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February 19, 2014
WINTER STORM ACTIVITY
• Animal Services staff were present in the Emergency Operations Center
• Pet co-location team was put on alert and prepared to mobilize in the event an emergency
shelter was opened
• Generator was brought on site to deliver electricity through a transfer switch in the event of a
power failure
• Skeleton crew of staff provided basic care to sheltered animals
• Debrief will include the need for more emphasis on pet as well as human preparedness
COMMUNITY SPAY & NEUTER PROGRAM
• BOCC adopted a resolution declaring February 25, 2014, as Spay/Neuter Day in Orange County
• More than 30 cats and dogs belonging to DSS clients are registered to be sterilized by SNAP-NC
at Orange County Animal Services on Spay/Neuter Day
• “Beat the Heat” Billboards are up at intersection of Highways 86 and 70 Hillsborough
• Highlight from the annual report ( available online) include:
o Spaying and neutering a total of 472 cats and dogs on the basis of the partnership
between Animal Services and AnimalKind (which offers The $20 Fix);
o Spaying and neutering 373 dogs and cats belonging to clients of the Department of
Social Service (DSS) on a “no pay” basis.
o Helping reduce the number of animals admitted to Orange County’s Animal Services
Center from more than 4000 a year to a historic low of 3207 in 2013.
MISCELLANEOUS
• Reclassified position as Training & Lead Animal Control Officer
o Assure an effective training program across a variety of disciplines
o Assume a lead role in complicated and challenging cases
o Assure effective oversight and leadership in absence of Animal Control Manager
• Training in regard to wildlife calls with spring afoot
o With spring afoot CLAWS classes for staff will be offered in the coming month
Responding to and referring wildlife inquiries
Safe handling, housing and transport of injured and orphaned wildlife
o Training with WRC personnel in regard to field euthanasia of injured deer
VETERINARY OUTREACH
• Veterinary Health Care Manager (Josh) and Communications Specialist (Andi) are meeting
with 17 or so vet clinics in Orange County to build stronger relationships.
• Each veterinary clinic is receiving a photograph from the library gallery collection as a gift
from OCAS.
• Outreach includes adoptable animals and adoption specials, low cost spay and neuter, the free
roaming cats and the ASAB task force on free roaming cats and partnership possibilities.
• Four have been done to date and they have been very, very positive.
By Bob Marotto, Animal Services Director