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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnimal Shelter Statistics - 03-2006 Orange County Animal Services 501 W. Franklin St, Suite 106, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 968-2287 Animal Control PO Box 8181 304 Revere Rd Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 245-2075 Robert A. Marotto, Director Animal Shelter 1081 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 967-7383 Monthly Report Orange County Animal Services March 2006 Departmental Highlights 1. In a new program, Animal Services Department staff made presentations about their services to fourth grade (and other) classes in Orange County Schools. Sarah Fallin, Animal Services Program Coordinator, organized these presentations to educate the children and to raise awareness of the Animal Services Department by providing them with informational materials to take home with them. These presentations are age-specific and interactive and they consist of two parts. In the first part, an Animal Control Officer facilitates an exercise in which children identified what kinds of things an Animal Control Officer does and does not do. In the second part, Ms. Fallin and/or a volunteer facilitated an exercise in which children helped to design a shelter for the animals in their community. The presentations reached several hundred fourth grade children and they were very well received by students, teachers and school administrators. All indications are that Animal Services staff will be welcomed back in coming years to do similar sessions. In addition, it is hoped that in the future it will be possible to do presentations about more specific topics such as animal safety (or dog bite prevention) and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. 2. Two low-cost rabies vaccination clinics were held on Saturday, March 25th, 2006. At the clinic held at the Hillsborough Courthouse, a total of one hundred and nine (109) animals—ninety-one (91) dogs and eighteen (18) cats—were vaccinated. At the clinic held at Piedmont Feed and Garden Center, a total of seventy-nine (79) animals—fifty-eight (58) dogs and twenty-one (21) cats—received their rabies vaccinations. To ensure the continuing availability of low-cost rabies vaccinations for County residents, a work team of staff planned two more clinics for April. These upcoming clinics are: • Wednesday, April 26th, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Efland Cheeks Elementary School, Efland • Thursday, April 27th, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Hillsborough Courthouse Parking Lot, Hillsborough Orange County Animal Services – March 2006 Monthly Report – Page 2 As has been the case in the past, rabies vaccinations will cost $5.00 (which must be paid in cash). Pet owners are asked to remember to bring their most recent vaccination record. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier; and pet owners are asked to keep nervous or unsettled animals in their car so that the vet can come to them. Further information about these clinics is available by calling 245-2075. Also, a complete 2006 low cost rabies vaccination clinic is now available on the Animal Services website at http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/clinics.htm . 3. The County’s Personnel Department organized a Team Achievement Breakfast for Animal Control and Animal Shelter staff involved in the rescue last year of sixty-six (66) dogs, mostly Greyhounds, from a household in which they were sadly neglected. This was an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of the individuals involved and the teamwork required for such an accomplishment—teamwork dependent upon the combined efforts of staff from each division of the Department as well as staff with different responsibilities in each division. As a result of their efforts, nearly all of the rescued Greyhounds were placed in new homes and the former owners of these animals were successfully prosecuted. Among other things, their sentences included supervised probation, mental health evaluation, and a prohibition on their ownership of animals for a number of years. Animal Shelter Highlights March continues the very positive dual trends of fewer animals coming into the shelter (299 in March of 2006 and 329 in March of 2005) and higher placement numbers for the month (208 in March of 2006 and 178 in 2005). This is reflected in the placement rates. The gross placement rate for this month is 70 percent (compared to 54 percent in February 2005); and the adoptable placement rate this month was 81 percent (as compared to 62 percent in February 2005). Sheltering Activity March 2006 Dogs Cats Others Total In Shelter Custody as of March 1 2006 85 60 6 151 + Total Admitted Mar 2006 186 81 32 299 Sheltered in Mar 2006 271 141 38 450 - Dispositions for Mar 2006 (1) 206 112 38 356 In Foster Homes 8 3 0 11 Within Shelter 57 21 0 78 Total Within Animal Services custody on April 1 2006 65 29 0 94 Returns: 1 dog, 0 cat (1) Includes corrections to previous months We also see a continuation of the current trend in the percentage of disposition figures. Over half of the dispositions consist of placements (58 percent), while just over a third are euthanized (34 percent). The Orange County Animal Services – March 2006 Monthly Report – Page 3 latter figure includes feral cats and pets that have been surrendered by an owner who is requesting that their animal be euthanized. Animal Dispositions Percent of Total Dogs Cats Others Total Dispositions Reclaimed 46 5 0 51 14.33% Adopted 58 38 9 105 29.49% Transfers (1) 14 25 13 52 14.61% Euthanized (2) 83 37 2 122 34.27% Died 1 0 1 2 0.56% Other 4 7 13 24 6.74% Totals 206 112 38 356 100.00% (1) Transfers are all to APS except: 15 cats, 5 dogs, 13 ‘other’ to rescue or pet stores. (2) 2 dogs, 2 cats, 15 ‘other’ surrendered for euthanasia or disposal; 17 cats and 6 dogs (21% & 3%) feral. The figures for the quarter show similar trends when compared to last year’s first quarter figures. The exception being the intake figures which are relatively constant over the two quarters (860 in 2006 and 850 in 2005). The adoptable placement rates for the quarter are higher this year (79 percent in 2006 and 72 percent in 2005) because the placement numbers are up for the current quarter (608 in 2006 and 545 in 2005). Our sheltering statistics are also tracking the number of animals that are in the custody of our Animal Shelter Division. In the case of the Sheltering Activity Table, it is apparent that the total number of animals in our custody is broken into those animals that are in our custody at the shelter and those animals that are in our custody but either in foster homes or pet stores where they are available for adoption. At the turn of the month, in fact, twelve percent of the animals in our custody are not in the shelter. Rather, these animals are in foster homes or they are at area pet stores where they are being presented for adoption. As indicated in a previous monthly report, we will continue to track animals in foster and pet stores in this way in order to develop a richer picture of our shelter activities and services. Ultimately, the intent is to develop more comprehensive statistics of this kind – statistics for the overall number of animals in foster care in a given month and ultimately the disposition of the animals that have been in foster homes. Program Report 1. Volunteering Volunteer Orientations: This orientation is a requirement of the Animal Shelter to protect the health and well-being of both volunteers and animals. A total of twenty-two (22) people attended the two orientations offered this month. Policy Procedures/Animal Handling Training: This is advanced training for volunteers wishing to work with direct handling of the animals, for example, dog walking and socialization, and cat-room cleaning; and it is mandatory for all volunteers. Ten (10) people attended the session offered this month. Orange County Animal Services – March 2006 Monthly Report – Page 4 Outreach Program: Always presented by volunteers, with occasional assistance from the Program Coordinator, this is a program where we set up a table at a public location, often with select shelter animals, and provide information on adoptions and animal care. This month three (3) programs were held at Pet Supermarket, Dubey’s Pet World, and PetsMart. Volunteers: Volunteers this month numbered 80 and volunteer hours totaled 511.25. Significantly, this is the high point for our recorded hours. Peaking in March is typical, largely because of the requirement for students to complete service hours for their schools, but also because the weather is warming. We usually drop off in April and May, however, as school ends, and continue with a lower level of volunteer hours until school begins again in the fall. Volunteer Hours 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Ja n Fe b M ar Ap r M a y Ju n Ju l Au g Se p Oc t No v De c 2004 2005 2006 2. Special Events and Community Meetings Ongoing Orange County Schools Program – This month saw the start of a regular program aimed at Fourth Graders within Orange County Public Schools. Our program—given by Animal Control Officers, our Program Coordinator and volunteers-- presents Orange County Animal Services’ role in the community. In March, this new program reached 60 students at Cameron Park Elementary, 160 students at Central Elementary, and 80 students at Grady Brown Elementary. All schools gave an excellent evaluation and said they would welcome us back next year! Also, outside of this particular program, a presentation was made to Seawell Elementary School’s Spring Camp on March 29th. The Program Coordinator and a volunteer presented “How to Be Safe Around Dogs and Cats, and Prevent Dog Bites.” Brownie Troop Tour – On March 22nd, fifteen girls from a local Brownie Troop came to the Animal Shelter for a presentation on responsible pet care. They stuffed Kong toys—and gave them to the dogs— and toured the Shelter. Animal Control Highlights Animal Intake Data shows that we are continuing to impound a large number of unclaimed stray animals and a large number of animals released by their owner. The presence of such animals in our community accounts in no small part for our need to have professional animal control services as well as an animal shelter. These respective divisions of the Animal Services Department minimize the adverse affects of stray and unwanted animals on our communities and provide for the welfare of what are sometimes referred to as “surplus” animal companions. Orange County Animal Services – March 2006 Monthly Report – Page 5 Of course, such intake also continues to underscore the importance of promoting pet owner responsibility in our communities and County. While responsible pet ownership begins with matters such as rabies vaccination and licensing, among other legal requirements, in fact, it is much broader. It includes socialization and training, no unwanted offspring, and the formation of a lifelong human-animal bond. Thus our staff will necessarily continue to provide public education on health and safety, perform spay/neuter outreach, and offer low-cost rabies vaccination clinics. Animal Intake Data Total Percent AnimalControl FromPublic Incoming of Total Strays (1) Surrender Strays Surrender Chapel Hill 18 1 12 31 62 20.74% Carrboro 6 0 3 7 16 5.35% Hillsborough 4 6 9 10 29 9.70% Orange County 89 39 11 22 161 53.85% Night Deposit 0 0 19 4 23 7.69% Other County 1 0 1 6 8 2.68% Total 118 46 55 80 299 100.00% Strays173 57.86% Animal Control 164 54.85% Surrenders126 42.14% Public 135 45.15% (1) “Strays” under Animal Intake Data also includes impounded animals not surrendered to Animal Services With respect to rabies control—historically one of the core functions of our own and other animal control programs throughout the United States—we have continued to see positive rabies tests based upon public reporting and our surveillance of possible exposures of people and/or their pets. In March, there were actually three positive rabies tests of raccoons, although in only one case was it determined that there was an actual exposure. These tests brought the total to (6) for 2006 (five raccoons and a skunk). Experience in these cases this month has prompted staff to remind pet owners not only that their pets must be licensed but that a dog or cat with a current rabies vaccination must receive a booster shot within seventy-two (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 state law are the same as for an unvaccinated animal—namely, euthanasia or a six (6) month quarantine. Ensuring that this requirement is always met requires awareness and immediate action. In the event that their pet has possible contact with a raccoon or other wildlife animal, an owner should be sure to contact their Animal Control program right away. In this way, it is possible to take appropriate action including that an exposed pet receive a booster shot within the required time frame to ensure its own health and the health of the public. As can be seen from the following table (Rabies Exposure Investigations), the three positive tests results came from nineteen (19) rabies cases our Animal Control Officers investigated in the course of the month. Usually, these are cases involving known or suspected contact between a domestic small animal and a wild animal such as a raccoon, as well as whether there is an indirect contact between a human and pet member of a household in these situations. Orange County Animal Services – March 2006 Monthly Report – Page 6 Rabies Exposure Investigations Dogs Cats Other Total Bite Quarantines 10 3 0 13 Exposures Investigated 1 3 15 19 Tested Positive 0 0 2 2 In addition to these “exposure investigations,” our Animal Control Officers are responsible for bite reports involving dogs and cats (as well as others animals) and a human victim. In these cases, it is a legal requirement and public health precaution that a dog or cat biting 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. As can be seen from the Rabies Exposure Investigation Table, in February there were thirteen (13) such bite quarantines. Efforts to ensure current vaccination, for the welfare of pets and the people with whom they come into contact, are ongoing and activities in this area are captured by vaccination statistics compiled by our Animal Control Division. As is ordinarily the case, the majority of these vaccinations continue to be performed at veterinary establishments that service pet owners who reside in Orange County. Significantly, one hundred and eighty-eight (188) animals were vaccinated at low-cost clinics sponsored by the Animal Services Department, in addition to the one hundred and sixty-one (161) animals vaccinated at our Animal Shelter prior to their adoption or recovery. Rabies Vaccinations within Orange County Dogs Cats Total Vaccinated at Shelter 86 75 161 Vaccinated at Vet Clinics 608 487 1095 Vaccinated at Rabies Clinics 149 39 188 Total Vaccinations 843 601 1444 Appendix Placement Rate: This is a gross statistic which relates the number of animals placed (adopted, reclaimed and transferred) to the number of animals admitted in a given time period. This is expressed as a percentage attained by dividing the number of animals placed by the number of animals admitted. Adoptable Placement Rate: To gain a clearer representation of the placement program, the animals brought to the shelter that are not part of the placement program are excluded, namely feral cats and owner requests for euthanasia. Since the number of feral cats in particular can vary a great deal from month to month, they can obscure the true effects of the program. The adoptable placement rate is obtained by subtracting the number of feral cats and owner requests for euthanasia from the total intake number before the number of placed animals is divided by it. This yields a more refined statistic since the absent animals are generally not regarded as animals that can be placed in new homes. Percent of Total Dispositions, which are given in the statistical report, are different from the placement rates in that they do not relate to the number of animals brought into the shelter. They are, as the title implies, the total number of dispositions broken down by category. Their function is to demonstrate the accuracy of the statistics.