HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpay Neuter Income Eligibility MemoORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
Animal Services
1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919 - 942 -PETS (7387)
Memorandum
To: Animal Services Advisory Board
From: Bob Maro imal Services Director and Sarah H. Fallin, Program Coordinator
Date: August 14, 2015
Subject: Income Eligibility Changes for the Community Spay /Neuter Program
We are proposing a change in the income eligibility requirements for Orange County residents for the
Community Spay/Neuter Program. Our proposal is consistent with the standard income eligibility criteria
used by Orange County's Department of Social Services. More specifically, we are proposing to change
the qualifying income guidelines from 150 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
We are making this proposal in order to increase the number of targeted spays and neuters of cats and
dogs. As you are aware, these are sterilizations for animals that ordinarily would continue to be
reproductive throughout their lives. As we have seen in recent years in Orange County, sterilizing these
animals reduces the number of animals admitted to Animal Services and ultimately the number of animals
euthanized. We can also help to control the medium and long -term costs of Animal Services, which are
driven by the problem of pet overpopulation.
To date, 520 is the highest number of sterilizations we have achieved in a single year, and our average for
the period 2012 to 2014 is 486. Our goal is to achieve between 600 and 700 targeted sterilizations in
order to sustain long -term changes in the homeless population of companion animals, animal intakes, and
the number of euthanized animals. This goal is based upon a formula developed from the experiences of
communities that have been the most successful in working toward zero population growth.
Previously, we have discussed this issue with the Animal Services Advisory Board on two separate
occasions (see attached memoranda). On the basis of these discussions we have pursued different
outreach methods rather than changing the income eligibility criteria. These outreach methods have
included the following:
• Use of Every Door Direct Mail, a United States Post Office service that puts a flyer in every mail
box in selected zip codes.
• Insertion of a spay /neuter application flyer into the News of Orange for distribution to their
customers.
• Billboards in Hillsborough and on I -85 to promote awareness of spay /neuter opportunities.
• Use of a flyer about spay /neuter opportunities distributed to those reclaiming pets at the Animal
Services Center.
ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
ANIMAL SERVICES
1601 Eubanks Road http:// oranitecountync .gov /animalservices phone: (919) 942 -7387
Chapel Hill, NC 27516 fax: (919) 918 -2393
MEMO
To: Orange County Animal Services Advisory Board
From: Sarah H. Fallin, Program Coordinator
Date: February 4, 2015
Subject: Changes in the Community Spay Neuter Program
Poverty has a large impact on dogs and cats every day. Developing a better understanding of what
this means for companion animals in our community is an integral part of our Community Spay
Neuter program for 2014 -2015.
The number of sterilizations has decreased for our targeted population since 2012 and Animal
Services staff believes this is partly due to the updated methods of communication for Department
of Social Services (DSS) clients, limiting the amount of spay /neuter information sent to our targeted
population. This year Animal Services used alternative methods for our community outreach
strategies that included Every Door Direct Mail, door hangers, and billboards- but these methods
did not pay off as expected.
Animal Services would like to revisit the possibility of increasing the income criteria to that of the
NC Spay Neuter Reimbursement Program. Those guidelines allow people who make under 300
percent of the federal poverty level qualify for subsidized programs; in comparison, Animalkind's
guidelines are roughly 150 percent of the federal poverty level, and Orange County DSS public
assistance programs are at 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
What we know now is:
• According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Poverty Levels
increase every year.
• The majority of clients who participate in Animal Services income -based programs have
never taken their pets to a veterinarian.
• The number of spay /neuter surgeries from Animal Services targeted programs has not
reached 500 since 2011.
• Staff is researching an alternative way to reach the lowest income households by using the
Pets for Life program.
In conclusion, with the agreement from the ASAB, staff will revisit the income criteria in
coordination with other county staff. Upon completion of this review, staff will return to the ASAB
for further discussion of one or more alternative income levels for eligibility suited to the
circumstances and needs of Orange County.
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IvOVIT4 C.INVOLIN;'_
MEMO
To: Animal Services Advisory Board
From: Bob Marott irector, Animal Services
Sarah Falli rogram Coordinator, Animal Services
Date: June 14, 2013
Re: Qualifying Income Levels for the Community Spay /Neuter Fund
Despite an increase in the advertising budget for the Community Spay /Neuter Fund last year,
the number of surgeries performed and vouchers issued did not reflect the growth we had
expected or seen in the previous years. This flattening did not occur in the population receiving
public assistance and qualifying for a free surgery, but in the vouchers that were issued to those
paying a $20 co -pay, a population that qualifies based on income requirements alone.1
Given this fact, staff discussed the possibility of increasing the income criteria to more closely
align with the income eligibility requirements of the NC Spay /Neuter Reimbursement Program.
Those requirements allow reimbursement to local governments for assistance to households
that make under 300 percent of the federal poverty threshold.2 In contrast, the current
guidelines for income qualification used by Animall(ind and Animal Services are less than half of
the federal poverty level .3
The Idea of increasing these Income requirements either to a median point or to 300 percent
seemed attractive to staff originally, but further investigation has shown some cause for
concern and a need for more research and input. The concerns identified are as follows:
a) public perception over qualifying households that are well above the poverty level
b) the possibility of competing with local veterinarians for services
c) the possibility of swamping the program with too much demand
1 The number of citizens redeeming vouchers based on public assistance qualification continued to grow in 2012.
2 The complete federal guideline criteria can be found at httr>: / /familiesusa.org/resources /tools -for-
aa vocates /guides /federal - poverty - guidelines html.
S AnimalKind's Income eligibility criteria vary based on household size and are up to 147.95% of the federal poverty
level. A listing of their qualifying Incomes can be found at www,animalkind.ors.
d) straying from the original mission of targeted spay /neuter"
It is important to note that a and b have the possibility of upsetting the support and positive
backing that the county's program has always had and wishes to maintain. But most important
to the equation is d. The goal of the county's Community Spay /Neuter Program is to target
intact (or reproductive) animals belonging to county residents in order to reduce shelter intake
numbers, the costs of animal services, and ultimately the use of euthanasia as a means for
population control.
At this time, there is not sufficient data that would indicate that income criteria alone is causing
the decrease or flattening of voucher numbers. There is reason to believe that county residetts
who qualify under existing criteria may not currently be aware of the program and that the
community is not yet saturated.
Therefore, both AnimalKind and Animal Services staff are trying some alternative approaches to
reaching this demographic. AnimalKind is experimenting with door hangers and targeting
neighborhoods. Animal Services is using new advertising mediums and is targeting zip code
areas using direct mail. In addition, the department is collecting data and generating statistics
and mapped analyses of areas producing heavy volumes of animal intakes and litters intakes so
that more targeted outreach can occur in those areas.
A final observation is that cats remain an ongoing challenge In our own community as well as
within other communities (as Indicated not least by a perennial "kitten season "). Effective
strategies for targeting cats owned by residents who qualify for subsidized spay and neuter may
be one of the largest challenges the county faces in managing pet overpopulation as we move
forward. It is staffs hope that this will be a major concern of the work they do with the Animal
Services Advisory Board in the next stage of strategic plan for managing pet overpopulation.
In conclusion, while income criteria is an important factor in the population that receives
vouchers and qualifies for assistance from Animal Services, staff now believe that increasing
current guidelines at this point would be premature and that changing other variables involved
in outreach makes more sense in the present. After such changes have been made and data
has been evaluated for the coming periods, staff feels there will be more sound basis and
knowledge upon which to consider income criteria changes as a means to increase targeted
spay /neuter numbers in the community.
Cc: Michael Talbert, Assistant County Manager
Beth Livingstone, Executive Director, AnimalKind
Hilary Green, Interim Executive Director, AnimalKind
4 Targeted spay /neuter is defined as a spay or neuter that, without assistance, would not otherwise be done.
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