Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnimal Shelter Statistics - 08-2006 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 August 2006 Departmental Highlights 1. The County has reviewed several proposals responding to the RFP for the design and engineering of the new Animal Services Facility, and interviews are scheduled for the second week in September. It is expected that a recommendation will be made to the Board of Commissioners as soon as possible upon completion of the interviews. The County Clerk’s Office continues to accept applications for members of the Animal Services Facility Design Committee to assist with the design of the new facility. Appointments to this committee will be approved by the Board of County Commissioners, which will provide a charge to the Committee. It is expected that the Committee will be composed of two County Commissioners, representatives of the Animal Services Advisory Board, and members of the general public. In relation to the design of a new facility, the Board has asked for a presentation on sheltering practices and philosophies at an upcoming Commissioner’s meeting. It is expected that, with a greater understanding of practices and goals obtained from this presentation, the Board will be shaping their charge to the Design Committee in the interests of providing an Animal Services facility that will serve the community and animals for years to come. 2. At the end of August, there had been fourteen (14) positive rabies tests—one (1) skunk, one (1) fox, two (2) bats and ten (10) raccoons. Eleven (11) of these involved definite exposures; however in three (3) cases tests were conducted to be “safe rather than sorry”— insofar as initially it was not possible to rule out an exposure but it was ultimately determined that there were no exposures in these three cases. In 2005, there were twenty- three (23) positive rabies tests in the County. All but five of those involved raccoons; the remainder included positive tests for two foxes, a bat, a beaver and a dog. Due to concerns about people and animals waiting in lines in hot weather, we did not schedule any regular rabies clinics for the month of August. However, we did obtain the kind assistance of Hillsborough Veterinary Clinic, which held a rabies clinic at their facility Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 2 on Saturday, August 19th. Ninety-six (96) animals—sixty-five (65) dogs and thirty-one (31) cats—were vaccinated at this two-hour clinic. This brings the total for vaccinations performed by low-cost clinics to 1,342 at the end of August – seventy percent (936 in number) of these were dogs, while thirty percent (406 in number) of these were cats. To ensure the continuing availability of low-cost rabies vaccinations for County residents, a work team of staff planned additional clinics throughout the year. A complete list of clinics is available on our website at http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/clinics.htm . 3. We are presently interviewing applicants for four permanent full-time positions within Animal Services. These consist of two Animal Care Technicians and an Office Assistant for the Animal Shelter division, and an additional Office Assistant for the Animal Control division. Three of these positions are newly created from funds that were used to hire temporary employees in previous years. Also, the department budget for this fiscal year will allow us to expand the services of consulting veterinarians within the shelter. Our goal is to have veterinary assessments and oversight for four days each week instead of the two days we have had in past years. 4. In the meeting held on August, 2006, the Animal Services Advisory Board appointed the initial members of a Tethering Committee – Kristine Bergstrand, DVM; and Jean Connerat- Levine. This was done in response to issues raised by concerned citizens regarding the practice of tethering or chaining dogs, and follows initiatives in neighboring counties as well as across the country. The purpose of the committee is to examine the concerns of the citizens of Orange County and consider the practices as well as restrictive legislation. It is charged with creating a larger committee representing a cross-section of the community; compiling pertinent information; identifying mechanisms for obtaining input from the general public; and working with the Animal Services Advisory Board to identify any desirable changes in Orange County’s animal ordinances. Animal Shelter Highlights Comparisons between August 2006 and August 2005 are back to the familiar pattern that we observed prior to the unusual deviation seen last month. The total number of animals turned into the shelter slightly declined from 547 in August 2005 to 528 in August 2006. The number of animals placed is slightly higher (214 in August of 2006 and 210 for August 2005). This combination of lower intake and higher placement again produces the higher placement rates in this month’s report. The gross placement rate for August 2006 was 49% and was 46% in the same month in 2005. The adoptable placement rate for August 2006 was 57% and 53% in August 2005. Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 3 Sheltering Activity August 2006 Dogs Cats Others Total In Shelter Custody as of Aug 1 2006 (1) 93 127 3 223 + Total Admitted Aug 2006 189 329 10 528 Sheltered in Aug 2006 282 456 13 751 - Dispositions for Aug 2006 217 351 9 577 In Foster Homes 6 32 0 38 In Pet Stores 0 1 0 1 Within Shelter 59 72 4 135 Total Within Animal Services custody on September 1 2006 65 105 4 174 Returns: 6 dogs, 1 cat (1) Includes corrections to previous months 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. As is apparent for these figures for the current month, a number of animals are in our custody but not at the shelter; instead, they are in foster homes or pet stores. As of the end of the month, a total of 39 animals were in foster care or pet stores. It should be said that this figure is a snapshot of fostering activity done through the County’s Animal Shelter. The actual number of animals fostered in the month of August was 52. This is greater than the number in foster on the final day of the month—the number in the table above—insofar as some animals that were in foster have been adopted or returned to the shelter for adoption prior to the end of the month. It should also be said that eighteen (18) foster families fostered animals during August and that many fostered animals were litters of kittens—indeed, 10 litters accounting for 30 foster animals. 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 in a given month and ultimately the disposition of the animals that have been in foster homes. Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 4 Animal Dispositions Percent of Total Dogs Cats Others Total Dispositions Reclaimed 40 6 0 46 7.97% Adopted 58 103 1 162 28.08% Transfers (1) 10 36 6 52 9.01% Euthanized 107 202 2 311 53.90% Died 1 2 0 3 0.52% Other 1 2 0 3 0.52% Totals 217 351 9 577 100.00% (1) Transfers are all to APS except: 2 dogs, 26 cats, 6 'Other' to rescue/pet store 6 dogs surrendered for euth/disp; 63 cats (31%) feral. Animal Shelter--and Services--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 24 people attended the two orientations this month. Policy Procedures/Animal Handling Training: This is advanced training for volunteers wishing to work with direct handling of the animals, such as dog walking and socialization, cat-room cleaning, and related activities. A total of 15 people attended the training session given by our Program Coordinator, Animal Care Technician, and senior dog volunteer on August 12th. 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 programs were held at Weaver Street Market, Carrboro Town Commons, and the PTA Thrift Shop in Chapel Hill. Volunteers: Volunteers this month numbered 53 and they assisted us for 389.25 hours. With the return of our volunteer program coordinator from her medical leave, we have resumed the trend toward increasing the total number of volunteer hours over the same month last year. Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 5 Volunteer Hours 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2004 2005 2006 2. Special Events and Community Meetings 4th Annual Dog Swim – On Saturday, August 26th, Triangle SportsPlex held their fourth dog swim benefit. Each year, before scheduled maintenance, Triangle SportsPlex opens their indoor pool to allow dogs, and their owners themselves, to hop in, cool off, and have some fun. Entry fee was $5.00 per dog, half of which was donated to the Orange County Animal Shelter, and the event attracted over 70 dogs. Our Program Coordinator, Animal Control Manager, Shelter Operations Manger and several volunteers attended with shelter dogs and information about our programs, and Orange County Animal Services donated a prize for the “best swim suit”. A reporter from the Chapel Hill Herald attended and featured the event prominently in the following day’s issue. 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 (or surrendered) 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 and place them in new homes to the greatest extent possible. Of course, animal intakes numbering hundreds each month underscores 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 proper husbandry and care; socialization and training; no unwanted offspring; and ultimately, the formation of a lifelong human-animal bond. Thus our staff will necessarily continue to provide public education on responsible pet ownership, perform spay/neuter outreach, and offer low-cost rabies vaccination clinics. Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 6 Animal Intake Data Total Percent Animal Control From Public Incoming of Total Strays (1) Surrender Strays Surrender Chapel Hill 14 7 43 34 98 18.56% Carrboro 6 0 10 1 17 3.22% Hillsborough 16 5 10 20 51 9.66% Orange County 122 145 24 10 301 57.01% Night Deposit 0 0 42 9 51 9.66% Other County 0 0 7 3 10 1.89% Total 158 157 136 77 528 100.00% Strays294 55.68% Animal Control 315 59.66% Surrenders234 44.32% Public 213 40.34% (1) “Strays” under Animal Intake Data also includes impounded animals not surrendered to Animal Services With respect to rabies control—historically a core function of animal control—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 August, there were three (3) positive rabies tests, for two (2) bats and one (1) raccoon, bringing the total for 2006 to seventeen (17). Our own public education activities continue to 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 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 North Carolina law is the same as for an unvaccinated animal—namely, euthanasia or a six (6) month quarantine. In this regard, staff stresses the immediate reporting of any possible contact to animal control and/or public health authorities to ensure the health of all members of a household—human and pet alike. 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. Also, if a possible exposure occurs outside regular hours of service, an Animal Control Officer should be reached right away through Orange County’s Emergency Communications (911). As can be seen from the following table, the three (3) positive tests in the month of August resulted from our Animal Control Officers investigation of thirty-two (32) possible rabies exposures. Usually, these are cases involving known or suspected contact between a domestic small animal such as a dog or a cat 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. Bite Quarantines and Rabies Exposure Investigations Dogs Cats Other Total Bite Quarantines 13 6 0 19 Exposures Investigated 1 2 29 32 Tested Positive 0 0 3 3 Inconclusive 0 0 0 0 Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 7 In addition to these kinds of “rabies exposure investigations,” our Animal Control Officers are also responsible for bite reports involving dogs and cats (as well as other 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 above Table, in July there were nineteen (19) 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 – 1,352 out of a total of 1,565 vaccinations – continue to be performed at veterinary establishments that service pet owners who reside in Orange County. And another one hundred and seventeen (117) animals were vaccinated at our Animal Shelter prior to their adoption or recovery. As noted in our discussion of Department Highlights, Animal Services partnered with the Hillsborough Veterinary Clinic to offer an on-site rabies clinic on Saturday, August 19th. Ninety-six (96) animals— sixty-five (65) dogs and thirty-one (31) cats—were vaccinated at this two-hour clinic. So far this year one thousand three hundred and forty two (1342) dogs and cats have been vaccinated at low cost clinics. Seventy percent (936 in number) of these were dogs, while thirty percent (406 in number) of these were cats. Rabies Vaccinations within Orange County Dogs Cats Total Vaccinated at Shelter 54 63 117 Vaccinated at Vet Clinics 670 682 1352 Vaccinated at Rabies Clinics 65 31 96 Total Vaccinations 789 776 1565 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. Exposures Investigated: This figure refers to the separate and distinct cases investigated by animal control, and does not indicate number of exposed species within each case – a single household may contain multiple exposures among pets and humans, but for our purposes, this counts as one exposure investigation. Orange County Animal Services – August 2006 Monthly Report – Page 8 Inconclusive (rabies): These numbers specifically refer to animals tested by the state lab that could not produce a definitive result, and does not include animals that could not be obtained, or were in inadequate condition, to be tested.