HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-19-2013 - 4a
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date:February 19,2013
Action Agenda
Item No.4-a
SUBJECT:
Resolution Acknowledging February 26,2013,as Spay Neuter Day in Orange
Countyand Community Spay and Neuter Program Presentation
DEPARTMENT:PUBLIC HEARING: No
Animal Services
ATTACHMENT(S):INFORMATION CONTACT:
Spay Neuter Day Resolution Bob Marotto, Director, Animal Services 919-
968-2287
Sarah Fallin, Program Director, Animal Services,
942-7387, ext. 224
Susan Elmore, DVM, Chair, Animal Services
Advisory Board, 919-967-4172
PURPOSE:
To consider a resolution officially acknowledging February 26, 2013 as“Spay Neuter
Day” in Orange Countyandto receive an update aboutthe County’sCommunity Spay and Neuter
Program.
BACKGROUND:
Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) recommend
that the BOCC adopt a resolution making February 26, 2013, “Spay Neuter Day” in Orange County.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has nationally designated the last Tuesday of
each February as “World Spay Day”.
“Spay Day USA” has been celebrated since it was created in 1995. This year HSUS is recasting the
day as an international rather than national event called “World Spay Day”. As a result of efforts over
the years, participants have spayed or neutered more than a million animals, preventing millions of
potential births.As a result, millions of taxpayer dollars have been saved that may have otherwise
been neededto care for the offspring of these animals.
In Orange County, the issue of petoverpopulationis a high priority.In a January 2010 work session,
ManagingPet Overpopulation: A Strategic Plan for Orange County, North
theBOCC approved
Carolina
(http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/spayneuter.asp). Working together, Animal
Services staff and the ASAB prepared this strategic plan on the basis of best practices in the field of
animal welfare and public policy. Fundamental to this plan is targeting spay and neuter in theCounty
to decrease the rate of reproduction of dogs and cats and thereby contain the number of animals that
must be sheltered and the costs of caring for those animals.
Since the creation of the County’s Community Spayand Neuter Fund, Animal Servicesstaff has
worked with the ASAB to establish a proactive and cost-effective spay and neuter program.It is
often referred to as a model program in the state and in 2010 it received an Outstanding Program
Award from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
Significant developments in calendar year 2012include:
Spaying and neutering a total of 512 cats and dogs in total on the basis of the partnership
between Animal Services and AnimalKind(which offers The $20 Fix);
Spaying and neutering 402dogs and cats belonging to clients of the Department of Social
Service (DSS) on a “no pay” basis due to collaboration with DSS.
Reducing the number of animals admitted to Orange County’s Animal Services Center from an
annual average of 4,315 for 2005-2009 to 3,396in 2011 to 3,460 in 2012.
These and other highlights of recent efforts will bereviewed in a brief power point presentation
prepared for the BOCC.The presentation will also provideadditional detail on the partnership
between Animal Services, DSS and AnimalKind (The $20 Fix).
As part of the “Spay Neuter”celebrationthis year, Animal Services will again work with Pet
Overpopulation Patrol-NC(POP-NC ) to spay or neuterup to 30 cats and or dogsfromfamilies who
receive servicefrom DSS. In addition, all of these activities are part of the department’s public
outreach campaign called Beat the Heat! Its intent is to sterilize as many dogs and cats as possible
before they have the opportunity to procreate and add to the number of “surplus” pets that need to be
sheltered during the summer months when the animal shelter population peaks.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Neither the presentation nor the resolution haveany financial impact. Events
and outreach occurringin conjunction with this year’s World Spay Day involve budgeted expenditures
from the County’s Community SpayandNeuter Fund. POP-NC sterilization services will be obtained
via an annual agreement that that includes several spay and neuter events.
The FY2012-13operating budget for the CommunitySpay and Neuter Fund is $75,000. These funds
primarily come from the $20 differential cost for licensesfor a reproductive cat or dog versus a
spayed or neutered cat or dog, combined with reimbursement from the North Carolina Spay Neuter
Reimbursement Program. As of June 30, 2012,there was $98,902 inthe fundbalanceaccount for
this program. These fundshave accrued from the licensing differential, donations and
reimbursements from the state program, and they are dedicated to promoting targeted spay and
Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic Plan for Orange County,
neuter in accordance with
North Carolina
.
RECOMMENDATION(S):
The Manager recommends the Board adopt the proposed resolution,
authorize the Chair to signthe resolution, and provide staff with comments on thepresentation.
RES-2013-009
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
2013 SPAY NEUTER DAY RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, cats and dogs provide companionship to and share the homes of thousands of
individuals in Orange County; and
WHEREAS, spayed and neutered animals are less likelyto have certain health problems or exhibit
certain undesirable behaviors that can create community problems and use community resources;
and
WHEREAS, the problem of pet overpopulation costs the taxpayers of Orange County hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually through animal control and sheltering programs aimed at coping with
unwanted and homeless cats and dogs; and
WHEREAS, humane societies and shelters throughout the country have to euthanize approximately
four million cats and dogs each year, although many of them are healthy and adoptable, due to the
lack of critical resources such as money, space, and good adoptive homes; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Services Advisory Board and the Animal Services Department have made
Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic
correcting pet overpopulation apriority, and prepared
Plan for Orange County
; and
WHEREAS, Animal Services has partnered with AnimalKind and the Department of Social Services
to offer “low cost” and “no cost” spay and neuter for cats and dogs,and has to date performed more
than 1800 overall and more than 1200 for pets belonging to DSS clients; and
WHEREAS, spaying and neutering cats and dogs, among other animal companions, has helped to
reduce the intake rate of animals from 36 to 25 per 1000human residents between 2005 and the
present and the number of animals euthanized from approximately 1900 in 2005 to 1129 in 2012; and
WHEREAS, the County received an Outstanding County Program Award from the North Carolina
Association of County Commissioners in 2010; and
WHEREAS, veterinarians, animal care and control organizations, national and local animal welfare
organizations, and private individuals work together each year to ensure the spaying or neutering of
thousands of companion animals through “World Spay Day”; and
WHEREAS, veterinarians, animal care and control organizations, national and local animal welfare
organizations, and private individuals have joined together again this year to advocate and support
the spaying and neutering of companion animals on “World Spay Day 2013.”
Now, therefore be it RESOLVED by Orange County that February 26, 2013 is declared “Spay Neuter
Day”, and the Board of County Commissioners calls upon the people of Orange County to observe
the day by having their own cats or dogs spayed or neutered or by sponsoring the spaying or
neutering of another person’s cat or dog.
th
This the 19day of February, 2013.
_____________________________________
Barry Jacobs, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners