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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005/08/23 - Agenda Packet - Spec ]P NCHO {2UCAMONGA 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: Alexander , Gufierrez , ~ichael , Spagnolo , Williams ]~U~L[C 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. C. llqr ;M(s) oF Bus,miss PRESENTATION ON ANIMAL SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING FOR RANCHO CUCAIVIONGA BY i~lR. NATHAN WINOGRAD OF NO Kill SOLUTIONS 1}o AD.iIOURNiMENT 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 August 18, 2005, per Government Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California. I~ANCHO CUCAMONGA CITY HANAGER'& OFFICE Memorandum DATE: August 18, 2005 TO: Pamela S. Easter, Deputy CityfMe~ager / Mayor and Members of the City Council ,FROM: PRESENTATION ON THE TF~N.S!T~N-PLAN (PHASE I) TO A SUBJECT: CITY-OPERATED ANIMAL CA,.~r~D SERVICES PROGRAM Earlier this year, the City Council retained Nathan Winograd of No Kill Solutions to assist the City in the transition from contract service to a City-operated animal care and services program. At next Tuesday's Special Study Session, Mr. Winograd will be presenting his initial report that will provide an overview of the transition. Mr. Winograd's report will be distributed at the Study Session on Tuesday, August 23rd. c: Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager Kimberly Thomas, Management Analyst III Nathan Winograd, Consultant, No Kill Solutions SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING FOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA AND NO KILL PROGRAM AREAS PRESENTED BY NATHAN WINOGRAD~ NO KILL SOLUTIONS AUGUST 23, 2005 COUNCIL STUDY SESSION SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING FOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA AND NO KILL PROGRAM AREAS PRESENTED BY NATHAN WINOGRAD~ NO KILL SOLUTIONS AUGUST 23, 2005 COUNCIL STUDY SESSION SHELTER TRANSITION PLANNING FOR RANCHO CUCAMONGA RANCHO CUCAMONGA ANIMAL SHELTER Solutio'ns Post Office Box 74926 ~ San Clemente California 92673 (949) 276-6942 * www.nokillsolutions.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 SECUPdTY 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 FEES 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 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. Today's animal services program is as complex an operation ~is 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 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 Iow income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats; I I. 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; 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; 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), The current facility, the Raneho Cucamonga Animal Shelter ("RCAS") was built in the early 1990s. 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 done, but City staff needs time. There is staff to hire, policies to be 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); · Putting together a transition team that involves affected City depa~zments 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. 2.0 FACILITIES The current facility, the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter ("RCAS") was built in the early 1990s. 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. RCAS is located at I 1780 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, warehouse/distribution vehicles). 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 on the weekend). The parking lot can also be used for events and possibly for future expansion. The shelter itself has absorbed the look and feel of the park. In front of the main doors ~re 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." 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 thousand 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 Jumbootron 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. 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 landsc~aping. (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 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. 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 (HVAC) 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. There is one bank of seven dog kennels in a glass room labeled "Isolation" and another 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, 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 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 RCAS 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 visitecl. 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.) . 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 uncomfortable situations that are an inevitable part of running 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 Ioading/offloading of animals. The open garage serves as field intake, storage and a tru~k 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 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 b~ 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 of animal holding areas between RCAS and more modern shelters helps illuminate this point. RCAS Dog Kennels: 17 Tompkins County Dog Rooms: RCAS Cat Cages: Tompkins County Cat Rooms: San Francisco 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. 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 plaeed 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. 2O · 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 Gost: $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: $ I 0,000 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 (HVAC) 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. 2! 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 is part of the program. LasL it is important to zone the HVAC 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 es~cimate.) · 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. 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. Approximate 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 Iow, 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 incorporate into 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 hours 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.S 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 p~licies as to public conduct in the building (Phase II). In addition, an employee traJnin§ 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 "shadow" existing employees for a few days before being scheduled to work on their own.'ThJs training must be formalized. Otherwise, staff's 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 independently working a shift following training; Jt 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 El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 525-2744 www.californiastatehumane.or~ California Animal Control Directors Association 915 L St. #CI30 Sacramento, CA 95814 www.cacda.org · 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) · 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 signage 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 likely to turn to the RCAS to assist in protecting public safety and rescuing animals in 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 RCA$ should play since it was developed at a time when the county was responsible for animal shelter operations. 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. 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 HVAC 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. 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 Iow income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats; I I. 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 I I:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It is open from I I:00 am to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, pursuant to Food & Agricultural Code Section 31108. And it is open from I J: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 b); 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 animais 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. I). Guidance can be received from the City personnel office and: State Humane Association of California P.O. Box 2098 El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 525-2744 www. califo rniastatehu mane.org 'California Animal Control Directors Association 915 L St. #CI30 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 tho~e 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 sof~ware ("$M$") 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 sol. rare packages was presented to City staff in a memo dated July 26, 2005. 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 suppor:, 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 abili~, at about $250 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. 3O 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 Shelter Intake Digital Camera Shelter Management Software (SMS) Medical Wireless PDF SMS + Office applications Dispatch SMS + Office Executive Director Internet Access SMS + Office + Finance applications Shelter Manager Internet Access SMS + Office Executive Assistant Internet Access SMS + Office + Finance + Desktop Publishing Lobby I Credit Card Reader SMS + Office + Point of Sale (POS) capability Lobby 2 Credit Card Reader SMS + Office + POS Lobby 3 SMS + Office Field Services Internet Access SMS + Office Printers should be available at the front desk, medical, dispatch and offices. At the 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 Considerations: · Purchase shelter management software; consider additives and a training program. · Purchase and build network through IS department. Approximate Cos~' 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. 3! 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 is 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 Iow-cost spaying and neutering. Research shows that investment in such programs not only provide immediate public health and public relation~ benefits but also long-term financial savings to a jurisdiction. According to the International City County Management Association {"1CMA"), 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 2001... 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 2010 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 Iow-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 charge 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 relations issues, it might not be advisable that fees 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 Iow income citizens from affording to rescue their animals. · Current County fees are as follows: ·Impound fee (first 96 hours): $40 o Daily board fee (after first 96 hours): $8 · Vaccinations (cats): $8 · Vaccinations (dogs): $10 · Apprehension fee (ISt/2nd/3rd & subsequent violations) for un, altered animals: $40158015180 · Apprehension fee for altered animals: $80~5160/$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 · Altered: $1.00- $1.25 per month · Develop a multi-year funding strategy to provide City-funded spay/neuter for qualified Iow-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: · Create job descriptions for all shelter positions and recruit 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. · AIl 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; ($100) · 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. 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 fiat 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. Live 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.) I O. 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.) I I. 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 (universal) are crucial to reuniting lost pets and microchip scanning is required 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) Camer~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 Bot~e Holder--For Sub-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. ~tter boxes--Plastic litter boxes of various sizes. (However, it is recommended that the shelter use disposal carrying boxes on a daily basis.) 2 7. High pressure spray mixers--For efficient mixture of detergent/disinfectant in cleaning dog kennels. 28. Waterless hand wash systems (and refill packs)--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. Dog adoption vests ("I'm available for adoption")--For offsite adoption venues and park activity. 3 I. 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: Cleaning Supplies: I. Kennelsol or other broad I I. Canned pet food for sick spectrum disinfectant animals, geriatric animals, nursing 2. Bleach mothers and young animals 12. Pet food treats for training, 3. Chlorhexadine spray rewards, socializing and 4. All purpose spray cleaners improving adoptability. 5. Towels and dish-type rags 13. Cat litter Daily Operations: 14. Carry trays or litter boxes 6. Paper towels ' 15. Trash bags 7. Paper plates ' 16. ID tags 8. Cardboard cat carriers for 17. ID collars for cats adoptions and redemptions 18. Dishwashing detergent 9. Towels and blankets (for pet comfort) 19. Laundry detergent 20. Pet shampoo I 0. Dry pet food (Science Diet Shelter Feeding Program) 3~ Medical Care: 35. Metronidazole 21. Kitten Milk Replacer Formula 36. Strongid T and bottle kits 37. Needle combos (22 x I") 22. Puppy Milk Replacer Formula syringes & Needles and bottle kits 38. Tri-optic ointment 23. Feline Leukemia test kits 39. Otomax 24. Sub-coetaneous fluids 40. Cefa drops 25. Parvovirus test kits 4 I. Ivermectin 26. Tranqui-Ved tranquilizer 42. Baytril 27. Micaved (ringworm treatment) 43. Drontal plus 28. Doxycline 100 mgs (500 tabs per 44. Albon bottle) 45. Droncit 29. Panacur 1000 mi per bottle 46. Flea preventative (Advantage or 30. Fecosol & Fecalizer kits Frontline) 3 I. Rabies vaccine 32. Feline vaccinations Euthanasia: 33. Dog Vaccines such as Duramune 47. Ketamine Max 5 w/Lepto and Bronchi- Shield III 48. Sodium Pentobarbital 34. Cl~vamox (liquid only) Timing and Cos~ 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. 4.0 ANINAL CARE & HANDLING 4. I 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 s~te. 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. Transition Considerations: · 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, RCA$ 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. Transition Considerations: · 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, 4O 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, staff's 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 iob 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.$) · 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 4! 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 I 0. 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 PROCEOURES 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 determ~ining 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 triage, and spay/neuter. · 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 $ I 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 o~ten, 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 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 Iow-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. · I~nsure 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 S.0 ADOPTIONS Data from the American Animal Hospital Association data shows that approximately S3 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 potentJal adopters were be~ter 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." 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. i~lany 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 da), 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 whc~ 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 $ 1007 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. I 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 RCA$. Increasing adoptions not only saves lives, therefore, but itself leads to further success by increasing word-of-mouth community satisfaction with the job RCAS is doing. Adopters open up scarce kennel space, provide revenue to RCA$, 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 RCA$ 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 501(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 between 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: o 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 RCA$'s lifesaving rate if the shelter treats rescue groups as partners. An adoption or transfer to a rescue group frees up scarce cage and kennel space, reduces expenses for feeding, cleaning, killing and carcass disposal, and improves a shelter's rate of lifesaving. Getting an animal out of the shelter in an appropriate placement is important and rescue groups, as a general r,,le, can screen adopters be~:er than RCA$. 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. 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 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 iUegal 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 IRc; Code Section 501(c)(3). The importance of placing a hig~ value on relationships with rescue groups, to put in place a workable program with minimal bureaucracy, and to have staff with a good a~citude toward rescue partners cannot be overstated. Transition Considerations: · Hire a Community Programs Manager to oversee programs such as rescue placements and foster care. 5O · 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 Iow-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-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 Iow 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) S.e; 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 it~ 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 5! volunteers, Iow-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 Iow-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. IPhase 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 commc~n? 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 51 I). This program requires students do both two week rotations and one month rotations, with the University paying the agency for allowing the student to participate. In addition, the University has student run clubs 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 Transition Considerations: · Hire two veterinary technicians. · Develop a partnership with the Western University College of Veterinary Medicine, local veterinary technician programs at CaI-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 otherwise assist in providing a sliding scale Iow-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. 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. I 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 and public relations does not have to negatively impact the 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 Iow-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 ca~re 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! · l:vents. 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 §11 it, a stack of your press releases will be just the thing they reach for! · Public Service .~nnouncernents ("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 than buying a pet, information about your next event, or the need to allow dogs inside the house. · P,,bli¢ Access Tele¥ision. Enhance its use of RCTVo3 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 yoq 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. 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 voJunteers. The success of the program demands that staff and volunteers work side-by-side in an arena of partnership and mutual respect. Transition Considerations: · 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 suppo~ 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 arid 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 a?d 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 Kas 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, RCAShas 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 sustainable way when bad employees are fired, good ones are retained, and the 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 · 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 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 ~'abies 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 2001, 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 $859,22 I. 6O · 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 I I -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. I 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 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 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 neonatal 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. Transition Considerations: Develop policies and procedures for feral cats that include TNR as a public option. (Phase II) 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. I SELECTION, METHOD, DISPOSAL 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 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 El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 525-2744 www.califo rniastatehumane.o r~ California Animal Control Directors Association 915 L St. #CI30 Sacramento, CA 95814 ~v.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. I OPERATIONAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES Un~ess there are significant public complaints about the quality and responsiveness of field service officers, the City should consider re~ining the services of the county (at least for one year) for field services, so it can concentrate on the transition issues in ~king over shelter operat!ons. If this Js 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 Jn addition to stray animals? Will it provide seven day a week routine patrols? Will it pick up ca~s, as well as dogs?) and develop policies and procedures for responding to various calls including: I. Abandoned animals 6. Police assis~nce 2. Dogs running loose 7. Owner surrenders 3. Dead animal pick up 8. Stray pick ups 4. Unwanted exotic animals 9. Animals in traps 5. Nuisance wildlife 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 a vehicle maintenance plan including routine and extraordinary service. · All officers should carry safety equipment including: I. Bullet proof vests 2. Steel toed boots 3. Mace/Pepper spray 4. Bite stick 5. Cat~/Vildlife gloves 6. I:lash lights · Purchase uniforms and badges. Contact: State Humane Association of California P.O. Box 2098 El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 525-2744 www.californiastateh u mane.o r~ · 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 Association: State Humane Association of California P.O. Box 2098 El Cerrito, CA 94530 (510) 525-2744 www.californiastatehu mane.or~ California. Animal Control Directors Association 915 L St. #CI30 Sacramento, CA 95814 www.cacda.or~ · 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 fiat 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. · Meet with Police and Fire officials to determine how emergency response requests will be handled. · Develop forms for: I. Citations 8. Dog Tagldentification 2. Summons 9. Deer Tags for Deer hit 3. Mileage Log Sheet by cars; 4. Metal Citation/Ticket 10. Door Hanger notices Books I I. Business Cards 5. License Reminder 12. Incident Reports Postcards 13. Bite Reports 6. License Applications 14. Map to Shelter 7. Trap Agreements 15. Lost/Found Fliers · Purchase the following equipment for each vehicle in addition to the safety equipment noted above: I. Thomas Guide, City map 15. Toolboxes with standard and/or GPS tools such as hammers, 2. First Aid kit screwdrivers, and pliers 3. Road flares 16. Wire/bolt cutters 4. Fire extinguisher 17. Eye wash 5. Cell telephone 18. Gloves and goggles 6. 35 mm camera or 19. Disposable gloves Polaroid 20. Waterless hand 7. Control pole wash/disinfectant 8. Leashes 21. Pocket knife 9. Crates, cages and 22. Duct tape cardboard carriers 23. Masking tape I0. Net 24. Garbage bags I I. Live trap 25. Crowbar 12.' Towels and blankets 26. Deodorizing spray 13. Dog and cat food (cans 27. Waterproof tarp and dry) 28. Binoculars 14. Stretcher 29. Microchip scanner 30. Permanent markers 3 I. 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. 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 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 n~oney, 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 sh.eets 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 procedures for exotics, farmed and large animals. 9.0 GOVERNANCE 9. I VIS~ON, I~ISSION & PLANNING I-listorically, animal control depar'cments 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 now 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 sho~ animal care or welfare groups were established to protect animals from 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 Iow 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. 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 9bligated 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. ~ 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 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. · 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 ki~:ten 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. Contra~ng Away Liability Any contract for services should include both a hold harmless provision and the requirement of indemnification. A sample provision is as follows: Provider agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the County, its o~cers, 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 performance of this Agreement. This provision applies to all acts and omissions of the Provider while performing pursuant to this Agreement. During the term of the Agreement, Provider agrees to maintain commercial general liability and automobile insurance in such amount and in such form as required by County for persons or businesses providing professional services. Prote~on through Insurance 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 Protocol 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.) Transferring 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 Liability 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. ?4 Statutory Protection 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 I I, "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 to litigation. Transition Considerations: · Develop waivers of liability for: adoption, volunteering, fostering, and transferring animals. · Create internal signage 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 of the Library" groups who utilize the power of their IRS 501 (c)(3) recognition to raise private charitable funding to augment general tax fund contrib,,tions. 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 Iow-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 or 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. Trans~Jon 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. No KILL PROGRAM AREAS FOR PHASE il CONSIDERATION A, IMPROVING SHELTER OPERATIONS B. LEGISLATION C. FERAL CAT TNR PROGRAM D. HIGH VOLUME, Low-COST SPAY/NEUTER E. RESCUE GROUPS F. FOSTERCARE PROGRAM G. COMPREHENSIVEADOPTION PROGRAMS H. PET RETENTIONPROGRAMS 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 staffproperly 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 thy 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 partnemhip between the shelter, community rescue groups, and other community stakeholders. A. IMPROVE SHELTER OPERATIONS This will be a focus of Phase II 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 tree for licensing. The higher the cost, the lower the compliance with the law. Because of this, lower-income pet owners, those who am 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, confinementileash 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 commtmity. 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. 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 enfomement 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: · 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. Legislation: · 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. Key Aspects: · 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 feml 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. 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, sheltery 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 conununity-wide TNR procedures in 2001, 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 11-year study of feral cats. The vast majority of cats were in good physical condition, wi~h 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 bom 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 health and safety risks, and promote a healthy human population." · In 1989, thc 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 neonatal kitten deaths of 81% from 1993-2000, as a result ofa citywide TNR initiative. Officials also credited the TNR program with a declifie 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 ofa 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 websites 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 fe[-al kittens into foster care for socializing, and subsequent adoption. · Meet with feral cat gronps to discuss ways to achieve reductions in, and ultimately an end to, the killing of fe.ral 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. · 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 iow-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.conununity feral cat groups. · Offer TNR as an alternative to individuals calling about feral cats. D. HIGH-VOLUME~ Low-COST SPAY/NEUTER Spay/neuter is the cornerstone of a successful lifesaving effort--the single most effective place to direct shelter resoumes. 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 2001... 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 2010 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 panners. 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 thc number of lives saved. In California, the State Legislature passed a law making it illegal for any shelter to kill a dog or cat ifa 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 thc group must be recognized under 1RS 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 enviromnent-- 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 ~vith 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. Ih 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 mom foster parents will be recruited. Some organizations require foster parents to pay for everything the animal needs during their stay in foster cam. 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, ifa 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" ora 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, ls there a 24-hour telephone number for them to call? A specific veterinarian they should go to ifa 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 camgivers 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 of time, 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 of a companion animal in the home, 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 ~llow 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 mom 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 mason 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-on-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. Thc quantity and quality of shelter adoptions is in shelter management's hands, making lifesaving a dircct 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 shelters. Since the inventory of pet-owning homes is grooving, 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 co/nmunity, 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 staffand volunteer adoption counselom 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 $1007 Other benefits of adopting from the shelter can include: a free veterinary visit, discounts at pet supply and girl 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 thc masons animals arc surrendered to shcltcrs arc 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, Iow-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. 1. MEDICAL & BEHAVIORREItAB1LITATiON 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 conm~unity 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 ora foster program for underaged kittens and puppies, undersocialized animals, and those recovering from medical treatment. Recommendations: 13 · Parmer 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 of the 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 progra.m, or otherwise assist in providing a sliding scale low-income spay/neuter program. 14 · 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 dmgs 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 straggling with animals, finances, and community recognition. For example, studies show that people get their pets from a shelter only 15% of the time. The Chronicle of Philanthropy repons that animal causes receive only 1 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 parmering 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 15 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, 16 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 1 O-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 roach 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 oflocai 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 am 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 17 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 am the lifeblood of an organization. Them 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 ora volunteer program is to help a shelter help the animals. It is cmcial 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 communi~ty 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 det6rmine 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-aggmssive 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. 18 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. 19 · 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: (1) healthy dogs and cats; (2) sick and/or injured but treatable dogs and cats; (3) and feral cats. 2O You a~e no~ al[one as many commumt~es a~e ~eeva ua~m ~ ' ' ' and modemi ing ~hei~ investing in, z animal care and control programs Communities Facing Animal Sheltering (No Kill) Challenges · Mobile, AL o Los Angeles, CA · Tuscaloosa, AL · Sacramento, CA · Phoemx, AZ · New London, CT · Central Valley, CA · Alachua County, FL ~ Kern County, CA· Jacksonville, FL · Sonoma, CA · Tampa, FL · Hayward, CA o Altanta, GA · Oakland, CA · Chicago, IL Communities Facing Animal Sheltering (No Kill) Challenges o McHenry, IL ~ Portland, OR ~ Kansas City, KSo Philadelphia, PA · St. Lores, MO · Austin, TX · New York City, NY · Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX · Greensboro, NC · San Antomo,' TX · Toledo, OH · State of Utah · Tulsa, OK · Richmond, VA · Oklahoma City, OK · Tacoma, WA Back to Home > Welcome Guest Sign Up I Sign h; this Member' Benefits Posted on Thu, Oct, 28, 2004 Stu Bykofsky I More inhumane treatment of ~. ^o E s animals After one tale of doom, other PACCA perils By Stu Bykofsky stubyko@phlllynews.com stubyko~phiUynews.com THE CITY-funded Philadelphia Animal Care City E Local News and Control Association is an understaffed, Sports mismanaged House of Horrors that abuses YO! Features and neglects some animals in its care. Opinion Columnists National News PACCA handles animal control, animal Obituaries surrenders and adoptions in Philadelphia, Among accusations is that PACCA cages ar. and when they are cleaned, they're hosed / having taken over that job two years ago inside. from the SPCA. From interviews with PACCA staffers, volunteers and customers who have contact wi Campaign Extra] State Cop Sex Scandal nonprofit, Health Department-supervised agency, a picture emerges of an Abu Ghrai Rethinking where the ones euthanized within minutes of their arrival may be the lucky ones, Philadelphia Girlfriends' Locker That's because, sources say: Room Affiliate~ Bucks Midweek · Dogs'are locked in cages and not exercised daily. CALIFORNIA 2 Shelters-to Stop Euthanizing [] A Kern County judge f~rst tests of the state's 1998 Hayden law, facility reaches' capacity. which reformed finimal shelter regula- The Bakersfield shelter holds 300 tells the facilities to stop· tions. The law, sponsored by Sen. Tom and 70 to 80 cats, according to Co putting down animals . Hayden, D-Santa Monica, extended whatLast month, 2,500 animals came to was a three-day period to four days forshelter, 90 percent of which were st after only 24 hours, shelters that have evening or weekend he said. hours,'and to six days for those that do not ~he .county is a bit betwixt By Amy K. Spees have such hours, between in that there are too man~ Daily Journal Staff Writer UCL~ law professor and animal rights mals coming in ... and not enough BAKERSFIELD ~ Two Kern County expert Taimie Bryant said Wednesday for ~em," Collins said. "ff 'animal,, animal shelters accused of violating ani- that holding peribds are nothing new but turned away. they're likely to be doned and cause other problems." makrights laws have been ordered to stop , Animal waste, packs of dogs rut eutha~izing dogs and cats held at the sheb wild and rabies are among the cou t~r~or on~ Z4 hour. ' 'If shelters take in. concemsl Collins said. Kern County' Superior~ Court Judge Gary Friedman gra~ted a preliminary owner-relinquished v~g-a-hearing-for' a temp, restrain~g order Oct. 29, the c~: ~ju.~o. ~.~tt~ ~e~ ~.~ ~,~, animals, they have to ~;.e~to three of Neiswe~ mandating that animals be held at the demands. ~,]~ ~t ~.~t ~o~ ~,~ ~.~ ~e~ o~ follow the law.' ~. ~o~.;.~ ~o~v~ ~o~ neutered before adop~om I~ ~ C~u~ in which some animals would not su a/'Ker~, 254024 (2004) Kate Nelswender, -- has bee~ eliminated. Animals a ".~/I around, it was a good'morning for plaintiffs lawyer Mojave shelter will no longer be ado us," said Kate Neiswender. a Yentura because they had not been sterilized. attorney representing Patricia Lock, a workers who administer lethal Frazier Park animal rescue worker. "If that the Hayden law was groundbmaking will be properly .tr~ned. shelters take .in oWner-relinquished ani- i~ other respects. The law made Stillat issue in t~e case are how ma]s, they have to follow the law."California the first state Lq the nation to rescue organizations will gain acce The lawsuit target~ Kern Coun~ facilF enact a public poli~ preference for animal the pets', and the protocol for determ ties in Bake~field and Moji,, whichadoption, she said. that an anim~ should not be adopte( le__x~_On~._~e~ ~_ I' Berkeley Daily Planet Tuesday March 8, 2005 Today ~....._ Oakland Looks to Reform The o~- Troubled Animal Shelter By Thin! ~*r~;h ~a'c~t.. MATTHEW ARTZ St.", Ca.tact u~ REBE Oakland Councilmember Jane Brunner has called for a city City manager's report to study transferring control of the much P_ar_k_i criticized Oakland Animal Shelter from police to civilian hands. Enfm Pract "I was struck by the fact that Berkeley's kill rate [for shelter M_~A .TI_ animals] is around 10 percent and ours is 54 percent," she -- said. ~We have to ask what are the policies they put in place Ar_pn, there.' .P_ush Brunher's request came after about 200 animal lovers packed ~ate City Counci~ Chambers Thursday to decry what they said was M_e~g@ poor leadership and systematic abuse of shelter animals. RICH BRE~ "]'ve seen a lot," said Kate Beck, who as a rescue worker at Neigl the Oakland shelter two years ago recalled employees t~Uf violating euthanasia procedures by carting several dogs at a Foun time to the euthanasia roOm and not: propedy sedating them. Flow~ "One day I saw five dogs piled up on the trailer, and the dog MATI on top which should have been sedated was alert and wagging - - . its tail," she said. An_E; Cut S Oakland police opened an investigation of the shelter last BECK month following detailed accounts of mismanagement and Edito abuse from former shelter employee Lori Barnabe. Offlci Recently appointed Police Chief Wayne Tucker said of the Expe shelter: "We've got minor problems, some major, and we want ~ct~ to work on eliminating them quickly." Last week, in light of Wes~ new allegations of mismanagement, Tucker placed Acting ~l_a_n_ Shelter Director RaeShon McClarty on administrative leave. RICH McClartv is still a candidate to become the oermanent Rheli'er BREI~ MarchlO-~6,2DO§ ~ ,il ~' 'l a subrnttevant m~iie; Staying Alive NEVi/NO-KILL POLICIES ARE SAVING HUNDREDS OF Spons Thursday STRAY PETS. Friday P_rpmote_Y. Dec 16, 1999 WithMontE Saturday By Laurel Chesky Weekly onl Sunday Monday ¥~_u r~Ad__ H Pets Tuesday Wednesday It"s been four months now since the winds of compassion swept change through Cover Story Monterey County"s animal shelters. . News July 1 ushered in the Hayden Bill, which Opinion extended an animal"s stay in a shelter 834 from three days to six before facing death, Literature and established a state policy declaring Features that no "adoptable" pets should be killed. The first of July also kicked off the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Art Animals" own "no-kill" policy, under which Dining only sick, injured, or behaviorally unsound Movie Times animals sheltered by the SPCA can be Music euthanized. CULTURE: DRIVE: ENVIRONMENT: 1'4EDIA: NEI'G! L IOICE, ORG _WELCOHE, ! Advertisements Writing LA.'s Wrongs with a "No Kill" Animal Shelter J~/~id~' Proposal ' Los Angeles kills 30,000 of our dogs and cats at our city shelters each year for ,, A Fresh Start for Los an annual cost of $14 million dollars. Not only does this tum our city's animal h Angeles "shelters" into death houses, at great expense, it is entirely unnecessary. P( "No kill" means to end the killing of all healthy or curably sick dogs and cats at shelters within city boundaries Mayor Hahn says he wants to make L.A. "no kill" by 2008, but inside sources say tit bureaucrats have no notion how this objective might be accomplished other than to shelter space. The city is spending $~.5a, million to renovate and build new shelters. At the complet ' i. the construction project, the kennels wilt increase from 366 to 1:)53. These 887 extr may give the animals a longer holding time, but LA. cannot solve its euthanasia pre without a more comprehensive plan, drawing on a cooperaUve effort between govet agendas and the animal rescue / welfare community. Fresh off his decisive vic4ory in Tuesday's primary, Antonio "No kill" iS an achievable goal: San Francisco has virtually succeeded, while Utah, needs you to carry him to City and various counties around the country have begun the process. victory in May. Join Antonio Villaraigosa's These areas rely heavily upon financial assistance from a nonprofit called Maddie's which has $200 million dollars in free money available to aid localities, even entire campaign for Los Angeles with the "no kill" objective. Maddie's Fund provideS a structured, ten-year (or shorte Mayor. Antonio is a progressive, inclusive, and Posted on Thu, Dec. 16, 2004 Animal-care groups seek a No-Kill Philadelphia morrisJ~ phlllynews,com The ambition is to turn a nightmare into a pleasant dream. The way Philadelphia has been handling its abandoned and homeless animals has been described as the stuff of bad dreams in a series of Daily News exposes by columnist Stu Bykofsky. But now a coalition of animal groups has another kind of dream: A "No Kilt Philadelphia" in the next decade. And the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA), which has been condemned for operating a "HOUSe of Horrors" under contract with the city - a filthy shelter that Bykofsky found was staffed by rude and uncaring employees, with phones that nobody answers and an animal kill rate that reached 22,500 last year - is the focus of the effort. it has joined with the Alliance for Philadeiphla*s Animals - a coalition of local animal-care groups and pet-rescue operations - "to increase lifesaving in city animal shelters." Among its first actions is the hiring of Nathan ~. Winograd, a nationally known advocate for homeless animals and founder and director of No Kill Solutions. He will review PACCA operations a~d work with local groups to come up with a NO Kill plan for Philadelphia. "We hired NO Kill Solutions to improve lifesaving efforts at PACCA because of their commitment to saving lives, public health and safety, and fiscal accountability," said 3oseph Cronauer, president of PACCA's board of directors. "We made a commitment to the citizens of Philadelphia In November to fix some of the problems at PACCA, and this is part of that commitment." As executive director of the Tompkins County SPCA in 1thaca, N.Y.~ WInograd reduced the euthanasia rate by 75 percent. He admits he has his work cut out for him in Phllly. "with 30,000 animals killed each year, PACCA certainly has a long way to go," he said. "But what bodes well for the agency !s that It is committed to changing the status quo, It was the first humane organization to join the Alliance; it is progressively making its animals available to rescue groups to increase its lifesaving capacity MySA.com: Printer Friendly Story Death by the pound Web Posted: 11/14/2004 12:00 AM CST Lisa Sandberg Express-News Staff Writer ©2004, San Antonio Express-News Pawing at the rusty crate it shared with three mutts, the big husky howled. It must know, Rasiel Galvan mused. Galvan is a supervisor at the San Antonio Animal Care and Control More c- shelter, commonly known as the pound. On this humid morning, when ~ the gas chamber was ready for another load, the husky would join a · Cou~ grim processional that this year will send nearly 50,000 cats and dogs ~, F~esic Suburban Chicago's Information Source Home I EZ Links I Subscriber Services { Advertise I Newspaper Ads Monday, 7 ~ay search,__IG0~ Overkill at the shelter? News FIND A .]OB By Charles Keeshan Daily Herald Staff Writer FIND A HOME Posted Monday~ February 21, 2005 · It_'s_again t FIND A CAR · Overkill at News/Home Snoopy sits inside his ^ D v ~ t~ ~ ~ s E M E N'z· 'H__e_ad ki~d.~ · Cook County kennel at the McHenry gather to · DuPage County County Animal Control · Kane County center, his white and · Fox Val_l_ey · Lake County black body pressed up s_ey_er_al_op · McHenry County against the wire caging, / pdm~ry_e!, · Illinois eyes gazing up at passing ,' · _T. uj~ion__cp~ · Nation/World visitors with a pleading · Bu~dget~h_a Ads/Classifieds look that suggests a · Place an ad mixture of hope and fear. H O M · Ads Online . - Autos A yellow tag attached to ' ' ~"/ Sports · Jobs the front of the kennel · Homes ,ells his sto~y: Pit { GrandPointe Me dow J .Ho'saner · Personals bull/Labrador mix. Two -' - a s · -Shaa take Obituaries years old. Given up. j ' affached manor homes 1 NBA'S sho Business Aggressive. · Prior says Sports ~in West Dundee from ~e $190s [ di~sp~__h Prep Sports It's that last bit that might Entertainment be Snoopy's undoing. 'captain_s: · TV listings · iVlovie times - Events For animals brought to the county's animal shelter in Woodstock, an aggressive streak could led to an appointment with a lethal injection. Business · Comics · Cr~e~a_to~_s~ · Crossword futuris[[c__i~ Opinion/Editorial Whether that is fair or moral is at the heart of an ongoing philosophical debate over Commitments the purpose and future of the county's animal control department. · Pr__~p~.._r0 o_p~timjs_m_m · Engagements · Anniversaries advocates say the ],%:~ ~ '~f~ ~i * In_0~_w_orl~ · Place a commitment .county euth~niz~s.far {~.!.~[1{~!,'~, :.-,, August 22, 2005 There are 121 people currently vtewi SEARCH , Wo~l~ Wal'~ ~ Cam). Challe~e(i I~e I1 ,1 ~ Print E) Email e Bookmark Advanced SECTIONS Local LOOKING OUT FOR FIDO Valley & State August 21,2005 Valley Life Stephanie Holmes ~! Sports The Monitor Sports Extra Business Humane society hoping to revamp The Monitor View facility, services to aid animal Up Front welfare Obituaries Letters The Upper Valley Humane Society has requested more funding from the Natha~l Rapheid Send Letter county to improve accommodations, Kennels at the Upper Val~ Humane S(~et'/are teaming w~th Featured services and community education s~y or aband~qed dogs pid~ed ap by tlea~by c~ and courtly Publications efforts. ~o~and Festiva What's Up The goal is simple: to create a safety Weather net for the thousands of stray animals Lottery that enter the shelter every year. Home COLUMNISTS But the request was about more than Chris Ardis money· The staffs presentation Aug. 2 at Hidalgo County Commissioners Maria Luisa Salcines Court raised a number of questions LIFESTYLE about social responsibility and animal Body & More welfare in the Rio Grande Valley. Home Style Weddings "What people need to be aware of is MARKETPLACE when they take on the responsibility of Photos a pet, they are taking on a long-term ,~. . . ~ .... .. ,~i~ Gotham Gazette _~, Web No Kill, The New Goal In Animal [, Search ] Control Archives ln~d~p~..Tp_Storiesby Lynda Crawford Corrections February 2, 2004 Liv e_ .C_h~_~ Site maI~ w.~.~_o_gs A red pit bull was s~n up For. A_~F_~O...*, brought to the city's ~ animal shelter in the ~ Bronx recently with Children -..c.!_Y.u.~!g~ts~ two broken legs. A Community shelter official Deyo!.O.p..m_~o~t Crime contacted Jane ~e.m.ograpb.~s Education ul~w Hoffman from the Environment _M_.ayor's Alliance for Health New Y~rk City "The First Kittens to Leave Alive" ~ Fulton County, Georgia The Atlanta Humane Society has operated Fulton County animal control since 1974. Community animal welfare advocates have been critical of the operation's high kill rate and lack of adoptions -- four of five animals taken in the door were euthanized. Last week, after several disagreements with the county, Atlanta Humane Society was replaced by Southern Hope Humane Society, which was awarded a two-month interim contract. Southern Hope has already enlisted volunteers and is asking rescue groups to help out with the animals. They are putting animals at the shelter up for adoptio time in years. "! went through the shelter today to take their photos for our website," Southern Hope volunteer. "Some kittens came in and they are now beir a local group. We'll have volunteers bottle feed them and care for them Local News Classified Announce Automoti~ Adopting a new outlook: Employm, County works to reduce .k~g&l Not Merchan¢ killing at animal shelters Directory 8121105 Real Esta Rentals By. ANNA DAVISON Santa Ba Homes NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER The county's new Special S Santa Maria animal shelter was designed Abode with people in mind Back to B_~sj. Ee_S_S. as much as animals. 2005 Visitors to the Ca.[~_e_.[~.~ 17,500-square-foot Barbara facility, which C~el_e_b r_a_t~ opened in June, are Nonprofit welcomed into a lofty foyer featuring high round Chefs of: windows and a wash of natural light. They can get to B_a.r.b~r_a know prospective new family members in an adoption Home & made ~he r~gh~ dee~s~or~ ~e rom a cky operated she~ter · This has nothing to do with the county or anything else. Most cities are realizing that accountability and cohesion with city g ~als~ desires, standards and values can onlybe accomplished with direct control and administration. · This is the furore of animal sheltering .... · Most people will (and do) support you · The future looks bright · Rancho Cucamonga is poised to create one of the premier animal shelters in the country · This is a very exciting time for the City · My hope is that the entire community will stay positive and rally around this Two Caveats · We have to be realistic and pragmatic about expectations (e.g., timing of transition) · The focus must remain on "how can we make the shelter the best it can be" - Given timing and resource constraints With the acknowledgement that progress will unfold over time - Given the direction we are going 0 · o Keep m mind that there ~s a large d° 'ty f ' ° th'' lverslo viewpointson is issue Focusing outside the middle of the bell curve makes for bad policy What does it take to run a progressive anima~ sheker? · Providing nourishment and both medical and behavioral rehabilitative care for all domestic animals in its care; · Providing basic health screening for all animals; · Providing a preventative disease control program; · VacCinating animals in its care; · Remaining open seven days a week to adopt out animals; · Humanely killing by barbiturate injection those animals that cannot be placed; · Providing shelter care for animals in protective custody and under observation or quarantine; What does it take to run a progressive animal shelter? · Providing a volunteer and foster care program through which members of the community can get actively involved in helping the animals; · Providing lost and found services; · Providing information and access to subsidized spay/neuter services for low income pet owners in a community and for unowned feral cats; · Maintaimng accurate and thorough records on all ammal-related activities; · Providing community education. Tempered by public safety obligations · Enforcing local ordinances; · Dog licensure; · Dog bite Investigations; · Investigation of animal cruelty cases; · Rabies compliance; · Stray animal pick up and sheltering; · Dead animal removal and disposal; · Respond. ing to emergencies 365/24/7; · Quarantine and/or destruction of dangerous and Irremediably diseased animals. Overseen by State · 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; · 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. Phys ¢a · In addition to the operational issues, there are infrastructure challenges which can and should be addressed · Both during and after the transition, a capital improvement plan (both short and long-term) should be considered The ildi g Ir~ the last fifteen years, 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 modem. animal shelter is poor. The Building · the design of the dog runs creates behavior challenges, ·the cat wards are too small, ill designed, and have the potential to 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, · the Hea.ting, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning ("HVAC") system is not designed for a modem 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. A modem animal shelter that ~s well mn and enjoys community esteem is a complex enterprise that must reconcile its competing mandates and do many functions well. In addition to the operational ~ssues, there are physical infrastructure challenges which can also be addressed. Areas tha~ Must be Addressed Facilities · Landscaping/Outside Grounds o The Physical Shelter · Waste Disposal & Storage · Building Security · General Safety Issues · Emergency & Disaster Preparedness · Facility Maintenance Areas that Must be Addressed Shelter Operations Hours of Operation · Telephone System · Computer Systems & Support Staff Uniforms · Fees Organizational Structure · Eqmpment & Supply Needs Areas that Must be Addressed Animal Care & Handling · General Animal Care & Cleaning Protocols · Animal Movement · Animal Handling · Incoming Animal Identification/Procedures · Lost & Found Procedures · Veterinary & Health Issues · Feeding Protocols · Vaccination Protocols · Outside Veterinary Services Areas that Must be Addressed Adoptions Adoption Process & Policies · Post-Adoption Follow-Up · Rescue Groups Foster Care · Pet Retention · Behavior & Training · Medical Rehabilitation Areas that Must be Addressed Public Relations/Community Involvement · Volunteers & Volunteer Program · Customer Service · Feral Cats · Community Education & Outreach Areas that Must be Addressed Shelter Deaths · Selection, Method, Disposal Areas tha~ Must be Addressed Field Services · Staffing · Eqmpment & Forms · Licensing & Canvassing · Operational Policies & Procedures · Wildlife Areas that Must be Addressed Governance Vision, Mission & Planning · Liability · Not-For-Profit Support The Phys ca Sheker 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. · There will need to be educational material from RCAS in the lobb~ J. The Physical Shelter Transition Considerations: · One time equipment purchases, and vendor contracts for ongoing equipment and supply needs. · Purchase a series of stack cages and cat condos to increase cat holding capacity by two fold. · Convert "get acquainted" rooms into adoption spaces, including current office in lobby. · Convert employee break room into treatment room. The hys ca Sheker Transition Considerations: · Invest in the modification of the shelter's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. · Evaluate, and as necessary, add an epoxy on cement dog runs as cement is highly porous making disease control more challenging. · Address the physical limitations of the facility relative to its goals, by retaining an architect experienced ~n shelter design to review the shelter and make recommendations. The Phys ca Shelter Transition Considerations: , 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. · Aesthetic improvements such as painting, landscaping, etc. · (This must all be done without closing the shelter and with an existing tenant and lots of animals) Organ zaficma Structure Transition Considerations: · Create job descriptions for all shelter positions; · Create an organization chart to be modified by the new Animal Services Director. · 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. · 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 s~aff 365 days a year even when the shelter is closed to feed and care for the animals. Orgarfizafiona Structure 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 Medic, ine which covers, at a minimum: 1.) Animal handling; 2.) Emergency treatment; and, 3.) Zoonoses detection, prevention and reporting · Train and team building of new staff. o 0 0 0 Vls~on~ Mission & Planning 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). · Define "No Kill" for Rancho Cucamonga ' · Mi ' P1 V s on, ss on anmng That mission must be driven by: - Lifesaving goals - Public health and safety mandate Fiscal accountability and restraint' · Consistent with the reality that an animal control shelter kills: 1. dangerous dogs, 2. sick/injured non-rehabilitatable animals Ongoing & Next Steps · Through surveys and a series of meetings, take in public comments, concerns, goals, opportunities for partnership (See surveys) · .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); Ongoing Next Steps · Putting together a transition team that involves affected City departments including the City Manager's Office, Purchasing, Personnel, Facilities, and Information Services; · Developing action items for each of the sections identified; · Developing policies and procedures; · Hiring and training personnel; · Defining a mission and vision for the agency; · The feasibility, timeline and cost of operating the Department as a No Kill facility. In · The transition can be done hastily or it can be done correctly. · All of these areas take time and methodical consideration. · It can, and will be done, but City staff needs time. How much time? · A typical transition takes one year. In addition, in virtually all cases there is a seamless transition of employees. (e.g., San Francisco, NYC) In this case, City staff has been given approximately seven months with the need to hire an all new staff. · 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 ope.rationally,' and additional time to transition field services. · It is also 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. fn other words o o ~ · These are the issues and challenges we face · The Issues and challenges will be met · But the outcome will unfold over time Much has been done (baseline) Organizational structure & personnel Community Partnerships & Communications Computer systems and software Veterinary care Facilities But lots more to do ...I'd take all of us one, two, three years into the future to see where RCAS ~s at. There will be plenty of lumps and bumps along the way, which ~s ~nevitable, but it has the potential to be a shelter most people will be proud of, it will g~ve you the community satisfaction you seek, it will be a model for others to follow, it Will be the type of department where pe.ople stop you to talk to you about the good experiences they had. Remember from my first presentatmn Even though it may be hard to see the goal.... from where the City is today * It is working in San Francisco even though... · San Francisco's shelters were once described by a council person as a "blood bath" · Saving all healthy dogs and cats was said by the head of the ASPCA as "so impossible as not worthy of a passing daydream" · It 1s working in Tompkins County even though... · It is largely rural · It took 150 years to get a law requiring dogs to have shelter in sub-freezing weather · When it came to animals, I was told to "set my watch back 20 years" when I moved there Give us time, tools and space,,, ...to get the job done. I am: a person who lays awake at night worrying about dogs who are outside instead of on people's beds and couches I am: a person who thinks cats sit at the top of the evolutionary ladder City staff are committed to this. It will get done. T anskion · Everyone is aware of the January 31, 2006 deadline. · Continuing to work on the assumption we will take over at that time. · Issues: will City be at full transition capacity or with all resources at our disposal? If open before ready, will public lose heart? Support? Damage long term success? · Complex undertaking to start a new program from scratch · I'd like to present a timeline for the industry standard of one year for consideration T mehnc Week of August 22, 2005Study Session Mid to End October, 2005 Council Direction - Approval of transition, preliminary costs - Definition of No Kill - Set service levels - Approve operating budget - Approve initial capital budget __ - Approve transition timing - Approve personnel hiring needs - Approve field services - Approve architectural review Late Nov. to Early December, 2005 Study Session - Policies & Procedures O Tlmehne December, 2005 Select Architects Early to Mid February, 2006 Approval of policies & procedures Early March, 2006 Study Session: Capital Improvements Mid to End March, 2006Complete Purchasing Early April, 2006 Complete Hiring Process Early to Mid April, 2006 - Approval of Capital budget (Building) - Approval of Capital scope Timdine May through June, 2006 Training & Team Building Early June, 2006 Capital Improvements (Short Term completed) July 1, 2006 Take over administration of shelter Cky Council's Role - Approval of transition, preliminary costs - Definition of No Kill - Set service levels - Approve operating budget - Approve initial capital budget - Approve transition timing - Approve personnel hiring needs - Approve field services comparative cost analysis and timing - Approve architectural review - Review policies & procedures - Approve capital budget & scope Tonight , You have over 1 O0 pages of information to go through · The public has over 1 O0 pages of information to go through · I will remmn available to you--and- members of the public--to answer questions and discuss the issues over the next several months Tonight · There are no formal decisions to make tonight · City staff will come back to you, as will I, and ask for formal decisions per my discussion previously · I want to close by asking all parties to raise their sights and hopes, have faith, come together for the animals, to constructively participate in the process, and to help build a shelter... ... where families are reunited, best friends are found, and each and every day, the magic of new beginnings happen. Th~nk I'd like to turn it over to Council Members for questions or comments Solut O'ns'x POST OF]~'ICE 13OX 74920 · SAN (~LEMENTE, CALI]~'OI~NIA 9'~673 949.~76.694~ Rescue Group/Shelter Assessment Form The purpose of this questionnaire is to: Help us identify who you are; · Keep you informed of updates and initiatives; · Determine what needs are and are not being met in Rancho Cucamonga; · Help us identify what you do in order to build a comprehensive no kill plan and identify your possible role in it; and, · Gather as much information as possible to help assess and improve shelter opemtious and thus save more lives. The more thorough your responses, the better the plan will be. However, if you are uncomfortable answering any of the questions, please feel free to so state and your answer will be accepted without question. Feel free to use additional pages if you need more space to elaborate your answers. If you would like any of the information to be kept confidential ~om any outside parties, including city staff, please so state. Your responses will be kept confidential and will not be released without your pcrmissiu,, Only No Kill Solutions will have access to this information. Please return completed forms by e-mail, fax or mail no later than~October 1 2005 to: Nathan J. Winograd No Kill Solutions P.O. Box 74926 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: (949) 276-6943 E-mail: in fot~nokillsolutions.com If you have any concerns or questions, please contact me at info~nokillsolutions.com or telephone mc at (949) 276-6942. I. Your Agency -Name of Organization _ _ ] Physical Address Mailing Address, if different Agency Website URL Mission Statement In one or two paragraphs, please describe your agency and what it does Name and Title of Contact Person Contact Telephone Number [ Contact E-mail Community Assessment Form Page 2 of 9 II. Programs & Services [ Do you have a physical shelter? _ What are your days and hours of operation for adoption? What are your days and operations for other services? Please describe. Do you have a dog-training program? Please describe briefly. Do you have a medical rehabilitation program for sick or injured pets? Please describe briefly. Do you have a behavior rehabilitation program for pets who are untrained or have behavior problems? Please describe briefly. Community Assessment Form Page 3 of 9 Do you have a spay/neuter program for shelter or agency animals? Please describe briefly. _ _ Do you have a spay/neuter program for the public? Please describe briefly (including cost). Do you participate in TNR programs for feral cats? Please describe briefly. Do you participate in offsite adoption events? Please describe briefly. Do you have a foster program? Please describe briefly. Community Assessment Form Page 4 of 9 What programs do you have to encourage pet retention? (E.g., public dog training classes, behavior advice for litterbox and other issues, humane education, advocacy, low-cost public spay/neuter, medical care assistance, etc.) Please describe briefly. Do you have a volunteer program? Please describe briefly. Please provide a copy of your newsletter. Please provide a copy of your annual report. Please provide a copy of one or two of your favorite articles relating to your group that have appeared in the media in the last couple of years, if any. Do you have a communications or P.R. program? Please describe briefly. What is your total budget? Community Assessment Form Page 5 of 9 III. Relationship with the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter What are your perceived concerns, if any, with the Shelter? . _ What does your agency believe needs to be done to correct the deficiencies you have identified? Do you rescue/take animals from the Shelter? Please describe the process briefl,, If not, would ~,ou be willing to do so? If not, why not? Do you think you can commit to taking a certain number every year? Please describe briefly. Community Assessment Form Page 6 of 9 In what other areas beside animal rescue, do you have a relationship with the Shelter? Are there other areas in which you think you can partner? Would you be willing to do this? If not, why not? What are the obstacles to this? IV. Rancho Cucamonga No Kill Initiative Are you interested in participating in a plan to build a No Kill Rancho Cucamonga? Why or why not? What do you think are the obstacles to it? Community Assessment Form Page 7 of 9 How do you think these obstacles can be overcome? What role do you think you can play in it? What would you describe is your organization's expertise? V. Statistics Please fill in the enclosed charts for your organization for 2004. · DOgS ca.t~ DISPOSITION TOTALS DISPOSITION i ToTALs Public intake Public Intake I Adopted & Transferred J Adopted & Transferred Transferred to other Transferred to other shelters or groups shelters or groups Redeemed Redeemed Killed Killed Died in Kennel Died in Kennel Escaped/Missing Escaped/Missing On Hand On Hand Community Assessment Fora Page 8 of 9 Where do you get your animals? Stray? Public? Other Shelters? Please briefly describe. How many of the dogs you took in per above are from Rancho Cucamonga? How many from outside the city? How many of the cats you took in per above are from Rancho Cucamonga? How many from outside the city? VI. Miscellaneous/Other Is there anything else we should know or you want to tell us? Community Assessment Form Page 9 of 9 T H E C I "/ Y 0 F ~AN C I1.0 C u ~A ~1 o N G^ DATE: May 18, 2005 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM'. Michelle Dawson, Management Analyst III SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF TERMINATION OF CONTRACT8 WITH THE COUNTY OF SAN 6ERNARDINO FOR ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL SERVICES (CO 96-047) AND ANIMAL SHELTER SERVICES (CO 96-048) AND DISCUSSION OF OPTIONS FOR ALTERNATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS Background At the May 4, 2005 meeting of the City Council, the Council discussed the animal control and shelter services currently provided to the City through contractual agreements with the County of San Bemardino. At that time, some members of the Council expressed a desire to make a motion to terminate ttte contracts with the County for the provision of these services. Per the advice of the City Attorney, no such motion was made since the item under discussion had not been agendized as a consideration to terminate the contracts. Therefore, the Council approved a motion to plac~ an item on the May 18 Council agenda to consider the following items: 1. Direct staff to request from consultant Nathan Wlnograd the cost and timeframe to expand the scope of services for his previous proposal to include the development of a Transition Plan to move from a County-operated to a City-operated Shelter; 2. Direct staff to provide to the City Council information regarding the time frame for transitioning to a City-operated animal care, control and Shelter program as well as providing notice to the County of the intent to terminate the existing contract(s); 3. Consider the termination of the contracts with the County for animal control and shelter services. These items are more thoroughly discussed below: 1. Direct ~taff to request from consullant Nathan Wino.qrad the cost and timeframe to expand the scope of services for his previous proposal to include the development of a Transition Plan to move from a Counb/-operated to Citv-oDerated Shelter. In March May 18, 2005 Starll;;eport: Consideration of Termination of Contracts with the County of $~n Bernardlno for Animal care and Control Services (CO 964347} and Animal Shelter Services (CO 96-045) and Discussion of AJternate Service Providers Page 2 of 5 2005, City staff prepared a Scope of Work detailing the specific expectations and products we desired in seeking consultation services for the No-Kill Shelter study. Per the direction of the City Council at the May a,, 2005 meeting to ask Nathan Winograd to expand his proposal to include a transition plan for the City, staff modified that Scope of Work and forwarded it to Mr. WInogred. We asked that Mr. Winograd, in addition to performing the No-Kill study, prepare a Transition Plan that would include the following: · Develop recommendations for defining the level of services for a municipally operated No-Kill Animal Shetter as Well as identify required staffing levels and assist or provide advice in the development of job descriptions. · Develop a Transition Plan from the County-operated to City-operated programs that identifies the elements and time frames for implementation, · Identify tl~e costs for transition and implementation, including service levels, staffing, equipment acquisition, systems, any necessary facility modifications, insurance and outside suppor~ services that will be necessary for the City to operate an animal, control, and Shelter program. · Develop the necessary policies, protocols, and procedures that need to be in place in order for the City to effectively operate the Animal Shelter and animal control program. Mr. Winogred's proposal for the initial No-Kill study was $12,000 plus expenses up to $2,000. He was unable to provide the City with a new proposal w~th this new scope of work as of the date of this memorandum. Therefore, at this time wa do not have a cost estimate or time frame for the preparation of a Transition Plan by Mr. Winograd. 2. Time frame for t~an~itioninq to a Ci[7-operated animal care, control and Shelter proqmm and providing notice to the County of the intent to terminate the existiP~ contract(s}. The transition to a City-operated program is complex and includes numerous elements to be considered and decisions to be made. Desired levels of service must be identified, These would include levels of veterinary care, programs and services that should be offered at the Shelter, the required staffing levels to provide these programs and services, the question of the Council's Interest in employing animal license checkers to canvass the City enforcing license laws, and what equipment/vehicles would be required. Also, after identifying the positions needed, job descriptions, recruitments, and training would be required. Protocols. policies, and procedures must be developed, as well as a means for dispatching animal control calls 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Other considerations that need to be addressed include insurance coverages, lhe revision and/or adoption of animal control ordinances, and record keeping systems that ere required by State law, An additional r~quirement will be the negotiation of revenues with the County and the consideration of how to restructure budgets. ~y 18, 2005 S~aff Repod: Consideration of Termination of Contracts with the Cotmly of San Bsrnardino for Animal care and Contral Services (CO 96.047) and Animal Shelter Services (CO 96,-048) and Discussion of Alternate Service Providers Page 3 of 5 It is critical that any transition have a rational and orderly plan of implementation. If the Council makes the commitment to operate the Shelter as a municipal-operated program, it must be organized properly so that the services meet the community's expectations. Ideally, the transition process would include the following steps: Council gives notice to the County of the intent to terminate the contract(s) by a certain date. Ideally, that date witl correspond with the completion of a well- defined orderly transition pedod. · Contract wilh Nathan Winograd to prepare a Transition Plan. · Council evaluates and approves all or part of the Transition Plan. · Council considers and establishes budgets for,Shelter and animal control programs. Authorize staff to commence implementation of the Transition Plan. · Negotiate the elements of the Transition Plan that require County cooperation, such as negotiating transfers of revenues. · Council allocates transfer of funds from reserves for transition and start up costs. · Begin provision of services at identified target date. The City would incur expenses during the transition period. The extent of these costs would be determined by the manner fn which the transition is achieved, The following examples illustrate different scenarios and options for the Iransition: · The City may, with the County's cooperation, phase in the transition by hiring a Manager/Director initially and then adding new employees In phases to allow time for the staff to be trained. In this scenario, the acquisition of equipment and materials could also be phased. The effectiveness of this phase in would depend upon the ability of the County to accommodate such a phase in, · The City may hire a Manager/Director and propose hiring current Shelter staff members as City employees and purchasing the existing equipment from the County. This would, of course, depend upon the willingness of County staff to become employees of the City. Additionally, some new equipment would need to be purchased depending on the compatibility of such items as computers, etc. with City equipment, as well as items that may have been shared among County- wide staff previously, such as vehicles. · The City may retain the services of a contractor to temporarily staff and operate the Shelter and provide animal control services during a transition period in which the City would staff up, set up systems, train and take over operations as oi' a certain date, Staff is only aware of one such provider in this area that would be able to provide these services. May 1 B, 2005 Staff Report: Consideration of TerminaUon of Contracts with the County of San Bsmardino for Animal care and Control Services (CO 96-047) and Animal 8halter Services (CO 96-048) and Discussion of Alternate Service Providers Page 4 of § The costs for the above transition scenarios are unknown, however staff estimates that "start up" costs for equipment and materials such as vehicles (four trucks), computer hardware and software, etc. COuld be several hundred thousand dollars. In addition, there would be substantial costs for transitional staf~ng. Per our existing contracts, the County currently provides the equivalent of over 13 full time employees for Animal Shelter and animal control services. Specific costs will vary depending upon the factors of the transition and negotiations with the County. In order to achieve a full transition to CRy-mn operations, the City would need to develop the Transition Plan, have the Council approve the Plan, approve a budget modification, commence implementation of the Plan, and then fully sever the County's involvement, It must be noted that two processes must take place concurrently: the City must transition to take over the operations of these programs and the. County must develop a plan to withdraw from providing the sen/Ices in a manner that will not result in County employees losing their jobs, Consultant Nathan Winograd has advised lhe City that ~nine months to one year would be optimal" for the transition process. Staff agrees with this assessment, provided the transition does not run into any complications along the way. 3. Consider the termination of the contracts with the County for animal .control and shelter service. The City has two separate contracts with the County for animal care and control services: one contract for animal control anti one for the staffing anti operation of the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter. In addition to the conlract amounts listed below, the County retains all revenues collected such as licensing and adoption fees, Both of these contracts are automatioally extended, unless they are terminated or modified: · Anima/Control (field services): The City has contracted with the County for animal control services since 1983 and the contract amount of $62,700 has remained unchanged since that time. The City or the County may terminate this contract without cause at any time with a mlnlmum written notice of 60 days, · Animal She~tar: The City has contracted with the County for Animal Shelter services since 1996 and the currenl contract amount is for $305,600 per year. The City or the County may terminate this contract without cause at any time with a minimum written notice of 30 days, There are different options to consider wilh regard to terminating one or both of these contracts. Each of the following options.has significant implications or consequencos: · Terminate the contracts immediately by giving the County 30 days written notice of the termination of the St~elter contract and 60 days written notice of the termination of the animal control contract. The City has no structure in p~ace to immediately take over these operations and would need to contract with ano~er provider to provide temporary staffing and operations for animal control and May 18, 2005 Staff Report: Consideration of Termination of Contracts with the C~unty of San Bernardlno for Animal cars and Control Services (CO 96-047) and Animal Shelter Services (CO 96-048) and Discussion of Alternate Service Providers Page 5 of 5 Shelter services, or cease operations until the City is ready to commence municipal services. · Give the County wdtten notification of the termination of the contract(s) with an effective date of a certain number of months following the date of notification. The City would need to negotiate with the County on a phased approach to achieve a transition that meets the needs of both agencies. Should the City Council decide to terminate both of these contracts, they may consider phasing the terminations/transitions of the separate functions of Shelter services and animal control. For example, the Council may consider terminating the Shelter services contract with one effective date and [erminating the animal control contract wilh a later effective date. This would allow City staff an opportunity to focus efforts on implementing effective Shelter operations before implementing the animal control function in-house. Following the City Council's review of this Information, City staff will need to meet immediately with the County to discuss any decisions approved by the City Council. It should be ackno~edged that the County understandably might not be able lo comply with the City's decisions regarding time frames for a transition. In many ways the County may dictate what choices the City has based upon their need to withdraw from the program in a timeframe suitable to their program, organizational, and budgetary needs. Respectfully Submitted, Michelle Dawson Management Analyst Ill