a capital improvement plan is being developed.
.
As stated below in the Phase I report,
the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter ("RCAS") was built in the early
I 990s. In the last fifteen years, the modern No Kill movement and
advances in veterinary, and especially behavior, medicine have altered our
understanding of animal behavior, herd health, and the role of the
physical shelter in lifesaving. As a result, the current design as a modern
animal shelter is poor.
Specifically, the design of the dog runs undermines desires to improve
adoptability and train dogs, the cat wards are too small, ill designed, and
frustrate disease control, it is difficult to separate young animals (kittens
and puppies) from adults, healthy animals from sick animals, public
animals from stray or quarantined animals, there is no medical treatment
room, and the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning ("HVAC")
system is not designed for a shelter. This is aside from its challenged
location relative to residential and retail corridors, and aesthetic
improvements that the City should, and is going to want to make.
.
24
.
Furthermore, there are capital repairs and improvements that are necessary for a
building that is now fifteen years old. These include painting, kennel floor epoxy repair,
roof repairs, and others.
In addition, the inside of the shelter, like many of the time, was designed for ease of
cleaning and warehousing animals on a solely public health model. It was not designed to
serve as an animal care center, adoption center, and area of public gathering. There is
no medical, training and treatment area, and very few cat spaces. And there are
acoustical and esthetic improvements that will impact public perception of the shelter.
Even with an animal services program consisting of only mandatory baseline programs,
the capital improvements should still be made.
For example, there are currently two small cat rooms, one with 16 cages used for
quarantine. And another for adoptions and strays housing 26 mostly 3 feet x 3 feet
stainless steel stack cages. The rooms are small, cramped, with no sinks and insufficient
air flow. Only one has a waterless hand wash. It would be extremely difficult to keep
these rooms from incubating pathogens. In addition to not having enough cages or space
for more cages, the rooms are so small that it would be an uncomfortable environment
for visitors.
.
To defray this, there are three somewhat small "get acquainted" rooms in the lobby,
one for cats and one for dogs with a small outside dog area, and the other which can be
used for either. These can be used for other purposes, such as cat adoptions, giving cats
a much needed boost in socialization, space and exposure. By creating cage less "condo"
type adoption spaces in these rooms, the public has increased opportunities to interact
with the cats in a stress-free environment that improves health, disposition and
adoptability.
Also important is to assess the feasibility of providing access from one room to another
in the cat adoption area, which is currently a series of discreet rooms that limits options
for use. In addition, there is some underutilized storage space that, if enclosed, could
increase the capacity to save the lives of cats. An interior courtyard can also be modified
to serve as a get acquainted area for potential adopters and cats.
The back of the shelter has a fenced area for dogs which can be used for off-leash
exercise, volunteer interaction, improving adoptability, and play time while kennels are
being cleaned in the morning. But even without No Kill enhancement programs to
improve the adoptability of dogs, it provides a good opportunity to keep dogs from
getting sick, to prevent housetraining regression and to give adopters a place to meet
and greet shelter dogs. A second area, currently minimally used as an outside patio or
staff area, should be modified for a second off leash dog get acquainted, training, and
exercise area.
A storage area in the rear service bay should be converted into an infirmary that will
increase the ability of staff to medically rehabilitate animals, isolate sick animals from
.
25
healthy ones, and also open up an additional adoption room for cats, further decreasing
the use of killing to manage shelter populations.
.
To accommodate staff focused on community programs and other services, as well as an
increased focus on volunteerism, offices and workspaces would also need to be
modified. For example, a room in the shelter that was predominantly used for office
space can be converted into a cat get acquainted room, a dog get acquainted room
(during inclement weather when outside walks are not feasible), and an adoption
counseling space.
The area currently used for intake, grooming and humane officers should be converted
to a medical and behavior rehabilitation area, complete with examination and behavior
assessment space.
Finally, other modifications include conversion of the service bay for animal intake and
overflow space, storage and other functions. In addition, the City Council may want to
relocate the morgue away from the medical and behavior rehabilitation areas, and away
from proximity to the public.
Other modifications would include additional outside dog exercise and training space,
evaluation and possible replacement of the facility's Heating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning system consistent with the parameters addressed in the Phase I report and
a generator to allow for the functioning of the facility in case of utility failures.
.
These modifications and repairs, many of which should be pursued before the City takes
over operations of the animal services program, would require a project coordinator, a
general contractor and an architect that ideally specializes in animal shelter design.
The costs of completing these capital improvements, repairs, and modifications over a
two-year period are as follows;
First Year Capital Budget $1,072,895
Second Year Capital Budget; $924,000
A more detailed listing of the proposed capital improvements is attached to the
Proposed Animal Care and Services Department Budget Summary that has been
included in this report.
Recommendation: The City Council should consider a short-term capital
improvement strategy to allow the animal services program to meet its goals. After
setting the capital budgets, a plan for construction and implementation of the
modifications and repairs will be presented to the City Council at a January 2006
meeting.
.
26
.
IV. FEES
A municipal animal shelter is funded through general fund tax revenues, licensing fees,
user fees, penalty fees, and donations/grants. It can also receive subsidies through use of
volunteers, foster parents, fee-reduction arrangement with private veterinarians,
transferring animals to rescue groups, and other public-private partnerships. A modern
municipal shelter is usually not self-sustaining financially, and the greater the lifesaving
goal, the greater the investment needs to be in its programs and services.
While fees should reflect budget priorities and realities, they must also be balanced
against agency goals and community values. For example, adoption fees are not and
should not be intended to supplement a government's lack of funding priority for animal
control. Indeed, many shelters charge high fees for adoptions to reflect their actual
costs, but undermine their other goals, such as lifesaving-the higher the cost of
adoption, the lower the number of adoptions. The same is true for licensing. Many
communities employ a differential licensing scheme to encourage spaying and neutering
by charging a higher fee for unaltered animals then for altered animals. In addition, this
differential is often used to provide subsidized neutering. However, the higher the
license fee, and the higher the differential, the lower compliance tends to be.
Under the current County fee structure and assuming data from County operations is
accurate, approximately $450,000 in revenues is expected as follows:
.
I. Licensing: $350,000
2. Adoptions: $30,000
3. Spay/Neuter Fees: $42,000
4. Apprehension Fee: $11,000
5. Boarding. and Impound Fees: $19,000
6. Vaccination Fee: $18,500
7. Owner Surrender Fee: $5,000
Given the transition and its inevitable public perception and relations issues, it might not
be advisable that fees be increased at this time, with the possible exception of a small
surcharge on dog licenses to fund a community spay/neuter program. However, the
option remains for the City Council to increase its fee structure to reduce general fund
contributions required for running the new Department in the future.
.
27
.
.
.
12/13/2005
lP'ROlP'OSE][])
ANiMAlL CARE &. SERVITCES ][])ElP' AR1rMEN1r
lInmGE1r SUMMARY
"
"Baseline": necessary for the animal care and services program to meet statutory
requirements.
"No Kill Enhancement": necessary for the animal care and services program to implement
No Kill programs.
"
BUDGET
TOTAL
Annual Department Personnel & Benefits
$1,312,553
Baseline
$1,043,244
No Kill Enhancement $ 269,309
Annual Operatinl! Costs $ 603,631
Includes on-going operations and maintenance, office supplies, and
equipment supplies, as well as Facility personnel to maintain the facility and
grounds.
Baseline
$ 454,231
No Kill Enhancement $ 149,400
One-Time I Start-up Costs $1.381,231
Includes the start-up acquisition of: furniture; fixtures; cat cages; indoor and
outdoor signage; fencing; storage needs; animal care and services related
equipment and supplies; field services equipment and supplies; field vehicles
and radios; computers and computer software, office supplies and
equipment; community information and website development; contract
services, training for new staff, etc.
Baseline
$1,356,231
$25,000
No Kill Enhancement
First Year Capital Costs
See attached list of recommended
improvements.
$ 1.072,895
building repairs, modifications, and
Second Year Capital Costs
Replacement of HV AC
system.
$ 924,000
system and installation of energy management
Attachment - Proposed Animal Shelter Building Modifications and Repairs
.
City of Rancho Cucamonga
Proposed Animal Shelter Building Repairs,
Modifications, and Improvements
.
1 ) Facility wide
. Multiphase medical type of cleaning of facility
. Recable building for City computer and telephone systems. Install facility security
system.
· Reevaluate options to upgrade generator to maintain vital systems in facility, including
use of portable generator
. Install City Radio System at Shelter
o Relocate antenna and install Radio System for Field Service Operations
o Purchase 800 MHz Radio for Field Service Operations
o Reprogram City radio system to incorporate animal services channel
. Redo exterior signage
. Replace roof, due to existing deterioration of roof and serious leak problems
· Evaluate ways to improve functionality of existing HV AC System. After this evaluation
occurs, then decision on replacement of system (in second year of capital program) can
be better determined. Related energy management systems would then be installed.
. Evaluate placement of eye wash locations
· Repaint interior of facility, replace flooring materials, and restain wood
. Upgrade lighting systems throughout facility
2) Lobby/Public Counter Area
. Reorganize public counter work area, to provide ADA accessibility, accommodate
entrance to adjacent dispatch room, add storage, and add volunteer work area. Install
doorway between public counter work area and the Dispatch Room to allow access by
personnel working at Front Counter who will also dispatch work.
3) Acquaintance Rooms off of Lobby and Cat Kennel Areas
· Transition acquaintance rooms on south side of facility to cat condo areas, including
providing an indoor/outdoor cat room using the existing indoor/outdoor acquaintance
room. Evaluate feasibility and cost of altering access points to the acquaintance rooms
and cat kennel areas to create a Cat Suite area and accommodate more cats in better
environment, including possible expansion of the cat kennel area into the existing
exterior storage room on the south side of the facility.
. Install foot-operated sink
4) Dog Kennel Area
. Evaluate options to refresh epoxy coating in kennel areas
. Install foot operated sink
· Install acoustical panels to assist with noise level abatement
.
.
.
.
Proposed Animal Shelter Building Repairs,
Modifications, and Improvements
Page two
5) IlIterior Courtyard Area alld Back Operatiollal Area
. Transition interior courtyard to an acquaintance area for potential animal adopters,
including plant material removal, installation of pea gravel, benches, shade structure, etc.
· Install door between interior courtyard to back operational area, to limit access of public
. In the north dog exercise area, redo chain link area, remove existing rock, install pea
gravel, and consider adding more area to chain link area. Area to be used for animal
exercise areas. Install animal related equipment, benches, shade structure, etc.
. Install storage racks in storage area near generator
. Relocate morgue from existing location to the north side of the back operational area,
with an addition of an adjacent medical room. Purpose would be to allow more efficient
use of existing exam area. (Due to the nature of this work, this would most likely have to
be completed after the May I, 2006 transition.)
6) Exam Room/Washer & Dryer/Groomillg Area
. Modify washer/dryer area to become an Animal Intake Room
7) Service Bay Area
. Consider options/feasibility for installation of bay roll-up doors, to allow area to be used
for dog intake, temporary holding area for non traditional animals, use for behavioral
work in inclement weather, etc
. Install washer/dryer and dishwasher from existing location to the service bay area and
replace cabinetry.
. Acquire a storage container for food storage and other materials/goods
. Remove existing wood storage racks on the west side of the service bay area and install
wire racking for various types of storage
· Evaluate feasibility and cost of relocation of truck wash off area to outside of the service
bay area to allow use of service bay area for alternative uses
8) Storage Area off of Service Bay Area
. Convert storage area to a cat infirmary and intake room. Will require extension of
utilities, drainage, and heating/cooling unit.
9) Exterior of Buildillg
. Upgrade exterior lighting systems
. Replace and enhance exterior signage and directional signs to Shelter
. Landscape renovation and modifications
10) Staff Office Area
. Convert existing break room into Shelter Manager office.
.00
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So~ution~
No Kill Solutions
Post Office Box 74926
San Clemente, CA 92673
949.276.6942 telephone
949.276.6943 fax
info@nokillsolutions.com
MEMORANDUM
To: Pam Easter, Kimberly Thomas
From: Nathan J. Winograd
Re: Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter Staffing
Date: October 10,2005
.e..........................................................................................................
.
Most animal shelters respond to public concerns about the level of lifesaving by saying
that since a majority of animals brought to the facility are not claimed by owners, or
because the "availability of homes outweighs the numbers of animals," they are "forced"
to kill large numbers of unwanted animals. But this is not factually accurate.
Data from the American Animal Hospital Association data shows that approximately 53
million dogs are already in 31 million homes, and 59 million cats are in 27 million homes.
As one commentator put it, "if each pet lives 10 years, on average, and the number of
homes grows at the same rate that homes are lost through deaths and other attrition,
then replacement homes would come available each year for more than twice as many
dogs and slightly more cats than enter shelters. Since the inventory of pet-owning
homes is growing, not just holding even, adoption could in theory replace all population
control killing right now-ifthe animals and potential adopters were better introduced."
(Clifton, Merritt, Animal People, October 1998, emphasis added.)
In fact, studies show people get their dogs from shelters only 15% of the time overall,
and less than 10% of the time for cats. If shelters better promoted their animals and had
adoption programs responsive to the needs of the community, they could increase the
number of homes available and replace population control killing with adoptions. In
other words, shelter killing is more a function of market share, than "public
irresponsibility." The quantity and quality of shelter adoptions, therefore, appears to be
in shelter management's hands, making lifesaving a direct function of shelter policies and
practice.
.
In addition, if an employee cuts corners and does not clean and sanitize water bowls
daily leading to a parvovirus outbreak, or an employee does not scrub cat cages leading
to spread of upper respiratory infection or panleukopenia, large numbers of animals will
be needlessly killed. If a shelter does not maintain adequate adoption hours, if the public
finds it difficult to reach the shelter on the telephone, if customer service is poor, a
volunteer program is not in place, or if a community is underfunding its shelter,
lifesaving will also be compromised.
.
Finally, shelter administrators should have clear and unequivocal expectations of who,
when, how and where animals are killed. In return, shelter administrators must listen to
employee concerns, rotating them out of this duty periodically, and providing them with
adequate and thoughtful explanations as to why animals are being killed. When the
decision to end an animal's life is made, there is no room for error.
Beyond these considerations, the decision on types and volume of staff members is
always a function of available resources, shelter goals, desired levels of service,
programmatic commitments, public expectations, and desires of community leaders.
Even with these considerations, however, determination of adequate levels of staff,
unfortunately, is not always capable of being conducted with scientific rigor or precision.
Field Services
An effective animal control field service operation does many things, but at its core it
must serve both rescue and public health simultaneously to win the support of its
community. A program that ignores one for the other will lose public confidence.
The following represents minimum field services required to meet humane and legal
obligations:
.
I. Respond to animal-related emergencies
2. Impound dogs at large
3. Rescue animals in distress (sick, injured or traumatized)
4. Provide 24-hour emergency service for picking up seriously sick, injured or
vicious stray animals
5. Investigate animal cruelty cases (unless these are handled by local police
agencies)
6. Respond to suspected rabid animals (unless these are handled by another
department, such as public health or police agencies)
Because of public safety, humane and industry standards, and state mandates, the City of
Rancho Cucamonga must provide 365 day/24 hours/? days per week service for animal
emergencies, but there is some latitude as to what constitutes an emergency. Most
agencies define it as some variant of:
. Vicious dogs threatening the immediate health or safety or persons, animals or
property
. Animals with serious injuries
.
2
.
. Animals who pose a direct and immediate public health risk such as skin or saliva
contact with a wild animal that is a rabies risk
Agency guidelines and officer discretion usually determine whether the call constitutes
an emergency that requires officer dispatch. For example, a person might call that a dog
is loose in the neighborhood and looks "scary." But without more, most agencies would
consider this a routine stray call, log the call both for officer patrol during the next
business day and in a "found" database in the event an owner calls, but not classify it as
an emergency warranting officer dispatch during non-business hours. By contrast, a
raccoon that is acting aggressive and has scratched a person raises the fear of rabies.
Such a call would warrant immediate officer dispatch.
By contrast, during business hours, officers would normally be dispatched for various
routine calls according to a pre-determined level of priority, with some officer,and
agency discretion. These calls vary but include:
.
I. Abandoned animals
2. Dogs running loose
3. Dead animal pick up
4. Unwanted exotic animals
5. Nuisance wildlife
6. Police assistance
7. Owner surrenders
8. Stray pick ups
9. Animals in traps
10. Sick/Injured animals
II. Animal cruelty investigations
Because dogs can theoretically pose a bigger public safety risk, some agencies will pick
up stray dogs, but not stray cats. While they may be required to accept stray cats, some
agencies require citizens to bring these cats to the shelter:
Some agencies provide field services seven day per week "normal" business hour
coverage, while others work Monday through Friday, or Monday through Saturday, with
Sunday and evenings constituting "emergency" service hours. There is no "correct"
model, but cost savings of a shortened work schedule must be weighed against
competing priorities. A five day per week schedule will require less staff, but more "on
call" time. A seven day per week schedule will require more staff, or conversely less
.
. This is due to four primary reasons: I. The perceived number of stray cats which could potentially
overwhelm a field services program with the volume of calls; 2. The differing nature of cat ownership and
behavior expectations. which cause people to delay calling animal control for several days if a cat is
"missing" to see if the cat comes home which could result in a shelter killing owned cats before owners
call due to short holding periods; 3. The different public perception of cats running loose than dogs; 4.
The lack of a general leash law for cats (such laws are undesirable and unenforceable. many owned cats
could conceivably be picked up wasting agency time and money and tying up scarce kennel resources.
3
staff during normal business hours by staggering schedules. There are always trade-offs
that would impact budget dollars, citizen satisfaction and response times.
.
While the standard industry term is to call them "field agents," "field officers," or
"animal control officers," more progressive agencies are shifting to calling them
"humane officers" as efforts to improve public perception take root and agencies shift
more toward a rescue orientation.
Humane officers generally perform the following tasks, depending on agency orientation
and priorities:'
. Respond to stray animals
. Respond to potentially rabid and biting animals
. Respond to citizen complaints
. Respond to violations of state and local animal care and control laws
. Transport sick, injured, dead animals to the shelter and to other agencies
as appropriate
They must also write reports, issue and file citations, correspond with citizens about
complaints, provide "on call" emergency services and appear in court. When necessary,
officers can and should also assist in other aspects of shelter operations.
Dispatching and "on call" procedures also depend on agency tools, resources and
priorities. Large agencies or cities can tie into a 3-1-1 system or other city call centers.
Smaller agencies and cities utilize dedicated telephone numbers, onsite dispatch, and/or
pagers and cell telephones. The need for radio transmissions remains important,
however, as officers work around the clock in sometimes perilous situations, require
emergency response capability and work closely with other emergency personnel.
.
Animal control officers are not "peace officers" in California but may serve warrants
and have arrest powers. (See, e.g., Cal. Penal Code Sections 830.9, 832, 836, 1523"
1530.) They are also tasked with enforcing state animal laws and generally, local
ordinances. Officer safety and animal control responsibilities provide an agency options
in terms of firearms, depending on training. California humane officers may carry
firearms, tranquilizer guns, bite sticks and pepper stray. However, risk assessment and
liability must be assessed. Not all agencies give full access. The nature of the tools
. For example. while smaller communities have officers canvassing for licensing revenue, larger
communities that are less reliance on licensing fees to fund animal control tend to rely on passive and
complaint driven licensing e!1forcement, choosing to focus their officers on more lifesaving and direct
public safety duties. Typically, the cost of canvassing outweighs the generation of revenue resulting from
that canvassing effort. In other jurisdictions. legislative attempts have been claimed to prove fruitful. In San
Francisco, veterinarians who give rabies vaccines to dogs are required to notify animal control of the
name, address, and type of dog to cross check against licensing databases. While controversial and
unpopular with the veterinary community, it has allowed animal control to avoid door-to-door canvassing.
In other communities, canvassing is contracted to private individuals. If staff canvassing is desired, it is
advantageous to do so during the winter "slow" season when officers have more time to do canvassing.
.
4
.
available to the officer often depends on the relationship with local police agencies. The
better the cooperation, the less need to fully arm humane officers. Often, these officers
work closely with local police agencies, calling each other for assistance and back-up as
appropriate.
Kennel Staff
Kennel cleaning staff is the backbone of animal shelter operations. Each shelter and
animal care facility must be staffed each day with the appropriate number of kennel
personnel to insure that every animal is properly cared for in a safe and humane manner
and to maintain a safe working environment for employees.
According to the National Animal Control Association, "caring for sheltered animals
requires daily cleaning and sanitation to reduce the spread of disease, maintain the
health of the shelter population and to maintain a clean and odor free facility. Shelters
and animal care facilities must maintain an appropriate daily feeding schedule for each
animal in its care and insure there is adequate staff and time to complete all the other
duties and responsibilities of caring for sheltered animals including but not limited to
laundry, dish washing, lost and found, stocking and inventory of supplies, janitorial, and
supplemental waste removal throughout the day.
.
It is the responsibility of every animal shelter and animal care facility to meet or exceed
the minimum standards of animal care for all impounded animals by maintaining a staffing
level that insures that the minimum animal care standards are adhered to on a daily basis
without putting staff at risk of injury."
But kennel staff impact shelter operations more than this. As noted earlier, if an
employee cuts corners and does not clean and sanitize water bowls daily leading to a
parvovirus outbreak, or an employee does not scrub cat cages leading to spread of URI
or panleukopenia, large numbers of animals will be needlessly killed.
Saving lives requires a shelter to keep animals healthy and happy, make the shelter more
inviting for the public, and allow animals to move through the system as quickly as
possible. Animals who become sick reduce a community's ability to save lives.
And while it is impossible to completely eliminate disease-causing pathogens in a shelter
environment, a good cleaning and disinfecting protocol can vastly reduce their impact.
Unfortunately, the practices of many agencies not only fail to reduce disease
transmission, they actually help ensure its spread.
.
To begin with, cleaning and disinfecting is not the same thing. Cleaning is accomplished
with a detergent that removes dirt and debris so they do not interfere with the
disinfecting process. Disinfecting is accomplished with a chemical solution that destroys
microorganisms. Some commercial disinfectants used by shelters are compromised in
their effectiveness by organic material such as feces and hair, which is why it is
important to thoroughly clean before they are applied. Adequate and thorough cleaning
5
is necessary to maintain a healthy shelter population. Combined with good ventilation
(and a comprehensive vaccination protocol), they can dramatically reduce illness.
.
A good cleaning protocol is as follows:
I. Remove the animal from the run or cage and place' him in a
separate holding area or carrier, then remove bedding, toys, and
all food and water containers.
2. Remove all solid waste such as feces and hair. Do not hose solid
waste into the drainage system; rinse away only urine with water.
3. Wash enclosures using a high pressure sprayer, steam-cleaning
machine, or long-handled, stiff-bristled scrub brush.
4. Using a scrub brush and a solution of detergent/disinfectant, scrub
all surfaces within the enclosure including the floor, sides, resting
board, top, and gate, according to specific manufacturer
instructions:
. For cats, it is recommended that a daily bleach (I :32 ratio of bleach to
water) solution be used.
. For dogs, it is recommended that an alternating system be used as
follows: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday: a bleach (1:32 ratio
of bleach to water) and detergent (any household detergent);
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: Parvocide and detergent. (This reduces
the corrosive effects of the bleach.) However, if there is parvovirus in
a kennel or there in the shelter, use only the bleach solution until it is
eliminated (and only after thoroughly cleaning the areas with a
detergent).
5. Allow the solution to stand for at least five to ten minutes (or the
length of time recommended by the manufacturer).
6. Thoroughly rinse all surfaces with a steady stream of water
(preferably hot).
7. Dry the run or cage as completely as possible using a squeegee or
rag. Ventilate the area prior to returning animals to it.
8. Clean and disinfect beds, toys, food dishes, and water bowls.
9. Clean and disinfect cat litter boxes or use disposable litter trays.
10. Clean and disinfect the holding area or carrier after each animal
has been removed.
However, cleaning is not limited to cat cages and dog kennels. Pathogens can be spread
by air, and tracked by human and animal traffic throughout the shelter. This requires
lobbies and hallways to be cleaned daily by shelter staff trained to clean in a shelter
environment-not just janitorial or facilities crews who have generic policies for City
buildings.
.
.
6
.
Some shelters complain that this process is too labor intensive. However, a good
cleaning protocol reduces workload over time by allowing animals to remain healthy and
therefore move quickly through the shelter system. In addition, saving lives is a shelter's
primary mission. This can only be accomplished if animals can be kept healthy. Finally, all
shelter animals deserve cleanliness and proper care--even if they are currently
scheduled to be killed.
In addition, in order to save more lives, a shelter must ensure that animals move
through the system as quickly and efficiently as possible. Studies indicate that every day a
cat sits in a kennel increases the cat's susceptibility to disease by 5%. The longer a dog
sits in a kennel, the greater the risk of both disease and anti-social barrier behaviors.
And the shelter will want staff to socialize the animals and spend time with the public.
Finally, a cat or dog sitting in a filthy kennel undermines a smile and "hello" at the door.
Good customer service does not only mean being courteous and friendly and
responsive to the public, it means working hard and keeping the shelter clean.
.
Regardless of public access hours, shelters are a 365-day per year operation. Even on
days the shelter is closed (such as holidays), animals must be cared for, fed and cleaned.
The responsibility for this falls on the kennel attendants. (While the standard industry
term is to call them "kennel attendants," more progressive agencies are shifting to
calling them "animal caretakers" as efforts to improve public perception take root and
agencies shift more toward a rescue orientation.)
Office Support
Where field services ensure public safety, rescue animals in distress and provide
important balancing between animal "care" and animal "control," and where animal
caretakers keep the animals clean, healthy and safe, office support staff are the primary
"eyes, ears and faces" of the organization.
They answer telephones, greet people at the door, impound and adopt animals, match
lost with found pets, license pets, handle cash, and perform data entry and other clerical
duties. In many shelters, they also help oversee inventory.
.
These duties are not simply ministerial. A good office specialist can make the difference
between someone surrendering their pet and someone resolving environmental,
behavioral or medical problems that allow them to keep the pet. While many of the
reasons animals are surrendered to shelters are unavoidable, others can be prevented-
but only if shelters are willing to work with people to help them solve their problems.
Saving all healthy and treatable pets requires communities to develop innovative
strategies for keeping people and their companion animals together. And the more a
community sees its shelter(s) as a place to turn for advice and assistance, the easier this
job will be. In addition, they can make the difference between a good and potentially
failed adoption through careful screening and thoughtful counseling.
7
Animal Handlers, Community Programs Coordinators, and Veterinary
Technicians
To design a well run program requires consideration of a number of operational areas.
T oday's animal services program is as complex an operation as any municipal
department. For example, a modern municipal animal care and control program
interested in reducing killing to the maximum extent practicable must meet certain
mandatory minimums. These are:
.
I. Providing nourishment, medical care and social enrichment/behavioral
rehabilitation for all domestic animals in its care;
2. Providing basic health screening for all animals;
3. Providing a preventative disease control program;
4. Vaccinating animals in its care;
5. Remaining open seven days per week to adopt out animals;
6. Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals that are not adoptable;
7. Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation
or quarantine;
8. Providing a volunteer and foster care program through which members of the
community can get actively involved in helping the animals;
9. Providing lost and found services;
10. Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services for low
income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats;
II. Maintaining accurate and thorough records on all animal-related activities;
12. Providing community education.
.
To reach its No Kill goals, these duties translate into several key program areas
including working with rescue groups, providing access to low cost spaying and
neutering, developing a community-based volunteer, foster care and offsite adoption
program, providing options and solutions to overcome medical, behavioral and
environmental issues that may cause caretakers to relinquish their pets, medical and
behavioral rehabilitation, disease control and socialization, and a proactive and positive
public relations and marketing campaign.
These positions and programs, while in many cases "value added" or "additive," are also
in many cases essential to a well run shelter. They allow animals to remain healthy and
well behaved, increase adoptability, improve a shelter's delivery of services, and
promote a proactive positive public image. All of this translates into more lives saved.
Veterinary Care
Very few municipal shelters which take in 5,000 animals have a full-time onsite
veterinarian. In addition, Rancho Cucamonga's physical facility is not conducive to
extensive care needs, and many animals will still need to be transferred to local
veterinary facilities for care beyond simple "lumps and bumps," superficial wound
treatment, and common diseases like respiratory infections. A full time veterinarian
would find him or herself performing mostly veterinary technician level work, and would
.
8
.
further need a veterinary technician to assist. A full time veterinarian would, therefore,
not necessarily be needed or even desired at this time except under two scenarios:
I. The City is unable to procure a DEA license for purchase of medication and
controlled substance. Usually, this is provided by a full time veterinarian or
contract veterinarian, or through a veterinarian employed or contracted by a
municipality such as through the Health Department.'
2. The position could be combined with another, such as a shelter manager.
By contrast, a part-time contract veterinarian, working with full time veterinary
technicians who are located at the shelter would potentially provide more cost-effective
seven day per week disease prevention and medical care delivery, could potentially also
include "on call" emergency care, allow medication to be given by trained personnel two
times per day as needed, and would augment use of private veterinarians for more
extensive cases as funds allow, and as the shelter gets closer to its No Kill goals.
.
Community Programs Coordinator
A community programs coordinator would manage the shelter's relationships with
rescue groups, develop and grow a volunteer foster and volunteer program, coordinate
the offsite adoption and other community based events, provide a liaison with other
City agencies, private businesses and not-for-profit organizations who can assist the
shelter, help coordinate spay and neuter, licensing and vaccination clinics, provide post-
adoption support, and eventually assist in fund raising to augment City support of the
shelter.
For example, Southern California communities have a strong rescue group network.
These groups can vastly increase the shelter's lifesaving rate if the shelter treats rescue
groups as partners. An adoption or transfer to a rescue group frees up scarce cage and
kennel space, reduces expenses for feeding, cleaning, killing and carcass disposal, and
improves a shelter's rate of lifesaving. Getting an animal out of the shelter in an
appropriate placement is important and rescue groups, as a general rule, can screen
adopters better than the shelter.
In addition, not only does a foster program maximize the number of animals rescued, it
allows an organization to care for animals who would be difficult to care for in a shelter
.
* While the law is not clear or settled. shelters in California that do not have a staff veterinarian may still
need a veterinary premises license from the Veterinary Medical Board, in addition to a DEA license from
the contract veterinarian. The only real complication is the purchase and storage of drugs using
someone's DEA license and the treatment of "lost" animals who might be redeemed by their owners. If
there are controlled substances involved, the DEA has its own set of regulations which overlap/supersede
California regulations regarding permits. In addition, drug companies are careful about where and to
whom they will ship medication and especially controlled substances. The individual licensee is the one
responsible, and for things like controlled substances, that individual has to register locations for
shipment. One option is for the City to contract with the County Health Department for this because it
may prove elusive finding a contract veterinarian willing to do this.
9
environment--orphaned or feral kittens, sick or injured animals, or dogs needing one-
on-one behavior rehabilitation. For animals who may need a break from the shelter
environment, foster care provides a comfortable home setting that keeps animals happy
and healthy.
.
Firially, volunteers are a dedicated "army of compassion" and the backbone of a
successful No Kill effort. There is never enough staff, never enough dollars to hire more
staff, and always more needs than paid human resources. That is where volunteers come
in and make the difference between success and failure and, for the animals, life and
death.
In San Francisco, a community of approximately 800,000 people, volunteers spend over
110,000 hours at the shelter each year. Assuming the prevailing hourly wage, payroll
taxes and benefits, it would cost the San Francisco SPCA over $1 million dollars to
provide those services. In Tompkins County, a community of about 100,000 people,
volunteers spend over 12,500 hours walking dogs, grooming cats, helping with
adoptions, and doing routine but necessary office work, at a cost saving of
approximately $85,000 if the SPCA were to pay for those services at the current hourly
rate. Put simply, it is not possible for a shelter to be successful without volunteers.
These programs fall within the ambit of the community programs manager and are key
to a successful No Kill effort.
Indeed, a survey of more than 200 animal control agencies conducted by a graduate
student at the University Of Pennsylvania College Of Veterinary Medicine found that
"community engagement" was one of the key factors in those agencies who have
managed to reduce killing and increase lifesaving. One agency noted that "Public buy-in
is crucial for long-term improvements" placing primary importance on "the need to
view community outreach and public engagement as integral to the agency's overall
purpose and programs rather than simply as an add-on accomplished with a few public
service announcements..."
.
Animal Handlers
The primary function of an animal handler is as follows: (I) evaluating animals for
temperament; (2) socializing dogs and working with dogs undergoing behavior
rehabilitation; (3) socializing cats and working with cats undergoing behavior
rehabilitation; (4) driving animals to and from their medical appointments, off-site
adoption locations, and to other shelters; (S) assisting the clerical and adoption staff; and
(6) assisting the kennel staff as needed.
Socializing dogs and cats will improve disposition, calm frightened animals, and improve
their adoptability. By contrast, animals who sit in their kennels and cages for extended
periods of time develop anti-social barrier behaviors (i.e., "cage craziness.") By
implementing an in-house behavior program, the shelter can be well on its way to saving
even more lives.
.
10
.
But animal handlers do so much more. As the staff most familiar with individual animals,
they provide a key source of community satisfaction and engagement and provide a
uniquely personal experience to potential adopters, much like a sales associate at a retail
store. They know the animals and can help match lifestyle with pet. In short, they are
vital to excellent community service.
In addition, by working with the animals, they also help in determining not only
suitability for adoption (therefore preserving public safety and protecting the reputation
of the adoption agency): but suitability for events such as offsite adoption venues,
placement in foster care, transfer to an appropriate rescue group and potentially to
other shelters.
Animal handlers also drive animals to and from their veterinary appointments, as well as
to offsite adoption venues and other community-based events, and provide utility
support to clerical and kennel cleaning staff, stepping into those roles as needed.
.
Summary
Where cities or agencies only count the calls for service, volume of animals, and other
benchmarks within a community to determine optimum staffing, officer safety, citizen
safety, quality of programs, No Kill goals, and major types of service delivery are not
factored into overall staffing needs. In animal care and control work, goals,
responsibilities, and expectations also need to be a consideration for future planning.
Staffing a shelter involves trade-offs and common sense.
Therefore, the service spectrum in each sheltering program varies according to the
management style and philosophy of the director, established goals for lifesaving, polices
of government and community expectations.
On or about the end of November, I will present a staffing needs analysis including
recommendations for which positions should be hired, as well as how many staff
members are needed within each classification. These of course will be addressed as
part of the City Council's determination in setting agency goals and service levels, as
well as approving a departmental budget.
.
. Temperament testing is a series of exercises designed to evaluate whether an animal is aggressive.
Because dog behavior is highly specific to context, it is unfortunately not enough to say that a dog is
friendly and of reasonably good temperament if she comes into a shelter with her tail wagging. The flip
side is also true. Because the shelter is a highly stressful, unnatural, and frightening environment for a dog
who has just been abandoned by a family, the fact that a dog is scared and growls at staff on intake is not
enough to make a determination that the dog is unfriendly and vicious. So it is not only fair. but a good
idea, for shelters to evaluate dogs to make sure they can safely be placed into loving new homes.
11
.
SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING
FOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA
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RANCHO CUCAMOIl\!lGA ANIMAL SHELTER
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SolutionS\
Post Office Box 74926 . San Clemente California 92673
(949) 276-6942 + www.noklllsolutlons.com
.
August 2005
.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 FACILITIES
2.1 LANDSCAPING/OUTSIDE GROUNDS
2.2 THE PHYSICAL SHELTER
2.3 WASTE DISPOSAL & STORAGE
2.4 BUILDING SECURITY
2.5 GENERAL SAFETY ISSUES
2.6 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES & DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
2.7 FACILITY MAINTENANCE
.
3.0 SHELTER OPERATIONS
3.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW
3.2 HOURS OF OPERATION
3.3 TELEPHONE SYSTEM
3.4 COMPUTER SYSTEMS & SUPPORT
3.5 STAFF UNIFORMS
3.6 l-EES
3.7 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
3.8 EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY NEEDS
4.0 ANIMAL CARE & HANDLING
4.1 GENERAL ANIMAL CARE & CLEANING PROTOCOLS
4.2 ANIMAL MOVEMENT
4.3 ANIMAL HANDLING
4.4 INCOMING ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION/PROCEDURES
4.5 LOST & FOUND PROCEDURES
4.6 VETERINARY & HEALTH ISSUES
4.7 FEEDING PROTOCOLS
4.8 VACCINATION PROTOCOLS
4.9 VETERINARY SERVICES
5.0 ADOPTIONS
5.1 ADOPTION PROCESS & POLICIES
5.2 POST-ADOPTION FOLLOW-UP
5.3 RESCUE GROUPS
5.4 FOSTER CARE
5.5 PET RETENTION
5.6 BEHAVIOR & TRAINING
5.7 MEDICAL REHABILITATION
.
3
6.0 PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
6.1 PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
6.2 VOLUNTEERS
6.3 CUSTOMER SERVICE
6.4 FERAL CATS
.
7.0 SHELTER DEATHS
7.1 SELECTION, METHOD, DISPOSAL
8.0 FIELD SERVICES
8.1 OPERATING POLICIES & PROCEDURES
8.2 WILDLIFE
9.0 GOVERNANCE
9.1 VISION, MISSION & PLANNING
9.2 LIABILITY
9.3 NOT-FoR-PROFIT SUPPORTING AGENCY
.
.
4
.
TRANSITION CONSIDERATIONS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The City of Rancho Cucamonga has made a decision to transition from a county
contract to a City-operated animal service program. The shelter handles approximately
5,000 dogs and cats per year. The City Council is interested in an animal services
program that is innovative, and oriented toward animal care and customer service. A
feasibility study includes the goal of operating the shelter as a No Kill facility.
No Kill Solutions was hired by the City of Rancho Cucamonga to assist in the transition.
The assistance takes two primary forms. First, No Kill Solutions was hired to put
together a transition plan, identifying what the City must consider and do before it
begins operating the shelter (Phase I) and second, the feasibility of running the shelter as
a No Kill facility, including helping to draft policies, procedures and protocols (Phase II).
.
To design a well run program requires consideration of a number of operational areas,
as identified in this report. T oday's animal services program is as complex an operation
as an)! municipal department. For example, a modern municipal animal care and control
program interested in reducing killing to the maximum extent practicable must meet
certain mandatory minimums. These are:
I. Providing nourishment, medical care and behavior rehabilitation for all domestic
animals in its care;
2. Providing basic health screening for all animals;
3. Providing a preventative disease control program;
4. Vaccinating animals in its care;
5. Remaining open seven days a week to adopt out animals;
6. Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals that are not adoptable;
7. Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation
or quarantine;
. 8. Providing a volunteer and foster care program through which members of the
community can get actively involved in helping the animals;
9. Providing lost and found services;
10. Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services for low
income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats;
II. Maintaining accurate and thorough records on all animal-related activities;
12. Providing community education.
In the context of its public safety obligations, it is also responsible for:
.
I. Enforcing local ordinances;
2. Dog licensure;
3. Dog bite investigations;
5
4. Investigation of animal cruelty cases;
5. Rabies compliance and abatement;
6. Stray animal pick up and sheltering;
7. Dead animal removal and disposal;
8. Quarantine and/or destruction of dangerous and irremediably diseased animals;
and,
9. Wildlife issues.
.
Because some of these functions are in tension with one another or competing for staff
and program dollars, shelters must balance their animal "care" and animal "control"
functions to meet public expectations. This is accomplished through improving,
reconciling and rationalizing its administration, shelter operations, field services and
community relations functions.
In the context of a California shelter, this is further complicated by state oversight
which governs many of these aspects. Specifically, the 1998 Animal Shelter Law, and its
companion Spay/Neuter Law (collectively known as "Hayden" and "Vincent" after its
legislative authors) speak to many of these issues, such as requiring:
. That all animals, with some exceptions, be spayed or neutered before adoption;
. That reasonable efforts be made to reunite lost pets with their owners;
. That shelters partner with other animal welfare groups to reduce killing,
including the requirement that in certain circumstances shelters either adopt or
transfer animals rather than kill them (i.e., working with the rescue community);
. That shelters hold all animals, including owner surrendered animals, for four or
six days, depending on whether the shelter is open until 7 pm one business day,
with certain exceptions;
. That animals be provided with care, including medical care (although this has
been the law in California since 1963);
. Fines and fees for unaltered animals;
. That certain records be kept.
.
In short, a modern animal shelter that is well run and enjoys community esteem is a
complex enterprise that must reconcile its competing mandates and do many functions
well. Setting up such a Department, with all new staff and new policies, is a time
consuming enterprise. There are many policy decisions that must be made, requiring
input from City staff and the City Council. These policy decisions must be placed against
resource constraints, so that goals are aligned with duties, programs and budget dollars.
In addition to the operational issues, there are infrastructure challenges which must also
be addressed. Since the deficiencies of the current facility will thwart some of those
policy decisions, a capital improvement plan (both short and long term) must be
developed in much the same way.
As stated below (See Facilities Section 2.0),
.
6
.
The current facility, the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter ("RCAS")
was built in the early 1 990s. In the last fifteen years, the modern No Kill
movement and advances in veterinary, and especially behavior, medicine
have altered our understanding of animal behavior, herd health, and the
role of the physical shelter in lifesaving. As a result, the current design as
a modern animal shelter is poor.
Specifically, the design of the dog runs undermines desires to improve
adoptability and train dogs, the cat wards are too small, ill designed, and
frustrate disease control, it is difficult to separate young animals (kittens
and puppies) from adults, healthy animals from sick animals, public
animals from stray or quarantined animals, there is no medical treatment
room, and the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning ("HVAC")
system is either not designed for a shelter, or not functioning correctly.
This is aside from its challenged location relative to residential and retail
corridors, and aesthetic improvements that the City should, and is going
to want to make.
.
In short, the transition can be done hastily or it can be done correctly. It can, and will be
don"e;-but"c:ity-staff"n"el!ds-timl'-There"is"stafftoilire;-p-ofictes"tOire-written;-considered
and approved, modifications to the shelter that must be made, items to be purchased,
vendors to be identified and recruited, contracts that need to be drafted and signed, and
training that must be conducted. All of this takes time and methodical consideration. A
typical transition takes one year. In this case, City staff has been given approximately
seven months. It is a difficult undertaking. To the extent that the County is willing, it
would be highly beneficial to allow the City an additional four to five months for the
transition to occur. Second, it is important to realize that the "transition" does not end
on the day the City begins operating the shelter. It will be an ongoing process that
requires patience and support.
This report, as well as past and ongoing meetings and support of City staff form the
basis of Phase I. The next steps (for some of the issues, this has been an ongoing
process) include:
. Developing costs of the transition and preliminary costs for taking over the
shelter;
. Baseline programs (mandatory minimums) and options for increased service
levels such as working with the animals behaviorally, social marketing and
community relations, medical rehabilitation, and community spay and neuter
services;
. A budget for running the new Department under those scenarios (matching
levels of services with associated costs);
.
7
. Putting together a transition team that involves affected City departments
including, but not limited to, the City Manager's Office, Purchasing, Personnel,
Facilities, and Information Services;
. Developing action items for each of the sections identified below;
. Developing policies and procedures;
. Hiring and training personnel;
. The feasibility, timeline and cost of operating the Department as a No Kill
facility.
.
In addition, it is clear that the City must address the physical limitations of the facility
relative to its goals. It is recommended that the City immediately retain an architect
experienced in animal shelter design to review the shelter and make recommendations
on the modification of mechanical and physical infrastructure, expanding, and/or building
a new facility.
All of this makes up Phase II.
In turn, the City Council will need to set service levels and approve the budget, among
its many other oversight and accountability functions. These roles must be done through
a series of regular and special meetings in the upcoming months given the lead time
necessary for action items and follow-up pursuant to the decisions it makes.
And finally, the most important philosophy I can impart is that the City-run shelter must
not be fixed about its practices, as most shelters are. To be successful, it needs to give
its citizens options and incentives. In short, just as it must balance its "care" and
"control" functions, it must also balance procedures, with flexibility and innovation.
There are sometimes no simple solutions to complex situations. Those of us in the
industry sometimes wish that there were, but oftentimes there is no "one size fits all"
when citizens are faced with animal issues. Regardless of whether one is talking about
adoptions, feral cats, or field services, if the City-run shelter takes this approach, it will
find it can maximize both lifesaving and public satisfaction.
.
.
8
.
2.0 FACILITIES
The current facility, the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter ("RCAS") was built in the
early I 990s. In the last fifteen years, the modern No Kill movement and advances in
veterinary, and especially behavior, medicine have altered our understanding of animal
behavior, herd health, and the role of the physical shelter in lifesaving. As a result, the
current design as a modern animal shelter is poor.
Specifically, the design of the dog runs undermines desires to improve adoptability and
train dogs, the cat wards are too small, ill designed, and frustrate disease control, it is
difficult to separate young animals (kittens and puppies) from adults, healthy animals
from sick animals, public animals from stray or quarantined animals, there is no medical
treatment room, and the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning ("HVAC") system is
not designed for a shelter. This is aside from its challenged location relative to
residential and retail corridors, and aesthetic improvements that the City should, and is
going to want to make.
f-.
I
.
RCAS is located at 11780 Arrow Route. It is located in a predominantly industrial area
along Arrow Route, adjacent to but not visible from Rochester Avenue. The nearest
residential units are three-fourths of a mile away to the north and over one mile from a
multi-family area to the southwest. There is no foot traffic on most days, except for
occasional park users, and the primary vehicular traffic appears to consist of industrial
traffic (e.g., company commuters, warehouseldistribution vehicles).
.
9
.
RCAS has a large parking lot, which it shares with a City park. The park is the perfect
venue for shelter related adoption events, fundraising and fun-raising events, and for
socializing the shelter dogs with a volunteer program. With some minor changes, park
users could be enticed to "window" shop at the shelter, although the park did not have
large numbers of people during my predominantly weekday visits (it was admittedly
busier-oR-the-weekeR d). The-PaFking-lGt-€an-also-be-useEl-for c\'eRts-and-pessiely-fer
future expansion.
.
The shelter itself has absorbed the look and feel of the park. In front of the main doors
are several street trees providing nice shading for three benches. There is no signage
indicating animals are available for adoption (except for "Rancho Cucamonga Animal
Shelter") and no activity (e.g., volunteers with dogs on the benches, adoption signs) to
entice park users or traffic to enter and "window shop."
.
10
.
.
Fortunately, the shelter is located adjacent to the City of Rancho Cucamonga's Adult
Sports Complex and minor league professional baseball stadium, the Epicenter. The
capacity of the Epicenter is 5,000, and anecdotally, it appears that well over a tnousanCl
people might visit the Epicenter on events days. In addition, several Quakes promotions
are targeted to family oriented community activity which is exactly the support and
adopter demographic that the shelter should be seeking.
Avenues of possible interaction could include kiosks with pictures of available animals,
events such as "Dog Days of Summer" similar to those held at Pac Bell Park (Giants
stadium) in San Francisco (available dogs are shown on the Jumbo-tron and paraded
around the field during intermissions), offsite adoption venues and other joint events
and promotions. For example, the Quakes have scheduled Family Fun Days in April,
May, June, July and August, exactly the time the shelter is seeing peak impounds of
puppies and kittens. These present a great opportunity to adopt animals to the single
most important adopter demographic, highlight shelter services, recruit foster parents
and volunteers, and cultivate community goodwill.
.
11
.
Finally, although the shelter is in an industrial area, it is only a half mile from Foothill
Boulevard (Route 66), the City's primary retail and commercial corridor. Victoria
Gardens, for example, is closed to vehicular traffic on weekends and combined with
events such as the Grape Harvest Festival, is ripe for a proactive adoption and social
marketing program, which would yield many benefits for RCAS' in terms of community
satisfaction, lifesaving and support.
2.1 LANDSCAPING/OUTSIDE GROUNDS
Transition Considerations:
.
. City must provide landscaping duties. However, this should be incorporated into
a comprehensive facilities maintenance plan including custodial, facility repair and
maintenance, and landscaping. (See Section 2.7.)
. Because of a more public persona, the transfer of liability back to the City,
emergency duties in the evening hours, and possible evening events, the City
should review the adequacy of outside lighting both in front and around RCAS
and the parking lot. There are no cost figures available for this area of transition
operations as City Facilities Division staff, combined with public safety personnel
need to conduct a safety audit and, pursuant to whatever recommendation they
make, assist in determining cost projections.
. Arrow Route sees a fair amount of traffic during weekdays, but it is not clear to
passersby that the building houses a pet adoption facility. An outside banner
announcing pet adoptions will give the shelter cost-effective publicity and word
of mouth promotion. The Shelter should purchase or produce external signage
facing Arrow Route, facing the park parking lot, and elsewhere as appropriate
(such as the Epicenter), which identifies that animals are available for adoption,
such as the following example from Philadelphia Animal Care & Control
Association:
.
12
.
Banners can be purchased for as little as $7 per square foot. The Philadelphia
banner was about 4' x 8' and cost $200 plus shipping. (It is important to note
that it will be housed outside for weatherproof materiaL)
Timing; This can be done at any time, including post-transition.
2.2 THE PHYSICAL SHELTER
.
The public entry doors are facing Arrow Route, right off of the parking lot. The clerical
area is directly in front of the doors and is the primary area of public activity. Animals
are adopted here, relinquished here, and reclaimed here. There is a waiting room/alcove
type area to the left, three "get acquainted" rooms for people and animals directly to
the right of the counter, public bathrooms, and the entrance to the main dog and cat
kennels.
.
13
Currently, there are piles of paper everywhere, a multiplicity of signs of various shapes,
sizes, colors and fonts, and a soda vending machine. Much of the staff conducts business
in the front area, and so even with little public traffic, the area appears busy and
cluttered.
.
The lobby appears to be comfortable in terms of temperature, but it is clear upon
entering the animal wards that the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HV AC)
system is of poor design for an animal shelter. The air is stale and smells poorly.
There are approximately 62 dog kennels, and 59 cat kennels. The dog kennels are in
banks of cages (either 7 to a bank, or 16), separated by rooms designed for different
purposes. Currently, one bank is used for male strays, another for female strays, the
third large one for available animals and owner surrendered dogs, and the remainder,
three groups of.seven kennels used for quarantine, legal holds, nursing mothers and
already adopted animals waiting for spay/neuter. (This is of no consequence going
forward, other than the layout, as the kennel-use protocol followed by the county is
inefficient and should not be followed.) Two cat rooms and one small bank of "cat"
cages near the back entry make up the available cat spaces.
-nere IS onetral\1coheven-dog-kennels-in-a-gfas>room-labeled~'lso1ation'Lamhnother
with seven kennels labeled "Quarantine." All dog kennels are rectangular concrete and
chain link structures bifurcated by a "guillotine" type door. The kennels are close
together and barren, impacting species-typical behavior, making it a loud, smelly, and
frustrating environment for both adopter and dog. Adjacent to this is another bank of
seven cages used primarily for adopted dogs awaiting their spay/neuter date and which is
also enclosed by glass.
.
The main dog area for available dogs is a bank of 16 kennels, side by side. These are
followed by 16 kennels for female strays and 16 kennels for male strays, separated by a
door. However, the female strays and male strays share a common hallway, voiding any
perceived behavior benefits of separating the two, leaving only a marginal benefit (if any)
of ease of reclaim. The hallway is extremely narrow, making it uncomfortable for two
people to pass side by side.
.
14
.
There are two small cat rooms, one with 16 cages used for quarantine. And another for
adoptions and strays housing 26 mostly 3 feet x 3 feet stainless steel stack cages. The
-- --- - ---rooms-are-small~ramped.with-Ao-siAks-and-insuffkieAt-air-f1ow.Only-one-has-a
waterless hand wash. It would be extremely difficult to keep these rooms from
. incubating pathogens. In addition to not having enough cages or space for more cages,
the rooms are so small that it would be an uncomfortable environment for visitors.
To defray this, there are three somewhat small "get acquainted" rooms in the lobby,
one for cats and one for dogs with a small outside dog area, and the other which can be
used for either. These can be used for other purposes, such as a kitten room (keeping
these fragile gems separated from the rest of the population) and for longer term dogs,
giving them a much needed boost in socialization, space and exposure. Both rooms have
natural light, but insufficient ventilation.
There are two large offices, a small dispatch room, and a storage room down a hallway
that runs parallel to the rear of the lobby. An additional office is in the lobby.
At the rear of the dog kennels is a small series of rooms that serve for grooming,
kitchen, laundry, medical, field services intake (cats), and morgue. If ReAS has a
commitment to medical care and behavior rehabilitation, this area must be relocated or
expanded significantly. There are approximately six cages in this area, which is
technically to be used as "intake" for cats, but which were always empty when I visited. I
was subsequently informed that they are "multipurpose" or "utility" cages, which can
and are used for cats, quarantine, or wildlife, whatever is perceived to be needed at the
time. (It is important to provide a separate intake area for cats who can be medically
evaluated and vaccinated before they enter the shelter population.)
.
15
.
The rear of the shelter has a fenced area for dogs which can be used for off-leash
exercise, volunteer interaction, improving adoptability, and play time while kennels are
being cleaned in the morning. It was never in use during my visits, and was cluttered
with fencing and other items, but it is a protected and safe area, and provides a good
opportunity, with minor upgrades, to improve the adoptability of the dogs.
(Unfortunately, as it is located at field services receiving, if used by the public, it may
expose-them-to-seeing-uncomfoctable-situations.that.ar.e.anJnevitable.part.oLrunning.a
municipal shelter including injured and/or dead animals.)
.
There is a fenced and gated area with two rooms, one of which is being used for
storage, the other containing mechanical systems. There is parking for several animal
control trucks in this area, and for loadingloffloading of animals. The open garage serves
as field intake, storage and a truck wash down area.
The area outside the shelter and the external look of the shelter are attractive, although
the building does not distinguish itself as more modern shelters do. However, the inside
of the shelter, like many of the time, was designed for ease of cleaning and warehousing
animals. It was not designed to serve as an animal care center, adoption center, and area
.
16
.
of public gathering. There is no medical, training and treatment area, no surgery area,
and very few cat spaces. The most spacious rooms in RCAS, ironically, are
administrative offices and the employee break room. Unfortunately, unless
improvements are made, the shelter will always be hindered in its lifesaving success by
its physical facilities.
A community's animal shelter is the heart of an animal care and protection program and
facilities and grounds should be maintained so that they are attractive and welcoming to
the public. The physical building itself can be--or can appear to be-reflective of how
strong and caring the internal programs are and the commitment to animal care is.
Modern shelters in communities with demonstrative commitments to lifesaving are
spacious places, where animals are housed in home-like environments, are clean and
well lighted, and provide ample opportunity for public and animal interaction. They are
public meeting places, shelters to visit for fun, they reduce costs of care for illness,
reduce reliance on utilities through skylights and picture windows and other use of
natural light, keep animals healthy and stimulated, increase adoptions by decreasing
length of stay and increasing public traffic, and improve community satisfaction with the
job the shelter is doing.
A-comparison-ohnimal-holding-areas-between-REAS-and-more-modern-shelters-help,
illuminate this point.
.
RCAS Dog Kennels:
.
17
Tompkins County Dog Rooms:
ei
I
I
L_____
e
RCAS Cat Cages:
e
18
.
.
.
Tompkins County Cat Rooms:
SarLfran_c~co SPCA Cat Ward & "Cages":
First impressions are lasting and as visitors approach the shelter, the impression they
receive should be positive and inviting. While some of the changes require infusion of
capital dollars, some simple and inexpensive modifications and changes in practices can
also vastly improve the public perception of the shelter.
19
Transition Considerations:
.
. Must determine flow and placement in animal housing areas which maximizes
adoption space, promotes efficient movement of animals through the system,
is public friendly and separates: sick animals from healthy animals,
puppies/kittens from adult animals, and provides a separate holding area for
legal holds, wildlife and feral cats. Considerations should include:
. converting quarantine to adoptions,
. mixing male and female stray dogs,
. converting the employee break room to a medical room, and,
. converting the "get acquainted" rooms to adoptions.
. Eliminate the multiplicity of signs and remove the clutter, including vending
machines in the lobby. There is no cost associated with this, as it should be
handled by the county as a departing tenant.
. There will need to be educational material from RCAS in the lobby. No
matter how efficient a program, there will always be time when the public
has to wait for services. This is a good opportunity to reach a "captive"
audience about rabies vaccinations, housetraining issues, volunteer
opportunities, adoption policies, and other RCAS related business. Install a
literature display and keep it neatly stocked with RCAS related flyers and
brochures. This will presumably be handled through the City department
that handles printing utilizing existing staff. Cost of literature displays:
Approximately $200 to $800 each depending on style and model if purchased
from a retail vendor.
. Use fans in animal housing areas that are not air conditioned; however, make
sure the fans are regularly cleaned. In addition, the air from fans should not
blow directly on animals. At a minimum, these should be placed on one end
of every bank of dog kennels, and in each of the cat rooms. Cost if purchased
from a retail vendor: $50 each.
. Replace the "chips" in the outside pen in the rear of the shelter, with a
drainage barrier and smooth rocks for ease of cleaning and all weather use.
This will presumably be handled by the City Facilities Division utilizing
existing staff, with cost to be determined by City. .
. Except for one of the "get acquainted" rooms, all the walls of RCAS are
white or dull. The shelter should be painted in murals and motifs of various
bright and cheery colors. Cost to be determined by the City Facilities
Division.
.
. If they do not belong to the City, the City must purchase a Washer & Dryer,
preferably of commercial grade. Approximate Cost $1,000 to $1,500 each if .
purchased from a retail vendor.
.
20
..
. If it does not belong to the City, the City must purchase a standard
household refrigerator for vaccines and drugs which must be refrigerated.
Approximate Cost: $750 if purchased from a retail vendor.
. The City should consider the purchase of a restaurant grade dishwasher (and
preferably a restaurant sanitizer) for dog and cat bowls to reduce the need
to wash by hand. Approximate Cost: $2,000 to $4,000 for the dishwasher if
purchased from a retail vendor. Otherwise, a standard commercial
dishwasher is highly recommended.
. Purchase a series of stack cages and cat condos to increase cat holding
capacity by two fold. Approximate Cost: $10,000 if purchased directly from a
shelter supplier (not including shipping), or $20,000 if condo type cages are
purchased.
. Convert "get acquainted" rooms into adoption spaces, including current
office in lobby,
Timing: Purchase anytime with installation as close to the turnover date as possible.
Post-Transition Recommendations:
.
. Invest in the modification of the shelter's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
(HV AC) systems to comport to modern requirements. This is crucial for
reducing disease, stress, and smell. It will also improve public perception of the
shelter, and increase the length of time the public spends at the facility.
Shelters need proper ventilation first and foremost. Heating and cooling are also
important, one more than the other depending on the location. In southern
climates, cooling is more important. However, animals are not as sensitive to
temperature variations as people are so in part the shelter ends up providing
more cooling for the human parts and the perception of people that the animals
are not comfortable.
The ventilation rate for all animal areas, dogs, cats, small animals (both healthy
and not-healthy) and holding areas should be around 10-12 air changes per hour.
Further, it is important not to re-circulate the air. In other words, the system
must provide 100% outside air.
This, in general, is not energy efficient as the system is blowing a lot of cool air
into a hot environment or conversely, a lot of hot air into a cold environment.
There are energy savings measures such as heat (or cold) recovery water coils
(or air to air exchangers) that can grab the heat or cold from the exhausting air
and pre-heat or pre-cool the incoming supply air.
.
21
Some return air can be employed for human areas such as offices, and meeting spaces,
however, this is minimal as most program space does end up containing animals,
whether it is a grooming space, a clinical space or even meeting spaces that might
double as play (get-acquainted) or training environments.
..
Keep in mind that once air is returned, it might be spreading airborne diseases
inadvertently. So it is best to try to keep all air fresh, and use state of the art energy
reclamation ideas to mitigate the excessive heat loss or cooling loss.
Also, humidity control is important and depending again on climate, air needs to be
humidified in winter or de-humidified in summer to be comfortable and healthy. Air that
is too dry is hard on breathing and air that is too humid can cause mold or other
problems. Again, in cold environments, humidity is automatically added by the cleaning
process in an animal shelter and this can be enough without adding separate
humidification. Too much humidity should definitely be mitigated to not create moisture
condensation problems.
HEPA filtering is usually not needed except in a surgical space where one wants to keep
airborne dust or particles from entering a surgical opening. Back up generation is also
not necessary for most shelter environments unless sizable or more acute surgical space
ioparrohhe"program.
Last, it is important to zone the HV AC system to allow for better control and again to
eliminate cross contamination of air if some zones have return air and others do not.
Cats and dogs have different heat/cold thresholds and one may want it cooler for dog
areas and less cool for cats. Also, drafts are a concern for cats, particularly kittens.
Multiple zones will allow portions of a shelter to be shut off when not fully occupied due
to seasonal variation of animal population.
.
Natural ventilation systems can be utilized where it is not the primary system for the
animal housing zones. But typically, one will need to augment these natural systems with
some artificial fans in order to keep smells down and moisture under control.
. Place sinks (with a foot pedal design to prevent the spread of disease
associated with hand-handled sinks) near animal wards. At least one inside or
immediately outside the cat wards would be highly beneficial. (City facilities
staff can give cost esti mate.)
. Consider adding an epoxy on cement dog runs as cement is highly porous
making disease control more challenging.
. It is clear that the City must address the physical limitations of the facility
relative to its goals. It is recommended that the City retain an animal shelter
experienced architect to review the shelter and make recommendations on
the modification of mechanical and physical infrastructure, expanding, and/or
.
22
.
building a new facility.
2.3 WASTE DISPOSAL & STORAGE
Animal Shelters produce a lot of waste. A protocol for waste disposal needs to be
developed. In addition to regular trash pick up, shelters also produce medical waste
such as used syringes. These must be disposed of according to law in "Sharps"
containers and destroyed accordingly. In addition, shelters must lawfully dispose of
animal carcasses. (Burial or trash depository is not legal in most states and not
recommended due to sodium pentobarbital contamination). Many shelters contract for
this service with an outside company.
-- ~6 ;,'-;- ,.
~<~
""
~.
'\
I
\
'.'.[.
,', [
,ot:~-..~,<;."t ~.~~:g'J ,,:.,_;'
(;~~'-.."~,-. ,f~''''>~'m
?~' ,,~, ;";."> ~ :.~.~_t>~.:., :;.,~~
.
Transition Considerations:
. Contract or utilize existing departments for regular trash pick up on a timely
basis (at least once, preferably two times per week).
. Must determine a disposal method for bio-hazardous waste. Many shelters
contract for services with an outside company. (Approved containers are
needed for in-shelter and field service use -in each animal control van-if
officers will have the authority to kill irremediably suffering animals in the
field.) Because the county likely contracts for this service at all its facilities,
the City will likely benefit from piggybacking on their service.
Approximote cost: $75-$150 per month for containers and $360 per month for pick up of
medical waste (e.g., needles) including bloody gauze and related materials.
.
. Must determine a disposal method for animal carcasses. Many shelters
contract for services with an outside company. Because the county likely
contracts for this service at all its facilities, the City will likely benefit from
23
piggybacking on their service. It is also possible to donate the specimens for
use in teaching. In Tompkins County, all animal carcasses where donated to
the Cornell University Veterinary College, with the exception of rabies
species which were burned according to law.
.
Approximate cost $825 per month for weekly pick up of small animal carcasses.
2,4 BUILDING SECURITY
Building Security takes many forms. At a minimum, the City must protect the animals,
staff and public from fire, theft, and injury. While the risk of an incident in some of these
areas may be low, the outcome could be disastrous if it, in fact, occurred. A mitigation
plan would go a long way to lessen the extent of impact.
Transition Considerations:
. Purchase first aid kits for the shelter in the event of injury to people.
. Maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used and
incorporateimo-any-employee-and"volunteer"training-program.
. Have the City Fire District do a walk through to ensure that fire
extinguishers and alarms are available, up to code, and that proper signage is
in place.
. Verify that emergency telephones that exist throughout the shelter are in
working order.
. Because shelters use chemicals, there should be an emergency eye wash
station, at a minimum, in the main dog kennel area and the medical room.
. While local government workers are excluded from Federal coverage under
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, ensure that the shelter
meets local and state requirements through the City's safety compliance
officer.
. To the extent the City determines necessary, consider installing either
cameras or a building alarm system to prevent against internal threats and
after hQurs break-ins. No cost proposals are available as this would likely be
administered through the City Facilities Division.
.
Timing and Cost There is no cost estimate associated with this recommendation. It is
important to address this as soon as possible in the event that the assessment agencies
have recommendations that require significant lead time.
.
24
.
2.5 GENERAL SAFETY ISSUES
To protect employees and the public from injury, and to respond appropriately to the
inevitable injuries that are bound to occur, despite best efforts at mitigation, the City
must create Incident reports for people who are injured. It must also create policies as
to public conduct in the building (Phase II).
In addition, an employee training safety module must be created, that includes the
specific issues faced in a municipal animal shelter. This would include training on proper
cleaning and sanitation techniques, first aid, and proper handling of animals, particularly
those of aggressive or unknown disposition. This would also include training on
understanding, preventing and reporting "zoonotic disease" (a disease which could be
passed from an animal to a person).
.
Safety is the classic example where an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Staff training benefits everyone: the staff themselves, the animals and the public.
Unfortunately, most shelters do not have standardized training of any kind. Employees
"Sn:loow" eXisting-employeenor-a-few-days-before-being-scheduled-to-work-on-their
own. This training must be formalized. Otherwise, staffs lack of awareness of basic
principles and incorrect techniques are passed on from one generation of employees to
the next by virtue of the unfortunately all too common but ill-advised "on the job
training." (Shadowing employees is the last step to independendy working a shift
following training; it should not be the entirety of training.)
Transition Considerations:
.
Initiate a safety training program using existing personnel from other City
departments, the health department, vector control, private practice
veterinarians, and/or Western University College of Veterinary Medicine
which covers, at a minimum: I.) Animal handling; 2.) Emergency treatment;
and, 3.) Zoonoses detection, prevention and reporting. In addition to the
above departments, contact the training departments of:
State Humane Association of California
P.O. Box 2098
EI Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 525-2744
www.californiastatehumane.org
.
California Animal Control Directors Association
91 5 L St. #C 130
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cacda.org
25
. Ensure that a written protocol exists and is followed for any staff member
who is injured on the job or member of the public.
. Educate staff about the proper mixing and handling of chemicals used. (Phase
II)
e
. Offer rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis and titers to staff who work with
animals. Employees who decline such should sign waivers. The Department
of Public Health, City health offices, or a local hospital can provide this
service and cost proposals.
. Train staff on handling, restraining and evaluation animals.
. Create standardized internal sign age explaining the purpose of each room
and which areas are and are not open to the public.
2.6 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES & DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Most shelters provide supplemental assistance for animal rescue during an emergency.
Citizens and other public safety agencies such as the fire and police departments are
Iikely_to_t!lrn to the RCAS to as.sls~ in"pro~~cting.RlJh!Lc safety.!\D!!Lescuing.ilnima!sjl)
the event of a disaster. This may also include non-domesticated animals. Although the
City has a new, fully automated emergency operations center, it is not clear what role
RCAS should play since it was developed at a time when the county was responsible for
animal shelter operations.
e
Transition Considerations:
. Coordinate through the City agency responsible for emergency planning, a
role for RCAS in a City-wide plan for responding to rescue needs in the
event of a disaster.
. Require all staff to complete the free "animals in disaster" course provided
by FEMA for animal service agencies. (Available through www.fema.gov)
. Have Fire District staff or other public safety agency do an "audit" of the
current shelter to determine if the agency is prepared for power outages,
fire or other disaster.
. Have City staff work with the Fire District staff to determine what
procedures need to be considered and added to the Procedures and
Preparedness document.
Timing and Cost There is no cost estimate associated with this recommendation. It is
important to address this as soon as possible in the event that the assessment agencies
have recommendations that require significant lead time.
e
26
.
2.7 FACILITY MAINTENANCE
Maintenance at RCAS will occur through the City's Facilities Division. Routine
inspection and a preventative maintenance program is more cost effective and will
decrease the number of costly repairs that have to be initiated because of overlooked
problems.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop a comprehensive facility maintenance plan that includes regular
inspection of kennels, cages, floors, equipment and lighting, including filters
and fans on HV AC equipment through the auspices of the City Facilities
Division. The facility maintenance plan should also include custodial,
repair/maintenance, and landscaping.
. Work with the City Facilities Division to determine costs of implementing
and maintaining the facility maintenance plan.
.
.
27
3.0 SHELTER OPERATIONS
.
A modern municipal animal care and control program interested in reducing killing to
the maximum extent practicable must meet certain mandatory minimums. These are:
I. Providing nourishment and medical care for all domestic animals in its care;
2. Providing basic health screening for all animals;
3. Providing a preventative disease control program;
4. Vaccinating animals in its care;
5. Remaining open seven days a week to adopt out animals;
6. Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals that are not adoptable;
7. Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation
or quarantine;
8. Providing a volunteer and foster care program through which members of the
community can get actively involved in helping the animals;
9. Providing lost and found services;
10. Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services for low
income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats;
II. Maintaining accurate and thorough records on all animal-related activities;
12. Providing community education.
3.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW
As a general rule, animal shelter staff in virtually every community is responsible for
large numbers of animals with outdated facilities and resource constraints. RCAS can
become an exception.
.
3.2 HOURS OF OPERATION
Currently, RCAS is open for intakes, adoptions and all other services from II :00 am to
6:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It is open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
on Wednesday, pursuant to Food & Agricultural Code Section 31108. And it is open
from II :00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The shelter's commitment to being
open seven days a week for adoptions is important.
RCAS must also provide minimum emergency services after hours on a 365-day 24/7
basis. This should be handled by an "on call" officer carrying a pager or cell telephone.
The officer would only respond for emergencies such as seriously sick, injured or
vicious stray animals threatening the immediate health and safety of individuals or
property.
Transition Considerations:
. Determine hours of operation.
. Determine holiday work schedule.
.
28
.
.
.
. Consider work schedules relative to the demands of a seven day per week
operation, and 24 hour per day emerge response duty on the field services side.
. Determine "on call" procedures and compensation (See Field Services Section
8.1). Guidance can be received from the City personnel office and:
State Humane Association of California
P.O. Box 2098
EI Cerrito. CA 94530
(5 I 0) 525-2744
www.californ iastateh umane.o rg
California Animal Control Directors Association
915 L St. #C 130
Sacramento. CA 95814
www.cacda.org
. City must get a dedicated cell telephone and telephone number for emergency
purposes. (See Section 3.3)
3.3 TELEPHONE SYSTEM
An animal shelter in a community of approximately 160.000 people should have four to
six incoming telephone lines and an automated answering system that "weeds out" basic
information requests that could be handled by pre-recorded messages.
Telephones should be located in the main clerical/lobby (four telephones). dispatch. all
offices, and medical room. In addition. animal control field personnel should have two-
way radios in their vehicles and either hand held radios or preferably cell telephones.
. (I was told that this matter was being handled according to City procedures, and
therefore did not investigate or evaluate this area further.)
Transition Considerations:
. Work with the City's Information Services Department to determine the
adequacy of the existing telephone system at RCAS, what modification are
necessary. and the cost of those modifications.
. An audix-type system for handling telephone calls.
. The system should be pre-recorded and available to go live when the City takes
over operations.
. Determine if the City wants to have "live" telephone answer during the time the
shelter is open, although in a modern animal shelter an audix-type system can
"weed out" basic information requests that could be handled by pre-recorded
messages.
29
3.4 COMPUTER SYSTEM & SUPPORT
.
Virtually all shelters in the United States, with some exceptions, use an "off the shelf'
shelter management software ("SMS") package. They range in price from a few hundred
dollars to about $10,000 with annual license fees. Optional upgrades include wireless
management of shelter animals and automatic online solutions such as licensing, offsite
pet kiosks, and website management applications, all of which would be extremely
beneficial for the City's No Kill goals. A comprehensive list of current software packages
was presented to City staff in a memo dated July 26, 200S.
;;j:o'j;j'.'j;I:i~I!:}(ilI~~'
1:-." -- --.... ..._-
b,.....,....FT~
'r=f~_,__:~~ f ~
'1- _." ---.-
. t;;....~,,~-;..rL __
"'--j--- ---r- =--
r- ... ". r:: . r;-:-J ..:'
-- ----
r-r--r""-...
I;:::. , .' -;;J=
'1-- ...... --- ._-
J-I.....~ ,,};-'-!
~~
>.'>'.
The SMS software package purchased must be comprehensive enough to provide a
complete solution for animal management, licensing, finance, medical, field service, and
employee/volunteer management. In addition, the City's Information Services ("IS")
department must also consider the SMS system used by the county and whether
another brand will allow information transition to be seamless, and the history of
upgrades and longevity of the company.
.
The one time set up fee for industry standard SMS systems is approximately $9,800.
License fees vary but would amount to a high end of $80 per month license fee for
support and maintenance per workstation. This fee is inclusive of all support,
maintenance and upgrades. Training is provided at approximately $900 per day, and a
recommended training is 3-5 days for new operations.
Additives include wireless ability, at about $2S0 a year for licensing, support and
modification. The City would purchase the PDF with a windows platform. It is
recommended that the veterinary staff have this capability (one unit).
The web licensing feature is also an additive feature. It is a new feature, which costs
approximately $3,000 per year for licensing, support and maintenance. The City's
financial institution may charge a fee for deposits made by the third party that processes
transactions. The normal set up fee is $10,000 but many companies may waive the fee.
.
30
.
Computer hardware has been discussed with the City's IS department. It is understood
that the network will be built offsite and installed when the City takes over RCAS
operations. Since SMS systems are usually set up remotely, it would be ideal if (when the
IS department builds the system), the IS department can implement the approved SMS
system and participate in training before City operations begin so staff can go live with
the tools they need once the shelter opens its doors under City auspices.
Workstation requirements are as follows:
Location
Peripherals Needed Program Needs
Internet Access
Shelter Management Software (SMS)
SMS + Office applications
SMS + Office
SMS + Office + Finance applications
SMS + Office
SMS + Office + Finance + Desktop Publishing
SMS + Office + Point of Sale (POS) capability
SMS + Office + POS
SMS + Office
SMS + Office
Shelter Incake
Medical
Dispatch
Executive Director
Shelter Manager
Executive Assistant
Lobby I -
Lobby 2
Lobby 3
Field Services
Digical Camera
Wireless PDF
Internet Access
Internet Access
Internet Access
Credit Card Reader
Credit Card Reader
Primers snouldile-available-at-the-front-desk;"me-mca1;-dispatch-and-offices:-A-nhe-intake
area, a printer must be able to accommodate card stock of various sizes for "cage" and
"kennel" information cards and include color capability for printing pictures of the
animals.
.
Moreover, while most high volume copying needs will be handled through City vendors
or dedicated departments, a good medium volume copier must be available to the
shelter.
Finally, community kiosks that currently exist in the City should include the RCAS
website including pictures and descriptions of available animals, and should be expanded
to the following locations: Epicenter, shelter lobby, Victoria Gardens, and other
mainstays of community life.
Transition Considerotions:
. Purchase shelter management software; consider additives and a training
program.
. Purchase and build network through IS department.
Approximate Cost: The City's IS department is handling hardware issues and costs. The
first year cost of the shelter management software, and above described additions,
would be approximately $30,000 including licenses, with annual license fees of
approximately $15,000 per year.
.
31
3.5 STAFF UNIFORMS
.
Some shelters have a basic dress code, but do not specify that staff must wear a
designated uniform. All shelters, however, require field staff to wear professional
uniforms. Still others require all staff to wear uniforms. The City must determine a
policy, however all staff must be required to wear closed toe shoes, long pants, and
sleeves (short sleeves are acceptable) given the use of chemicals and exposure to
animals of unknown disposition.
Shelter management should always hold staff to the highest standard of appearance.
Adequate resources will allow employees to present themselves to the public in the
most professional manner possible. A neatly presented, practical uniform specifically
designed for direct animal care work enhances professionalism and helps to improve
public respect.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Staff uniforms. For field staff, full public safety uniforms including belts and boots.
(See Field Services Section 8.1)
. For front desk staff, at a minimum, polo type shirts with the agency's name and
logo.
. For medical staff, veterinary scrubs with the agency's name and logo.
. For kennel staff, at a minimum, polo type shirts with the agency's name and logo.
Approximate Cost: Depends on the style of uniform, but assorted sized polo-type shirts
for a staff of about 14 individuals would run approximately $3,000.
.
32
.
.
.
3.6 FEES
A municipal animal shelter is funded through general tax revenues, licensing fees, user
fees, penalty fees, and donations/grants. It also receives subsidies through use of
volunteers, foster parents, fee-reduction arrangement with private veterinarians,
transferring animals to rescue groups, and other public-private partnerships. A modern
municipal shelter i~ usually not self-sustaining financially, and the greater the lifesaving
goal, the greater the investment needs to be in its programs and services. For example,
one of the primary limitations to success is a City's commitment, or lack of
commitment, to funding low-cost spaying and neutering. Research shows that
investment in such programs not only provide immediate public health and public
relations benefits but also long-term financial savings to a jurisdiction. According to the
International City County Management Association ("ICMA"),
An effective animal control program not only saves cities and cou.nties on
present costs-by protecting citizens from dangerous dogs, for
examRIe--but also hell's reduce the costs of animal control in the future.
A City that impounds and euthanizes 4,000 animals in 200 I... but does
not promote spaying and neutering will probably still euthanize at least
4,000 animals a year in 20 I O. A City that... [institutes a subsidized
spay/neuter program] will likely euthanize significantly fewer animals in
20 I 0 and save on a host of other animal-related costs .as well.
While fees should reflect budget priorities and realities, they must also be balanced
against agency goals and community values. For example, adoption fees are not and
should not be intended to supplement a government's lack of funding priority for animal
control. Indeed, many shelters charge high fees for adoptions to reflect their actual
costs, but undermine their other goals, such as lifesaving-the higher the cost of
adoption, the lower the number of adoptions. The same is true for licensing. Many
communities employ a differential licensing scheme to encourage spaying and neutering
by charging a higher fee for unaltered animals then for altered animals. In addition, this
differential is often used to provide subsidized neutering for the pets of low-income
community households and for unowned feral cats in conjunction with community
rescue groups. However, the higher the license fee, and the higher the differential, the
lower compliance tends to be.
Transition considerations:
. Set fees for adoption. It is recommended that the City charge approximately $50
for cats and dogs. (All dogs and cats must be spayed/neuter before custody of
33
the animal is given to the adopter under state law, with limited exceptions
relative to ill and pediatric animals.)
. Current County fees are as follows (inclusive of spay/neuter,
vaccinations and/or spay/neuter deposits):
. Dogs (under four months old): $80 (with a refundable $50
spay/neuter deposit)
. Dogs (over four months old): $80 plus dog license
. Cats (under four months old): $63 (with a refundable $40
spay/neuter deposit)
. Cats (over four months old): $48 (inclusive of a $30 spay
fee if applicable)
. Set fees, if any, for surrendering animals. While many shelters do not c.harge fees
for owned animals, others have a "waivable" fee to help defray costs (usually
$10-$20 per animal/litter). The concerns about abandonment should be weighed
against the benefits of an increased resource base which can be used to augment
community programs necessary to reduce the number of unwanted animals, such
as funding for spay/neuter. However, given the transition and its inevitable public
perception-and-relationsissues;ic-might.not-be-advisabte-matfees-be-increased
at this time.
. Current County policies do not include a surrender fee
. Set fees for redemption of animals on an escalating basis (first offense, second
offense, third offense.) These fees should not be higher than the county's, but
not onerous to prevent low income citizens from affording to rescue their
animals.
.
.
. Current County fees are as follows:
. Impound fee (first 96 hours): $40
. Daily board fee (after first 96 hours): $8
. Vaccinations (cats): $8
. Vaccinations (dogs): $10
. Apprehension fee (I "/2"d/3"' & subsequent violations) for
unaltered animals: $40/$80/$180
. Apprehension fee for altered animals: $80/$160/$210)
. Set license fees for altered dogs and unaltered dogs. (Fees should be collected
both at RCAS and the City clerk's office.)
. Current County fees are as follows:
. Unaltered: $5.00 per month
.
34
e
e
.
. Altered: $1.00 - $1.25 per month
. Develop a multi-year funding strategy to provide City-funded spay/neuter for
qualified low-income Rancho Cucamonga pet owners. This can be funded, in
part, with a reasonable differential dog licensing program.
. Keep in mind that given the transition and its inevitable public perception and
relations issues, it might not be advisable that fees be increased at this time.
3.7 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The new City operated shelter will report to the Office of the City Manager. To be
successful, it must develop a culture of accountability. Holding staff and management
accountable begins with a clear identification of duties and responsibilities in the job
description, a thoughtful and reasonably comprehensive manual, followed by written
protocols and policies, adequate and consistent supervisory oversight, and periodic
feedback usually through the employee job performance review process.
Transition Considerations:
. Createlob-descriptions-for'all-shelter'positions'and-recroit'With-a-goal-of-hiring
the majority of line staff four to six weeks before taking over operations for
purposes of team building and training.
. Create an organization chart to be modified by the new Animal Services
Director.
. All job descriptions should require, at a minimum, a valid High School diploma.
. Any job dealing directly with animals should require, at a minimum, no record of
convictions.
. Any job requiring access to cash, drugs, vehicles and public safety aspects should
require random drug testing. This is especially true of the drivers and animal
control officers.
. Create written policies and procedures for all aspects of shelter operations
including disease control, adoption, volunteers, hours of operation, customer
service, animal identification, socialization, and handling. (Phase II)
. City employee handbooks must be modified to reflect unique shelter needs
including exposure to zoonotic diseases, aggressive animals, working around
chemicals, the 24/7 nature of emergency operations, and the need to have staff
365 days a year even when the shelter is closed to feed and care for the animals.
Timing and Costs: The Animal Services Director, shelter manager and veterinary staff
should be hired as soon as possible. In addition, to the extent that an executive assistant
can be brought in to participate in creating contracts with vendors and producing public
35
relations materials for the shelter, it is recommended that this position also be filled.
The remainder should be hired four to six weeks prior to the transition date for training
and team building. A suggested job chart and approximate personnel budget is being
developed.
.
3.8 EQUIPMENT/SUPPLY NEEDS
As of this writing, it was not possible to get an inventory from the City or county as to
what equipment is owned by the City and what is owned by the county. It is important
to do that as soon as possible. This report does not encompass the purchasing of chairs
and desks, lamps, paper/office supplies, or other standard equipment and supplies for
office and City departments, with the following exceptions:
. A standard household refrigerator for vaccines and drugs which must be
refrigerated; ($750)
. A double-locked cabinet for housing controlled substances used in the
euthanasia process; ($200)
. A locked cabinet for medicine and other supplies such as flea treatment which is
very expensive and is highly susceptible to employee and volunteer attrition in
this Industry; ($TOO)
. A washer and dryer, preferably of commercial grade equivalent, for washing
towels and blankets; ($3,000)
. Commercial (restaurant-type) dishwasher and sanitizer. ($3,000)
. A surgery/examination table. ($2,000)
. A stand alone examination/surgery light. ($1,500)
.
The following supplies should be purchased during the transition and accounts created
with vendors as many will be purchased regularly as needed. (For additional needs, see
Field Services Section 8.1)
Initial One Time Purchases:
I. Capture gloves-these are critical to preventing injuries to both animals and
people, and help ensure that wild or fractious animals are handled humanely.
(One pair for each vehicle and at least one, preferably two pairs, for the shelter.)
2. Control poles-these are also critical to preventing injuries and, if used
appropriately and with restraint, can help ensure that animals are handled
humanely. (One for each vehicle and at least two for the shelter.)
3. Crates and cages-Many sizes and types of cages and crates should always be
available for a variety of situations.
4. Caging & transfer systems for unsocialized cats-Trap transfer cages, squeeze cages,
and feral cat handling systems are essential equipment for animal sheltering and
field operations.
.
36
.
.
5. Feral cat handling systems-These cages allow for field pick up. daily care. cage
cleaning, treatment, transfer and anesthesia with no handling necessary.
6. Nets-Nets enable staff to handle a variety of animals. particularly wildlife, with
minimal restraint. Nets should be sturdy. at least twice as deep as the diameter.
and flat on the end (not round). (One for each vehicle and at least one for the
shelter.)
7. Muzzles-Available in kits, muzzles for the shelter and the field will allow
officers, staff. behaviorists and veterinary personnel to perform treatments and
procedures with minimal risk of injury.
8. Uve traps-Traps should be available for feral cats. at least one large dog trap. as
well as raccoon and small animal (squirrel) traps. It is a good idea to buy at least
10-15 feral cat traps for loaning to the public.
9. Stretchers-Most animal stretchers have plastic or vinyl covers designed to help
immobilize injured animals. (One for each vehicle and at least one for the
shelter.)
10. Grooming equiPment-These come in kits to shave animals for medical treatment,
for spay/neuter. for grooming, and for a wide variety of our reasons. (One for
the shelter.)
II. Microchip scanner/microchip kit-A kit to insert microchips if the shelter is going
to add this service to reclaimed and adopted animals. However, scanners
(universa1ta:re~crucial-to-reunitiTTgiost-pms-amhl1tcrochip-scanning-isTequired
by law. A scanner for the shelter is a mandatory minimum, but scanners in
vehicles will allow officers to return dogs and cats without need for impound at
the shelter, and for identifying owners quickly.
12. Pole syringe--A pole syringe is used for humane euthanasia of feral cats and
wildlife, when appropriate. with minimal risk of injury to the euthanasia
technician.
13. Leashes and slip leads-Leashes serve many purposes. and both the shelter and
trucks should be well-stocked. Nylon slip leads are a cost effective way to return
and adopt animals to owners. and for field personnel and shelter staff to
impound dogs.
14. Collars-All dogs in the shelter should be collared. A variety of collars should be
purchased for the shelter.
15. Stethoscope--For medical care and verification of death.
16. Hair dryer-For grooming and drying.
17. Assessa Hand & Doll-For temperament testing of dogs.
18. Buckets, mops, pooper scoopers, squeegees-For cleaning of the shelter.
19. Spray bottles-For chemical solutions to clean cat cages.
20. Digital Cameras-For pictures of dogs and cats to use in website promotion as
well as Chameleon input.
21. Regular (35 mm) Camera--For use in investigations as courts do not accept
digital imaging as evidence in most states. (One for each truck.)
22. Time Clock-For staff accountability purposes.
23. Fluid Bottle Holder-For 5ub-Q fluids used in onsite medical treatment.
24. Bowls-Dog and cat food and water bowls to fit holders in cages and kennels
.
37
25. Rubbermaid Bins-Large bins or plastic trash cans with lids to store food for
shelter animals (Must be air tight).
26. Utter boxes-Plastic litter boxes of various sizes. (However, it is recommended
that the shelter use disposal carrying boxes on a daily basis.)
27. High pressure spray mixers-For efficient mixture of detergent/disinfectant in
cleaning dog kennels.
28. Waterless hand wash systems (and refill pacl<s~For staff and public use to reduce
the incidence of disease transmission from one animal to the next.
29. Animal enrichment items such as Kong toys, rawhides, tennis balls, ropes tied in
knots and other chew toys daily. For cats, fuzzy balls and balls with bells (but no
catnip).
30. Dag adoption vests ("I'm available for adoption")-For offsite adoption venues and
park activity.
31. Collapsible cat cages-For offsite adoption events.
32. Six-foot folding tables-For offsite adoption and other community events.
33. Dog beds-For dog kennels, especially for older, sick or injured dogs.
34. Cat beds-For larger rooms, including current "get acquainted" rooms (towels
should be used in stainless steel stack cages.)
35. Rolling carts-For cleaning/medical supplies.
36. Bandanas-For highlighting dogs and adding color.
.
Ongoing Shelter Supplies Needed:
.
Cleanin~ Supplies:
I. Kennelsol or other broad
spectrum disinfectant
2. Bleach
3. Chlorhexadine spray
4. All purpose spray cleaners
5. Towels and dish-type rags
Daily Operations:
6. Paper towels
7. Paper plates
8. Cardboard cat carriers for
adoptions and redemptions
9 . Towels and blankets (for pet
comfort)
10. Dry pet food (Science Diet
Shelter Feeding Program)
II. Canned pet food for sick
animals, geriatric animals, nursing
mothers and young animals
12. Pet food treats for training,
rewards, socializing and
improving adoptability.
13. Cat litter
14. Carry trays or litter boxes
I S. Trash bags
16. ID tags
17. ID collars for cats
18. Dishwashing detergent
19. Laundry detergent
20. Pet shampoo
.
38
.
.
.
Medical Care:
21. Kitten Milk Replacer Formula
and bottle kits
22. Puppy Milk Replacer Formula
and bottle kits
23. Feline leukemia test kits
24. Sub-coetaneous fluids
25. Parvovirus test kits
26. Tranqui-Ved tranquilizer
27. Micaved (ringworm treatment)
28. Doxycline 100 mgs (500 tabs per
bottle)
29. Panacur 1000 ml per bottle
30. Fecosol & Fecalizer kits
31. Rabies vaccine
32. Feline vaccinations
33. Dog Vaccines such as Duramune
Max 5 w/lepto and Bronchi-
Shield III
34. Clavamox (liquid only)
35. Metronidazole
36. Strongid T
37. Needle combos (22 x I')
syringes & Needles
38. Tri-optic ointment
39.0tomax
40. Cefa drops
41. Ivermectin
42. Baytril
43. Drontal plus
44. Albon
45. Droncit
46. Flea preventative (Advantage or
Frontline)
Euthanasia:
47. Ketamine
48. Sodium Pentobarbital
Timing and Cost: Vendor contracts should be established as soon as possible with
supplies on hand for operations on day one. A budget will be prepared with the support
of City staff and vendors.
39
4.0 ANIMAL CARE & HANDLING
.
4.1 GENERAL ANIMAL CARE & CLEANING PROTOCOLS
It would be difficult to design a more stressful or frustrating environment for an animal
than a shelter. Many of these animals are used to living in homes or on the streets, and
additionally, many of them come into the shelter in a compromised physical state. To
bring them into a shelter with strange noise and smells, as well as inconsistent handling
techniques, adds to the stress and can lead to anti-social behaviors or illness, which at
many shelters can constitute a death sentence. And while a shelter can do many things
to reduce stress, it cannot eliminate it altogether.
It is therefore crucial that shelter employees take reasonable precautions not to add to
animal stress and, conversely, to take reasonable steps to help lower it, including soft
music, enrichment items such as Kong toys, and people play and out of cage/kennel
time.
Moreover, it is impossible to completely eliminate viruses that cause disease in a
shelter environment, but a good cleaning and disinfecting protocol can vastly
reduce their impact.
T ransitian Cansideratians:
. Develop socialization policies and procedures. (Phase II)
. Develop a cleaning and disinfecting protocol. (Phase II)
.
4.2 ANIMAL MOVEMENT
In order to save more lives, RCAS must ensure that animals move through the system
as quickly and efficiently as possible. The integrity of RCAS's commitment to give every
animal a fighting chance for life depends on keeping animals moving through the system.
Studies indicate that every day a cat sits in a kennel increases the cat's susceptibility to
disease by 5%. The longer a dog sits in a kennel, the greater the risk of both disease and
anti-social barrier behaviors.
T ransitian Cansideratians:
. An animal flow and "hold" policy needs to be developed. (Phase II)
4.3 ANIMAL HANDLING
Staff must be taught good handling, restraint and transport of animals, including of
"fractious," feral and aggressive animals, and recognition between them. Once taught,
.
40
.
.
.
they should be held accountable to those standards. This will allow the staff to better
assess the temperament of the animals and apply the most appropriate type of restraint
as necessary for each situation. This training must be formalized. Otherwise, staffs lack
of awareness of basic principles and incorrect handling techniques are passed on from
one generation of employees to the next by virtue of the ill-advised "on the job
training." (Shadowing employees is the last step to independently working a shift
following training; it should not be the entirety of training.)
As one national organization has indicated:
An animal handler's most important tool cannot be found in any catalog.
By far, the greatest asset to animal handling staff is knowledge. Personnel
trained in animal behavior and humane handling can ensure that they are
handling animals-and employing equipment-in the safest, most humane
manner possible.
Transition Considerations:
. Provide training to staff in identifying animal body posture and signs of stress.
(See Section 2.5)
. Provide training to staff in temperament evaluations. (See Section 2.S)
. Written guidelines must be expanded to include standard operating
procedures for animal handling.
. Staff should be trained to remove feral cats from traps and carriers in a quiet
room using a feral cat handling system.
. Purchase a feral cat restraint system, capture gloves, crates, transport cages,
nets, leashes, muzzles, stretchers, and push carts, as well as towels and
blankets for transport and handling. (See Section 3.8)
4.4 INCOMING ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION/PROCEDURES
Animals come in to RCAS in a number of ways. They may surrendered at the counter
by their owners, finders or emergency/public safety personnel such as the Police
Department or Fire District. They are also brought in by humane officers. Information
about each animal must be collected to the extent that it is reasonably available.
Information to be placed into the computer at time of intake depends on the status of
the owner as "stray" or "owned" and includes:
Owned Animals:
I. Owner's name, address, zip code and telephone number
2. Species of animal
3. Name of animal
4. Age of animal
41
5. Sex of the animal, including spay status
6. General physical description
7. Physical markings
8. Special care requirements
.
Stray Animals:
I. Finder's name, address, zip code and telephone number
2. Species of animal
3. Description of animal
4. Sex of the animal
5. Physical markings
6. Whether the animal is wearing a collar
7. Whether the animal has identifying tags
8. Location where the animal was found
9. Location of the property where the animal was found
10. If the finder may know who owns the animal
Transition Considerations:
. Develop policies and procedures for intake. (Phase II)
. Create forms for intake, including background information on each animal to
aid in the adoption process. (Phase II)
.
4.5 LOST & FOUND PROCEDURES
Lost & Found animal reports are filled in when the person who loses or finds the animal
either telephones RCAS to generate such a report, or physically comes into the shelter.
It is also important to make follow-up telephone calls to those who report lost or found
pets to provide an important safety net and reduce the number of animals who fall
through the "cracks."
Transition Considerations:
. Develop Lost & Found policies and procedures. (Phase II)
. Train staff to identify breeds correctly.
. Train staff in determining the difference between a shy or frightened cat and
a truly feral cat. At most shelters, cats are "determined" to be feral based on
reaction in a cat trap, yet studies show that as high as 20% of owned cats act
"feral" on intake due to fear or stress, and this number is higher for cats in
traps resulting in possible lost matches. (See Section 2.5)
.
42
.
.
.
4.6 VETERINARY & HEALTH ISSUES
Routine physical examinations of animals in receiving must be conducted including the
evaluation of physical appearance, heart/lungs, cleaning ears, and nasal and eye discharge.
In addition, medical staff should do daily rounds of all the animals in the shelter.
RCAS must also develop a protocol for pain, medical evaluation forms, daily medication
logs, a formal mechanism for flagging animals that need veterinary care, and a consistent
flea preventative policy.
The responsibility of caring for stray and abandoned animals is a serious one and carries
the responsibility to individually assess the health status of every animal, and to provide
care for those needs throughout the animal's stay at the shelter-even for those animals
scheduled to be killed.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop a relationship with veterinary providers for DEA license use,
rotations, primary care, 24/7 tnage, and spaymeufe-r.
. Hire a trained and experienced veterinary technician, and contract with a
veterinarian to evaluate and treat shelter animals.
. Develop a pain protocol, appropriate medical evaluation forms, daily
medication logs, a formal mechanism for flagging animals that need veterinary
care, and a consistent flea preventative policy. (Phase II)
4.7 FEEDING PROTOCOLS
Establishing a system of proper feeding is extremely important, and staff should be
trained to monitor the diets of the animals. All animals, except those with special needs,
should be fed nutritionally adequate dry fresh food. Those with special needs should also
have supplemental canned (wet) food.
Transition Considerations:
. Enroll in a shelter supplier feeding program providing all animals with
nutritionally adequate dry food.
. Develop protocols for feeding, including paying special attention to geriatric
animals, infirm animals, nursing mothers and young animals. (Phase II)
Approximate cost: If utilizing a shelter feeding program, it will cost roughly $1 per animal,
per year, or about $5,500. This does not include canned food. Keep in mind that food
donations are the single most donated item to shelters. If the shelter does a good job
43
advertising its needs, it will rarely have to supplement by purchase the donation of
canned food.
.
4.8 VACCINATION PROTOCOLS
Vaccinations are an important prong in the strategy to keep animals from getting sick
and thus reducing deaths in kennel or the "need" to resort to lethal injection due to
illness.
While poor vaccination procedures potentially impact all animals, they
disproportionately impact cats and kittens who are highly susceptible to viral infections.
It is therefore critical to establish immunity as soon as possible. The University of
California at Davis shelter medicine program recommends that,
In almost all cases, shelter animals should be vaccinated immediately upon
intake. A delay of even a day or two will significantly compromise the
vaccine's ability to provide protection... (In some cases, the chance of
the vaccine preventing disease may be 90% or. better if given the day
before exposure, but will drop to less than I % if given the day after
exposure.)
Transition Considerations:
. Create a medical evaluation check-list, which includes vaccinations. (Phase II)
. Develop protocols for vaccinations. (Phase II)
.
4.9 VETERINARY SERVICES
RACAS must improve both physical and operations infrastructure to keep animals from
getting sick in the first place and to provide cost effective care and treatment, including
behavior rehabilitation, for reasonably treatable animals. In addition, one of the most
comprehensive studies to look at risk factors for pet relinquishment found that the
presence of a relationship with a veterinary provider mitigates against shelter
abandonment. The better the relationship, the less likely a pet is to find himself
relinquished at a shelter.
Good relations with the veterinary community are therefore important to saving lives
and a positive community image. Too often, the relationship between veterinarians and
animal control is non-existent or adversarial. When sick animals are taken to
veterinarians post-adoption, how a veterinarian frames the issue will go a long way to
protecting or improving the shelter's image or destroying it even more. It is therefore
imperative to establish contact with local veterinarians and to keep them reasonably
informed of vaccination protocols, changes in procedures, and viral outbreaks. If the
veterinarian believes RCAS is taking steps to help ensure the health of shelter animals,
they will more likely frame things in a positive way for adopters.
.
44
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e
.
At the Tompkins County SPCA, two local veterinarians, one associated with Cornell
University, sit on the Board of Directors and an Animal Issues Committee which helps
shape veterinary policies and procedures at the shelter. In addition, local veterinarians
are periodically advised of changes in vaccination protocols, identified strains of viral
outbreaks, and are solicited in educating pet owners about successes at the shelter and
the importance of adopting rather than buying.
Finally, local veterinarians are encouraged to participate in both a low-cost spay/neuter
voucher program and to do periodic rotations through the shelter to assist in
vaccinations, diagnostics and rehabilitation, in exchange for a nominal payment and a
positive referral of that veterinarian to adopters.
The City is currently evaluating options for veterinarian care, with a goal for veterinary
care services provided at the shelter that would include medical evaluation and care of
the animals, and behavioral programs to enhance the animals' adoptability. In addition,
Western University College of Veterinary Medicine is sympathetic to shelter issues, and
relations with them should be explored.
Transition Considerations:
. Continue to develop a relationship with Western University to include
spay/neuter at a minimum.
. Ensure that contracts for spay/neuter currently held between private
veterinarians and the county continue once the City takes over operation of
the shelter (with attention paid to the preferred procedures followed by the
veterinary provider).
. Create a surgery/treatment room as soon as possible, even if temporary such
as the current employee break room, to maximize use of veterinary and
Western University resources.
. Establish a working relationship with veterinarians to encourage periodic
rotations through the shelter to help with vaccination, diagnosis and
rehabilitation of shelter animals.
. Establish a post-adoption health certificate plan that will allow adopters to
get a free health exam at local veterinarians, encouraging adopters to
establish a relationship with veterinary providers. (The lack of a relationship
with a veterinarian is one of the primary risk factors for relinquishment.)
Approximate Cost: Must be developed through local veterinarians, and relief or contract
veterinarian.
45
5.0 ADOPTIONS
.
Data from the American Animal Hospital Association data shows that approximately 53
million dogs are already in 31 million homes, and 59 million cats are in 27 million homes.
As one commentator put it, "if each pet lives 10 years, on average, and the number of
homes grows at the same rate that homes are lost through deaths and other attrition,
then replacement homes would come available each year for more than twice as many
dogs and slightly more cats than enter shelters. Since the inventory of pet-owning
homes is growing, not just holding even, adoption could in theory replace all population
control killing right now-if the animals and patential adapters were better intraduced."
In fact, studies show people get their dogs from shelters only 15% of the time overall,
and less than I 0% of the time for cats. If shelters better promoted their animals and had
adoption programs responsive to the needs of the community, they could increase the
number of homes available and replace population control killing with adoptions. In
other words, shelter killing is more a function of market share, than "public
irresponsibility." The quantity and quality of shelter adoptions, therefore, appears to be
in shelter management's hands, making lifesaving a direct function of shelter policies and
practice.
Many factors impact tile quantity and quality of adoptions. THese mcluce:
Adoption Hours: Convenient shelter hours mean more chances for adoptions. To
avoid increased costs, shelters can open later in the day and stay open later giving
working people and families with children a chance to adopt.
e
Offsite Adoptions: Not everyone can come to the shelter, so bring the shelter to
them through mobile adoption centers in locations around the City. On-site staff and
volunteer adoption counselors make sure each match is a good one. Some shelters
even have permanent adoption storefronts in local malls. Adoption outreach isn't just
good for the animals-animals attract people, and that's good for businesses who host
adoption events.
Special Events: Neighborhood fairs, church picnics, craft fairs, and dog and cat shows
are terrific opportunities to show available pets to the public.
Cost Often, shelters must compete with pet stores, breeders and backyard litters. If it
costs $40 to buy a kitten from a pet shop, does it make sense for a shelter to charge
$IOO! Other benefits of adopting from the shelter can include: a free veterinary visit,
discounts at pet supply stores, discounts on dog training classes, grooming discounts,
free behavior advice, and a free handbook on understanding their new pet.
Advertising: TV and radio stations are often delighted to promote a "Pet of the
Week." Photos of adoptable animals on a shelter website can give people a chance to
take a look before they come to the shelter. And many newspapers sponsor adoption
ads for humane groups.
.
46
.
Foster Program: Not only does a foster program provide in-home loving care for
underage or recovering animals. it is also a great network for adoptions!
Rescue Groups: Breed-specific and other rescue groups are ready. willing. and able to
take animals out of the local shelter. care for them. and adopt the animals out.
Since only 15 percent of pet owners get their animals from shelters. the key to a .
comprehensive adoption program is to increase market share. The bottom line is that
there are plenty of homes out there, and it is up to RCAS to effectively promote its pets
so that they find their way into those homes-from offsite adoptions and other
community venues, effective use of the internet, increasing partnerships with the media.
enlisting the support of volunteers and foster parents. and making the shelter more
inviting.
A shelter has many options in this regard, including:
.
. Providing inducements during kitten season. and discounting adult cats to
reduce length of stay.
. Matching mature animals with mature people by offering discounted or no
cost adoptions for animals 5 years or older, with mature persons 55 years or
older.
. Developing a form attached to kennels so volunteers can write their
observations about animals' traits and behaviors, especially for dogs.
. Utilizing the responses in the surrender questionnaire as part of the adoption
file to help match with the new home.
. Working with groomers to allow pets to look their best.
. Placing toys in cages with the animals-it looks homey and adds color to the
animals' surroundings.
. Just as people are more likely to enter a store where others are already
shopping. the same holds true for shelter animals. Having adoption
counselors and dog/cat socializer volunteers working with the animals during
peak visitation hours. People are drawn to an animal who is interacting with a
person. Simply having a volunteer petting an older cat or sitting in the lobby
with a long-term dog can make all the difference.
. Letting people take animals out of their cages and play with them in the
socialization pens. Potential adopters will stay longer. and are more likely to
adopt. Set up a doggy pool and/or have Frisbees and tennis balls in the fenced
yard. and invite people to walk and play with the dogs.
.
47
5.1 ADOPTION PROCESS & POLICIES
.
Adoptions are the cornerstone of shelter operational success. Every person who adopts
an animal. and experiences good results. walks away with a new family member and a
positive experience with RCAS. Increasing adoptions not only saves lives. therefore. but
itself leads to further success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with
the job RCAS is doing. Adopters open up scarce kennel space. provide revenue to
RCAS. encourage friends and family to adopt, can be solicited for private support in the
future and provide living ambassadors to RCAS success for years to come.
The adoption process should provide screening to make sure animals are being placed in
appropriate and responsible homes. but should not be overly bureaucratic.
Furthermore. fees for adoption cannot be too high. making it difficult for RCAS to
effectively compete with pet stores. backyard breeders. and other sources of pets:
Adoption fees are not and should not be intended to supplement a government's lack of
funding priority for animal control. They should be used as a "loss leader," a commodity
offered at or below cost in order to attract clients and induce them to "purchase" more
later. In the case of sheltering. particularly an IRS Code Section SOl (c)(3). adoptions
provide a basis for future volunteer and donor support.
Finally. the goal of an adoption program is not just the adoption itself. but ensuring that
the adoption is successful. This requires providing adopters with good information
about the pet, good information about how to care for the pet, and a contact telephone
number to call if there are adjustment issues (as they often are) once the pet comes into
the home including training. behavior. and medical issues.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Expand on current efforts to promote animals such as Petfinder. Pet Harbor.
RCTV-3. the City's quarterly newsletter and e-newsletter. and the
relationship with local newspapers like the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin to
highlight a RCAS pet of the week.
. Develop adoption policies and procedures. (Phase II)
. Develop a relationship Develop adoption forms. (Phase II)
. Set adoption fee schedule.
. Develop adoption giveaways. including a guide for caring for the new pet,
identification tags. and other new pet owner information and supplies.
Additional Consideration: Develop a temperament testing protocol. Temperament testing
is a series of exercises designed to evaluate whether an animal is aggressive. Because
dog behavior is highly specific to context, it is unfortunately not enough to say that a
.
48
.
.
.
dog is friendly and of reasonably good temperament if she comes into a shelter with her
tail wagging. The flip side is also true. Because the shelter is a highly stressful, unnatural,
and frightening environment for a dog who has just been abandoned by a family, the fact
that a dog is scared and growls at staff on intake is not enough to make a determination
that the dog is unfriendly and vicious. So it is not only fair, but a good idea, for shelters
to evaluate dogs to make sure they can safely be placed into loving new homes.
In order to be fair, a temperament test must do two things: (I) screen out aggression
and (2) ensure that friendly, scared, shy, sick, or injured dogs do not get wrongly
executed. By focusing on the first prong, traditional shelters have ignored the second, a
violation that goes to the core of the no-kill ideal: animals are to be judged and treated
as individuals.
The decision to end an animal's life is an extremely serious one, and should always be
treated as such. No matter how many animals a shelter kills, each and every one is an
individual and deserves individual consideration. A strict and fair policy helps ensure that
the decision is reached correctly. A dog may appear aggressive, but in reality he may
simply be frightened by his new surroundings and by being away from the only family he
has ever known. Being able to determine whether a dog is truly aggressive or merely
frightened can mean the difference between life and death, as well as the difference
-l5etween-a-happy-adoption-and-disappointment.
5.2 POST-ADOPTION FOLLOW-UP
There are many reasons for a post-adoption follow-up protocol. First, many animals
who enter a home experience "adjustment" issues. These can be resolved with good,
thoughtful advice. Without this, animals are at heightened risk for return, and for easily
fixable and relatively minor behaviors to escalate to bigger problems. Dogs, for example,
can quickly establish patterns and if these are not addressed early, may become harder
to fix later, leading to abandonment or relinquishment. It is vital that the agency contact
all adopters within the first two weeks of adoption in order to make sure things are
going smoothly. It is equally important that adopters have a dedicated telephone number
to reach someone for good advice and/or referral to local resources.
The post-adoption follow-up need not be a comprehensive process. Two questions
need only be asked: I. How are things going? 2. Can we help you with anything?
Second, a post-adoption program assesses the quality of the adopter. If they no longer
have the pet or information is elicited to show the match was not good or problems
exist (e.g., the dog is relegated to the backyard, etc.), the concern can be relayed to the
animal control officers for follow-up and the person placed on an adoption barred-list.
Third, the program allows the agency to show it cares and is responsive, which will be
important for a second follow-up call in six months. After the six-month follow-up, all
RCAS adopters who still have their pet and report good results should be solicited for a
49
donation if RCAS follows the recommendation in Section 9.3. As one agency has noted,
"Successfully adopted animals are like alumni and their adopters can become part of a
strong support and donor base."
.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop a post-adoption callback program utilizing adoption staff, clerical
staff, or volunteers to call back at two weeks and six months. (Phase II)
5.3 RESCUE GROUPS
Southern California communities have a strong rescue group network. These groups
can vastly increase RCAS's lifesaving rate if the shelter treats rescue groups as partners.
An adoption or transfer to a rescue group frees up scarce cage and kennel space,
reduces expenses for feeding, cleaning, killing and carcass disposal, and improves a
shelter's rate of lifesaving. Getting an animal out of the shelter in an appropriate
placement is important and rescue groups, as a general rule, can screen adopters better
than RCAS. In an environment of over 5,000 impounded animals annually, there will
rarely be a shortage of adoptable animals and if a rescue group is willing to take custody
and_care_oftlle_animal,J:anduh!Ld!"cumstanceJn which the)' should be denied.
The longer an animal stays in the shelter, the greater the animal's susceptibility to
disease and anti-social behaviors. In addition, rescue groups are RCAS's best customers
and should be accommodated as such. Many shelters with outdated rescue policies have
lost the support of these groups which increases costs and reduces the number of
animals who are saved.
.
Some national groups suggest formal training, "home" visits and other obstacles to
successful placement partners. These hurdles are premised on a historical distrust of the
No Kill community by large, national agencies who as late as the I 990s continued to
oppose such relationships, and whose net result is a reduction in the number of lives
saved. In California, the State Legislature passed a law making it illegal for any shelter to
kill a dog or cat if a rescue group, shelter or animal welfare organization was willing to
accept the animal into their adoption program. The only screening required under the
law is that the group must be recognized under IRS Code Section 501 (c)(3).
The importance of placing a high value on relationships with rescue groups, to put in
place a workable program with minimal bureaucracy, and to have staff with a good
attitude toward rescue partners cannot be overstated.
Transition Considerations:
. Hire a Community Programs Manager to oversee programs such as rescue
placements and foster care.
.
50
.
. Develop policies and procedures. (Phase II)
. Develop a protocol so that rescue groups get a daily e-mail inventory list of
animals in the shelter on the day the animals are impounded, as many of
these groups are foster-care based and need time to arrange transportation
and temporary housing. This can be occurring during the stray period so that
the animal can leave on the earliest possible day.
5.4 FOSTER CARE
A volunteer foster program can be an ideal low-cost way to greatly increase the number
of lives a shelter can save while at the same time providing an opportunity for
community members to volunteer. Not only does a foster program maximize the
number of animals rescued, it allows an organization to care for animals who would be
difficult to care for in a shelter environment--orphaned or feral kittens, sick or injured
animals, or dogs needing one-an-one behavior rehabilitation. For animals who may need
a break from the shelter environment, foster care provides a comfortable home setting
that keeps animals happy and healthy. The keys to building a successful foster program
are simple: lay the groundwork, recruit, train, and keep track.
Foster care iSCfUaaTtoNoKiII:-Witnout-it, saving lives IS compromised:-lt-is-a-lbW-cost,
and often no cost, way of increasing a shelter's capacity, improving public relations,
increasing a shelter's public image, rehabilitating sick and injured or behaviorally
challenged animals, and saving lives.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Hire a Community Programs Manager to oversee programs such as rescue
placements and foster care.
. Develop policies and procedures, and forms, for foster care. (Phase II)
5.5 PET RETENTION
While many of the reasons animals are surrendered to shelters are unavoidable, others
can be prevented-but only if RCAS is willing to work with people to help them solve
their problems. Saving all healthy and treatable pets requires RCAS to develop
innovative strategies for keeping people and their companion animals together. And the
more a community sees its shelter as a place to turn for advice and assistance, the
easier this job will be.
.
Animal control agencies can maintain "libraries" of pet care and behavior fact sheets in
the shelter and on a website. Articles in local papers, radio and television spots all
provide opportunities to feature topics like solving litter box avoidance and excessive
barking. Other pet retention programs include free dog behavior problem-solving by
51
volunteers, low-cost dog training, pet friendly rental programs, dog walker referrals, and
pet behavior classes.
.
If someone calls with an animal related problem, staff must attempt to assist them in
resolving those problems short of bringing the animal to RCAS.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop a binder of materials for staff to use to provide pet behavior advice
in the shelter, on the website, and through other public relations channels.
. Consider development of a dedicated telephone number for dog behavior
and cat behavior advice.
. Hire an Animal Handler (dog and cat trainer, in-shelter socialization) who can
respond to a dedicated dog and cat behavior help line.
. Develop programs such as pet friendly rental listings, a low-cost spay/neuter
fund and other pet retention programs. (Existing models exist at other
agencies.)
5.6 BEHAVIOR & TRAINING
Socializing dogs and cats will improve disposition, calm frightened animals, and improve
their adoptability. By contrast, animals who sit in their kennels and cages for extended
periods of time develop anti-social barrier behaviors (i.e., "cage craziness.") By
implementing a fairly simple in-house behavior program, RCAS can be well on its way to
saving even more lives.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop policies and procedures to provide dogs a daily walk on a leash,
daily play in a fenced area, and daily socialization including brushing, petting,
and "people" time with the dog/cat. (Phase II)
. Develop strategies to include volunteers and staff socialization of dogs and
cats, recording of daily observations in a computer or handwritten log, noting
things like activity level, ability to follow simple commands, favorite games or
toys, interaction with other dogs, and any progress made or problems
noticed. This information comes in handy for the next socializer, and is
particularly helpful when matching the dog with a new adopter. (Phase II)
5.7 MEDICAL REHABILITATION
A shelter begins helping treatable animals by closely analyzing statistics. How many
animals entering a shelter are treatable? What types of injuries and illnesses are most
.
52
.
.
.
common? The answers to these questions will determine what types of rehabilitation
programs are needed and how to effectively allocate resources. For example. one
community may have many underage kittens in its shelters. Another may have
substantial numbers of cats with upper respiratory infections. or dogs with kennel
cough. Yet another may find that a large portion of treatable pets are dogs with
behavior problems. Each will need a different lifesaving program.
These can include creating a fund dedicated solely to medical and behavioral
rehabilitation. Such a fund lets the public direct their donations and allows a shelter to
demonstrate what they are doing to help treatable animals. In addition. the shelter can
establish relationships to have local veterinarians come to the shelter and do rotations.
These veterinarians can supplement the work of veterinary technicians and help
diagnose animals. give vaccinations. and administer medication and treatment.
A relationship with the veterinary college can allow veterinary students to volunteer at
the shelter on a regular basis. providing the students with real on-the-job training. while
shelter animals receive high-quality care under the direction'of a veterinary college
clinician. Western University requires its students to do offsite rotations. of which
shelter medicine is an option (CVM 511). This program requires students do both two
week rotations and one month rotations. with the University paying the agency for
. allowing the stuClenCto pafticipate:-lifaClClition. tljetJftiversity'has-St'Ulhmn"un-c1ub's
which can assist in shelter operations including the Shelter Medicine Club and Behavioral
Club.
Finally. it is impossible to overstate the importance of a foster program for underaged
kittens and puppies. undersocialized animals. and those recovering from medical
treatment.
Transition Considerations:
. Hire two veterinary technicians.
. Develop a partnership with the Western University College of Veterinary
Medicine. local veterinary technician programs at Cal-Poly Pomona and Mt.
Sac. and private practice veterinarians. (See Section 4.9)
. Partner with private practice veterinarians in the following areas:
. Development of a program where veterinarians provide a free
health exam within 30 days of a RCAS adoption.
.
Development of a program where veterinarians participate in
doing rounds at RCAS in exchange for a stipend and referral to
owners who adopt animals they treat.
Development of a program whereby private veterinarians
participate in a fixed-fee spay/neuter voucher program. or
.
53
.
otherwise assist in providing a sliding scale low-income
spay/neuter program.
Development of a program where private veterinarians provide a
bid based system of treating RCAS animals.
Development of a program where private veterinarians donate
recently expired drugs that are still efficacious to RCAS.
Development of a forum where private veterinarians are made
aware of viral strains and other issues in the shelter and provide
that information to clients in a positive manner, cognizant of the
limitations of a shelter environment.
Development of a continuing education module for private
veterinarians revolving around shelter medicine issues, such as
pediatric neutering.
.
.
.
.
.
.
54
.
6.0 PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Ending the killing of healthy and treatable pets means building, brick-by-brick, the
programs, facilities, and community involvement necessary to lower birthrates, increase
adoptions and keep animals with their loving, responsible caregivers. But most of all, it
means believing in the community and trusting in the power of compassion. And while
No Kill begins with a decision by shelter leadership, it cannot succeed without
community support. Getting that support is therefore a key focus for RCAS leadership.
6.1 PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Rebuilding a relationship with the community starts with redefining oneself as a "pet
rescue" agency. The community must see improvement at RCAS, especially in the area
of lifesaving. Public contact with the agency must include good customer service, more
adoptions, and tangible commitments by the City to give RCAS the tools it needs to do
the job humanely. Public contact, however, is not necessarily a face-to-face encounter.
The public has contact with an agency by reading about it in the newspaper, seeing
volunteers adopting animals at a local shopping mall or hearing the Director promoting
spay/neuter on the radio. It means public relations and community education.
.
Community education an-d public relationsaoes not nave tone~tivel)'-impacnhe-
budget. It some ways, it is revenue positive as it leads to increased adoptions and private
support. There is also the often intangible, but very real benefit of improved community
image. And an agency with a broad base of public support has a wedge against the
inevitable problems that may arise.
The importance of good public relations cannot be overstated. Good, consistent public
relations are the key to getting more money, more volunteers, more adoptions, and
more community good will. Indeed, if lifesaving is considered the destination, public
relations are the vehicle which will get a shelter there. Without it, RCAS will always be
struggling with animals and community recognition.
For example, studies show that people get their pets from a shelter only 15% of the
time. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that animal causes receive only I penny out
of each charitable dollar in the United States. Service oriented groups in communities,
such as Rotary, Lions Club, Kiwanis and others rarely include the local shelter in their
organization's philanthropy. And while lawyers and doctors work with low-cost clinics,
too many animal groups work with too few veterinarians to help in their lifesaving
mission.
.
Increasing adoptions, maximizing donations, recruiting volunteers and partnering with
community agencies comes down to one thing: increasing the shelter's exposure. And
that means consistent marketing and public relations. Public relations and marketing are
the foundation of all a shelter's activities and their success. To do all these things well,
the shelter must be in the public eye.
55
Indeed, a survey of more than 200 animal control agencies, conducted by a graduate
student at the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, found that
"community engagement" was one of the key factors in those agencies who have
managed to reduce killing and increase lifesaving. One agency noted that "Public buy-in
is crucial for long-term improvements" placing primary importance on "the need to
view community outreach and public engagement as integral to the agency's overall
purpose and programs rather than simply as an add-on accomplished with a few public
service announcements..." With the growing integration of animals in people's daily
lives, the public's expectations of what stewardship role RCAS will play is changing.
Management, staff, programs, services and image must change--and be marketed-
accordingly.
Whether it is working with shelter animals, trying to keep pets in their homes, or
modeling enforcement programs after "community policing" models, RCAS must
become a true community resource. Through media campaigns and creative marketing
strategies, RCAS can raise public awareness of its services, the value of animal
companionship, and what RCAS is doing to encourage both.
Transition Considerations:
.
. Develop a website that is a true community resource which should include
information on RCAS programs and services, animals available for adoption,
online licensing: pet friendly rentals, events, volunteer opportunities, a wish
list, and more.
. Highlight RCAS in the City's comprehensive marketing strategy and
community information program, that is consistent and positive, and should
include:
. News Releases. Sending out news releases is a numbers game. Too
many shelters and rescue groups put out too few press releases
because they do not believe they have that much news to report or
because they worry that the more press releases they put out, the less
people will take the press releases seriously. Not true. The more press
releases you put out, the more your name will appear in local media.
. Pet Care Advice. Put out press releases offering everything from cold
weather pet care tips, warm weather cautions about dogs in cars,
holiday pet advice, and the importance of spaying and neutering right
before kitten season. These stories already appear in your community
because large national groups are putting out these press releases. But
why should they get the name recognition? And, more importantly,
donations from members in your community?
. Heartwarming Stories. The public loves heartwarming animal
stories and shelters are full of them. A litter of puppies found on the
side of the road not only gets you the front page when they were
found, but weeks later when they are back in the shelter from foster
56
.
.
.
care and ready for adoption, the cameras will be rolling too. While not
every adoption should lead to a press release, every pet has a story.
Find a good angle and send it out!
. Events. Every event should not only result in a press release, but a
telephone call to the calendar section editor of your local newspaper.
Radio and television stations and newspaper have to fill up blocks of
time and space. If they have an empty spot and need to fill it, a stack of
your press releases will be just the thing they reach for!
. Public Service Announcements ("PSAs"). FCC rules often mandate
that local radio stations provide air time to traditionally disenfranchised
groups who could not otherwise afford to pay for these spots. Few
groups are more disenfranchised than homeless animals and the groups
who help them! In addition, radio stations sell advertising in 30 second
and 60 second blocks and must fill up a pre-determined level of "ad"
spots, even if no one has paid for the advertisement. During this time,
they plug in PSAs. Radio stations will record the PSAs for you at no
cost, and run them at no cost, if you approach them and write the text.
While driving along.listening to the radio, people will hear a PSA from
your group about the importance of spaying and neutering, adopting
rather-tharrbuying-a-pet,-information-about-your-next-event;-or-tAe
need to allow dogs inside the house.
. Public Access Television. Enhance its use of RCTV.3 to market
available animals and highlight other shelter services. When the
Tompkins County SPCA was building a new Pet Adoption Center, the
local cable channel ran a 30 minute video about the need for such a
shelter and where donations could be sent.
. Speak to Community Groups. A community is often filled with
service and social clubs made up of people who can adopt, volunteer,
or donate to the shelter. Groups like Rotary, Lions, Elks, Kiwanis,
Seniors and others meet monthly for lunch or dinner and always have a
guest speaker. Make contact with all these groups and offer to make a
presentation. Networking helps animals too!
. Create a Lover's List. How do you reach the movers and shakers in
your community? Big things can happen when you spread your message
to those with "influence" and "affluence" in your hometown. Pick up
your local government directory, scan the "society pages" of your local
. paper, and get the names and addresses of local CEOs! Put them on a
special mailing list and send them your annual report and other good
news a couple of times per year.
.
.
57
6.2 VOLUNTEERS
.
Volunteers are a dedicated "army of compassion" and the backbone of a successful No
Kill effort. There is never enough staff, never enough dollars to hire more staff, and
always more needs than paid human resources. That is where volunteers come in and
make the difference between success and failure and, for the animals, life and death.
In San Francisco, a community of approximately 800,000 people, volunteers spend over
110,000 hours at the shelter each year. Assuming the prevailing hourly wage, payroll
taxes and benefits, it would cost the San Francisco SPCA over $1 million dollars to
provide those services. In Tompkins County, a community of about 100,000 people,
volunteers spend over 12,500 hours walking dogs, grooming cats, helping with
adoptions, and doing routine but necessary office work, at a cost saving of
approximately $85,000 if the SPCA were to pay for those services at the current hourly
rate.
Put simply, it is not possible for a shelter to be successful without volunteers. The
success of the program demands that staff and volunteers work side-by-side in an arena
of partnership and mutual respect.
Iransition_Conc:.irlprntinn".
. Develop forms including an application, policies and procedures for a
volunteer program including the following positions: dog walker, cat
socializer, groomer, kennel assistant. greeter, adoption support. photography
and website update, offsite adoption, transportation, foster parent and
surrender counselor. (Phase II)
. The volunteer program must focus on recruitment. orientation, training,
liability, scheduling and supervision.
. Decide at what age volunteering will be allowed. It is not suggested that
volunteers under the age of 18 years old be allowed to volunteer without a
parent or guardian, and several shelters do not allow anyone under 18 to
volunteer because of resource allocation issues (the younger the volunteer,
the shorter term the volunteer commitment tends to be despite fixed agency
expenditures on training) and for liability reasons. However, children can still
support the shelter and be part of its lifesaving mission.
.
6.3 CUSTOMER SERVICE
Due to the high call volume of most animal control agencies, there will always be people
on hold and there will always be unhappy citizens. But staff who do not make customer
service a priority damage a shelter's relationship in irreparable ways, leaving a public
impression that the agency is unorganized and uncaring.
.
58
.
It is true that Animal Care & Control is an agency under siege all over the country.
With the public blaming shelter staff for the high rates of killing, and shelter staff blaming
the public for high impounds, it is not surprising that an adversarial relationship between
staff and public has become the national norm. But ultimately, an animal control agency
belongs to the citizens, is supported by their taxes. and should be responsive to
demands for good service.
Unfortunately. many agencies and government officials take a "circle the wagons"
approach. either flatly denying that problems exist or failing to fully investigate
complaints before making sweeping statements about "overworked" employees doing
"their very best."
Like many agencies across the country. RCAS has a monumental task taking in the
thousands of animals abandoned, abused, or neglected by an irresponsible public. Yet,
that is only one aspect of the whole picture. It must never excuse poor customer
service.
Unfortunately, while customer service is susceptible to training in the short term, lasting
change can only come about by holding staff accountable and improving RCAS
operations. Staff morale and customer service improve over the long-term in a
sustaina51e way wilen baa employees aCErfired;-g"o'od-orfes"are-retained;-and,lre"agency
kills fewer animals.
.
But customer service is more than the attitudes of clerical staff. Good customer service
involves all staff members who have public contact and begins with good work ethics. A
dog sitting in a filthy kennel undermines a smile and "hello" at the door. Good customer
service does not only mean being courteous and friendly and responsive to the public. it
means working hard and keeping the shelter clean.
Transition Considerations:
. Train staff on customer service skills. Contact:
Animal Shelter Outreach
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
outreach@aspca.org
. Develop staff accountability provisions. (Phase II)
6.4 FERAL CATS
.
The most successful shelters are those that provide options and incentives for
individuals. Providing a citizen with options results in high public satisfaction and
maximizing of lifesaving. When it comes to feral cats, many animal control agencies
throughout the United States are embracing TNR to improve animal welfare, reduce the
death rate. and meet obligations to public welfare and neighborhood tranquility
59
demanded by governments. In San Francisco, for example, a 1999-2000 pilot program
between the City's Animal Care & Control agency and the San Francisco SPCA required
AC&C to forward all feral cat complaints to the private SPCA to allow feral cat
advocates two weeks to reach a consensus with the parties involved for adoption of a
non-lethal TNR alternative. The program was very successful, resulting in less impounds,
less killing and reduced public complaints. In Tompkins County, an agreement with
county officials and the health department provided for TNR as an acceptable complaint,
nuisance and rabies abatement procedure. In specific cases, the health department paid
the SPCA to perform TNR.
.
According to the nation's leading TNR advocacy organization, TNR "is a full
management plan in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns,
and rural areas are humanely trapped, then rabies vaccinated, and sterilized by
veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes. Adult cats too wild
to be adopted are returned to their habitats. If possible, volunteers provide long-term
care, including food, shelter, and health monitoring."
In community surveys throughout the United States, it was found that feral cats are a
prominent subject of complaint calls from the public (although most callers did not want
the cats "killed") and that agencies spend a significant percentage of their (tax-funded)
annual budgets responding to feral cat complaints.These surveys also loundthat pu6lic
health departments, together with animal control agencies, are seeking effective and
cost-effective long-term solutions that respond to the public's increasing desire to see
feral cats treated with humane, non lethal methods. TNR proved to be the most
effective solution to reducing complaints, improving public health and safety, lowering
costs, and increasing lifesaving.
.
Reduced complaint calls:
. Orange County, Florida: Before implementing TNR, Orange County Animal
Services received 175 nuisance complaints a week. After implementing a
TNR program, as a result of fewer cats and fewer "nuisance" behaviors
associated with the cats that have been resolved by neutering, complaints
have dropped dramatically.
. Cape May, New Jersey: Since implementing community-wide TNR
procedures in 200 I, Animal Control Officer John Queenan has achieved an
80 percent drop in feral cat complaints.
Cost-effectiveness:
. San Diego, California: In 1992, San Diego Department of Animal Control
killed 15,525 cats at a cost of $121 per cat. That year, Feral Cat Coalition
San Diego, a private, volunteer organization, began aggressive spay/neuter
programs. By 1998, the number of animals killed each year dropped more
than 45 percent, with a tax savings of $859,221.
.
60
.
.
.
. Orange County, Florida: Reported savings of $655,949 over a six year period
by neutering rather than killing feral cats.
Public Health Concerns:
. At a meeting of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACCD) in
April 2002, Dr. Julie Levy of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Florida, Gainesville, and researchers David and Leslie Gale presented findings
for an II-year study of feral cats. The vast majority of cats were in good
physical condition, with only four percent killed for. health reasons. Cats in
the study by the end of the observation period had been present for an
average of 6.5 years, which compares favorably to an average 7.1 year
. lifespan reported for pet cats, particularly since almost half of the cats were
first observed as adults of unknown age. And the researchers reported no
kittens born after year four.
. The Atlantic City (NJ) Health Department approved a TNR program for the
Atlantic City Boardwalk, which accommodates 39 million visitors annually.
Health Department Director Ron Cash says, "TNR is congruent with my
responsibility to prevent injuries to humans, protect humans from public
nealm anoTaJety risKs, and promote a nealthynuman populatiCm;"
. In 1989, the Stanford University Department of Comparative Medicine in
conjunction with the Santa Clara Department of Public Health and the
Department of Environmental Health & Safety found virtually no health risk
from feral cats living in close proximity to humans.
Lifesaving:
. San Francisco, California: Combined statistics from the San Francisco
Department of Animal Care & Control and the San Francisco SPCA show a
decline in feral cat deaths of 73% and a decline in nE!onatal kitten deaths of
81 % from 1993-2000, as a result of a citywide TNR initiative. These same
studies showed that 75% of kittens entering the facility were from feral
mothers and efforts to reduce intake prior to advent of a TNR program had
stopped being effective. Officials also credited the TNR program with a
decline in cat field service pick-ups, DOAs, and total cat impounds.
. San Diego, California: The San Diego based Feral Cat Coalition reports
statistics from the San Diego Department of Animal Control which show
that while the number of cats adopted or claimed by owners has remained
fairly constant over the years, there has been a decrease of almost 50% in the
number of cats impounded and killed since the advent of a citywide TNR
initiative. Prior to TNR, the number of cats impounded and killed had been
going up approximately 15% per year.
61
Transition Considerations:
.
. Develop policies and procedures for feral cats that include TNR as a public
option. (Phase II)
.
.
62
.
7.0 Shelter Deaths
Many animal shelters state that since a majority of animals brought to their facilities are
relinquished by owners or are strays who are not claimed by owners that they are
"forced" to kill large numbers of unwanted animals. But this is not entirely accurate. If
an employee cuts corners and does not clean and sanitize water bowls daily leading to a
parvovirus outbreak, or an employee does not scrub cat cages leading to spread of URI
or panleukopenia, large numbers of animals will be needlessly killed. If a shelter does not
maintain adequate adoption hours, if the public finds it difficult to reach the shelter on
the telephone, if customer service is poor, a volunteer program is not in place, or if a
community is under funding its shelter, lifesaving will also be compromised.
In addition, shelter administrators should have clear and unequivocal expectations of
who, when, how and where animals are killed. In return, shelter administrators must
listen to employee concerns, rotating them out of this duty periodically, and providing
them with adequate and thoughtful explanations as to why animals are being killed.
7,1 SELECTION, METHOD, DISPOSAL
.
Webster~s_dictionary_defi neLeuthanasia.as~the.act_oLpl]lctice_oLkiHiog_oCp.erlJ)itting
the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons
of mercy." Unfortunately, in most shelter environments, animals are not solely being
killed because they are hopelessly sick or injured, but rather as "population control." In
this environment, shelter killing-particularly of healthy and treatable animals-raises a
host of ethical questions and dilemmas, many of which are being raised by the public in
communities across the country, including Rancho Cucamonga.
In an arena of population control killing, it is crucial, at a minimum, that the agency meet
the second prong of the analysis which requires killing to be done in "a relatively
painless way." As one agency has noted,
The euthanasia process must result in a painless, rapid unconsciousness
followed by respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest and ultimate death. For
euthanasia to be truly euthanasia, the animal should be as free from stress
and anxiety as possible.
Unfortunately, the use of sodium pentobarbital, even if properly administered, does not
in and of itself ensure a "humane" death. While method is one of the most important
factors, nonetheless simply requiring lethal injection does not guarantee that the process
is either humane or compassionate.
.
Shelters who kill, particularly those which kill large numbers of animals, are obligated to
ensure that employees are technically proficient, competent, skilled, compassionate,
properly trained, and doing everything in their power to make sure the animals are as
free from stress and anxiety as possible. A "relatively painless" death can only occur in
63
an environment where sensitivity, compassion, skill and environment all combine with
efforts to "minimize distress and anxiety," as required by the American Veterinary
Medical Association's (2000) Panel on Euthanasia. This includes proper training, and
rotation out of this duty to prevent burnout.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop policies and procedures for selection, training, process, verification
and disposal. (Phase II)
. Hire and train staff to perform euthanasia according to the requirements of
California law. Contact
State Humane Association of California
P.O. Box 2098
EI Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 525-2744
www.californ iastateh u mane.o r~
California Animal Control Directors Association
915 L St. #C 130
Sacramento, CA 9"58'14
www.cacda.or~
. Associate with a veterinarian to provide a DEA Number for the purchase of
euthanasia drugs (controlled substances).
.
.
64
.
8.0 FIELD SERVICES
8.1 OPERATIONAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Unless there are significant public complaints about the quality and responsiveness of
field service officers, the City should consider retaining the services of the county (at
least for one year) for field services, so it can concentrate on the transition issues in
taking over shelter operations.
If this is not desired or an option, the City must hire animal control officers, purchase
trucks and equipment, create accountability and service forms, provide for 24/7
emergency coverage, provide for a method of dispatching officers, determine service
levels (e.g., will the new City department pick up owner surrendered animals in addition
to stray animals! Will it provide seven day a week routine patrols! Will it pick up cats,
as well as dogs!) and develop policies and procedures for responding to various calls
including:
I. Abandoned animals
2. Dogs running loose
3. Dead animal pick up
4~l:Jnwanted-exotic'animals
5. Nuisance wildlife
6. Police assistance
7. Owner surrenders
8. Stray pick ups
9. Animals'in'traps
10. Sick/Injured animals
.
It must also develop priority of these calls and availability of services on any given day or
time of day. For example, will the City provided field services seven days a week!
The following represents minimum field services required to meet humane and legal
obligations:
I. Respond to animal-related emergencies
2. Patrol throughout the City on a daily basis
3. Impound dogs at large
4. Rescue animals in distress (sick, injured or traumatized)
5. Provide 24-hour emergency service for picking up seriously sick, injured or
vicious stray animals.
Transition Considerations:
. Purchase a minimum of two (preferably three, in the event one is in service)
animal control vehicles, with air conditioned and positively ventilated animal
compartments, strobe lights, police search lights, two-way radio ability, and
ladders. Approximate cost: Cost of vehicle plus conversions run from $7,500
to $12,000.
.
. Develop ~ vehicle maintenance plan including routine and extraordinary
service.
65
. All officers should carry safety equipment including: .
I. Bullet proof vests
2. Steel toed boots
3. Mace/Pepper spray
4. Bite stick
5. CatIWildlife gloves
6. Flash lights
. Purchase uniforms and badges. Contact:
State Humane Association of California
P.O. Box 2098
EI Cerrito, CA 94530
(5 I 0) 525-2744
www.californiastatehumane.org
. Hire trained officers or provide training through the California Animal
Control Director's Association, the Animal Enforcement Academy at the San
Diego Humane Society & SPCA, or the California State Humane
Associat"inn"
State Humane Association of California
P.O. Box 2098 .
EI Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 525-2744
www.californiastatehumane.org
California Animal Control Directors Association
91 5 L St. #C I 30
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cacda.org
. Develop an "on call" compensation policy. "On call" compensation can differ
widely from one organization to the next, but may be strictly directed by law
for government agencies. Some agencies pay a flat fee for being "on call,"
others will pay overtime for time actually spent on call. Under the federal
Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must fully compensate employees when
they "cannot use the time effectively for their own purposes." (Contact the
above agencies for guidance.)
. Develop forms, policies and procedures for field services. (Phase II)
. Develop appropriate service levels (e.g., will field officers pick up owner
surrendered pets as well as stray animals, will they pick up cats in addition to
dogs, will they pick up on Sundays, will they euthanize in the field?)
. Determine canvassing policies and procedures. .
66
.
.
.
. Meet with Police and Fire officials to determine how emergency response
requests will be handled. .
. Develop forms for:
I. Citations 8. Dog Tag Identification
2. Summons 9. Deer Tags for Deer hit
3. Mileage log Sheet by cars;
4. Metal CitationlTicket 10. Door Hanger notices
Books II. Business Cards
5. License Reminder 12. Incident Reports
Postcards 13. Bite Reports
6. License Applications 14. Map to Shelter
7. Trap Agreements 15. lostlFound Fliers
. Purchase the following equipment for each vehicle in addition to the safety
equipment noted above:
I. Thomas Guide, City map
and/or GPS
2. First Aid kit
3:-Roacfflares
4. Fire extinguisher
5. Cell telephone
6. 35 mm camera or
Polaroid
7. Control pole
8. leashes
9. Crates, cages and
cardboard carriers
10. Net
II. Live trap
12. Towels and blankets
13. Dog and cat food (cans
and dry)
14. Stretcher
I 5. Toolboxes with standard
tools such as hammers,
screwdrivers, and pliers
1"6-:WirelbolnatteFs
17. Eye wash
18. Gloves and goggles
19. Disposable gloves
20. Waterless hand
wash/ d isi nfectant
21. Pocket knife
22. Duct tape
23. Maski!,g tape
24. Garbage bags
25. Crowbar
26. Deodorizing spray
27. Waterproof tarp
28. Binoculars
29. Microchip scanner
30. Permanent markers
31. Pens/paper
Timing and Cost: Vendor contracts should be established as soon as possible with
supplies on hand for operations on day one. A budget will be prepared with the support
of City staff and vendors.
67
.
8.2 WILDLIFE
Wildlife is outside the scope of my expertise, however. wildlife does enter shelters and
accordingly must be planned and provided for. According to the county, the San
Bernardino Department of Public Health contracts with Animal Pest Management to
"remove" Coyotes from the area. In FY 2004-05, the county reports that 34 service
requests were received from citizens residing in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Will
this service still be provided once the City is no longer contracting for animal control
with the county?'
Second, small wildlife like raccoons and other non-canine and feline species or other
companion animals (rabbits, gerbils, rabbits, hamsters. etc.) will be brought in to RCAS
either by officers or citizens. Currently. the county transfers wildlife to approved
Department of Fish & Game rehabilitators. The City must develop similar partnerships.
Third, while it is expected to be rare, occasionally, livestock and other farmed animals
may enter the shelter. Currently, these animals are transferred to the county's Devore
animal shelter. The City should explore this as a partnership with the county.
There are other proactive steps the City can take:
Step One: Should You Accept Wildlife? Some public shelters currently accept trapped
nuisance wildlife. But shelters do not legally have to take in trapped nuisance wildlife or
send their officers out on wildlife calls. They may refuse all wildlife, as wildlife is not
under City but state and federal jurisdiction. (If you are going to accept wildlife, the
animals may be relocated and released, rather than killed, in some states. In others, a
shelter may not legally be able to kill healthy wildlife.) Check with your state wildlife
regulations as all states differ.
.
Step Two: Wildlife Advocacy. Shelters can-and should--educate the public about how
to deter wildlife from their property, humanely. There is ample literature available on
humane wildlife deterrents that will prevent problems-and injuries-to wildlife if the
public were aware of the alternatives to traditional poisoning, trapping, glues. spikes and
other cruel methods.
In addition. it is not only illegal to keep or place wildlife as pets in most states, but in
some states, it may also be illegal for anyone except a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator
to trap and remove wildlife. If shelters informed the public of this through fact sheets,
their website, public service announcements and face-to-face dialog when individuals
attempt to rent traps. these advocacy efforts will help reduce unnecessary shelter
intakes, and unethical wildlife death. (However. the City should be prepared to take in
. It appears that it will given that the county indicates that "This service is provided to the unincorporated
areas as well as all cities within the County of San Bernardino."
.
68
.
wildlife that are sick, injured or potential rabies transmitters after having contact with
people).
Step Three: Setting up A Wildlife Network. While working to reduce intake of wildlife
through community advocacy, the shelter should also be working to help reduce wildlife
shelter deaths by partnering with community wildlife rehabilitators. Wildlife falls under
the jurisdiction of state agencies, in some cases federal agencies, such as the
Department of Fish & Game, Fish & Wildlife, Department of Environmental
Conservation or same variant. While these state agencies have opposing mandates that
oftentimes pit them against saving wildlife, they also train and license state wildlife
rehabilitators. Trained wildlife rehabilitators take in and care for ill, injured and
orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild.
If your shelter receives a telephone call from someone who is reporting sick or injured
wildlife, referring the call to local licensed wildlife rehabilitators, instead of impounding
the animal as a first step, usually results in the animal getting proper care. For example a
baby hummingbird can die within an hour or two if not fed. Some wildlife dies from
being fed, handled or caged improperly at shelters. Most wildlife which the public finds
doesn't even need help and should have been left alone. The rehabilitator can inform the
public of this on the telephone, or make plans to receive the animal directly.
.
By referring the call, the rehabilitator can also get the animal's history and location from
the finder for release purposes. The "rehabber" may also possibly receive a donation
from the finder to help offset their expenses. Rehabilitators are not paid but are
generally non-profit volunteer organizations. As their expenses are high, they are more
apt to accept an animal from the public than a shelter especially if their facility is at
maximum capacity.
In many states, it may also be illegal for shelters to hold wildlife over 48 hours, with
fines up to $100,000 per animal if they are killed. In California, for example, only wild
animals which are dying may be legally killed. If the animal is endangered, for example,
the shelter would need prior written approval from Fish & Game before killing.
Sometimes it is difficult for untrained shelter personnel to identify endangered wildlife
or even differentiate the animal from a domestic or exotic pet. Rehabbers are trained in
all the different species, as well as local regulations.
In order to access this network, contact your state Fish & Game or similar department
to get a list of the licensed rehabilitators in the county. It should include their specialty
and all contact information. It is best to have someone contact the rehabilitators to
make sure they will take the calls or take in the animals if needed before their names are
given out to the public. Some only take small birds, some only one species, some take
rabies vector species, and some do not. They may also have a preferred protocol.
.
After you have a list of licensed rehabilitators who are willing to take the calls and
animals, make several copies of the list for your shelter. Make sure all employees know
that you will be referring all wildlife calls and animals to rehabbers. Make the list
69
accessible to the public in the shelter. If you have it on your website, you might not even
have to take the telephone call, saving time for other lifesaving activities.
.
Setting up a wildlife referral program will save your shelter money, time, effort and
space. It will improve morale and help your shelter's image as a life saving organization.
But most of all, it will also help save wildlife.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop relationships with approved DFG rehabilitators. Lists are available
from the Department of Fish & Game, and the county's relationships should
be expanded to include City wildlife once RCAS is run by the City.
. Develop information for the public about humane wildlife deterrents through
fact sheets in the shelter, on the website and other public relations channels.
. Develop a list of wildlife rehabilitators for shelter staff and for public
referrals.
. Develop policies and procedures for wildlife control, including submission of
rabies specimens for testing.
. Develop policies and proceaures for exotics, farmed ana"large animals.
.
.
70
.
9.0 GOVERNANCE
9.1 VISION, MISSION & PLANNING
Historically, animal control departments were established in cities and towns
throughout the United States to protect public health, respond to merchant concerns
about the effects of stray dogs on their businesses, and to protect and reimburse
farmers from loss of "livestock" allegedly caused by dogs. In short, animal control was
established to protect people from animals.
At the time, animals were considered mere commodities who pulled our wagons,
provided the products for our farms, herded our sheep, and kept our barns free of
mice. In post-World War II America, however, social and demographic changes in
society at large produced changes in the status of animals as well. Many animals-dogs
and cats in particular-were n.ow overwhelmingly companions instead of servants.
Indeed, dogs and cats have gone from the barn, to the backyard, and finally to the
bedroom. With the change in the public's views, the United States has also seen the
growth of animal protection organizations. These agencies tend to focus on programs to
encourage lifetime commitments, to advocate for improvements in animal industries,
and to promote adoptions. In short, animal care or welfare groups were established to
protect animalsfrom people.
.
Since the advent of the No Kill movement, citizens are rejecting the claim that animal
control is "forced" to kill most animals, or to accept animal control agencies as low
priorities for municipalities seeking to reduce costs and services to a bare minimum.
In order to achieve success, RCAS must find a balance between competing "care" and
"control" functions, balancing traditional public health and safety roles (such as rabies
vaccinations and stray animal pick-up) with an emphasis on adoption, pet retention and
community education.
RCAS must also work cooperatively with private sector animal welfare organizations,
the veterinary community, and local businesses. In jurisdictions that are the most
successful, animal control agencies work closely with private agencies to form
partnerships, develop common goals, establish complimentary policies and programs,
and plan strategically.
In so doing, is can also:
.
. Improve its operations and image;
. Employ dedicated funds for spay/neuter, medical care and other distinct
services;
. Defray costs by partnering with outside agencies like the Western University
College of Veterinary Medicine, private practice veterinarians, and rescue
groups.
71
It is important to keep in mind that animal control departments which rely on fines and
user fees (usually in the form of a high adoption or impound rate structure) can become
self-defeating. Such reliance pits the various functions of an animal care and control
agency against one another (for example, increases in licensing and adoption fees
reduces compliance and adoptions, thereby taking RCAS further, rather than closer to
its goals). And reducing from public funding what RCAS may make up in private
donations and subsidies undermines the confidence of private donors for future support
(for example, Maddie's Fund will not support a community without a demonstrated and
future commitment of funding levels). Moreover, public funding of animal control
agencies complements the broad public purpose whereby pet owners and the general
public benefit in terms of healthy and safety, lifesaving, pet protection, and community
satisfaction with local government.
.
Transition Considerations:
. RCAS must articulate a new mission statement which balances its competing
priorities: protecting people from animals (a traditional animal "control"
program) and protecting animals from people (a historical humane society or
animal "care" program). This should include:
. No Kill goals
. Interaction with humane community and public
. Promoting spay/neuter
. Community education
. The City must give the agency adequate resources to do the job.
. Define "No Kill" for Rancho Cucamonga with the following considerations:
Standard definitions include:
.
Healthy: Healthy and non-aggressive dogs and cats.
Treatable: Any animal who is not healthy but who could become
healthy with reasonable effort. Whether an animal is "treatable" is
determined by prognosis. If an animal has a poor or grave prognosis, a
shelter can, but is not obligated to, treat. If an animal has a guarded or
better prognosis, a No Kill shelter must attempt rehabilitation.
Non-Rehabilitatable: Any animal with a condition or behavior with
poor prognosis for rehabilitation.
Irremediably Suffering: A non-rehabilitatable animal in severe pain.
Feral Cat: A cat under-socialized or not socialized to people.
.
72
.
Public Policy: Any animal ordered destroyed by a court of law or other
government agency other than the Department of Animal Control itself.
Proper categorization is the basis for accountability. It is also crucial to a strategy to
increase lifesaving, lower birthrates, and help keep animals in their homes.
Some items for consideration:
.
. The growing viewpoint is that a No Kill community is one that has a
community with a lifesaving guarantee for: (I) healthy dogs and cats; (2) sick
and/or injured but treatable dogs and cats; (3) and feral cats.
. What is a "treatable" animal? Dictionary definition of "euthanasia" focus on:
(I) hopelessly sick or injured; (2) individuals:
. Focus must be on prognosis, not external factors;
. Any dog or cat whose prognosis is guarded or better;
. A No Kill community allows, but does not require, killing animals
with a poor or grave prognosis.
. No Kill is consistent with lifesaving, public health and safety, and fiscal
accountability:
. No Kill does not mean adopting out vicious dogs and other
animals who pose a direct and immediate threat to public safety;
. But it does require programs to put integrity into those
determil)ations;
. For example, temperament testing must be comprehensive
enough to help protect against the adoption of aggressive dogs
with poor prognosis for rehabilitation, but also make sure that
friendly, shy, scared, injured or sick dogs do not get wrongly
killed.
. Develop standardized definitions, including a definition for what constitutes a
No Kill Rancho Cucamonga.
. Minority Opinion: Healthy dogs and cats saved.
. How do you justify killing a kitten with mild conjunctivitis
and be No Kill?;
.
. Public won't accept it;
. Puts you on the defensive before you start.
Majority Opinion: Healthy & Treatable dogs and cats saved.
. How do you justify killing a healthy feral cat with a
caretaker and be No Kill?;
.
. Cat lovers and feral community won't accept it;
. Puts you on the defensive before you start.
73
. Growing Opinion: Healthy, Treatable & Feral Cats
. Take the broad definition and be a "leader" even though it
may take longer to declare "victory."
.
9.2 LIABILITY
All businesses and agencies deal with risk management and liability issues, and the mere
fact of risk should not derail a community's commitment to No Kill principles, programs
and services. While completely eliminating risk in any endeavor is unrealistic, risk can-
and should-be managed by both the City and RCAS.
Cantracting Away Uability
Any contract for services should include both a hold harmless provision and the
requirement of indemnification. A sample provision is as follows:
Pravider agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the County, its afficers, agents, employees
and volunteers free and harmless from any and all claims, liabilities and losses, including
claims for death or personal injury, arising out of or connected with alleged negligence or
willful misconduct in the perfarmance of this Agreement This provision applies to all acts
and omissions o(tneProviaer wnile performing pursuant to this Agreement During flie
term of the Agreemen~ Provider agrees to maintain commercial general liability and
autamobile insuronce in such amount and in such form as required by Caunty for persons
or businesses praviding prafessional services.
.
Protection through Insuronce
All shelters should maintain a broad commercial general liability insurance policy with a
standard minimum limit of $1,000,000. A general liability policy for animal shelters
protects shelters from injuries, bites, and other accidents, and should include taking
animals offsite for adoptions and the actions of field officers.
A Fair and Thoughtful Temperament Protacol
Shelters should employ a fair and comprehensive temperament testing protocol to
prevent the adoption of vicious dogs (while simultaneously preventing the killing of shy
or scared dogs who are not a public safety threat.)
Tronsferring Animals, Transferring Risk
When working with rescue groups and other agencies, a shelter should transfer
ownership of stray animals to private rescue or other shelters following the legally
mandated stray period, including a requirement that such group sign a waiver of liability.
Waiving Uability
Shelters should require that volunteers, foster parents and adopters sign waivers of
liability. Standard waivers are available from other shelters, on the internet, or from a
local attorney.
.
74
.
Statutory Proteaion
Statutory protection in the form of immunity from civil lawsuits exists in some states,
and is a further opportunity to reduce liability risk. (See, for example, New York State
Agriculture & Markets Law, Article 7, Section 118, Subpart II, "No liability in damages
or otherwise shall be incurred on account of the seizure, euthanization or adoption of
any dog pursuant to the provisions of this article." See also, NYS Ag & Mkts Law,
Article 26, Section 4, which states, in relevant part, "In lieu of such destruction or
redemption, such society may in its discretion lawfully and without liability deliver such
animal for adoption to an individual other than the owner after the time for redemption
has expired." (Emphasis added).
There are many other ways to manage risk, including adequate training and advising
individuals of possible risks so that they cannot claim "surprise" or lack of knowledge.
For example, train your volunteers how to work with the dogs, while advising them of
the risks, and have them sign a waiver acknowledging the risk. A person who engages in
an activity knowing the risks can be said to "assume" the risk much like individuals who
play organized sports and risk injury.
A thorough and thoughtful risk and benefit analysis that takes liability into account can
be developed to allow lifesaving to increase in.a: community, without overexposing a
shelter t()-Iitigation.
.
Transition Considerations:
. Develop waivers of liability for: adoption, volunteering, fostering, and transferring
animals.
. Create internal sign age that acknowledges risk, explaining what areas are open
to the public, and requesting that animals not be handled without the help of a
volunteer or staff member.
. Seek a broad commercial insurance policy specifically geared toward animal
shelters.
. Develop training modules for volunteers and employees.
Timing and cost If the City is not going to self-insure, it should contact insurance
agencies for quotes for coverage as soon as possible.
9.3 NOT-FoR-PROFIT SUPPORTING AGENCY
Friends of the shelter groups are quasi- or fully-independent not-for-profits who
support shelter operations. These are modeled after other successful programs such as
"Friends ofthe Library" groups who utilize the power of their IRS 50 I (c)(3) recognition
to raise private charitable funding to augment general tax fund contributions.
.
75
In the context of sheltering. in addition to raising private donations and grants. these
groups can improve lifesaving programs by raising money and manpower for:
.
. Programs that decrease the number of pets entering the shelters: In
particular this would be spay and neuter programs targeted at the pets of
low-income citizens. These could also be programs to help people that are
considering surrendering their pets to shelters to find ways to either keep
their pets or to find good homes for them without sending them to the
shelter.
. Programs that increase the number of pets leaving the shelters alive: In
particular, this could be posting pictures of adoptable pets in veterinary
offices. pet supply stores of other places where interested people might see
them. Some groups work with local animal control to showcase adoptable
pets at local Petsmart and other pet supply retail stores and host adoption
fairs. And developing foster care networks for pets that need some training
and socialization before being adopted.
. Programs that include the quality of life for the pets in the shelter: This could
include dog walking. bathing. socializing and training. and purchasing toys and
treats.
"Transition Considerations:
. Partner with private individuals to form a "Friends of the RCAS" not-for-profit.
Ideally. the Animal Services Director or his/her designee would participate in the
endeavor and serve on the Board of Directors.
.
. In the interim. explore other avenues of private support such as developing a
relationship with the Community Foundation.
Timing: This can occur post-transition.
.
76
.
lMiCl ~DI!.I!. IF'lRliClGIM.M &'lRllEo,S
.
A. IMPROVING SHELTER OPERATIONS
B. LEGISLATION
C. FERAL CAT TNR PROGRAM
D. HIGH VOLUME, LOW-COST SPA Y!NEUTER
E. RESCUE GROUPS
F. FOSTER CARE PROGRAM
G. COMPREHENSIVE ADOPTION PROGRAMS
H. PET RETENTION PROGRAMS
I. MEDICAL & BEHAVIOR REHABILITATION
J. VOLUNTEERS
K. PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING
L. SHELTER ACCOUNTABILITY
.
.
INTRODUCTION
Two decades ago, the concept of a No Kill community was little more than a dream. Today the
humane movement is poised to make it a reality-to meet the challenge of building a truly
humane society. And the first step is a decision, a commitment to reject killing as the primary
shelter population management tool. No Kill starts as an act of will. By undertaking this
assessment, city leadership has signaled that commitment. The next step comes in doing the work
of putting in place the infrastructure to save lives.
But several words of caution are in order. First, if the effort is allowed to fail, as it has in many
communities, it usually fails because of egos and politics. Over 150 years ago, in the first speech
on animal protection in the United States, Henry Bergh, the founder of North America's first
SPCA, put it best:
This is a matter purely of conscience. It has no perplexing side issues. Politics
have no more to do with it than astronomy. No, it is a moral question in all its
aspects.
Many people have since lost sight of that first principle.
.
Working in a political environment can be challenging, but if all parties are reasonable in their
expectations and accommodating where necessary, No Kill can succeed and prosper. Following a
commitment to No Kill is the need for accountability. Accountability means having clear
definitions, a lifesaving plan, and keeping track of successes and failures. Clear protocols should
be established, and staff properly trained to ensure that each and every animal is given a fair
evaluation and a chance for placement or treatment. But accountability also allows, indeed
requires, flexibility. Too many shelters lose sight of individual animals, staying rigid with shelter
protocols, believing these are engraved in stone. They are not. Protocols are important because
they ensure accountability from staff. But protocols without flexibility can have the opposite
effect: stifling innovation, causing lives to be needlessly lost, and allowing shelter employees
who fail to save lives to hide behind a paper trail. The decision to end an animal's life is an
extremely serious one, and should always be treated as such. No matter how many animals a
shelter kills, each and every one is an individual, and each deserves individual consideration.
And finally, to meet that challenge that No Kill entails, shelter leadership needs to get the
community excited, to energize people for the task at hand. Because the measure of how much
the shelter succeeds--or fails-is as much a function of what happens to the cat living in an alley
in your community, whether the business downtown adopts a 'pets at work' policy, whether
landlords will help your lifesaving goals by saying yes to renters with dogs, and whether your
neighbors adopt imperfect pets because they believe in your lifesaving mission, as it is about the
protocols and procedures within the shelter.
By working with people, implementing lifesaving programs, and treating each life as precious, a
shelter can transform a community. Twenty years after the no-kill movement began, saving every
healthy and treatable dog and cat no longer needs to be a dream.
.
2
.
Achieving No Kill has twelve components and, to be successful, must be implemented as a joint
partnership between the shelter, community rescue groups, and other community stakeholders.
A.IMPROVE SHELTER OPERATIONS
This will be a focus of Phase" of the Assessment.
B. LEGISLATION
Legislation is often thought of as a quick solution to pet overpopulation. "If only we had a law,"
the argument goes, "all the bad, irresponsible people out there would take care of their pets
properly, and shelters wouldn't have to kill so many animals." But experience has proved that
legislation is far from a cure-all. In fact, it often has the opposite effect.
Studies show that the primary reasons people do not alter their pets are cost and lack of access to
spay/neuter services. The same is true for licensing. The higher the cost, the lower the compliance
with the law. Because of this, lower-income pet owners, those who are unaware of the law and
truly irresponsible people will not comply in significant numbers. Punitive legislation will only
discourage people from caring for homeless pets or drive disadvantaged pet owners
"underground," making them even harder to reach and help.
Compounding the problem is the fact that enforcement of ordinances such as pet limit laws, cat
licensing, mandatory spay/neuter, confinement/leash laws, and "nuisance" laws is often selective
and complaint-based, leaving pet owners and caregivers vulnerable to retaliation from neighbors
and others.
.
Worse, legislation may be worded so that the result of non-compliance is the impoundment and
death of the animal. In fact, many jurisdictions have seen their impound and death rates increase
following passage of such laws which give agencies carte blanche to round up and kill outdoor
animals. In addition, most cats entering shelters are unowned (either their owners are
relinquishing ownership or they are unowned strays and ferals), so cat licensing will not help
them.
But not all legislative solutions are misinformed-laws can help protect the weak from the strong.
Laws aimed at shelters-the very agencies doing the killing-are ones that have the potential for
greatest impact. Examples of these are the 1998 Animal Shelter Law and 1998 Shelter
Spay/Neuter Law that were passed by the California State Legislature requiring, among other
things, that shelters in California: spay/neuter their animals before adoption; make sure that cats
are not being killed as "feral" when they are just scared and shy; provide animals to rescue groups
instead of killing them; and require shelters to have either evening or weekend hours so that
working people and families with children can reclaim lost pets or visit the shelter.
Legislation that focuses on requiring shelters to improve the quality and quantity of their services
can be of benefit. Shelters are in a position to save lives and set the humane standard in a
community. Therefore, legislation requiring shelters to alter all their animals before adoption, to
provide medical treatment to the animals in their care, to work with rescue groups, and to
lengthen holding periods, can go a long way towards saving the lives of companion animals.
.
3
.
Indeed, it is in laws aimed at shelters that the greatest hope for lifesaving through legislation can
be achieved.
But the reality is that to get to No Kill, a community does not need punitive laws. The City of San
Francisco has not killed healthy animals since 1994 and Tompkins County (NY) has achieved No
Kill, both without increasing enforcement of existing laws, or adding any punitive legislation.
The goal of the humane movement is to introduce to other communities the programs and
services which allowed this to happen, such as:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Legislation:
.
.
.
Key Aspects:
Shelter accountability;
Affordable spay/neuter;
Rescue group access to shelter animals;
Comprehensive adoption programs, including offsite venues;
A feral cat TNR program;
Pet retention programs;
Medical and behavior rehabilitation;
Public relations & development; and,
Foster care.
Employ a reasonable differential dog licensing program. Dogs who are
spayed/neutered should pay a lower license fee than unaltered animals. The money
generated in licensing fees should be used for a dedicated spay/neuter fund to provide
low-income pet owners subsidized surgery options through the shelter or to otherwise
support other shelter operations.
Specifically exempt TNR efforts from local laws.
. All fees from licensing revenues either go to the shelter as additional revenue, or to a
low-cost spay/neuter program for low-income Rancho Cucamonga pet owners and
for feral cats. The differential fee is only for dogs and must not be onerous (the
greater the differential, the lower the compliance).
. Provide adoption hours of significant duration and during the weekends to give
working people and families with children an opportunity to adopt, rather than buy
pets.
. Rescue groups must be granted access to shelter pets at the shelter.
C. FERAL CAT TNR PROGRAM
Many animal control agencies in communities throughout the United States are embracing Trap,
Neuter, Return programs ("TNR") to improve animal welfare, reduce the death rate, and meet
obligations to public welfare and neighborhood tranquility demanded by governments. In San
Francisco, for example, a 1999-2000 pilot program between the City's Animal Care & Control
agency and the San Francisco SPCA required AC&C to forward all feral cat complaints to the
private SPCA to allow feral cat advocates two weeks to reach a consensus with the parties for
adoption of a non-lethal TNR alternative. The program was very successful, resulting in less
.
4
impounds, less killing and reduced public complaints. In Tompkins County, an agreement with
county officials and the health department rabies control department provided for TNR as an
acceptable complaint, nuisance and rabies abatement procedure. [n specific cases, the health
department paid the SPCA to perform TNR.
.
According to the nation's leading TNR advocacy organization, TNR "is a full management plan
in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely
trapped, then rabies vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted
into good homes. Adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their habitats. If possible,
volunteers provide long-term care, including food, shelter, and health monitoring."
In community surveys throughout the United States, it was found that feral cats are a prominent
subject of complaint calls from the public (although most callers did not want the cats "killed")
and that agencies spend a significant percentage of their (tax-funded) annual budgets responding
to feral cat complaints. These surveys also found that public health departments, together with
animal control agencies, are seeking effective and cost-effective long-term solutions that respond
to the public's increasing desire to see feral cats treated with humane, non-lethal methods. TNR
proved to be the most effective solution to reducing complaints, improving public health and
safety, lowering costs, and increasing lifesaving:
Reduced complaint calls:
. Orange County, Florida: Before implementing TNR, Orange County Animal Services
received 175 nuisance complaints a week. After implementing a TNR program, as a
result of fewer cats and fewer "nuisance" behaviors associated with the cats that have
been resolved by neutering, complaints have dropped dramatically.
. Cape May, New Jersey: Since implementing community-wide TNR procedures in
200 I, Animal Control Officer John Queenan has achieved an 80 percent drop in feral
cat complaints.
.
Cost-effectiveness:
. San Diego, California: In 1992, San Diego Department of Animal Control killed
15,525 cats at a cost of$121 per cat. That year, Feral Cat Coalition San Diego, a
private, volunteer organization, began aggressive spay/neuter programs. By 1998, the
number of animals killed each year dropped more than 45 percent, with a tax savings
of $859,221.
. Orange County, Florida: Reported savings of $655,949 over a six year period by
neutering rather than killing feral cats.
Public Health Concerns:
. At a meeting of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACCD) in April
2002, Dr. Julie Levy of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida,
Gainesville, and researchers David and Leslie Gale presented findings for an II-year
study of feral cats. The vast majority of cats were in good physical condition, with
only four percent killed for health reasons. Cats in the study by the end of the
observation period had been present for an average of 6.5 years, which compares
favorably to an average 7.1 year lifespan reported for pet cats, particularly since
almost half of the cats were first observed as adults of unknown age. And the
researchers reported no kittens born after year four.
.
5
.
. The Atlantic City (NJ) Health Department approved a TNR program for the Atlantic
City Boardwalk, which accommodates 39 million visitors annually. Health
Department Director Ron Cash says, "TNR is congruent with my responsibility to
prevent injuries to humans, protect humans from public health and safety risks, and
promote a healthy human population."
. In 1989, the Stanford University Department of Comparative Medicine in
conjunction with the Santa Clara Department of Public Health and the Department of
Envirorunental Health & Safety found virtually no health risk from feral cats'living in
close proximity to humans.
Lifesaving:
. San Francisco, California: Combined statistics from the San Francisco Department of
Animal Care & Control and the San Francisco SPCA show a decline in feral cat
deaths of 73% and a decline in neonatal kitten deaths of 81 % from 1993-2000, as a
result of a citywide TNR initiative. Officials also credited the TNR program with a
decline in cat field service pick-ups, DOAs, and total cat impounds.
. San Diego, California: The San Diego based Feral Cat Coalition reports statistics
from the San Diego Department of Animal Control which show that while the
number of cats adopted or claimed by owners has remained fairly constant over the
years, there has been a decrease of almost 50% in the number of cats impounded and
killed since the advent of a citywide TNR initiative. Prior to TNR, the number of cats
impounded and killed had been going up approximately 15% per year.
.
Recommendations:
.
. Develop a policy citing TNR as the preferred Rancho Cucamonga policy for feral
cats, addressing lifesaving, public health and cost savings, and in order to educate the
community about the City's No Kill goals and lifesaving mission.
. Include saving feral cats in the community definition of No Kill.
. Train staff of the shelter to offer TNR as an alternative to trapping and killing.
. Provide TNR literature in the lobby of the shelters, on web sites as appropriate, and in
response to public calls or complaints.
. Allow feral cats to be transferred to feral cat and rescue groups.
. Shelter should transfer feral kittens to feral cat groups for socialization and
placement.
. Shelter should place feral kittens into foster care for socializing, and subsequent
adoption.
. Meet with feral cat groups to discuss ways to achieve reductions in, and ultimately an
end to, the killing of feral cats. An initial program would require the shelter to contact
groups if notched or ear-tipped cats enter the shelter in order to reunite them with
their caretakers. A more comprehensive program would include referral of shelter's
"nuisance" complaints so that a non-lethal solution can be attempted before the
shelter intervention.
. Provide official recognition, and thus adVOCaCY support, to groups encountering
neighbor disputes or problems relating to their TNR effort.
6
. Establish training workshops for individuals on humane trapping, feral cat medical
issues, post-surgery recovery care, and other issues to increase the number of feral cat
caretakers.
.
. Offer monthly spay/neuter clinics for feral cats.
. As low-cost spay/neuter programs are put into place, include feral cat TNR in the
effort.
Key Aspects:
. Establish a policy preference for TNR.
. Establish a monthly spay/neuter clinic for feral cats.
. Offer training workshops for individuals on humane trapping and other aspects of
feral cat care.
. Establish a relationship with community feral cat groups.
. Offer TNR as an alternative to individuals calling about feral cats.
D. HIGH-VOLUME, LOW-COST SPA Y!NEUTER
Spay/neuter is the cornerstone of a successful lifesaving effort-the single most effective place to
direct shelter resources. High volume spay/neuter will quickly lead to fewer animals entering the
shelter system, allowing more resources to be allocated toward saving lives.
In the 1970s, the City of Los Angeles was the first to provide municipally funded spaying and
neutering for low-income pet owners in the United States. A city study found that for every dollar
it was investing in the program, Los Angeles taxpayers were saving $10 in animal control costs
due to reductions in animal intakes and fewer field calls. Indeed, Los Angeles shelters were
taking in half the number of animals after just the first decade of the program and killing rates in
the city dropped to the lowest third per capita in the United States. This result is consistent with
results in San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere.
.
Research shows that investment in programs balancing animal "care" and "control" can provide
not only immediate public health and public relations benefits but also long-term financial
savings to a jurisdiction. According to the International City/County Management Association,
An effective animal control program not only saves cities and counties on present
costs-by protecting citizens from dangerous dogs, for example-but also helps
reduce the costs of animal control in the future. A city that impounds and
euthanizes 4,000 animals in 200 I ... but does not promote spaying and neutering
will probably still euthanize at least 4,000 animals a year in 2010. A city that...
[institutes a subsidized spay/neuter program] will likely euthanize significantly
fewer animals in 20 I 0 and save on a host of other animal-related costs as well.
People need to know that spay/neuter is important, and available. So in addition to holding low-
cost/free clinics and setting a good example by altering all shelter animals prior to adoption,
shelters need to advertise. Volunteers and shelter supporters can post attractive pro-spay/neuter
flyers in the community, and many local papers will donate or provide cut rates on advertising.
.
7
.
Recommendations:
. Develop a multi-year funding strategy to provide City-funded spay/neuter for
qualified low-income Rancho Cucamonga pet owners. This can be funded, in part,
with a reasonable differential dog licensing program.
Key Aspects:
. Funding for high volume, low-cost spay/neuter for low-income households must be
raised.
E. RESCUE GROUPS
An adoption or transfer to a rescue group frees up scarce cage and kennel space, reduces expenses
for feeding, cleaning, killing and carcass disposal, and improves a community's rate of lifesaving.
Getting an animal out of the shelter in an appropriate placement is important and rescue groups,
as a general rule, can screen adopters better than many shelters. In an environment of over 40,000
impounded animals annually, there will rarely be a shortage of adoptable animals and if a rescue
group is willing to take custody and care of the animal, rare is the circumstance in which they
should be denied.
.
Some national groups suggest formal training, "home" visits and other obstacles to successful
placement partners. These hurdles are premised on a historical distrust of the No Kill community
by large, national agencies who as late as the early 1990s continued to oppose such relationships,
and whose net result is a reduction in the number of lives saved. In California, the State
Legislature passed a law making it illegal for any shelter to kill a dog or cat if a rescue group,
shelter or animal welfare organization was willing to accept the animal into their adoption
program. The only screening required under the law is that the group must be recognized under
IRS Code Section 501(c)(3).
Recommendations:
. An e-mail list of all dogs and cats available for rescue placement should be
developed and sent on day of impound, giving rescue a reasonable time to set up
foster care or otherwise take the animals into their own programs.
Key Aspects:
. Timely and consistent information is sent to rescue groups about available animals at
the shelter, with a minimum of bureaucratic procedures.
F. FOSTER CARE
.
At some point in time, nearly every animal shelter feels the pinch of not having enough space. A
volunteer foster program can be an ideal low-cost way to greatly increase the number of lives a
shelter can save while at the same time providing an opportunity for community members to
8
volunteer. Not only does a foster program maximize the number of animals rescued, it allows an
organization to care for animals who would be difficult to care for in a shelter environment-
orphaned or feral kittens, sick or injured animals, or dogs needing one-on-one behavior
rehabilitation. For animals who may need a break from the shelter environment, foster care
provides a comfortable home setting that keeps animals happy and healthy. The keys to building
a successful foster program are simple: lay the groundwork, recruit, train, and keep track.
.
Foster care is crucial to No Kill. Without it, saving lives is compromised. It is a low cost, and
often no cost, way of increasing a shelter's capacity, improving public relations, increasing a
shelter's public image, rehabilitating sick and injured or behaviorally challenged animals, and
saving lives.
Which Animals?
. Orphaned kittens and puppies
. Feral kittens
. Under-aged, self-feeding kittens and puppies (4-8 weeks old)
. Mother cat or dog with nursing kittens or puppies
. Animals recovering from injury or illness
. Shy or fearful animals who need socialization
. Healthy adult animals waiting for space at the shelter, or who need a break from the
shelter
. Reptiles and other exotics
.
Legal Issues
All businesses deal with risk management and liability issues, so don't let these concerns stop you
from building a better a foster program. The key is to minimize risk through proper precautions
and training.
Make sure your organization's insurance covers off-site volunteers and animals. If necessary,
update your coverage. All dogs should be temperament tested before going to foster homes.
Develop a "hold harmless agreement" that all volunteers and foster parents must sign. Develop a
foster care agreement that all foster parents sign acknowledging their understanding of the rules,
regulations and expectations of your foster care program. Require foster parents to attend an
orientation, and provide them with written information on what to expect and how to properly
care for the animals they are fostering.
Guidelines and Procedures
In order to keep the program running smoothly, staff and volunteer guidelines must be developed.
These rules do not need to be complex or address every single possible scenario. Start by
covering the basics, and as the program grows, these should be adjusted and updated as
necessary. In fact, staff should review guidelines on a regular basis to be sure that foster parents
are receiving the most up-to-date information, and that written protocols adequately address the
program's needs.
Next consider what each organization will provide for foster parents to do their job and what will
be required of them. Different organizations have different standards, but as a rule, the more
.
9
.
shelters provide or pay for, the more foster parents will be recruited. Some organizations require
foster parents to pay for everything the animal needs during their stay in foster care. Others
organizations provide everything foster parents will need. Whatever is decided should be
reflected in the written guidelines. At the same time, shelters must be flexible and make
accommodations for special cases. For example, if a shelter has a large dog who will need foster
care for an extended period, the shelter should consider providing the foster parent with some dog
food, kennel and dog bed. For orphaned kitten volunteers, shelters should give out a "starter kit"
of a bottle or two and some kitten formula.
Other issues to consider: will foster parents be required to have adopters visit their homes? Drive
animals to adoption events? Make appointments to return animals ready for adoption, or just
drop them off? Again, there is a balance between flexibility for the foster parent and available
shelter time and resources.
Make provisions for medical emergencies. Be clear what foster parents should be expected to do
should a problem arise. [s there a 24-hour telephone number for them to call? A specific
veterinarian they should go to if a problem comes up after hours? Spell these things out ahead of
time in written materials, as well as in the volunteer orientation meeting.
.
Develop the System
It sounds obvious, but a system to keep track of foster animals and their caregivers is often
overlooked. It does not have to be complex, just allow staff easy access to the information they
need. A simple spreadsheet in Excel that lists foster parents by name, email, and phone number
works. It should include information on which types of animals they are willing to foster and
which animals they are currently fostering. It also should have space for any other relevant
information, such as whether they have any special needs pets in the home, if they will be
unavailable for fostering for a specific period oftime, if they have any special skills (dog training,
feral cat taming, etc.), and any other information the shelter might need.
Promote the Program
Many people want to volunteer directly with animals but lack the time or inclination to do so in a
shelter. Others may want to adopt a pet, but cannot. Some may want to experience the joys ofa
companion animal in the honie, but are not ready for the long-term commitment of adoption.
And dogs, cats, and rabbits can provide a welcome relief from loneliness for seniors.
These points must be considered as tools for recruiting foster parents. For although caring for
foster pets can be challenging, it is also deeply rewarding, and shelters need to let potential
volunteers know that they too have something to gain. Foster parenting can be much more
flexible than other volunteer jobs that require people to show up for a specific shift, during
limited times of the day, or for a committed length of time. The foster program should be
promoted as a flexible, fun, rewarding, and special volunteer job.
Many successful foster programs allow their foster volunteers a large measure of flexibility. For
example, a family may be available to foster a litter of kittens for two weeks, and shelters give
them some six-week-old kittens. Being flexible may mean more work for staff, but it will also
make it more attractive for people to foster-thus saving more lives. .
.
Retention
As with many animal care jobs, burnout can be a problem for foster parents. Yet another reason
to recruit as many as possible so the load is lighter on each! Foster parents are doing a wonderful
10
thing for shelters, and more importantly, for the animals. They need to be told how much they
are appreciated.
.
Once people are interested in fostering, shelters need to move quickly-and every consideration
must be made for fast-tracking the volunteer process for this group. They should be given the
forms they need to fill out, and any informational materials they should have. Staff should move
quickly to review and process foster parent applications so that volunteers can be trained, and
more importantly, animals can be placed in their care.
Training
To save time, shelters might want to schedule regular orientation sessions that potential foster
volunteers can take at their convenience. If this is not possible, staff can meet with foster parents
in small groups or one-an-one.
The Orientation
Here are the basic ideas that should be covered in orientation session:
. Introduce staff member( s) or volunteer( s) who will be the foster program coordinator
. Give a tour of the shelter
. Describe the agency's mission and services
. Explain how and why foster parents are vital to saving lives in the community
. Tell some success stories about specific animals, and talk about animals needing
foster right now-get people inspired!
. Go over the guidelines and procedures of the program. Pay special attention to things
like what to do if an animal needs after hours medical care, how the adoption process
will work, and what foster parents are expected to provide
. Go over general animal care information, along with handouts on the same
. Review (and sign) waivers and forms
.
Continuing Education & Training
Make sure foster parents know that they can and should call the shelter with questions. It is a
good idea to have a specific staff member, an experienced foster parent or a volunteer foster
coordinator assigned to interact with new foster parents if possible. This helps to form a
relationship that makes everyone more comfortable. Once there is a track record with highly
experienced foster parents, they should be asked to mentor new recruits.
Occasionally something is bound to go wrong: a foster parent won't return an animal at the time
or date requested, or they will go to a veterinarian not authorized and expect the shelter to pay the
expenses. These situations should be used as training opportunities. E-mail lists can also be a
quick and easy way to communicate changes in procedures, updates on animals, and other issues
that occasionally arise.
G. COMPREHENSIVE ADOPTION PROGRAMS
Adoptions are vital to an agency's lifesaving mission. The quantity and quality of shelter
adoptions is in shelter management's hands, making lifesaving a direct function of shelter policies
and practice.
.
11
.
Data from the American Animal Hospital Association data shows that approximately 53 million
dogs are already in 31 million homes, and 59 million cats are in 27 million homes. As one
commentator put it, "if each pet lives 10 years, on average, and the number of homes grows at the
same rate that homes are lost through deaths and other attrition, then replacement homes would
come available each year for more than twice as many dogs and slightly more cats than enter
sheIters. Since the inventory of pet-owning homes is growing, not just holding even, adoption
could in theory replace all population control killing right now-if the animals and potential
adopters were better introduced."
In fact, studies show people get their dogs from shelters only 15% of the time overall, and less
than 10% of the time for cats. If shelters better promoted their animals and had adoption
programs responsive to the needs of the community, they could increase the number of homes
available and replace population control killing with adoptions. In other words, shelter killing is
more a function of market share, than "public irresponsibility."
Many factors impact the quantity and quality of adoptions. These include:
. Adoption Hours: Convenient shelter hours mean more chances for adoptions. To
avoid increased costs, shelters can open later in the day and stay open later giving
working people and families with children a chance to adopt.
.
. Offsite Adoptions: Not everyone can come to the shelter, so bring the shelter to
them through mobile adoption centers in locations around the city. On-site staff and
volunteer adoption counselors make sure each match is a good one. Some shelters
even have permanent adoption storefronts in local malls. Adoption outreach isn't just
good for the animals-animals attract people, and that's good for businesses who
host adoption sites.
. Special Events: Neighborhood fairs, church picnics, craft fairs, and dog and cat
shows are terrific opportunities to show available pets to the public.
. Cost: Often, shelters must compete with pet stores, breeders and backyard litters. If
it costs $40 to buy a kitten from a pet shop, does it make sense for a shelter to charge
$IOO? Other benefits of adopting from the shelter can include: a free veterinary visit,
discounts at pet supply and gift stores, discounts on dog training classes, grooming
discounts, free behavior advice, and a free handbook on understanding their new pet.
. Advertising: TV and radio stations are often delighted to promote a "Pet of the
Week." Photos of adoptable animals on a shelter website can give people a chance to
take a look before they come to the shelter. And many newspapers sponsor adoption
ads for humane groups.
H. PET RETENTION
.
While many of the reasons animals are surrendered to shelters are unavoidable, others can be
prevented-but only if shelters are willing to work with people to help them solve their problems.
Saving all healthy and treatable pets requires communities to develop innovative strategies for
keeping people and their companion animals together. And the more a community sees its
shelter(s) as a place to turn for advice and assistance, the easier this job will be.
12
Animal control agencies can maintain "libraries" of pet care and behavior fact sheets in the
shelter and on a website. Articles in local papers, radio and television spots all provide
opportunities to feature topics like solving litterbox avoidance and excessive barking. Other pet
retention programs include free in-home dog behavior problem-solving by volunteers, low-cost
dog training, pet friendly rental programs, dog walker referrals, and pet behavior classes.
.
Recommendations:
. Provide pet behavior advice in the shelter, on the website, and through other public
relations channels.
. Provide a dedicated telephone number for dog behavior and cat behavior advice. In
addition, provide staff (and to the extent necessary, city hall operators) with an
information binder listing common behavior problems and providing sound advice on
how to resolve them.
. Implement an "Open Door" campaign using the materials created by the San
Francisco SPCA and then expanded by the Humane Society of the United States. The
shelter should make the information available on its website, including an updated
list of "pet friendly" rental properties in Rancho Cucamonga. It should also work
with any landlord associations to disseminate the information to its members.
Key Aspects:
. Open Door campaign.
. Binders for those who answer telephones and have public contact.
.
I. MEDICAL & BEHAVIOR REHABILlT AnON
A shelter begins helping treatable animals by closely analyzing statistics. How many animals
entering a shelter are treatable? What types of injuries and illnesses are most common? The
answers to these questions will determine what types of rehabilitation programs are needed and
how to effectively allocate resources. For example, one community may have many underage
kittens in its shelters. Another may have substantial numbers of cats with upper respiratory
infections, or dogs with kennel cough. Yet another may find that a large portion of treatables are
dogs with behavior problems. Each will need a different lifesaving program.
These can include creating a fund dedicated solely to medical and behavioral rehabilitation. Such
a fund lets the public direct their donations and allows a shelter to demonstrate what they are
doing to help treatables. In addition, the shelter can establish relationships to have local
veterinarians come to the shelter to do rotations. These veterinarians can supplement the work of
a staff veterinarian and veterinary technicians and help diagnose animals, give vaccinations, and
administer medication and treatment. A relationship with the veterinary college can allow
veterinary students to volunteer at the shelter on a regular basis, providing the students with real
life on-the-job training, while shelter animals receive high-quality care under the direction of the
veterinary college faculty. Finally, it is impossible to overstate the importance of a foster
program for underaged kittens and puppies, undersocialized animals, and those recovering from
medical treatment.
Recommendations:
.
I3
.
.
.
. Partner with the Western University College of Veterinary Medicine in the following
areas:
Development of a student organization to learn hands-on diagnostic
skills under the oversight of a clinician while doing rounds at the shelter.
Development of a program to provide subsidized primary care to the
shelter animals at the Companion Animal Hospital.
Expansion ofthe current spay/neuter service, including using the shelter
animals for Junior Surgery rotations.
Development of a temperament evaluation protocol, and behavior
modification protocols, with the Department of Behavior Medicine.
Development of a program whereby college clinicians act as expert
witnesses in the shelter cruelty cases.
Development of a program whereby college clinicians train shelter staff
in animal behavior, handling, cleaning and husbandry practices.
Development of a program whereby the college acts as an emergency
service provider for injured animals beyond the shelter's ability and after
hours.
Development of a program whereby college diagnosticians help identify
strains of viral infections and modify vaccination/cleaning/containment
protocols as necessary.
Development of a shelter medicine residency program using the shelter
as the base shelter for residency training.
. Partner with Mt. Sac and Cal-Poly Pomona (Veterinary Technician Program) in the
following areas:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Development of a student organization to learn hands-on veterinary
technician skills under the oversight of a clinician while doing rounds at
the shelter.
Development of a program to provide subsidized primary care and
spay/neuter services to the shelter animals.
Development of a shelter veterinary technician training program using
the shelter as the base shelter for training.
. Partner with private practice veterinarians in the following areas:
. Development of a program where veterinarians provide a free health
exam within 30 days of a shelter adoption.
. Development of a program where veterinarians participate in doing
rounds at the shelter (one day a week for one month of the year) in
exchange for a modest stipend and referral to owners who adopt animals
they treat.
.
.
. Development of a program whereby private veterinarians participate in a
fixed-fee spay/neuter voucher program, or otherwise assist in providing a
sliding scale low-income spay/neuter program.
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. Development of a program where private veterinarians provide a bid
based system of treating the shelter animals.
. Development of a program where private veterinarians donate recently
expired drugs that are still efficacious to the shelter.
. Development of a forum where private veterinarians are made aware of
viral strains and other issues in the shelter and provide that information
to clients in a positive manner, cognizant of the shelter's limitations.
. Development of a continuing education module for private veterinarians
revolving around shelter medicine issues, such as pediatric neutering.
.
Key Aspects:
. The focus must be primarily on the shelter and the shelter animals.
J. PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Rebuilding a relationship with the community starts with redefining oneself as a "pet rescue"
agency. The community must see improvement at the shelter, and improvements in the area of
lifesaving. Public contact with the agency must include good customer service, more adoptions,
and tangible commitments by the City to give the shelter the tools it needs to do the job
humanely. Public contact, however, is not necessarily a face-to-face encounter. .The public has
contact with an agency by reading about it in the newspaper, seeing volunteers adopting animals
at a local shopping mall, or hearing the Executive Director promoting spay/neuter on the radio. It
means public relations and community education.
.
Community education and public relations does not negatively impact the budget. It can be done
without programmatic expenditures, and in many ways, it is revenue positive as it leads to
increased adoptions and private support. There is also the often intangible, but very real benefit of
improved community image. And an agency with a broad base of public support has a wedge
against community cuts to its funding in the political process.
The importance of good public relations cannot be overstated. Good, consistent public relations is
the key to getting more money, more volunteers, more adoptions, and more community good will.
Indeed, if lifesaving is considered the destination, public relations are the vehicle which will get a
shelter there. Without it, the shelter will always be struggling with animals, finances, and
cOffil!lunity recognition.
For example, studies show that people get their pets from a shelter only 15% of the time. The
Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that animal causes receive only I penny out of each charitable
dollar in the United States. Service oriented groups in communities, such as Rotary, Lions Club,
Kiwanis and others rarely include the local shelter in their organization's philanthropy. And while
lawyers and doctors work with low-cost clinics, too many animal groups work with too few
veterinarians to help in their lifesaving mission.
Increasing adoptions, maximizing donations, recruiting volunteers and partnering with
community agencies comes down to one thing: increasing the shelter's exposure. And that means
consistent marketing and public relations. Public relations and marketing are the foundation of all
.
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a shelter's activities and their success. To do all these things well, the shelter must be in the
public eye.
Indeed, a survey of more than 200 animal control agencies, conducted by a graduate student at the
University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, found that "community engagement"
was one of the key factors in those agencies who have managed to reduce killing and increase
lifesaving. One agency noted that "Public buy-in is crucial for long-term improvements" placing
primary importance on "the need to view community outreach and public engagement as integral
to the agency's overall purpose and programs rather than simply as an add-on accomplished with
a few public service announcements..."
Recommendations:
.
. Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that is consistent and positive, and
should include:
. Press Releases. Sending out press releases is a numbers game. Too many
shelters and rescue groups put out too few press releases because they do not
believe they have that much news to report or because they worry that the more
press releases they put out, the less people will take the press releases seriously.
Not true. The more press releases you put out, the more your name will appear
in local media.
. Pet Care Advice. Put out press releases offering everything from cold weather
pet care tips, warm weather cautions about dogs in cars, holiday pet advice, and
the importance of spaying and neutering right before kitten season. These
stories already appear in your community because large national groups are
putting out these press releases. But why should they get the name recognition?
And, more importantly, donations from members in your community?
. Heartwarming Stories. The public loves heartwarming animal stories and
shelters are full of them. A litter of puppies found on the side of the road not
only gets you the front page when they were found, but weeks later when they
are back in the shelter from foster care and ready for adoption, the cameras will
be rolling too. While not every adoption should lead to a press release, every
pet has a story. Find a good angle and send it out!
. Events. Every event should not only result in a press release, but a telephone
call to the calendar section editor of your local newspaper. Radio and television
stations and newspaper have to fill up blocks of time and space. If they have an
empty spot and need to fill it, a stack of your press releases will be just the
thing they reach for!
. Public Service Announcements ("PSAs"). FCC rules often mandate that local
radio stations provide air time to traditionally disenfranchised groups who
could not otherwise afford to pay for these spots. Few groups are more
disenfranchised than homeless animals and the groups who help them! In
addition, radio stations sell advertising in 30 second and 60 second blocks and
must fill up a pre-determined level of "ad" spots, even if no one has paid for
the advertisement. During this time, they plug in PSAs. Radio stations will
record the PSAs for you at no cost, and run them at no cost, if you approach
them and write the text. While driving along listening to the radio, people will
hear a PSA from your group about the importance of spaying and neutering,
.
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adopting rather than buying a pet, information about your next event, or the
need to allow dogs inside the house.
. Public Access Television. Cable companies generally sign IO-year monopoly
contracts with municipalities to provide cable service and rate structures in a
given community. As part of that contract, many municipalities require the
cable company to provide a public/community-based channel similar to FCC
rules mandating PSAs for community groups. Cable companies have studios
with staff who can record television programs at no cost to community groups.
These shows can highlight pets available for adoption or provide an
opportunity to highlight the shelter. When the Tompkins County SPCA was
building a new Pet Adoption Center, the local cable channel ran a 30 minute
video about the need for such a shelter and where donations could be sent.
. Speak to Community Groups. A community is often filled with service and
social clubs made up of people who can adopt, volunteer, or donate to the
shelter. Groups like Rotary, Lions, Elks, Kiwanis, Seniors and others meet
monthly for lunch or dinner and always have a guest speaker. Make contact
with all these groups and offer to make a presentation. Networking helps
animals too!
. Create a Lover's List. How do you reach the movers and shakers in your
community? Big things can happen when you spread your message to those
with "influence" and "affluence" in your hometown. Pick up your local
govemment directory, scan the "society pages" of your local paper, and get the
names and addresses of local CEOs! Put them on a special mailing list and
send them your annual report and other good news a couple of times per year.
. These are just a few ways to spread the message without big bucks. The
more people see you and hear you in the community, the more likely they are
to adopt, donate, volunteer or, in the case of your Lover's List, swing a vote
your way. And don't forget to put up posters in windows of local businesses,
recruit volunteers at events and offsite adoption venues, pass out brochures at
your local pet shop or grooming salon, offer to write a pet advice column in
your local community-based paper, appear on local radio talk shows, approach
community businesses to sponsor a "Pet of the Week" ad which also highlights
their business, and keep your website updated weekly.
.
.
Key Aspects:
. The key here is volume. Positive media stories about the shelter, any of its
participating organizations, and all three physical shelters must saturate the media
market.
K. VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are a dedicated "army of compassion" and the backbone of a successful No Kill effort.
In San Francisco, a community of approximately 800,000 people, volunteers spend over 110,000
hours at the shelter each year. Assuming the prevailing hourly wage, payroll taxes and benefits, it
would cost the San Francisco SPCA over $1 million dollars to provide those services. In
Tompkins County, a community of about 100,000 people, volunteers spend over 12,500 hours
.
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walking dogs, grooming cats, helping with adoptions, and doing routine but necessary office
work, at a cost saving of approximately $85,000 if the SPCA were to pay for those services at the
current hourly rate.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of an organization. There is never enough staff, never enough dollars
to hire more staff, and always more needs than paid human resources. That is where volunteers
come in and make the difference between success and failure and, for the animals, life and death.
The purpose of a volunteer program is to help a shelter help the animals. It is crucial to have
procedures and goals in mind as part of the program. In Tompkins County, for example, we
required all dogs available for adoption to get out of kennel socialization four times per day. This
could not be accomplished by staff alone and therefore volunteers were recruited, trained and
scheduled for specific shifts that would allow us to meet those goals. It became quickly apparent
that having volunteers come in whenever they wanted did not serve those goals and so all
volunteers were given instructions and a specific schedule.
Key Aspects:
. Coordination effort to recruit volunteers.
L. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
.
Categorizing animals who enter the shelter is important. A dog or cat who enters a shelter can
come in healthy, sick, injured, unweaned or traumatized. To address what responses a shelter
should undertake, No Kill shelters classify these animals into these and perhaps other categories.
Without an understanding of the various categories of shelter animals, it would be difficult to
know which programs are needed. Nor would it be clear how many animals would be helped by
any particular strategy. A community begins helping its animals by closely analyzing shelter
statistics. How many of the dogs and cats killed are healthy? How many are sick or injured but
treatable? How many have rehabilitatable behavior problems? The answers to these questions will
determine what types of programs and services are needed and how to effectively allocate
resources to help the animals in a shelter's care.
Standard definitions include:
No Kill: No Kill does not mean that no animals die in the shelter. A no-kill
community is one where all healthy and treatable animals, including feral cats,
are saved.
Healthy: Healthy and non-aggressive dogs and cats.
Treatahle: Any animal who is not healthy but who could become healthy with
reasonable effort. Whether an animal is "treatable" is determined by prognosis. If
an animal has a poor or grave prognosis, a shelter can, but is not obligated to,
treat. If an animal has a guarded or better prognosis, a No Kill shelter must
attempt rehabilitation.
.
Non-Rehabilitatable: Any animal with a condition or behavior with poor
prognosis for rehabilitation.
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Irremediably Suffering: A non-rehabilitatable animal in severe pain.
Feral Cat: A cat under-socialized or not socialized to people.
Public Policy: Any animal ordered destroyed by a court of law or other
government agency other than the Department of Animal Control itself.
Proper categorization is the basis for accountability. It is also crucial to a strategy to increase
lifesaving, lower birthrates, and help keep animals in their homes.
Some items for consideration:
. The growing viewpoint is that a No Kill community is one that has a community with
a lifesaving guarantee for: (1) healthy dogs and cats; (2) sick and/or injured but
treatable dogs and cats; (3) and feral cats.
. What is a "treatable" animal? Dictionary definition of "euthanasia" focus on: (1)
hopelessly sick or injured; (2) individuals:
. Focus must be on prognosis, not external factors;
. Any dog or cat whose prognosis is guarded or better;
. A No Kill community allows, but does not require, killing animals with a
poor or grave prognosis.
. No Kill is consistent with lifesaving, public health and safety, and fiscal
accountability:
. No Kill does not mean adopting out vicious dogs and other animals who
pose a direct and immediate threat to public safety;
. But it does require programs to put integrity into those determinations;
. For example, temperament testing must be comprehensive enough to
help protect against the adoption of aggressive dogs with poor prognosis
for rehabilitation, but also make sure that friendly, shy, scared, injured or
sick dogs do not get wrongly killed.
.
Recommendations:
. Develop standardized definitions, including a definition for what constitutes a No
Kill Rancho Cucamonga.
. Minority Opinion: Healthy dogs and cats saved.
. How do you justify killing a kitten with mild conjunctivitis and
be No Kill?;
. Public won't accept it;
. Puts you on the defensive before you start.
. Majority Opinion: Healthy & Treatable dogs and cats saved.
. How do you justify killing a healthy feral cat with a caretaker
and be No Kill?;
. Cat lovers and feral community won't accept it;
. Puts you on the defensive before you start.
.
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.
.
Growing Opinion: Healthy, Treatable & Feral Cats
. Take the broad definition and be a "leader" even though it may
take longer to declare "victory."
Key Aspects:
· A No Kill community is one that has a community with a lifesaving guarantee for:
(I) healthy dogs and cats; (2) sick and/or injured but treatable dogs and cats; (3) and
feral cats.
.
.
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