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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnimal Shelter Statistics - 11-2005 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 November 2005 Departmental Highlights 1. Activities integral to the development of the Animal Services Department are continuing. In addition to this evolving monthly report, our administrative staff is redesigning the Animal Service web pages to ensure that they are complete and up-to-date and that they conform to the new forms and standards of the County’s Information Technology Department. The revised website includes pages for both the Animal Control and Animal Shelter Divisions; and it is expected to be introduced and used starting around the middle of December. Also, our program staff has developed a new Animal Services brochure. In a single place, the brochure describes our department’s animal control and animal sheltering services, e.g., adoption possibilities, rabies clinics, spay/neuter outreach, pet licensing, and so forth. Copies of these brochures are available from our Program Coordinator, Sarah Fallin, who may be reached at the County’s Animal Shelter. 2. The third meeting of the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) was held on November 16th, 2005. Among the issues addressed at this meeting were the standing committees responsible for appeals of dangerous dog declarations and adoption denials and the elements and features that are desirable for the design of the County’s new integrated Animal Services Center (aka Animal Shelter). The ASAB also set a monthly meeting calendar for the first half of 2006 and received select updates from the Animal Services Director that included rabies control, various recruitment efforts, and miscellaneous items 3. One of the department updates received at the recent ASAB meeting concerned the greyhound case that was successfully prosecuted and resolved through the coordination of Animal Services staff, the Office of the District Attorney, and others. Given the accomplishment of this case, this update is reproduced below in its entirety: a. Defendants (Kenneth & Robbin Wiseman) pled no contest to 47 charges of animal cruelty on October 31st, 2005 b. Defendants were sentenced as follows: i. Three years of supervised probation, with the option of appeal for reducing the length after one year Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 2 ii. Five years restriction of not owning or possessing domestic animals iii. Five years of being subject to warrantless searches of residence(s) and business(es) iv. $2,045.66 of restitution to Orange County Animal Services and local greyhound rescue network v. A mandated psychological assessment, and an order to comply with any recommended treatments c. General considerations i. Parameters of “structured sentencing” ii. Approach to collectors/hoarders as a mental health as well as penal problem (given extensive assessment of such by Dr. Patronek, among others). d. Intangible Benefits i. Close cooperation between Animal Control and Animal Shelter staff ii. Developing relations with Office of the District Attorney 4. The twenty-first positive rabies test was reported on November 4th, 2005. The test was for a raccoon and it involved two dogs, each of which only needed to receive a booster shot because they were current on their rabies vaccinations. On November 5th, 2005, our department offered its last 2005 low-cost rabies vaccination clinic. 102 animals – 58 dogs and 44 cats – were vaccinated at the clinic which was held at the Orange County Animal Shelter in Chapel Hill. Planning for 2006 rabies clinic – and related activities – was initiated and it is expected that the first of these will be held in the month of February. 5. The process of filling the open positions within both the Animal Control and the Animal Sheltering Divisions continues. The Animal Control Manager position and the positions for an Animal Health Technician and Animal Care Technicians closed toward the end of the month. With respect to all of these positions, staff immediately began the process of scheduling interviews with the intent of filling the positions as soon as possible with the most qualified available candidates. Also, J. Andrew Brinkley was selected to fill the open Animal Control Officer position. He is known to many from their experience with him at the Animal Shelter—where he is simply known as Drew--and he was selected because of his outstanding qualifications and accomplishments. Drew will continue to work at the Animal Shelter until December 19th – where he has helped to perform the duties of an Animal Health Technician as well as his own duties as an Animal Care Technician – and at that time move into his new position as an Animal Control Officer. Animal Shelter Highlights November 2005 shows a continuation of current trends as shown by similarly generated monthly statistics. Once again the number of animals received was down by 89 in November 2005 (297) compared to November 2004 (386). Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 3 Shelter Activity November 2005 Dogs Cats Others Total In Shelter Custody as of November 1 2005 97 133 4 234 + Total Admitted Nov 2005 147 137 13 297 Sheltered in Nov 2005 244 270 17 531 - Dispositions for Nov 2005 162 153 17 332 Remaining in Shelter Custody on December 1 2005 82 117 0 199 Animal Dispositions Percent of Total Dogs Cats Others Total Dispositions Reclaimed 55 6 1 62 18.67% Adopted 49 71 8 128 38.55% Transfers (1) 12 14 6 32 9.64% Euthanized (2) 43 61 2 106 31.93% Died 2 0 0 2 0.60% Other 1 1 0 2 0.60% Totals 162 153 17 332 100.00% (1) Transfers: 7 dogs, 7 cats, 4 ‘other’ to APS; 5 dogs, 7 cats, 2 'other' to rescue (2) 1 cat, 7 dogs surrendered for euthanasia; 30 cats (49%) feral. The number of adoptions, transfers, and reclaims is up by 41 (222 in November 2005 and 181 in November 2004). (Note: The reclaim numbers for November 2005 also reflect 12 dogs which were seized and reclaimed.) And the euthanasia numbers continued to decline, this month by almost 100 animals (106 in November 2005 and 201 in November 2004). The same pattern is apparent in the percentages of the total disposition of animals. In November of 2005, 67 percent of the dispositions were adoptions, transfers or reclaims as compared to 46 percent in November of 2004. This is reflected in the percent of dispositions which were categorized as euthanasia being also much lower, 32 percent in November 2005 and 51 percent in 2004. The placement rate also shows November as a very positive month. The gross placement rate is 75 percent for November of 2005 and 47 percent in November 2004. The adoptable placement rate is 86 percent in November of 2005 and 56 percent in November 2004. Across all three statistical analyses the same relationship holds: at least two thirds of the animals were placed while a third were euthanized. These statistics reflect the convergence of two positive trends which is responsible for the large monthly gains, namely, the decrease in the number of animals received and the increase in the number of animals adopted, transferred and reclaimed. Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 4 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 low number of people signing up for the morning orientation led to both of them being combined, for a turnout of 18 new volunteers. 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. Twenty-six (26) people attended two of these training sessions given by Program Coordinator, Animal Care Technician , and senior dog volunteer. 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 PetsMart, Southern States, and Pet Supermarket, skipping the holiday weekend. Volunteers: Volunteers this month numbered 75 and volunteer hours totaled 465.75. Volunteer Hours 2005 410.75 447 408.5 317 312 366.75 262 265 218 493.75465.75 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNov Ho u r s Since a majority of our volunteers are students, we see a seasonal reduction in volunteer hours during summer months. 2. Special Events and Community Meetings November 1 and 2, 2005 – Program Coordinator gave a presentation to a club at East Chapel Hill High School and a club at Chapel Hill High School on volunteer opportunities. Both groups are a part of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on bridging the gap for minorities. November 2, 2005 – Program Coordinator met with Erin Smith, Vocational Teacher and students from Chapel Hill High School to discuss Vocational Program placement of kids with developmental disabilities and go over policy and procedures. Two (2) students will volunteer on Wednesdays for 1.5 hours. November 6-12, 2005 National Shelter Appreciation Week – The class from Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill “adopted” the shelter and created a bulletin board for Appreciation Week using pictures of shelter pets to generate interest in adoptions. They also held a donation drive, and they will hold more throughout the rest of the school year. The Program Coordinator had treats for all the staff, customers and Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 5 volunteers on November 10, 2005. Several volunteers and customers brought in goodies for the staff and the animals. November 10, 2005 – Program Coordinator met with a teacher and a student from Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill. The student interviewed the Program Coordinator and the teacher filmed the interview to run on Scroggs’ Morning Announcement Show for about 6 weeks to generate donations for the shelter. November 14, 2005 – A group of ten (10) students from The Friends School volunteered at the shelter from 9:30 -12:30 for their community service day. They folded cat boxes and stuffed kong toys which they then gave to the dogs. Nov. 14 & 21, 2005 – Program Coordinator meet with RSVP Assistant Director Vicki Hill, RSVP volunteers, and a representative of Red Cross to discuss and plan a presentation for disaster pet preparedness. November 15, 2005 – A group of ten (10) Girl Scouts came for a tour of and talk about the County’s Animal Shelter. November 22, 2005 – Friends of Orange County Animal Shelter (FOCAS) Program Coordinator met with Pat Sanford of FOCAS and they bought The “Shelter Helper Kit” from NAHEE for Animal Services, to assist in educational presentations to the schools and other youth groups that request presentations. The kit includes educational supplies including lesson plan booklets, Spanish/English worksheets, puppets, and a CD. Animal Control Highlights As for each month, the Animal Intake Data (see below) shows how Orange County mirrors trends affecting animal sheltering insofar as we impound a large number of number of unclaimed stray animals and a large number of animals surrendered by their owners (animals sometimes referred to as owner releases). 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 to ensure to provide for the welfare of animal companions as well as to minimize the adverse affects of stray and unwanted animals on members of the public. Animal intake of stray and surrendered animals also underscores the importance of promoting responsible pet ownership in our communities—ownership that complies with regulations pertaining to public health and safety as well as the livability of our communities; provides appropriate care, socialization and training; ensures no unwanted offspring; and forms a lifelong bond between human households and their animal companions. Promoting such responsible pet ownership is basic the various programs our Animal Services Department has and will continue to provide including public education on health and safety, spay/neuter outreach and low-cost rabies vaccination clinics. Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 6 Animal Intake Data Total Percent Animal Control From Public Incoming of Total Strays (1) Surrender Strays Surrender Chapel Hill 19 2 21 19 61 20.5% Carrboro 7 1 2 2 12 4.0% Hillsborough 7 5 7 4 23 7.7% Orange County 100 18 12 10 140 47.1% Night Deposit 0 0 22 8 30 10.1% Other County 0 0 10 21 31 10.4% Total 133 26 74 64 297 100.0% Strays 207 69.7% Animal Control 159 53.5% Surrenders 90 30.3% Public 138 46.5% (1) "Strays" under Animal Control Demographics also includes quarantined animals that have not been surrendered. 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. This month there was again one positive rabies case, bringing the total to date this year to twenty-one (21). As the first of the two tables below shows, this positive case came from the ten (10) rabies cases our Animal Control Officers investigated during 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. In addition to these “exposure investigations,” it is a requirement 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—and in November there were fifteen (15) such bite quarantines. As always, any incidence of rabies underscores the need for effective rabies control as it is provided through our Animal Control Division and preventive measures beginning with the vaccination of our dogs and cats. 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 can be seen from the second of the two tables following, the majority of these vaccinations continue to be performed at veterinary establishments that service pet owners who reside in Orange County. However, a significant number also continue to be provided through the Animal Service Department through low-cost vaccination clinics as well as adoptions and the vaccination of animals that are recovered from the Animal Shelter by owners or custodians. One hundred and two animals – fifty-eight (58) dogs and forty-four (44) cats—were vaccinated at the final low cost vaccination clinic of 2005 which was held at the Orange County Animal Shelter on November 5th, 2005. Orange County Animal Services – November 2005 Monthly Report – Page 7 Rabies Exposure Investigations Dogs Cats Other Total Bite Quarantines 8 6 1 15 Exposures Investigated 2 2 6 10 Tested Positive 0 0 1 1 Vaccination Statistics Vaccinated at Shelter 33 32 65 Vaccinated at Vet Clinics 375 485 860 Vaccinated at Rabies Clinics 58 44 102 Total Vaccinations 466 561 1027 Appendix Placement Rate: This is a gross statistic which relates the number of animals placed (adopted, reclaimed, rescued 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 owners 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’s requests for euthanasia from the total intake number before the number of placed animals is divided by it. This yields a more refined statistic. 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.