No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006/02/27 - Agenda Packet - Special (Animal Care & Services) ACGJENIDA lRANClHIO <C1UCAMONGA <ClI'fY <C01UNClIIL , ,r\ />1, 5J '~~h'A {j{\\/>,,~ M f'{---;'"~;\ -t'~ .~ /'-_Ylii \:~ lP'E.CIIAlL IE IE 'II'IIN G- o ,_ '; '\ , {' ~:~_~~:.~:~~~\\ ~,I(~ ~7 {i71 f" \.. ,1","<;/ ..;/ ,;V- \,,,,Monday, February 27, 2006 ~ 5:00 p.m. '\,\. '1;7 ,1 :r \:\ \\" ,f !('-_~" _ \,.-- - ~J~ :. ,'':,. <f ';\. ' Jy./\,,_Ran.choJ;uc~monga City Hall ~ Council Chambers ,', 110500 Civic Ctlnt~rDrive ~ Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3801 /'..../ ~,,--.;i \'\, ...",,_;0:,:1 \\ .~ ,"-' '\, l. ",,--, c,;:/\\ d .t' ,.""'-.,' .... J ~ F ".\, I,c'-..,.- f , ': 'v? . / A CAlLlL 'fO ORDlER \.\ -' .~ ,'_ ..jI 0 .~_ _,.~l' '~. \\J--"';~ ',~' ~. -;-'--'--"'~ \ 1. Pledge ,of Allegiance ',< -;/~~_ >i"-'--:;:/ 2. Roll Call: Alexander _' Gutierrez_, Michael_, Spagnolo_, Williams_. """.-"". lB. lPtJlBUC COMMUNJlCA'fJlONS 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 l'flEM OF lBUSJlNlESS 1. RANCHO CUCAMONGA ANIMAL CARE AND SERVICES PROGRAM RECOMMENDED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (TRANSITION - PHASE III) Presentation by Nathan Winograd, No Kill Solutions lD>. ADJOURNMlEN'f 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 February 23, 2006, per Government Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California. . PHASE III: RECOMMENDED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SUMMARY OUTLINE RANCHO CUCAMONGA ANIMAL CARE AND SERVICES PROGRAM ~/""'-""", No Killd(\..i Soluti6n~ Post Office Box 74926 . San Clemente California 92673 (949) 276-6942 . www.nokillsolutlons.com February 2006 ~ CONTENTS Introduction...................................................................... .'......................... ....3 Part I: Shelter Operations................................................................................4 A General Shelter Policies ...... ........ ........................................................ ...................4 Hours of operations, visitors, porking, onimal records, shelter stotistics, minimum holding periods. B. Intake Procedures..". .............................................. ............................. ..................5 Intake identifkotion, lost and found, owner relinquishments, pet retention, medicol evaluation, vacdnation. C. Animal Care.............................................................,........... ..................... .......7 General policies, deaning. feeding, animal movement, veterinary and health issues, socialization. feral cats, died in kennel, rabies suspea quarantines, volunteer pragram. . D. Disposition....................................................................................................8 Return to owners, animal returns. adoption process and policies, selection criteria, post-<Jdoption fallow- up, rescue groups, foster care, selection for "euthanasia," method of "euthanasia." owner requested (<euthanasia. .. Part II: Field Services ........................~..............................................................II A General Field Policies.......................................................................................II Regular service call hours, work detail. vehides. daily activity reports. license canvassing, animal traps. B. Responding to Service Calls.................. .................. ......... ...............:..................12 Priority response list, on call procedures, investigationslcitations, nuisance complaints, vicious animals, loose dogs, injured animals, animal bites, animal cruelty, large animal pick-up, deceased animals, wildlife, unwanted owned animals. 2 ~ INTRODUCTION Detailed recommended policies and procedures have been presented to City staff in the course of our working relationship. Because they are recommendations which require the input of City staff. shelter leadership and other levels of review. they are considered a "work in progress" although they represent No Kill Solutions' assessment of best practices. Nonetheless, they must be reviewed by City staff and agency leadership for approval, rejection or modification within the agency's overall philosophy and goals. The enclosed Phase III report is merely a brief description of policy areas which have been addressed to City staff in detailed form. They do not represent full and formal policies. They cover underlying rationale only with the caveat that detailed policy recommendations are being made directly to City staff. In addition. it is important to be mindful that the success of a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga depends on the shelter focusing on a proactive strategy that balances its animal "care" with its animal "control" responsibilities. Success in doing so further depends on a series of programs and services designed to lower birthrates. keep pets with their responsible caretakers, and increase adoptions. Failure to implement these practices. and the policies and procedures that go with them, will result in delays or failure to meet No Kill goals. These programs were identified in the Phase I and Phase II reports and include: . High-volume. low and no-cost spay/neuter services; . A foster care network for underaged, traumatized, sick. injured, or other animals; . Comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include offsite adoption venues; . Medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs; . Pet retention programs to solve medical, environmental. or behavioral problems and keep animals with their caring and responsible caregivers; . Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs: . Rescue group access to shelter animals: and. . Volunteer programs to socialize animals. promote adoptions. and help in the operations of the shelter. Once formalized policies are approved, they must then be memorialized into a Department operations manual by City staff. 3 , PART I. SHELTER OPERATIONS A. GENERAL SHELTER POLICIES HOURS OF OPERATION The shelter shall be open to the public from II am to 6 pm every day except Wednesday. It shall be open to the public on Wednesday from II am to 7 pm as required under Food and Agricultural Code Sections 31108. 31752, 31753. Some shelters limit adoption hours by requiring applications for adoptions to be turned in thirty minutes before closing. To save the maximum number of lives and to be responsive to the public, so long as a shelter is open to accept animals, it will also be open to adopt animals. Otherwise, potential adopters may be discouraged from coming back. In addition. the theory behind opening after 5:30 pm (i.e., traditional business hours) is to provide public access to families with children and to working people (the two most important adopter demographics a shelter should be seeking). By limiting adoptions after traditional "business" or "working" hours, the fact of staying open after 5:30 pm loses its impact. VISITORS Community support is the cornerstone of shelter operations. Every person who has a positive association with the agency helps to further the Department's success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with the job the agency is doing. Satisfied community members who adopt, volunteer, foster. keep their pet because of helpful advice, donate, or otherwise support the agency open up scarce kennel space, provide revenue to the shelter, encourage friends and family to adopt, can be solicited for private support in the future and provide living ambassadors to the Department's success for years to come. PARKING A staff, volunteer, and public parking policy needs to be developed, that gives primacy to the public. ANIMAL HISTORY, TREATMENT AND DISPOSITION RECORDS A uniform and complete animal record is crucial for the agency to provide the best care, make the best match in adoptions. determine the best course of action for a particular animal and meet its goal of a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga. To do that, all decisions must be carefully weighed with all the evidence and information at the staff's disposal. As a result, all care and treatment, except routine feeding and cleaning, shall be entered into the shelter management database at or around the time such care and treatment has been administered. 4 PUBLIC DISCLOSURES The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Service Department's success depends on a host of factors including lifesaving, the quality of care, the level of community involvement and community perception. I ndeed. 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..." Notwithstanding the above, the shelter also performs certain law enforcement functions and offers services to individuals who have privacy rights. In order to maintain the integrity of those processes, the Department must maintain some information as confidential. MINIMUM HOLDING PERIODS At a minimum, all animals will be held for the period of time as required by law. So long as the shelter is open until 7 pm one weekday per week, animals will minimally be held for four days (not including the day of impoundment) unless determined to be irremediably suffering under the letter and spirit of Food and Agricultural Code Section 17006 and accompanying sections. If the shelter does not remain open until 7 pm one weekday per week. the minimum holding period shall be six days (not including the day of impoundment) unless determined to be irremediably suffering under the letter and spirit of Food & Agric. Code Sect. 17006. The first three days are "owner-redemption" days, although would-be adopters can ask for the pet when the first three days are over. During the second three days, the pet may be adopted immediately or redeemed to the owner. Notwithstanding the above, there is no arbitrarily set policy requiring animals to be killed based solely on legally mandated holding periods, The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services program is committed to saving the maximum number of lives and will not kill an animal solely based on the fact that the minimum holding period has expired. B. INTAKE PROCEDURES INTAKE IDENTIFICATION PROTOCOLS Impounding an animal requires multiple tasks that include making an impound card, putting a band (identification collar) with the impound number on it around the animal's neck. giving the ariimal a brief physical exam, vaccinating and testing, putting the animal in the appropriate kennel area, and giving the animal fresh water and food. . 5 , LOST AND FOUND PROCEDURES Lost and Found animal reports are filled in when the person who loses or finds the animal either telephones the shelter to' generate such a report, or physically comes into the shelter. These reports are typed into the shelter management software database. The Department shall also maintain a binder or bulletin board in the lobby for the public to post "Lost and Found" flyers and information. OWNER RELINQUISHMENTS The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department should only accept owned and stray animals who come from the City of Rancho Cucamonga. From time to time, the Department may as a courtesy accept stray animals from out of the City if space allows, but the impound agency for that jurisdiction should be notified and the animals transferred within 24 hours to that facility. However, the primary obligation is to provide a lifesaving environment for the citizens and animals of the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Regardless of whether they telephone or appear at the shelter with their animal, they will first be asked why they wish to surrender their animal. Depending on the response, owners will be asked if the shelter can assist in preventing the surrender through its pet retention programs and staff. For example, owners may be referred to apartments who allow pets. or to low cost dog training classes in the area, the animal handlers may recommend protocols, or they may be provided factsheets on "resolving litterbox problems" or other information as appropriate. From time-to-time when space is at a premium or if the animal is a breed rescue candidate. they may be offered the opportunity to find their pet a home themselves through information, be reffered to breed rescue groups, or asked if they would consider holding the animal and placed on a list until space opens up at the shelter. If they agree to do so, they will be given information to resolve problems, find the pet a home or other as appropriate. PET RETENTION PROGRAMS In order to responsibly reduce the numbers of domestic animals entering the shelter, staff shall first attempt to assist owners who are seeking to relinquish their animals with advice and support to help them overcome medical. behavioral or environmental conditions which are the perceived cause of their decision. This is accomplished in a variety of ways. and will grow over time as the community programs coordinator puts information and programs. MEDICAL EVALUATION After the animal has been placed in the intake area, veterinary technician staff will perform a physical examination, collar animals. vaccinate animals. apply a flea/tick preventative, scan for a microchip, photograph animals for the shelter management database and online adoption networks. correct erroneous information on the cage card including breed, spay/neuter status and other information, and then move the animal into holding areas as appropriate (e.g., sick animals will be placed in the infirmary.) If necessary, foster families will be sought with the aid of the community programs coordinator or other staff. 6 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. C. GENERAL ANIMAL CARE GENERAL POLICIES The shelter manager, or manager on duty in his/her absence, shall prepare detailed kennel duties for each shift, ensure that the shelter is clean, that animals are moving through the system, and that animal care remains exemplary. CLEANING PROTOCOLS Saving lives requires a shelter to keep animals healthy and happy, make the shelter more invi,ting for the public, and for 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 thorough cleaning and disinfecting protocol can vastly reduce their impact. FEEDING PROTOCOLS Establishing a system of proper feeding is extremely important, and staff should be trained to monitor the diets of the animals. ANIMAL MOVEMENT In order to save more lives, staff must ensure that animals move through the system as quickly, humanely, and efficiently as possible. However, expediency shall not be used to limit lifesaving. ANIMAL HANDLING 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. In addition, the agency has purchased humane feral cat restraint systems, capture gloves, crates, transport cages, nets, leashes, muzzles, stretchers, and push carts, as well as towels and blankets for transport and handling. VETERINARY AND HEALTH ISSUES The responsibility of caring for Rancho Cucamonga's stray and abandoned animals is a serious one and carries the responsibility to individually assess the health status of each and 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. 7 SOCIALIZATION PROTOCOLS Implementing a fairly simple in-house behavior program will quickly allow an animal shelter'to save more lives. 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 tend to develop anti-social barrier behaviors. FERAL CATS Because they are unsocialized to people, feral cats are not adoption candidates. As such, unwanted feral cats are routinely killed in many shelters throughout the nation. The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department, therefore, should create educational and non-lethal sterilization programs that utilize citizen support and volunteers. A TNR program is the solution to reaching the goal of greatly reducing citizen calls and complaints about outdoor cats, as well as reducing unnecessary feral cat intake and subsequent death rates in municipal shelters. Feral cats and TNR will be discussed in the Phase IV report for guidance from the City Council prior to establishing a feral cat policy. DIED IN KENNEL Staff must report all animals who die in kennel immediately to the veterinary technician. the shelter manager or their immediate supervisor. At all times, the body is to be handled with respect and care. Moreover, if the shelter is open to the public, the dead animal is covered with a towel or blanket before the body is moved. RABIES SUSPECT QUARANTINES A rabies policy must be developed, consistent with California law and a policy preference that protects public health, while saving the maximum number of animals. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department. There will never be 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. D. ANIMAL DISPOSITIONS RETURN TO OWNERS When a person claims ownership of an impounded animal, the person must show proof of identification with picture (driver license, government issued picture identification card, or passport) and some evidence of ownership (veterinary records, picture or other proof). 8 ANIMAL RETURNS Unfortunately. despite the best efforts and screening of a shelter, not all homes will be permanent. In addition, with animal behavior, personality and health, there can be no guarantees. ADOPTION PROCESS AND POLICIES The best adoption programs are designed to ensure that each animal is placed with a responsible person. one prepared to make a lifelong commitment, and to avoid the kinds of problems that may have caused the animal to be brought to the shelter. An important part of the process is to match the life-style and needs of the adopter with the individual dog or cat. SELECTION CRITERIA 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 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. 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 between a happy adoption and disappointment. 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 remedy 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 9 , are going smoothly. It is equally important that adopters have the ability to reach someone for good advice and/or referral to local resources. 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 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 of the animal, rare is the circumstance in which they should be denied. FOSTER CARE It is the policy of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department to place animals in foster care who would otherwise face killing, such as because of their age, health, or other conditions, including lack of space. Periodically, the shelter will receive animals who, due to various reasons, cannot immediately be made available for adoption. Instead of killing animals with special needs, a foster program can provide daily care until the opportunity for adoption becomes available. SELECTION FOR "EUTHANASIA" Because killing an animal is the ultimate and most serious act, animals will be selected only by a few individuals trained in behavior, adoptability and with knowledge of the animals. Time spent in shelter is not the most relevant criteria. The Department director must authorize all shelter killing. If, however, an animal is irremediably suffering and the director is not available, the decision to end an animal's life will be made by the shelter manager in consultation with a veterinarian and reviewed with the director at the earliest possible time after the animal has been killed. Preference for Lifesaving Consistent with the policy of California state law, it is the policy of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department that adoptable and treatable animals not be killed. That commitment requires that the agency expend all legal and reasonable alternatives before an animal is scheduled to be killed. METHOD OF "EUTHANASIA" Webster's dictionary defines euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting 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 10 ~ painless way." The euthanasia process must result in a painless, rapid unconsciousness followed by respiratory arrest. cardiac arrest and ultimate death. The animal must 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 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 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. OWNER REQUESTED "EUTHANASIA" An owner request policy needs to be developed, consistent with California law and a policy favoring lifesaving. PART II. FIELD SERVICES A. GENERAL FIELD POLICIES REGULAR SERVICE CALL HOURS Regular business hours for in-field service requests shall be established. On call after hours emergencies shall also be established. WORK DETAIL Officers work in one person details. To ensure the safety of personnel. all field officers are equipped with standard safety and communications equipment. It is the responsibility of officers to ensure that all equipment is in good working order at the start and end of each shift. However, officers should show good judgment if they feel their health or safety is in jeopardy. Under such circumstances, they are to remove themselves immediately from the situation and seek the assistance of either another field officer and/or the Rancho Cucamonga police department. VEHICLES Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services vehicles should be kept clean and locked at all times. It shall be the responsibility of the driver of any Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services vehicle to remove all live and dead animals from all compartments prior to vacating the vehicle. It shall also be the responsibility of the driver of any assigned truck to clean out the compartments and disinfect all used compartments when the animal that was in the compartment is brought to the shelter. All personal " belongings such as briefcases, radios, etc. shall be removed from all vehicles prior to going off their shift. This includes trash. DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTS In order to maintain the integrity of the field services program, all officers will be required to fill out a daily activity log at or near the time of the event. LICENSE CANVASSING During winter months, Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services typically takes in about half the numbers of animals as it does during the busy summer months. In addition, field officers generally handle about half the number of calls for service. During these off peak periods, officers shall conduct license canvassing around the City according to beat area. ANIMAL TRAPS Periodically members of the public will want to rent traps for a variety of reasons. Rental policies must be established. Trap rental is done through an agreement, where citizens pay a refundable deposit, usually equivalent to the price of the trap: and an additional nominal fee, such as $2.00 per day. In order to keep the traps available for use, they are usually limited to a certain period of time, up to or around one week to ten days of use before they must be returned to be made available to others. In addition, proper use and handling of the trap will be explained to the borrower. B. RESPONDING TO SERVICE CALLS PRIORITY RESPONSE LIST Officers cannot be in multiple places at once, and service requests often outnumber the availability of responding officers. Calls for service can include abandoned animals, dogs running loose, dead animal pick up, possibly rabid animals, nuisance complaints, police or fire assistance, stray animals, animals left in traps, cruelty/neglect, sick or injured animals. or vicious animals. Because some calls for services pose a greater risk of injury to animals. people or property, the notion that calls are handled in the order they are received does not apply. This information should be explained to callers so that they do not draw unreasonable inferences or conclusions. or hold the agency to unwarranted expectations. The key is to educate and inform. ON CALL PROCEDURES On call field officers respond to emergencies only. Officers are to respond to emergencies expeditiously without compromising safety procedures, rules and laws. INVESTIGATIONS/CITATIONS Upon becoming aware of a possible violation of animal protection laws through request for service, personal observation, analysis of records and data, or other method. field 12 , officers will conduct a thorough investigation (including a review of witness reports, suspect statements, photographs, prior complaints, and prior case files). NUISANCE COMPLAINTS Upon receiving notification of an animal creating a noise disturbance that interferes with a person's sleep, work or reasonable right to peace or privacy, or is leaving feces or upsetting garbage on public property or the private property of another, officers will notify the animal owner, in writing, of the complaint and applicable laws. If the disturbance persists, the officer will conduct a thorough investigation, and if just and reasonable grounds exist, will issue an appropriate citation. VICIOUS ANIMALS The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department responds to calls for services involving potentially dangerous and/or vicious animals threatening the immediate health and safety of people or other animals. Consistent with California law, a potentially dangerous dog means any of the following: (a) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, engages in any behavior that requires a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury when the person and the dog are off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. (b) Any dog which, when unprovoked, bites a person causing a less severe injury than as defined in Section 31604. (c) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, has killed, seriously bitten, inflicted injury, or otherwise caused injury attacking a domestic animal off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. Consistent with California law, a vicious animal means any of the following: (a) Any dog seized under Section 599aa of the Penal Code and upon the sustaining of a conviction of the owner or keeper under subdivision (a) of Section 597.5 of the Penal Code. (b) Any dog which, when unprovoked, in an aggressive manner, inflicts severe injury on or kills a human being. (c) Any dog previously determined to be and currently listed as a potentially dangerous dog which, after its owner or keeper has been notified of this determination, continues the behavior described in Section 31602 or is maintained in violation of Section 31641, 31642, or 31643. LOOSE DOGS Upon receiving notification of or witnessing a loose dog, field officers will attempt to capture the loose dog for the animal's own safety as well as the safety of the public, as 13 ~ well as to take reasonable steps to return the dog to his/her owner. The animal may be impounded if the owner cannot be identified or if it is required to maintain public safety. INJURED ANIMALS California Penal tode Seq. 597.1 requires that injured animals found without their owners in a public place must be transferred directly to a veterinarian for determination of whether the animals shall be immediately and humanely destroyed or shall be hospitalized and given proper care and emergency treatment. Basic First Aid It is important that all field officers be able to assess and to determine the need for urgent veterinary care for injured domestic animals. Proper handling is advantageous for personal safety and comfort to the animals. An injured animal is apt to bite, therefore, the use of gloves, blanket, muzzle or other protective measures, together with firm but gentle handling, assures the animal that the officer cares and is in command. ANIMAL BITES Animals which have bitten people or other animals may pose a risk of rabies. Not all animals pose the same risk. Regardless of whether the animal is quarantined at the shelter, killed and submitted for testing, or quarantined in the owner's home, officers should work closely with the County Health Officer who oversees rabies abatement. ANIMAL CRUELTY Animal cruelty and neglect are serious crimes. In California, cruelty can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or felony, with penalties of up to three years in state prison. Officers will work with local law enforcement and the District Attorney',s Office to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute cases of alleged abuse and/or neglect. LARGE ANIMAL PICK-UP Occasionally, the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department may receive reports of stray/loose large domestic animals such as cows or horses. Because large animals may pose a safety hazard to themselves or to others, complaints of this nature must be handled with some urgency. Officers should work with local law \ enforcement, Fire District personnel, county animal control officers, and others with large animal experience and equipment to remove the animal from the roadway where he or she might pose a danger to themselves or to others, and for transporting to the shelter or other suitable location. DECEASED ANIMALS Periodically, field staff will receive reports of deceased animals. These should be handled in the same manner as other complaint calls. Dead animals shall be placed in a garbage bag before being placed on the truck and officers should only handle them with disposable gloves. 14 7 WILDLIFE Wildlife poses a unique challenge for the progressive animal services program. With increasing urbanization and loss of habitat. human-wildlife encounters are increasing. Balancing animal "care" and animal "control" responsibilities requires agencies to educate citizens about the need to peacefully coexist with wildlife. at the same time that agencies protect the public from any true threats to people or other animals posed by wild animals. In addition, California state law governs the trapping, removal. keeping and killing of wildlife. In some cases. federal law may also come into play. particularly with endangered animals or bird species. Furthermore. California 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 the agency is going to accept wildlife, the animals may be relocated and released, rather than killed. in California. In addition, a shelter may not legally be able to kill healthy wildlife. Before putting in place procedures for wildlife. agency leadership should work with the State Department of Fish & Game to ensure that policies are aligned with State wildlife regulations. UNWANTED OWNED ANIMALS A policy regarding the pick up of owned animals needs to be established. /5 -c. :j_'t!. Y,'::" t ~ , ~- ~ "-~--~~ , /~ d }-- /-~NI;~HeLTER ~_~~~ _ - ~-- RANCHO cuCAMONGA ~li'.,~ , ~' , ,.,- "';"', ,.-;,c;-",'. '",~, 4 ':~~~:f~:,r~< ; ~ '\ "I:" \.., -~' .,..' r(Q)nn~n~s <& rr(Q)~~cdlm~s Anim21li Services Tr21nsition · Phase I (Aug. 2005): Transition Plan · Phase II (Dec. 2005): Service Levels & Budget · Phase III (Feb. 2006): Policies & Procedures · Phase IV (Mar. 2006): No Kill Feasibility · Doesn't tell the whole story... No Kill Solutions · 606 hours to date working on this proj ect. · Includes: meetings, analysis, reports, tours of shelters, telephone calls, presentations. ~ Areas: construction, job descriptions, transition issues, meetings with Western University and others, shelter design review and evaluation,' interviews, computer systems, medical care, budgeting, infrastructure improvements, policies and procedures, purchasing, ordinance review, community input, community programs, field services, and more. Phase X " · Following City Council review of Phase I: - City put together a transition team made up of No Kill Solutions, City Manager's Office, Purchasing, Information Systems, Public - Works, Finance, Risk Manager's Office, Personnel, Fire District/Public Safety · Also consulted with outside experts in various fields including sheltering, architectural, construction, personnel, veterinary care, etc. Phase K · Established desired service levels · Created detailed budgets · Created job descriptions and salary classifications and began initial round of recruiting · Developed list of over 1,100 items for purchase including computer systems, field vans, and more · Developed facility modification and repair plan Phase II · Baseline Program - Provision of a full service municipal animal services program · No Kill Enhancements - Behavior socialization/rehabilitation - Medical rehabilitation - Spay/Neuter - Community-oriented programs such as volunteers, foster care, offsite adoptions, events, education, public relations and social marketing · Physical Improvements , · Fees T odlay Phase III · Nearly 70 pages of detailed and specific policy recommendations were provided to City staff · For example... Dog KeJDlneli ClieaniJDlg · Move dogs to one side of the kennel and close the connecting guillotine doors. · Manually remove all feces. · Remove all food and water dishes, toys and other materials except for Kurunda beds. · Fill and attach the disinfectant sprayer. · Spray runs floor, walls, chain link with detergent. · Scrub with stiff bristled brush including caked on debris. o Rinse. · Spray runs with bleach solution/disinfectant. · Let stand for 5 minutes. · Rinse. · Flush the drains. · Squeegee. · Spray and wipe door handles · Restock kennel with clean bowls, fresh water, toys, as appropriate. · Do a physical inventory of all animals. · Perform the following duties throughout the day: re-fill water bowls as needed; re-feed as needed; spot clean inside and outside kennel runs as needed. feeding Protocol Chickens · Mash in regular or pellet form, scratch (com, oats & wheat) to supplement mash but not given to chicks less than 8-10 weeks of age, grit, water, pasture as a supplement. A laying hen needs 1/5-1/3 lb. Feed daily. Rabbits · Wean at about 8 weeks. Small breeds-give least 2 ounces of feed pellets daily, medium breeds-give 5 ounces of feed pellets daily, giant breeds-give 8 ounces of feed pellets daily, a doe with a litter should be free-fed. All need salt via a salt spool, water, and timothy hay and other greens. No greens if under 6 months. Newborn Ducklings · 22 to 24% duck starter ration or a chick starter if it isn't adulterated with drugs, water. Process of Policy Kmplement21tion · My job is to recommend only · Review by City staff · Review by Department leadership · Review by Risk Manager, City attorney, etc. as needed · City staff/Dept. staff formalizes into operations manual Todlay~s Discussion ./ · Not going into detailed policy recommendations · Progress update · Policy area discussion per prior request · No action to be requested. This is informational only · Policies divided into two groups - Shelter policies - Field services Shelter Policies · General: - hours of operation - Visitors - Parking - Animal records - Shelter statistics - Holding periods SheRter PoRncnes · Intake Procedures: - Identification - Lost and found - Owner relinquishments - Pet retention - Medical evaluation - Vaccination Shelter Policies · Animal Care: - Cleaning - Feeding - Movement - Veterinary - Socialization - Feral cats - Died in kennel - Rabies suspects - Volunteers Shelter Policies · Disposition: - Redemptions - Returns - Adoptions - Post-adoption - Foster care - Euthanasia FieRd Services · General: - Service hours - On call procedures - Work detail - Vehicles - Daily activity reports - Licensing and canvassing - Animal traps field Services · Service Calls: - Priority responses - On call - Investigations - Citations - Nuisance complaints - Vicious animals - Loose dogs field Services · Service Calls: -- Injured animals -- Animal bites -- Animal cruelty -- Large animals -- Deceased animals -- Unwanted animals -- Wildlife EachPoliicy · Policy explanation (underlying rationale) · Policies should reflect the type of agency the Department wants to be · For example... ~ \ Visitors · Community support is the cornerstone of shelter operations. Every person who has a positive association with the agency helps to further the Department's success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with the job the agency is doing. Satisfied community members who adopt, volunteer, foster, keep their pet because of helpful advice, donate, or otherwise support the agency open up scarce kennel space, provide revenue to the shelter, encourage friends and family to adopt, can be solicited for private support in the future and provide living ambassadors to the Department's success for years to come. · Because of this, the Department welcomes visitors to all public areas ofthe shelter during normal business hours. The Department especially welcomes the public to interact with the animals even for the sole purpose of "window shopping." These individuals not only provide needed socialization for the animals, they also represent an opportunity to gain potential future adoptions, word of mouth publicity of available animals, volunteers and donors. Loose Dogs · Officers who impound loose dogs in the field should attempt to contact the owner or possible owner whenever possible. This shall be accomplished by a microchip scan~ checking identification and/or speaking to neighbors. · As a one time courtesy, if an owner is known, officers should return the animal to the owner, using the opportunity to educate the owner about leash laws and dog safety. Each PoRicy · Policy explanation (underlying rationale) · Detailed and recommended policy · Review by City staff · Modification as desired · City staff formalization A Rook ahead== Phase IV · How to implement a No Kill plan · Level of community support for such a plan · What defines a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga · How do you measure success? · What is a reasonable time line to achieve success? · Private funding opportunities · Legislative review and recommendations \ ,~ -Lit. .,: ( -::=-------- ~ ; oC~.=.~~ --,/.:.::.-------:~ -/-~CHO cuCAMONGA A,., o . '., ~, "; "': ~.~ . ~'" Ii; r(Q)nn~nce5) & rr(Q)~ce~mces Animall Services Transition · Phase I (Aug. 2005): Transition Plan .-- · Phase II (Dec. 2005): Service Levels & Budget · Phase III (Feb. 2006): Policies & Procedures · Phase IV (Mar. 2006): No Kill Feasibility · Doesn't tell the whole story. . . No KiRR SoRutions · 606 hours to date working on this proj ect. · Includes: meetings, analysis, reports, tours of shelters, telephone calls, presentations. €} Areas: construction, job descriptions, transition issues, meetings with Western University and others, shelter design review and evaluation, interviews, computer systems, medical care, budgeting, infrastructure improvements, policies and procedures, purchasing, ordinance review, community input, community programs, field services, and more. Phase I /' · Following City Council review of Phase I: - City put together a transition team made up of No Kill Solutions, City Manager's Office, Purchasing, Information Systems, Public Works, Finance, Risk Manager's Office, Personnel, Fire District/Public Safety · Also consulted with outside experts in various fields including sheltering, architectural, construction, personnel, veterinary care, etc. Phase K · Established desired service levels · Created detailed budgets · Created job descriptions and salary classifications and began initial round of recruiting · Developed list of over 1,100 items for purchase including computer systems, field vans, and more · Developed facility modification and repair plan Phase II · Baseline Program - Provision of a full service municipal animal services program · No Kill Enhancements - Behavior socialization/rehabilitation - Medical rehabilitation - Spay/Neuter - Community-oriented programs such as volunteers, foster care, offsite adoptions, events, education, public relations and social marketing · Physical Improvements · Fees TodalY Phase III · Nearly 70 pages of detailed and specific policy recommendations were provided to City staff · For example... Dog Kennel Cleaning · Move dogs to one side of the kennel and close the connecting guillotine doors. · Manually remove all feces. · Remove all food and water dishes, toys and other materials except for Kurunda beds. · Fill and attach the disinfectant sprayer. · Spray runs floor, walls, chain link with detergent. · Scrub with stiff bristled brush including caked on debris. · Rinse. · Spray runs with bleach solution/disinfectant. · Let stand for 5 minutes. · Rinse. · Flush the drains. · Squeegee. · Spray and wipe door handles · Restock kennel with clean bowls, fresh water, toys, as appropriate. · Do a physical inventory of all animals. · Perform the following duties throughout the day: re-fill water bowls as needed; re-feed as needed; spot clean inside and outside kennel runs as needed. Feeding Protocol Chickens · Mash in regular or pellet form, scratch (com, oats & wheat) to supplement mash but not given to chicks less than 8-10 weeks of age, grit, water, pasture as a supplement. A laying hen needs 1/5-1/3 lb. Feed daily. Rabbits · Wean at about 8 weeks. Small breeds-give least 2 ounces of feed pellets daily, medium breeds-give 5 ounces of feed pellets daily, giant breeds-give 8 ounces of feed pellets daily, a doe with a litter should be free-fed. All need salt via a salt spool, water, and timothy hay and other greens. No greens ifunder 6 months. Newborn Ducklings · 22 to 24% duck starter ration or a chick starter ifit isn't adulterated with drugs, water. Process of Policy Implementation · My job is to recommend only · Review by City staff · Review by Department leadership · Review by Risk Manager, City attorney, etc. as needed · City staff/Dept. staff formalizes into operations manual Today~s Discussion · Not going into detailed policy recommendations · Progress update · Policy area discussion per prior request · No action to be requested. This is informational , only · Policies divided into two groups - Shelter policies - Field services Shelter Policies · General: - hours of operation - Visitors - Parking - Animal records - Shelter statistics - Holding periods Shelter Policies · Intake Procedures: - Identification - Lost and found - Owner relinquishments - Pet retention - Medical evaluation - Vaccination Shelter Policies · Animal Care: - Cleaning - Feeding - Movement - Veterinary - Socialization - Feral cats - Died in kennel - Rabies suspects - Volunteers Shelter Policies · Disposition: - Redemptions - Returns - Adoptions - Post-adoption - Foster care - Euthanasia field Services · General: - Service hours - On call procedures - Work detail - Vehicles - Daily activity reports - Licensing and canvassing - Animal traps Field Services · Service Calls: - Priority responses - On call - Investigations - Citations - Nuisance complaints - Vicious animals - Loose dogs field Services ~ · Service Calls: -- Injured animals -- Animal bites -- Animal cruelty -- Large animals -- Deceased animals -- Unwanted animals -- Wildlife \ Each Policy · Policy explanation (underlying'rationale) · Policies should reflect the type of agency the Department wants to be · For example... Visitors · Community support is the cornerstone of shelter operations. Every person who has a positive association with the agency helps to further the Department's success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with the job the agency is doing. Satisfied community members who adopt, volunteer, foster, keep their pet because of helpful advice, donate, or otherwise support the agency open up scarce kennel space, provide revenue to the shelter, encourage friends and family to adopt, can be solicited for private support in the future and provide living ambassadors to the Department's success for years to come. · Because of this, the Department welcomes visitors to all public areas of the shelter during normal business hours. The Department especially welcomes the public to interact with the animals even for the sole purpose of "window shopping." These individuals not only provide needed socialization for the animals, they also represent an opportunity to gain potential future adoptions, word of mouth publicity of available animals, volunteers and donors. Loose Dogs · Officers who impound loose dogs in the field should attempt to contact the owner or possible owner whenever possible. This shall be accomplished by a microchip scan5 checking identification and/or speaking to neighbors. · As a one time courtesy, if an owner is known, officers should return the animal to the owner, using the opportunity to educate the owner about leash laws and dog safety. Each Policy · Policy explanation (underlying rationale) · Detailed and recommended policy · Review by City staff · Modification as desired · City staff formalization A look ahead== Phase IV · How to implement a No Kill plan · Level of community support for such a plan · What defines a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga · How do you measure success? · What is a reasonable time line to achieve success? · Private funding opportunities · Legislative review and recommendations PHASE III: RECOMMENDED POLICIES AND PROCEDUlRES SUMMARY OUTLINE ili I __~"c':'.c~.~:.. .,'-~ ..=-- ;N'MAL SHeLTER .__ ,__""""C(JCA!IOIlGA '-~.~Il J~.... , '" RANCHO CUCAMONGA ANIMAL CARE AND SERVICES PROGRAM /:.- , No Kmar-/\ SolutiOh~ Post Office Box 74926 . San Clemente California 92673 (949) 276-6942 . www.nokillsolutions.com February 2006 CONTENTS Introduction...................................................................... ..............................3 Part I: Shelter Operations................................................................. ...............4 A. General Shelter Policies .........................................................................................4 Hours of operations, visitors, parking, animal records, shelter statistics, minimum holding periods. B. Intake Procedures..,.. ....,.............,........................... ............................. ..................5 Intake identification, lost and found, owner relinquishments, pet retention, medical evaluation. vacdnation. C. Animal Care....................................... ........................ ...... ............... ........ .........7 General policies, cleaning. feeding. animol movemen~ veterinory and health issues, socialization, feral cats, died in kennel, rabies suspect quarantines, volunteer pragram. D. Disposition................................ .....,.,...,........,...............................................8 Return to owners, animal returns, odoption process and policies, selection criterio, post-adoption follow- up, rescue groups, foster care, selection for "euthonosio," method of "euthanasia," owner requested "euthanasia. .. Part II: Field Services .......................................................................................11 A. General Field Policies.......... .............. ......... ............. ..... .... ........ ................... .....11 Regular service call hours, work detail, vehicles. daily activity repons, license canvassing, animal traps. B. Responding to Service Calls......... ............... ...........,. ......... ..... .......... ....... ......... ..12 Priority response lis~ on call procedures, investigotions/citations. nuisance complaints, vicious onimals. loose dogs, injured onimols. onimal bites, animol cruelty, lorge animal pick-up, deceosed onimols, wildlife, unwanted owned animals. 2 INTRODUCTION Detailed recommended policies and procedures have been presented to City staff in the course of our working relationship. Because they are recommendations which require the input of City staff, shelter leadership and other levels of review, they are considered a "work in progress" although they represent No Kill Solutions' assessment of best practices. Nonetheless, they must be reviewed by City staff and agency leadership for approval, rejection or modification within the agency's overall philosophy and goals. The enclosed Phase III report is merely a brief description of policy areas which have been addressed to City staff in detailed form. They do not represent full and formal policies. They cover underlying rationale only with the caveat that detailed policy recommendations are being made directly to City staff. In addition. it is important to be mindful that the success of a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga depends on the shelter focusing on a proactive strategy that balances its animal "care" with its animal "control" responsibilities. Success in doing so further depends on a series of programs and services designed to lower birthrates, keep pets with their responsible caretakers, and increase adoptions. Failure to implement these practices, and the policies and procedures that go with them, will result in delays or failure to meet No Kill goals. These programs were identified in the Phase I and Phase II reports and include: . High-volume, low and no-cost spay/neuter services: . A foster care network for underaged, traumatized. sick, injured, or other animals; · Comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include offsite adoption venues: . Medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs; . Pet retention programs to solve medical, environmental, or behavioral problems and keep animals with their caring and responsible caregivers; . Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs; . Rescue group access to shelter animals; and, · Volunteer programs to socialize animals. promote adoptions, and help in the operations of the shelter. Once formalized policies are approved, they must then be memorialized into a Department operations manual by City staff. 3 PART I. SHELTER OPERATIONS A. GENERAL SHELTER POLICIES HOURS OF OPERATION The shelter shall be open to the public from II am to 6 pm every day except Wednesday. It shall be open to the public on Wednesday from II am to 7 pm as required under Food and Agricultural Code Sections 31108, 31752, 31753. Some shelters limit adoption hours by requiring applications for adoptions to be turned in thirty minutes before closing. To save the maximum number of lives and to be responsive to the public, so long as a shelter is open to accept animals, it will also be open to adopt animals. Otherwise, potential adopters may be discouraged from coming back. In addition, the theory behind opening after 5:30 pm (i.e., traditional business hours) is to provide public access to families with children and to working people (the two most important adopter demographics a shelter should be seeking), By limiting adoptions after traditional "business" or "working" hours, the fact of staying open after 5:30 pm loses its impact. VISITORS Community support is the cornerstone of shelter operations. Every person who has a positive association with the agency helps to further the Department's success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with the job the agency is doing. Satisfied community members who adopt, volunteer, foster, keep their pet because of helpful advice, donate, or otherwise support the agency open up scarce kennel space. provide revenue to the shelter, encourage friends and family to adopt, can be solicited for private support in the future and provide living ambassadors to the Department's success for years to come. PARKING A staff, volunteer, and public parking policy needs to be developed, that gives primacy to the public. ANIMAL HISTORY, TREATMENT AND DISPOSITION RECORDS A uniform and complete animal record is crucial for the agency to provide the best care, make the best match in adoptions, determine the best course of action for a particular animal and meet its goal of a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga. To do that, all decisions must be carefully weighed with all the evidence and information at the staffs disposal. As a result, all care and treatment. except routine feeding and cleaning, shall be entered into the shelter management database at or around the time such care and treatment has been administered. 4 PUBLIC DISCLOSURES The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Service Department's success depends on a host of factors including lifesaving, the quality of care, the level of community involvement and community perception. 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..... Notwithstanding the above, the shelter also performs certain law enforcement functions and offers services to individuals who have privacy rights. In order to maintain the integrity of those processes, the Department must maintain some information as confidential. MINIMUM HOLDING PERIODS At a minimum, all animals will be held for the period of time as required by law. So long as the shelter is open until 7 pm one weekday per week, animals will minimally be held for four days (not including the day of impoundment) unless determined to be irremediably suffering under the letter and spirit of Food and Agricultural Code Section 17006 and accompanying sections. If the shelter does not remain open until 7 pm one weekday per week, the minimum holding period shall be six days (not including the day of impoundment) unless determined to be irremediably suffering under the letter and spirit of Food & Agric. Code Sect. 17006. The first three days are "owner-redemption" days, although would-be adopters can ask for the pet when the first three days are over. During the second three days, the pet may be adopted immediately or redeemed to the owner. Notwithstanding the above, there is no arbitrarily set policy requiring animals to be killed based solely on legally mandated holding periods. The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services program is committed to saving the maximum number of lives and will not kill an animal solely based on the fact that the minimum holding period has expired. B. INTAKE PROCEDURES INTAKE IDENTIFICATION PROTOCOLS Impounding an animal requires multiple tasks that include making an impound card, putting a band (identification collar) with the impound number on it around the animal's neck, giving the animal a brief physical exam, vaccinating and testing, putting the animal in the appropriate kennel area. and giving the animal fresh water and food, 5 LOST AND FOUND PROCEDURES Lost and Found animal reports are filled in when the person who loses or finds the animal either telephones the shelter to generate such a report. or physically comes into the shelter. These reports are typed into the shelter management software database. The Department shall also maintain a binder or bulletin board in the lobby for the public to post "Lost and Found" flyers and information. OWNER RELINQUISHMENTS The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department should only accept owned and stray animals who come from the City of Rancho Cucamonga. From time to time, the Department may as a courtesy accept stray animals from out of the City if space allows, but the impound agency for that jurisdiction should be notified and the animals transferred within 24 hours to that facility. However, the primary obligation is to provide a lifesaving environment for the citizens and animals of the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Regardless of whether they telephone or appear at the shelter with their animal, they will first be asked why they wish to surrender their animal. Depending on the response, owners will be asked if the shelter can assist in preventing the surrender through its pet retention programs and staff. For example, owners may be referred to apartments who allow pets, or to low cost dog training classes in the area. the animal handlers may recommend protocols. or they may be provided factsheets on "resolving litterbox problems" or other information as appropriate. From time-to-time when space is at a premium or if the animal is a breed rescue candidate, they may be offered the opportunity to find their pet a home themselves through information, be reffered to breed rescue groups, or asked if they would consider holding the animal and placed on a list until space opens up at the shelter. If they agree to do so, they will be given information to resolve problems, find the pet a home or other as appropriate. PET RETENTION PROGRAMS In order to responsibly reduce the numbers of domestic animals entering the shelter, staff shall first attempt to assist owners who are seeking to relinquish their animals with advice and support to help them overcome medical, behavioral or environmental conditions which are the perceived cause of their decision. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, and will grow over time as the community programs coordinator puts information and programs. MEDICAL EVALUATION After the animal has been placed in the intake area, veterinary technician staff will perform a physical examination, collar animals, vaccinate animals, apply a flea/tick preventative, scan for a microchip, photograph animals for the shelter management database and online adoption networks, correct erroneous information on the cage card including breed, spay/neuter status and other information, and then move the animal into holding areas as appropriate (e.g., sick animals will be placed in the infirmary.) If. necessary, foster families will be sought with the aid of the community programs coordinator or other staff. 6 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. C. GENERAL ANIMAL CARE GENERAL POLICIES The shelter manager, or manager on duty in his/her absence, shall prepare detailed kennel duties for each shift, ensure that the shelter is clean, that animals are moving through the system, and that animal care remains exemplary. CLEANING PROTOCOLS Saving lives requires a shelter to keep animals healthy and happy, make the shelter more invi,ting for the public, and for 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 thorough cleaning and disinfecting protocol can vastly reduce their impact. FEEDING PROTOCOLS Establishing a system of proper feeding is extremely important, and staff should be trained to monitor the diets of the animals. ANIMAL MOVEMENT In order to save more lives, staff must ensure that animals move through the system as quickly, humanely. and efficiently as possible. However, expediency shall not be used to limit lifesaving. ANIMAL HANDLING 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. In addition. the agency has purchased humane feral cat restraint systems, capture gloves, crates, transport cages, nets, leashes, muzzles, stretchers, and push carts, as well as towels and blankets for transport and handling. VETERINARY AND HEALTH ISSUES The responsibility of caring for Rancho Cucamonga's stray and abandoned animals is a serious one and carries the responsibility to individually assess the health status of each and 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. 7 SOCIALIZATION PROTOCOLS Implementing a fairly simple in-house behavior program will quickly allow an animal shelter to save more lives. 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 tend to develop anti-social barrier behaviors. FERAL CATS Because they are unsocialized to people. feral cats are not adoption candidates. As such. unwanted feral cats are routinely killed in many shelters throughout the nation. The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department, therefore, should create educational and non-lethal sterilization programs that utilize citizen support and volunteers. A TNR program is the solution to reaching the goal of greatly reducing citizen calls and complaints about outdoor cats, as well as reducing unnecessary feral cat intake and subsequent death rates in municipal shelters. Feral cats and TNR will be discussed in the Phase IV report for guidance from the City Council prior to establishing a feral cat policy. DIED IN KENNEL Staff must report all animals who die in kennel immediately to the veterinary technician, the shelter manager or their immediate supervisor. At all times, the body is to be handled with respect and care. Moreover. if the shelter is open to the public, the dead animal is covered with a towel or blanket before the body is moved, RABIES SUSPECT QUARANTINES A rabies policy must be developed, consistent with California law and a policy preference that protects public health, while saving the maximum number of animals. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department. There will never be 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. D. ANIMAL DISPOSITIONS RETURN TO OWNERS When a person claims ownership of an impounded animal. the person must show proof of identification with picture (driver license, government issued picture identification card, or passport) and some evidence of ownership (veterinary records, picture or other proof). 8 ANIMAL RETURNS Unfortunately, despite the best efforts and screening of a shelter. not all homes will be permanent. In addition. with animal behavior. personality and health. there can be no guarantees. ADOPTION PROCESS AND POLICIES The best adoption programs are designed to ensure that each animal is placed with a responsible person, one prepared to make a lifelong commitment, and to avoid the kinds of problems that may have caused the animal to be brought to the shelter. An important part of the process is to match the life-style and needs of the adopter with the individual dog or cat. SELECTION CRITERIA 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 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. 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 between a happy adoption and disappointment. 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 remedy 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 9 are going smoothly. It is equally important that adopters have the ability to reach someone for good advice and/or referral to local resources. 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 S,OOO 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. FOSTER CARE It is the policy of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department to place animals in foster care who would otherwise face killing, such as because of their age, health, or other conditions, including lack of space. Periodically, the shelter will receive animals who. due to various reasons. cannot immediately be made available for adoption. Instead of killing animals with special needs, a foster program can provide daily care until the opportunity for adoption becomes available. SELECTION FOR "EUTHANASIA" Because killing an animal is the ultimate and most serious act, animals will be selected only by a few individuals trained in behavior, adoptability and with knowledge of the animals. Time spent in shelter is not the most relevant criteria. The Department director must authorize all shelter killing. If, however, an animal is irremediably suffering and the director is not available, the decision to end an animal's life will be made by the shelter manager in consultation with a veterinarian and reviewed with the director at the earliest possible time after the animal has been killed. Preference for Lifesaving Consistent with the policy of California state law. it is the policy of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department that adoptable and treatable animals not be killed. That commitment requires that the agency expend all legal and reasonable alternatives before an animal is scheduled to be killed. METHOD OF "EUTHANASIA" Webster's dictionary defines euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting 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 dil~mmas, 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 10 painless way." The euthanasia process must result in a painless, rapid unconsciousness followed by respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest and ultimate death. The animal must 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 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 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. OWNER REQUESTED "EUTHANASIA" An owner request policy needs to be developed, consistent with California law and a policy favoring lifesaving. PART II. FIELD SERVICES A. GENERAL FIELD POLICIES REGULAR SERVICE CALL HOURS Regular business hours for in-field service requests shall be established. On call after hours emergencies shall also be established. WORK DETAIL Officers work in one person details. To ensure the safety of personnel, all field officers are equipped with standard safety and communications equipment. It is the responsibility of officers to ensure that all equipment is in good working order at the start and end of each shift. However, officers should show good judgment if they feel their health or safety is in jeopardy. Under such circumstances, they are to remove themselves immediately from the situation and seek the assistance of either another field officer and/or the Rancho Cucamonga police department. VEHICLES Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services vehicles should be kept clean and locked at all times. It shall be the responsibility of the driver of any Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services vehicle to remove all live and dead animals from all compartments prior to vacating the vehicle. It shall also be the responsibility of the driver of any assigned truck to clean out the compartments and disinfect all used compartments when the animal that was in the compartment is brought to the shelter. All personal II belongings such as briefcases, radios. etc. shall be removed from all vehicles prior to going off their shift. This includes trash. DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTS In order to maintain the integrity of the field services program, all officers will be required to fill out a daily activity log at or near the time of the event. LICENSE CANVASSING During winter months. Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services typically takes in about half the numbers of animals as it does during the busy summer months. In addition, field officers generally handle about half the number of calls for service. During these off peak periods, officers shall conduct license canvassing around the City according to beat area. ANIMAL TRAPS Periodically members of the public will want to rent traps for a variety of reasons. Rental policies must be established. Trap rental is done through an agreement. where citizens pay a refundable deposit. usually equivalent to the price of the trap. and an additional nominal fee, such as $2.00 per day. In order to keep the traps available for use, they are usually limited to a certain period of time. up to or around one week to ten days of use before they must be returned to be made available to others. In addition, proper use and handling of the trap will be explained to the borrower. B. RESPONDING TO SERVICE CALLS PRIORITY RESPONSE LIST Officers cannot be in multiple places at once. and service requests often outnumber the availability of responding officers. Calls for service can include abandoned animals. dogs running loose. dead animal pick up, possibly rabid animals. nuisance complaints. police or fire assistance. stray animals, animals left in traps. cruelty/neglect, sick or injured animals, or vicious animals. Because some calls for services pose a greater risk of injury to animals. people or property. the notion that calls are handled in the order they are received does not apply. This information should be explained to callers so that they do not draw unreasonable inferences or conclusions. or hold the agency to unwarranted expectations. The key is to educate and inform. ON CALL PROCEDURES On call field officers respond to emergencies only. Officers are to respond to emergencies expeditiously without compromising safety procedures, rules and laws. INVESTIGA TIONS/CIT A TIONS Upon becoming aware of a possible violation of animal protection laws through request for service, personal observation. analysis of records and data. or other method. field 12 I officers will conduct a thorough investigation (including a review of witness reports, suspect statements, photographs, prior complaints, and prior case files). NUISANCE COMPLAINTS Upon receiving notification of an animal creating a noise disturbance that interferes with a person's sleep, work or reasonable right to peace or privacy, or is leaving feces or upsetting garbage on public property or the private property of another, officers will notify the animal owner, in writing, of the complaint and applicable laws. If the disturbance persists, the officer will conduct a thorough investigation, and if just and reasonable grounds exist, will issue an appropriate citation. VICIOUS ANIMALS The Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department responds to calls for services involving potentially dangerous and/or vicious animals threatening the immediate health and safety of people or other animals. Consistent with California law, a potentially dangerous dog means any of the following: (a) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, engages in any behavior that requires a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury when the person and the dog are off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. (b) Any dog which, when unprovoked. bites a person causing a less severe injury than as defined in Section 31604. (c) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, has killed, seriously bitten, inflicted injury, or otherwise caused injury attacking a domestic animal off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. Consistent with California law, a vicious animal means any of the following: (a) Any dog seized under Section 599aa of the Penal Code and upon the sustaining of a conviction of the owner or keeper under subdivision (a) of Section 597.5 of the Penal Code. (b) Any dog which, when unprovoked, in an aggressive manner, inflicts severe injury on or kills a human being. (c) Any dog previously determined to be and currently listed as a potentially dangerous dog which, after its owner or keeper has been notified of this determination, continues the behavior described in Section 31602 or is maintained in violation of Section 31641, 31642, or 31643. LOOSE DOGS Upon receiving notification of or witnessing a loose dog, field officers will attempt to capture the loose dog for the animal's own safety as well as the safety of the public, as 13 , well as to take reasonable steps to return the dog to his/her owner. The animal may be impounded if the owner cannot be identified or if it is required to maintain public safety. INJURED ANIMALS California Penal tode Sect. 597.1 requires that injured animals found without their owners in a public place ~ust be transferred directly to a veterinarian for determination of whether the animals shall be immediately and humanely destroyed or shall be hospitalized and given proper care and emergency treatment. Basic First Aid It is important that all field officers be able to assess and to determine the need for urgent veterinary care for injured domestic animals. Proper handling is advantageous for personal safety and comfort to the animals. An injured animal is apt to bite, therefore. the use of gloves, blanket, muzzle or other protective measures, together with firm but gentle handling, assures the animal that the officer cares and is in command. ANIMAL BITES Animals which have bitten people or other animals may pose a risk of rabies. Not all animals pose the same risk. Regardless of whether the animal is quarantined at the shelter, killed and submitted for testing. or quarantined in the owner's home, officers should work closely with the County Health Officer who oversees rabies abatement. ANIMAL CRUELTY Animal cruelty and neglect are serious crimes. In California, cruelty can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or felony. with penalties of up to three years in state prison. Officers will work with local law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office to investigate and. where appropriate, prosecute cases of alleged abuse and/or neglect. LARGE ANIMAL PICK-UP Occasionally. the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Department may receive reports of stray/loose large domestic animals such as cows or horses. Because large animals may pose a safety hazard to themselves or to others. complaints of this nature must be handled with some urgency. Officers should work with local law I enforcement. Fire District personnel. county animal control officers, and others with large animal experience and equipment to remove the animal from the roadway where he or she might pose a danger to themselves or to others. and for transporting to the shelter or other suitable location. DECEASED ANIMALS Periodically, field staff will receive reports of deceased animals. These should be handled in the same manner as other complaint calls. Dead animals shall be placed in a garbage bag before being placed on the truck and officers should only handle them with ' disposable gloves. 14 '- WILDLIFE Wildlife poses a unique challenge for the progressive animal services program. With increasing urbanization and loss of habitat. human-wildlife encounters are increasing, Balancing animal "care" and animal "control" responsibilities requires agencies to educate citizens about the need to peacefully coexist with wildlife. at the same time that agencies protect the public from any true threats to people or other animals posed by wild animals. In addition. California state law governs the trapping. removal. keeping and killing of wildlife. In some cases. federal law may also come into play. particularly with endangered animals or bird species. Furthermore. California 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 the agency is going to accept wildlife. the animals may be relocated and released. rather than killed. in California. In addition. a shelter may not legally be able to kill healthy wildlife. Before putting in place procedures for wildlife. agency leadership should work with the State Department of Fish & Game to ensure that policies are aligned with State wildlife regulations. UNWANTED OWNED ANIMALS A policy regarding the pick up of owned animals needs to be established. 15