HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnimal Shelter Statistics - 12-2007Summary Statistical Report:
December 2007 *
Animal Services Department, Orange County,
North Carolina
Introduction
This is the Animal Services Department’s mo nthly statist ical report for the month of
December, 2007. Each month a standard set of summary statist ics are generated
regarding our core or essent ial services and act ivit ies. These are essent ial for purposes of
effect ive management and administration in different program areas, in both our Animal
Control and Animal Sheltering Divisio ns. At the same t ime, these statistics are an
invaluable tool in communicating to various stakeho lders, the general public and our
elected officials and County management the scope and extent of animal services.
Notably, these monthly statist ics provide a basis for thinking about sheltering practices in
a broader context. Adoption and euthanasia numbers must be understood in the context
of a mult itude of other influent ial factors, including the number of animals that come into
Orange Count y’s Animal Shelter and the availability of medical and behavioral
resources. By far the greatest factor influencing sheltering practices in our own
communit y and others is that of “pet overpopulation,” a communit ywide problem
consist ing of a large number animals for whom there are no homes. As we continue to
push forward to find better and more innovative ways in which to improve, we must
remember that all o f these factors work together to create the broader challenge we must
address as a department, a county, and a communit y.
Standard Statistics
Each of our monthly reports contains various statistics that summarize the various
activit ies o f the County’s Animal Services Department. These are standard statist ics
inso far as for a given month, such as December, they report on the same core or essent ial
services. They are all presented at the end of the narrative portion of this report.
Some statist ics capture the overall effort of all staff as they work together to provide
integrated and coordinated animal services to the cit izens o f Orange Count y. These
include:
1. A.1 Monthly Demographics (which shows from where and how animals arrived at
Orange Count y’s Animal Shelter).
2. A.2 Monthly Shelter Activity (which shows total animal intakes and disposit io ns).
* Questions about the statistics or narrative discussion may be addressed to Andi Morgan, Administrative Assistant,
Orange County Animal Services at amorgan@co.orange.nc.us.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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Other statist ics are more specific in summarizing the services and act ivit ies of our
department’s Animal Sheltering and Animal Control Divisio ns. These include:
Animal Sheltering
1. B.1 Monthly Dispositions (which reports the disposit ions of all animals sheltered
in a given mo nth)
2. B.2 Live Release for Placeable and Recovered Animals (discussed in detail in the
fo llo wing sect ions).
3. B.3 Reasons for Euthanasia (which reports the specific reasons for which animals
were euthanized in a given month)
4. B.4 Volunteer Hours (reports volunteer hours and how they compare to previous
mo nths and years)
Animal Control
1. C.1 Rabies Exposures Investigated and Positive Cases (which reports positive
rabies tests and related invest igations conducted by Animal Control Officers).
2. C.2 Rabies Alert Map (showing posit ive cases yeartodate, by comparison wit h
previous years, and their locat ion throughout Orange County).
3. C.3 Rabies Vaccinations (which reports the number of vaccinations given by area
veterinarians, at lowcost vaccination clinics organized by our department, and at
Orange Count y’s Animal Shelter).
Together, these mo nthly statistics provide a convenient summary o f our crit ical services
and act ivit ies. In a very transparent manner, they describe the efforts of our staff in
delivering field services, sheltering animals whose disposit ions they must ultimately
decide, and programs such as our volunteer program that, among other things, is
responsible for public outreach activit ies and dog walking.
Statistical Development
The summary statistics provided in our monthly reports are not static. They must be
subject to change as our services are redefined, our practices evo lve, and we produce the
most useful statist ical information.
A good example o f change is table B.3 Reasons for Euthanasia. Staff captured and
encouraged the reporting of this information to make adoption figures, as well as the
reasons for euthanasia, more meaningful and transparent. It does matter greatly whether
a behaviorally sound and healt hy animal is euthanized as a result of space limit ations or
an animal is euthanized because it is aggressive or infirm.
For example, in the month of December, the most commo n cat euthanasia reason was
feral, with 23 feral cats euthanized. This number made up 52 percent of all cats
euthanized during the month and 26 percent of all animals euthanized. For dogs, the
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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primary reason for euthanasia for the month was behavioral, wit h 25 total dogs
euthanized for this reasons. This made up 54 percent of the dogs euthanized and 28
percent of all animals euthanized for the month.
Also, we anticipate further development of the euthanasia categories that are used to
report such information. Of special note is the generation of more specific information
concerning the medical and behavioral reasons for euthanasia—not only because this
clarifies the difficult decisio ns that staff must make on daily basis but because such
information enables us to discuss whether there are specific programs that may be offered
to reduce the rate of euthanasia of certain animals.
Finally, our intent ion is to link specific monthly reports such as this one to data about
trends in our services and act ivit ies. What we foresee is a related set of graphs showing
mo nthly data over time that enable us to ident ify and evaluate trends in key services and
activit ies in relation to policies, practices and our own missio n. As allowed by t ime in
the coming year, these graphs will be prepared and they are expected to be presented
along with reports of standard statist ics for a given month.
Adoptions and “Lives Releases”
The placement of healthy and behaviorally sound animal companions is one of the
foremost object ives of Orange County’s Animal Services Department. The direct
placement or “reho ming” of small animals, cats and dogs occurs through our own
adoption program. In addition, many companio n animals are transferred to “placement
partners”—that is, nonbreed as well as breed specific rescue organizat ions for cats and
dogs (as well as other animals)—for their final placement on the basis of addit ional effort
and evaluation by these various animal organizat ions.
Adoptions and transfer are two of the three elements of what may be referred to as “live
releases.” Animal companio ns recovered by their owners or a custodian—usually if not
always “stray” animals brought to Orange County’s Animal Shelter either by one o f our
Animal Control Officers or a member of the public—form the third element of animals
that are released alive.
Using this basic formula, it is possible to calculate the total (or absolute) number of
animals that are released alive fro m Orange County’s Shelter. 1 The figures needed to
make this calculation are provided by table B.1 Monthly Dispositions: December, 2007.
1 It should be said that we are using “live release” rather than “placement” for two very specific reasons as well as
because it has become a convention in the field of animal welfare since the appearance of the Asilomar Accords
(http://www.asilomaraccords.org/). One reason is that it includes all animals that are not euthanized, i.e., transfers to
placement partners and returns to owners and custodians as well as direct adoptions. The other reason is that it does not
presume that an animal transferred to placement partners is, in fact, “rehomed.” In the absence of feedback data from
these organizations, which is desirable and an objective toward which we are working, there is no way to know what
decision they have ultimately made about the disposition of a particular animal.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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For the month, there was a total of 174 “live releases,” consist ing of 125 adoptions, 22
transfers and 27 returns to owners or custodians.
Moreover, it is possible to determine the rate of live release for placeable animals and
animals that have been recovered for a given mo nth. Placeable animals do not include
animals surrendered by their owner for euthanasia (usually due to illness, infirmit y or a
behavior problem); feral cats (as these are typically not placed); or animals that died
before arriving at the shelter or in our custody as a result of an “untreatable” injury or
illness. The number of placeable animals is determined by subtracting animals
surrendered for euthanasia, feral cats, and deceased animals fro m the total number of
animals disposit ioned in a given mo nth.
For the month of December, there were 268 total animals disposit ioned. When we
remove the animals surrendered for euthanasia, the feral cats and those animals that
arrived dead or died of an untreatable injury while at the shelter, we are left with 239
“placeable” animals. To find the “live release rate,” we must then divide the total
number of “live releases” (174) by the total number of potentially placeable animals
whose disposit ion was decided in the month (239)—and as can be seen in Table B.2 Live
Release for Placeable and Recovered Animals, the rate is 73 percent for the month of
December. 2
Finally, wit h respect to adoptions themselves, several observations can be made. By
comparison wit h December 2006,there is an increase in the number of adoptions (125 vs.
92), and an increase in the number of “live releases” (174 vs. 164). For 2007, December
has the fift h highest number of adoptions for the year. Moreover, December has the nint h
highest “live release” total when compared to the preceding months of this year, during
which it ranged fro m 155 (in February) to 230 (in June).
Pet Demographics and Overpopulation
It is o ften said that pet problems are people problems, and that pet overpopulation is a
communit y problem. These insights very much apply to our own circumstances and they
help create a broader perspective in which to understand our own sheltering statist ics.
More specifically, the number of animals that are sheltered in a given period of time is
itself not caused by or a direct function of our shelt ering operations and practices. The
number of unwanted animals in our communit ies (sometimes referred to as “surplus”
pets); the extent to which cats, rabbit s and dogs alike are spayed or neutered rather than
allowed to remain intact and reproduce; the strength of norms and customs of responsible
pet ownership; the scope and strength of animal regulations and their effect ive
enforcement; and other such “variables” are what affect the number of animals that are
sheltered in our own and other communit ies.
2 In earlier monthly reports, this was referred to as the “adoptable placement rate” versus the “gross placement rate,”
insofar as the latter was determined on the basis of all animals dispositioned in a given month.
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Monthly and Seasonal Variations
Month by mo nth there are significant changes in the numbers of cats, dogs and other
animals that are sheltered at Orange County’s Animal Shelter. In very general terms,
there is a significant “spread” in the number of animals that are sheltered each mo nth,
which reflect the seasonal nature of pet demographics and animal sheltering in our own
and other communit ies.
During the peak summer months, the numbers are much higher than in other months of
the year. In December, for instance, 433 animals were sheltered. Whereas this is
comparable to the number sheltered last December (512), it is much lower than the
number sheltered this past June (733). Similarly, this December 233 animals were
admitted to the shelter—a very large number that equates to almost 8 animals per day
over that thirtyoneday period. During the last twelve mo nths, the number of animals
admitted to the shelter has ranged fro m 233 (December) to 488 (June).
Moreover, it should be underscored that the “live release rate” for a given time period is
determined by the number of animals that are sheltered as well as the total number of
animals that are adopted, transferred, or recovered by their owner. It may well be that
there is a very high percentage of animals that are released alive in a given month but that
the abso lute number is lower than in other months because of the number of animals that
come to the shelter.
Addressing Pet Overpopulation
To work toward the desideratum o f ending euthanasia as a means of population control, it
is thus essent ial to posit ively impact the number of animals that come into Orange
County’s Animal Shelter in the course of the year. Essent ial to this is a communit y
spay/neuter program for animal companio ns such as dogs and cats that promotes
responsible pet ownership and enables all communit y members to spay and neuter their
own pets. Developing such a program through the County’s Animal Services
Department, in coordination with the Animal Services Advisory Board, remains a
fundamental and realizable object ive for the foreseeable future.
No less essent ial is progressive legislation that is enforced in an effect ive, fair and
reasonable manner. A starting po int is what is sometimes referred to as “different ial
licensing”—that is, licensing or registration fees that are much lower for spayed and
neutered animals than for intact animals. Orange County has had different ial licensing
for many years, and this fical year that different ial became $5 for sterilized dogs and cats
and $30 for intact dogs and cats. Other legislative options include an extra redempt ion
fee for intact animals recovered fro m the Animal Shelter, which may be refunded if they
are sterilized within a given t ime period, and permit systems that require a permit for
dogs and cats that are going to be bred.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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Moreover, there is an overwhelming need to address the deepseated problem of feral cats
in Orange County. Month after month feral cats (as defined by their communit y history
and/or observed behaviors in the context of the shelter) are the largest single group of
animals that are euthanized. In December 23 feral cats were euthanized, and they
comprised 52 percent of all cats euthanized during the month (and 26 percent of all
animals euthanized).
In fact, euthanasia of feral cats is not a “shelter problem,” but rather a communit y
problem, and it needs to be addressed as such. There is a great need for init iatives in the
area of public educat ion to raise awareness insofar as euthanasia is the end result for most
of these creatures, and their presence must be considered in relation to the risk of rabies,
given the ongoing and endemic nature of socalled “raccoon rabies” in our County and
region. Thus addressing the problem of feral cats must beco me part of a strategic plan
for the County’s Animal Services Department, again working in coordination with our
concerned cit izenry through the Animal Services Advisory Board.
These are illustrations o f the kinds of posit ive and proactive approaches that are needed
to address the problem o f pet overpopulation as a communit y problem. In working to
reduce the number of unwanted animals that must be sheltered in our own communit ies,
we would also expect improvements in some of the outcomes of our sheltering practices.
We should all look forward to the day when there are very good numbers o f adoptions
and “live releases” but no less notable ongoing decreases in the number of animals that
come to our shelter.
Rabies Cycle, Rabies Prevention and Rabies Control
Wit h respect to rabies control—historically a core function of animal control—there is a
continuing concern about posit ive rabies tests based upon public reporting and our
surveillance of possible exposures of people and/or their pets. Table C.1 Rabies
Exposures Investigated and Positive Cases shows that this month there were no posit ive
rabies tests in Orange County. This held the total number of positive cases at nineteen
(19) for 2007, and in 2006 there were twentyseven posit ive cases—eighteen (18)
raccoons, four (4) bats, four (4) skunks, and one (1) fox.
Our own public educat ion activit ies stress that pet owners not only need to be sure that
their pets are vaccinated and licensed but that a dog or cat with a current rabies
vaccination must receive a booster shot within sevent ytwo (72) hours of any exposure to
rabies. Unless an exposed pet with a current vaccination receives a booster shot within
that time frame, the requirements of North Carolina law is the same as for an
unvaccinated animal—namely, euthanasia or a six (6) month quarant ine. In this regard,
staff stresses the immediate reporting of any possible contact to animal control and/or
public healt h authorities to ensure the healt h of all members of a househo ld—human and
pet alike.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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As can also be seen fro m the table on rabies exposures, Animal Control Officers
investigated five (5) cases in which there were possible rabies exposures. Usually, these
are cases invo lving known or suspected contact between a do mest ic small animal such as
a dog or a cat and a wild animal such as a raccoon, as well as whether there is indirect
contact between a human and pet member of a househo ld in these situations. But our
Animal Control Officers are also responsible for bite reports invo lving dogs and cats (as
well as other animals) and a human victim. In these cases, it is a legal requirement and
public healt h precaution that a dog or cat bit ing a human being be contained and observed
for a period of ten (10) days—thereby ensuring that the bite victim was not exposed to
the rabies virus.
Efforts to ensure current vaccination, for the welfare of pets and the people with who m
they come into contact, are ongoing and act ivit ies in this area are captured by vaccination
statist ics compiled by our Animal Control Divisio n. As is ordinarily the case, the
majorit y o f these vaccinations—889 out of a total of 971 vaccinations—continue to be
performed at veterinary establishments. In addit ion, another eight ytwo (82) animals
were vaccinated at our Animal Shelter prior to their adoption or recovery.
The Animal Services Department offered no lowcost rabies vaccination clinics in
December, but seventeen clinics were held during 2007—and 1157 dogs and cats were
vaccinated as a result. Four February 2008 lowcost rabies clinics are scheduled and
posted, with dates for the remainder of the year being scheduled soon.
All o f these act ivit ies—public educat ion and outreach, invest igations and enforcement,
and providing lowcost vaccination clinics—are crit ical given that Orange County
continues to be affected by the epidemic of “eastern raccoon rabies” that began in the
latter half o f the 1990s. Their essential nature is further underscored by the current view
that we are on the upside o f a raccoon rabies cycle that may bring even higher numbers of
confirmed rabies cases than we have seen in recent years. North Carolina public health
veterinarians have articulated this view because of their awareness that last year 520
animals were confirmed rabid by North Carolina’s rabies laboratory, an increase of 62
cases fro m the year before.
Special Monthly Notes
There have been several challenges and changes that have affected animal disposit ion
numbers this month. Staff and vo lunteers were able to go on several outreach events,
including ho liday parades, and ho ld at least one event at the shelter itself. There has been
an increase in the number of people visit ing the shelter as a result.
On the other hand, mult iple kennels in our holding areas have continued to undergo
routine sanding and paint ing during December. This periodic maintenance is necessary
for the purposes of disease control and sanitation, and at least four kennels at a time have
been unusable due to this maintenance project, reducing available space.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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Yet the numbers o f direct adoptions as well as “live releases” remain strong. These very
posit ive indicators reflect the varied efforts of staff (discussed in detail in previous
mo nthly reports). In addit ion to their work with potential adopters, they have built and
maintained important relationships with various placement partners. They have also
init iated new market ing activit ies including communit y posters and targeted ads that are
intended to supplement ongoing outreach activit ies in raising the public profile of Orange
County’s Animal Shelter and Animal Services Department.
Conclusion
As a very young department that only came into existence in 2005, Animal Services
continues to develop new ways in which to better serve the animals and cit izens o f the
county. As suggested in our discussio n of pet overpopulation, there are a number of
init iatives that must be taken to effectively address the underlying problem o f pet
overpopulation. These include the creation of a spay/neuter fund and an effective
program to address feral cats, among others, and steps are being taken toward those goals
by the department in coordination wit h the Animal Services Advisory Board.
Also, on behalf o f its cit izens the County has committed itself to building a new animal
services facilit y. Wit h the opening of this facilit y at the end of 2008, for the first time
Animal Control, the Animal Shelter, and Administ rative staff will be housed under the
same roof. In addit ion to providing so me true econo mies o f scale, and better allowing the
coordination of animal services, it is expected that this facilit y will help to overcome one
of the major inhibit io ns to our placement efforts—namely, the inhibit io n that members of
the public have toward earlier generations of shelters which are often perceived as
dreadful places.
As it is being designed as a resource center that is an attractive public dest ination, the
new facilit y is expected to have a very posit ive affect on the number of adoptions,
transfers, communit y outreach programs, public visitors—and much more. With its
inno vative and modern design, this new facilit y will become a communit y asset and help
further staff efforts to deliver integrated and coordinated animal services to the cit izens o f
Orange Count y. As well, it is intended and expected to enhance our adoption activit ies
and increase our average rate of “live releases” at the same t ime as it enables our staff to
work with communit y stakeholders to more effectively address and ult imately reso lve the
pressing problem o f pet overpopulation.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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STANDARD MONTHLY STATISTICS:
DECEMBER 2007
A. Overview Statistics
A.1 Demographics: December 2007
(1) “Strays” under Animal Control Demographics also includes quarantined animals that have not been surrendered.
A.2 Shelter Activity: December 2007
Dogs Cats Others Total
In Shelter Custody
as of December 1, 2007 79 116 5 200
+
Total Admitted December 2007 131 233
Sheltered in December 2007 210 213 10 433
Dispositions for December
2007 (1) 123 140 5 268
Remaining in Shelter Custody
on December 1, 2007 (2) 87 73 5 165
(1) Includes corrections to previous month
(2) Within Shelter: 86 dogs, 66 cats, 5 other
In Foster Homes/ Pet Stores: 1 dogs, 7 cats, 0 other
Total Percent
Animal Control From Public Incoming of Total
Strays (1) Surrender Strays Surrender
Carrboro 4 1 5 6 16 6.9%
Chapel Hill 7 6 26 20 59 25.3%
Hillsborough 4 12 8 5 29 12.4%
Orange County 74 17 8 14 113 48.5%
Other County 0 0 2 4 6 2.6%
Unknown 0 0 8 2 10 4.3%
Total 89 36 57 51 233 100.0%
Strays 147 62.7%
Animal
Control 125 53.6%
Surrenders 87 37.3% Public 108 46.4%
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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B. Animal Sheltering Statistics
B.1Total Disposition: December 2007
Dogs Cats Others Total
% of Total
Dispositions
Reclaimed 20 4 3 27 10.15%
Adopted 44 80 1 125 46.99%
Transferred (1) 10 11 1 22 8.27%
Euthanized 46 44 0 90 33.08%
Died 3 1 0 4 1.50%
Other 0 0 0 0 0.00%
Totals 123 140 5 268 100.00%
(1) Transferred to Rescue Service
B.2 Live Releases for Placeable and Recovered Animals: December 2007(1)
Dogs Cats Others Total
% of Total
Dispositions
Reclaimed 20 4 3 27 11.30%
Adopted 44 80 1 125 52.30%
Transferred (2) 10 11 1 22 9.21%
Totals 74 95 5 174 72.80%
(1) Live Releases include all animals that are not euthanized, i.e., transfers to placement partners, returns to owners and custodians, and direct adoptions.
The “live release rate” is calculated by dividing the live releases by the total number of placeable animals. To calculate placeable animals, we must
remove the animals surrendered for euthanasia, feral cats, and animals that arrive dead or die in our custody from the total number of animals
dispositioned. For December, this number was 31, and removing these animals from the total number dispositioned leaves 239 “placeable” animals.
(2) Transferred to Rescue Service
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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B.3 Reasons for Euthanasia: December 2007
% of Total % of Total % of Total
Dogs
Euthanized
By Reason Cats
Euthanized
By Reason Others
Euthanized
By Reason
Age 2 4.35% Age 0 0.00% Age 0 0.00%
Behavioral (1) 25 54.35% Behavioral (1) 18 40.91% Behavioral (1) 0 0.00%
Feline Leukemia 0 0.00% Feline Leukemia 0 0.00% Feline Leukemia 0 0.00%
Feral 0 0.00% Feral 23 52.27% Feral 0 0.00%
Heartworm 4 8.7% Heartworm 0 0.00% Heartworm 0 0.00%
Medical (2) 9 19.57% Medical (2) 3 6.82% Medical (2) 0 0.00%
Pregnant 0 0.00% Pregnant 0 0.00% Pregnant 0 0.00%
Owner Request 2 4.35% Owner Request 0 0.00% Owner Request 0 00.00%
Space 4 8.7% Space 0 0.00% Space 0 0.00%
Totals 46 100.00% 44 100.00% 0 0.00%
(1)“Behavioral” includes a wide range of behavioral issues that may prevent an animal from being available for adoption to the public. These issues vary
widely between cats, dogs and other animals, and can include aggression, lack of socialization, severe kennel stress or other factors that make the animal
a risk if placed back into the community.
(2)“Medical” includes a wide range of conditions and diseases that may prevent an animal from being available for adoption to the public due to unsound
health. These conditions range in severity and differ greatly between cats, dog and other animals. Additionally, because we test animals for certain
diseases as a standard protocol, these are often more easily identifiable and thus can be separated as a specific condition statistic. For example, the
“Feline Leukemia” category above is listed separately, though it is a medical condition.
B.4 Volunteer Hours: December 2007(1)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2005
2006
2007
(1) Information for March 2006 is not available.
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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C. Animal Control Statistics
C.1 Rabies Exposures Investigated and Positive Cases: December 2007
Dogs Cats Other Total
Exposures Investigated 0 2 3 5
Tested Positive 0 0 0 0
C.2 Rabies Alert Map: December 2007
Source: News of Orange
Total Rabies Exposures Jan 1 December 31, 2007: 19
Total Rabies Exposures Jan 1 December 31, 2006: 26
Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2007
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C.3 Rabies Vaccinations: December 2007
Dogs Cats Other Total
Vaccinated at Shelter 37 45 0 82
Vaccinated at Vet Clinics 423 466 0 889
Vaccinated at Rabies Clinics 0 0 0 0
Total Vaccinations 460 511 0 971