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HomeMy WebLinkAboutASAB minutes 031914ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD (ASAB) 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, 2014 Animal Services Center 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill Meeting Summary Prepared by Suzanne Roy 1. Proposed Agenda Agenda was approved unanimously 2. Meeting Summary February 19, 2014, ASAB meeting summary was adopted with minor revisions, which the Chair will make 3. Public Comment Guidelines and Public Comments No public present. 4. Partner Profile – Kids4Kindness a. Presentation Sandy Greene and Wendy Stewart presented an overview of their humane education program that is intended for fourth graders. Highlights include: • This year completed the class in all four 4th grade classes at Hillsborough Elementary (80 students). Hope to expand the program to all 4th grades in Orange County. • Program is based on curriculum developed and taught to more than 1,500 students per year in Moore County. Moore County program is funded by the county. • Curriculum amended for Orange County. • Part of the school district’s character development curriculum and lined to common core curriculum. • Program is volunteer based and donation supported. • Course includes six sessions plus a celebration assembly. o Lesson 1: I can be a responsible pet owner. o Lesson 2: I can help stop pet overpopulation in our county. Use a card game to foster understanding of consequences of pet overpopulation. o Lesson 3 – I can make sure my pet is healthy and safe. (Therapy dog used.) o Lesson 4 – I can learn to be safe around dogs and cats and train my pets with kindness. Use videos and large photographs to demonstrate dog body language. o Lesson 5 – I can make a responsible decision about providing for a pet for its entire life. o Lesson 6 – I can be an advocate for animals. They show video “A Very Important Place” about the Orange County Animal Shelter and featuring Animal Services and shelter staff. Kids make posters. o Lesson 7 – Celebration Assembly. Announce Speuter Bowl Essay Contest winner and runners up; students take the Kids4Kindness Pledge. Next steps – • Next steps: Funding, new and improved website, program expansion. b. Action for Board Education is a critical component of the county’s Strategic Pet Overpopulation Plan. Must have strategic partners to implement humane education programs. ASAB should consider support for strategic partnership with Kids4Kindness: 1. Inform BOCC of the important work Kids4Kindness is doing in Orange County Schools. ASAB tell BOCC how important work doing is. 2. Ask BOCC to consider sending a letter to the Orange County School Board about adopting this program formally as a critical component of the county’s holistic program to address pet overpopulation for the benefit of animal welfare and Orange County taxpayers. 3. Encourage Kids4Kindness to apply for a grant through the county’s outside agency funding process. 5. ASAB Affairs a. Potentially Dangerous Dog Appeal Hearing ASAB member Susan Elmore reported on the results of the one hearing that was held since the last ASAB meeting. The Appeals Committee overturned the designation because it didn’t meet the standard under the statute of approaching the victim in “a vicious or terrorizing manner in an apparent attitude of attack.” b. ASAB Animal Advocate Vacancy Due to a mistake on the County’s application paperwork, the ASAB recommended an individual who had not applied for the position and did not actually possess the credentials listed on his application. The ASAB unanimously revised its recommendation to ask the BOCC to appoint the person who actually did possess those credentials – Virginia Fit. c. April Board Meeting The April 23 board meeting was rescheduled for April 16, 2014, which is actually the third Wednesday of the month. 6. Old Business a. Free-Roaming Cat Task Force Update Task Force Chair Dewana Anderson reported on the last meeting, held March 5 at the Animal Services Center. The topic of the meeting was Community Partnerships and 45 people were in attendance representing Kids4Kindness, Independent Animal Rescue, AnimalKind, the North Carolina Wildlife Commission and local veterinary practices. The meeting was a productive conversation about the free roaming cat population in Orange County, what spay/neuter programs are ongoing, and what the community groups need to support their ongoing programs. The next meeting, on March 26, will focus on the UNC Flegler School of Business Fellows presenting the results of their research into model ordinances and programs for addressing free roaming cats in communities in North Carolina and other parts of the U.S. b. Unified Animal Ordinance Update A work session with the BOCC is scheduled for April 8, 2014 at 7 p.m. Mr. Marotto reported that the county attorney wants to hear from the BOCC what changes they would like to make to the ordinance revision to address the outstanding issues of: watchdog exemption, trespass issue and administrative appeal process for the vicious dog designation. They will also discuss adding language to the livestock at large/nuisance section to clarify that Orange County Animal Services has discretion when determining whether or not to issue a nuisance citation. 7. New Business a. Animal Services Updates— Bob Marotto i. Ice Storm: • OCAS staff was onsite during the ice storm at the Red Cross shelter at Ice storm – co-located two cats at Red Cross shelter at C.W. Stanford d Middle School, which operated for 24 hours. Two cats were co-located. • OCAS is re-evaluating its need for a generator after the shelter was out of power for 24 hours. • OCAS is renewing its relationship with County Emergency Medical Services in light of changes in entity providing the service. ii. Rabies: • 5 confirmed cases so far this year - all raccoons. • Rabies rate has been flat since 2009 iii. County Notes: • Budget process underway. OCAS requested a 4th FTE vet tech position. • Community Giving Fund funds were plugged into the budget as revenue - $3,000 for spay/neuter; $2,000 for veterinary health care services. • Animal Services is now under Assistant County Manager Cheryl Young. iv. Department Notes: • Ashley Miller was promoted to the Lead Animal Control Officer (ACO) position. • 3 of 7 t ACO positions currently vacant. • Recently did a State of Animal Services event for volunteers – 10 volunteers attended. • 2013 live release rate of 83% is a huge accomplishment for OCAS! The meeting ended with an informal discussion about encounters with coyotes in Orange County. The meeting was adjourned at 8:47 pm.