HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-2021; 8-c - Resolution Acknowledging February 23, 2021 as Spay Neuter Day in Orange County, North Carolina 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 16, 2021
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-c
SUBJECT: Resolution Acknowledging February 23, 2021 as Spay Neuter Day in Orange
County, North Carolina
DEPARTMENT: Animal Services
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Spay Neuter Day Resolution Bob Marotto, Director, 919.932.4963
2020 Community Spay/Neuter Program Cooper Hatch, Program Coordinator,
Report 919.932.4965
Amanda Schwoerke, Chair, Animal
Services Advisory Board,
203.815.5481
PURPOSE: To officially resolve that February 23, 2021 is "Spay Neuter Day" in Orange County
and receive a written update about the County's spay and neuter program.
BACKGROUND: Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) are
recommending that the BOCC adopt a resolution designating February 23, 2021 as "Spay
Neuter Day" in Orange County. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has
nationally designated the last Tuesday of each February as "International Spay Day."
In Orange County, the issue of pet overpopulation is a priority. Working together, Animal
Services staff and the ASAB prepared a five-year strategic plan on the basis of best practices in
the field of animal welfare and public policy: Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic Plan
for Orange County, North Carolina. Fundamental to this plan is targeting spays and neuters in
our county to decrease the rate of reproduction of dogs and cats, thereby containing the number
of animals that must be sheltered and the costs of caring for those animals.
The latest phase of this plan is to address free roaming cats in Orange County. Accordingly,
staff and the ASAB prepared a plan called Managing Free-Roaming Cats in Orange County,
North Carolina. A central component of this plan is to more effectively sterilize these (and
other) cats in order to reduce their numbers over time.
Significant developments for calendar year 2020 include:
• The total number of dogs and cats sterilized is 798 and 200 of those belonged to clients
of the Department of Social Services.
• Five hundred and thirty-two (532) cats and dogs were sterilized through partnerships with
AnimalKind and Spay Neuter Assistance Program — North Carolina.
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• Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, all Spay/Neuter surgeries were stopped at Animal
Services and the County's partners (SNAP-NC, AnimalKind, and Independent Animal
Rescue (IAR)), so no surgeries occurred from the end of March to early May.
• This pause in surgeries caused Animal Services to change to adopting out unsterilized
animals and issuing the new owner a voucher to be used once surgeries began again.
Some adopters qualified for the normal Spay/Neuter Program, but 79 of the surgeries in
2020 were owners that lived outside of Orange County or made more than 400% of the
poverty level.
• Animal Services established a partnership with Independent Animal Rescue to help
perform some of the Working Cat Surgeries, which provided for 200 more cats than in
2019.
• Animal Services was awarded a $40,000 grant from The Petco Foundation. This grant
will allow the Working Barn Cat program to continue and expand, helping County
residents have working cats spayed or neutered, vaccinated, licensed and microchipped
at no charge.
Orange County's subsidized spay and neuter for cats and dogs is continuing to expand to more
residents than ever before. Orange County Animal Services received another grant from the
Margaret T. Petrie Spaying and Neutering Foundation in the amount of $15,000 to continue to
cover the cost of spay and neuter for animals belonging to residents whose household income is
between 200 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Previously, 200 percent was the
ceiling for income-based qualification.
As discussed above, Orange County also continues its effort to sterilize cats from farms and
stables in more rural parts of Orange County. Animal Services is continuing the Working (Barn)
Cat Program that not only sterilizes but vaccinates, microchips, and licenses participating felines
for free. The funding for this effort has shifted from only grant funded to both grant and
donations received through Orange County's Community Giving Fund. As a result of outreach
and a partnership with Independent Animal Rescue, Animal Services was able to sterilize 266
working cats in 2020.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The resolution has no financial impact. Events and outreach provided in
conjunction with this year's Spay Neuter Day involve funds already in the County's Community
Spay and Neuter Fund. The FY2021 operating budget for the Community Spay and Neuter
Fund is $82,350 and there is a fund balance of approximately $42,616. These funds primarily
come from the $20 differential license fee for reproductive cats and dogs, combined with
reimbursement from the North Carolina Spay Neuter Reimbursement Program, significant
donations from the public and grants awarded to Animal Services.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated
with this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board receive the written program
report, adopt the proposed resolution, and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution.
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RES-2021-010
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
SPAY NEUTER DAY USA RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, cats and dogs provide companionship to and share the homes of thousands of individuals
in Orange County; and
WHEREAS, the problem of pet overpopulation costs the taxpayers of Orange County hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually through animal control and sheltering programs aimed at coping with
unwanted and homeless cats and dogs; and
WHEREAS, humane societies and shelters throughout the country euthanize approximately four million
cats and dogs each year, although many of them are healthy and adoptable, due to the lack of critical
resources such as money, space, and good adoptive homes; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Services Advisory Board and the Animal Services Department have made
correcting pet overpopulation a priority, taken a positive approach to improving quality of life for
community cat populations, and prepared Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic Plan for
Orange County and Managing Free-Roaming Cats in Orange County North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Animal Services is collaborating with Independent Animal Rescue and other community
partners to proactively and humanely manage free-roaming cats on the basis of their sterilization; and
WHEREAS, spaying and neutering cats and dogs, among other animal companions, has been shown
to drastically reduce overpopulation; and
WHEREAS, Animal Services has partnered with community partners including the Department of
Social Services, AnimalKind, and Spay Neuter Assistant Program-North Carolina to offer"low cost" and
"no cost" spay and neuter to households who are economically disadvantaged or who receive public
assistance; and
WHEREAS, veterinarians, animal care and control organizations, national and local animal welfare
organizations, and private individuals have joined together again this year to advocate and support the
spaying and neutering of companion animals on "Spay Day USA 2021."
Now, therefore be it RESOLVED by Orange County that February 23, 2021 is declared "Spay Neuter
Day USA," and the Board of County Commissioners calls upon the people of the County to observe
the day by having their own cats or dogs spayed or neutered or by sponsoring the spaying or neutering
of another person's cat or dog.
THIS THE 16t" DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2021 .
Renee Price, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
4
Orange County
Community Spay Neuter Program
2020 Program Report
Animal Services r o
-- February 2021 '
5
8� Neuter:
Targeted Spay
The Theory
Targeted Spay / Neuter:
[Spay/Neuter that may
not otherwise not be done] Fewer litters; fewer
"surplus pets"
Lowered animal
admissions Less euthanasia
Controlling costs of
' animal services
,�.,
Community Spay Neuter Program
What It Is & How It Works
Animal Services
Targeted Spay/Neuter: Animal Offering low-cost and no-
Identifying segments Licensing cost services to residents
of the community Differential that may not otherwise be
with a critical need for able to spay and neuter
spay/neuter services Sterilized Pets - 10 their pets
Unsterilized Pets - $30
DSS and other Difference = $20 Spay/Neuter
Program
community 1 Pro g
partners Community Spay/Neuter Fund [currently utilizing SNAP-
NC and AnimalKind]
Funding provided by pet licensing differential, state
reimbursements, donations and grants.
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New Developments
• Growing spay and neuter in the County: Thanks to a fourth substantial grant from
the Margo T. Petrie Foundation, we were able to make free spay and neuter services
available to more county residents in 2020. Since 2017, these services have been
available to residents with a household income of up to 400 percent of the Federal
Poverty level rather than only 200 percent as well as residents who receive public
assistance.
• Working (Barn) Cat Program: We launched the Working (Barn) Cat program in late
2017 as part of a broader effort to more humanely manage free-roaming cats. Thanks
to a substantial multi-year grant from The Petco Foundation and a new, strong
relationship with Independent Animal Rescue (IAR), we continued this program and
helped county residents have working cats spayed or neutered, vaccinated, licensed
and microchipped at no charge.
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y .
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Effects of COVID-19 on Spay/Neuter
and Our Response
• In April 2020, all spay/neuter surgeries were stopped by Orange
County Animal Services and our partners (SNAP-NC and IAR)
to preserve PPE since they were not considered essential.
• Before COVID, we did not adopt out animals that were not
sterilized. However, to continue to be able to adopt out animals,
we began adopting them out unsterilized. We sent them with a
voucher to receive spay/neuter services from SNAP-NC.
Some adopters qualified for our normal Spay/Neuter Programs
. : and were counted in those areas to receive spay/neuter
services. However, some adopters lived outside of Orange
County or had income above 400% of the federal poverty level,
so they were not able to be covered by our programs. We were
able to spay or neuter 79 animals that were adopted from us
that did not qualify for our normal programs.
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ORANGE COUNTYANIMAL SERVICES
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orangecauntync.govlanimalservices
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10
Animals Admitted 2005 - 2020
F4500 4�15
4000
9500 3323
29M
3000
2500 Total intakes
2091
Total Animals In Litters
2000
1428
1500
900
1000 717 709
500
0
200r2D09Average 2010-2014Average 20 IS-2D19 Ave rag e 2D2D
Animal Outcomes 2005 - 2020 11
2500 Z432
23M
2162
2000 1,886 - -- 1890
1500
■Live Release
1110 Euthanized
1000
480
500 V]
221
0
2005-2009 Average 2010-2014 Average 2015-2019 Average 2020
{Lave Release Rate is the total number of animals that were adopted,transferred,or rettuned to their owners out of all animals that
left the shelter and were considered adoptable during a specific time period.
12
700 Targeted Spays and Neuters 2008-2020
600
578
5Q0 532
sn
400
350
300
200 - 236
200
100
102
0
Total Spays&Neuters DSS Spays&Neuters
■ 2008-2009 Average ■2010-2014 Average 0 2015-2019 Average 2020`
13
Dogs Vs. Cats Spay/Neuter
s
44-
0 Dogs ■Cats ■Working Cats
574
2320
s5_-A 383
2019
364
2018
2 221
2317
2034
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Opportunities & Challenges
• Sustain and increase the number of sterilized dogs and cats via
enhanced communication and new initiatives.
• Overcome challenges that emerged during COVID-19 to maintain
programs and services.
• Continue outreach to varied sectors of the community about the
availability of free spay and neuter services to households with
higher incomes.
• Grow the Working (Barn) Cat Program to include other cats that
are loosely affiliated with residents. Resolve challenges such as
funding for the program, trapping cats, and especially limited
access to sterilization services.
• Strengthen relationships with community partners and continue to
encourage community involvement and support in managing free-
roaming cats in new ways using spay and neuter services.
• Sustain financial support from multiple sources to ensure that
Community Spay and Neuter is an ongoing component of Animal
Services' mission and operations.
Orange County resi , ge am cats spayed or neutered, foht -
1 f 1 1 1 1 1 1 w ' •
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ORANGE 'COU
NORTH. CAROLI A
Animal Services