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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-29-1999 - 8dORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No. ~_~_ ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 21, 1999 SUBJECT: Animal Protection Society (APS) Proposal to Raise Shelter Adoption and Board Fees DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/l~ Na ATTACHMENT(S): Letter from APS Executive Director to County Manager outlining the proposal INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemary L. Summers, Health Director 'TELEPHONE NUMBERS: - -ext. 2411 Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider request to raise shelter adoption and board fees. BACKGROUND: Adoption fees have not increased in 10 years. The current costs of $75 for dogs and $49 for cats does not cover the costs of sheltering and preparing the animals for adoption. The proposed new adoption fee for dogs is $99 and for cats is $75. This represents the bulk of the 1,665 animals that the APS projects will be adopted in 1999-2000. Increases for other animals are as proposed in the attached schedule of fees. The fee increase can be divided into two categories, the first will provide an additional $9 for cats and $11 for dogs to defray the costs of the veterinary services the animal receives at the shelter before it goes to its new home. Animals vaccinations are current when they leave the shelter and each cat or dog that is adopted is either spayed or neutered. In the case of puppies or kittens too young to be spayed or neutered before adoption, pet owners may return these animals at the appropriate time for the service. The increase of fees will still not cover 100% of the costs of these services. The remaining $15 increase will allow the shelter to microchip each dog and cat adopted. The microchips will allow an animal that wanders or escapes from its home to be traced back to the owner. The shelter is currently performing microchipping of animals on a voluntary basis. By including this process as part of the adoption, a large increase in the pet population that is traceable will be achieved each year. The Animal Protection Society believes that the increase in cost will not pose a significant barrier to adoption of pets. They believe that Orange County residents have previously demonstrated a willingness to pay closer to the real costs to adopt pets from the shelter and there is no evidence that adoption rates will decrease with new fees. Comparison rates in surrounding counties for adoption aze: Wake County SPCA charges $95 per animal regazdless of whether it is a cat or dog. Wake County's SPCA fee includes microchipping their animals as part of the adoption process. Durham County APS chazges $65 per animal for animal that is to young to be spayed or neutered. $50 is returnable when the pet owner shows proof of neutering. Durham charges $85 for adult dogs and $65 for adult cats. Durham County does not microchip at the present but are working on a proposal that they project will cost approximately $15 in addition to their current fees. Orange County provides neutering for young animals as part of its adoption fee. Boazding fees aze also proposed to be increased from a $5 per day fee for strays to an $8 per day fee. Boarding fees for evidence animals and quazantined animals aze proposed to increase from $5 to $10 per day. These animals usually require additional staff time because of special handling and safety issues. The Board of Health reviewed the proposed fee increase at its August meeting and supports the fee increase. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The $15 portion of the fee increase should provide total support for the microchipping program. The remaining increase of $9 for cats and $11 for dogs should bring approximately $16,650 in additional revenues to the shelter to defray their operating costs for the spay/neuter program. In addition, the APS estimated in its request for funds in the spring of 1999, that it provided sheltering services to 6,925 animals for an average of seven days each during the calendar yeaz 1999. Estimating that 80% of these animals aze cats or dogs, a $3 a day increase would yield approximately $116,340 in increased revenues for sheltering costs. Removing the $15 fee for microchipping (a new program), the proposed increases would yield an additional total of $132,990 to defray operating costs of the current program. RECOMMENDATON(S): The Manager concurs with the Health Board recommendation that the Boazd of Commissioners approve the requested fee schedule increase for the Orange County Animal Shelter. 08/18/1999 10:55 9199677517 ORANGE CO aPS 3 ANIMAL PR4TECTiON SOCIETY OF C7RANGE COUNTY 9 OB'i AIRPORT ROAD CHAPEL HILL. NORTH CAROLENA 2751 4 'TELEPHONE 919-987-73E33 -FAX 9'19-967-75'1 7 John Link, Manager Orange County PO Hox $1$1 Hillsborough, NC Dear Mr. Link: In Fiscal Year 1898, the first full year of operation of our spaylneuter clinic at the Felicite Latane Animal Sanctuary, we were able to reduce the numbers of domestic animals coming into the shelter by 7°iPo,. Although the Clinic is still running in the r®d, we expect to decrease the number of animals by another 1t1'!~ this year. Thb type of reduction in numbers of unwanted animals means Isss suffeMng for the animals and a better managed animal control program generally. We can do this-and we are asking for your support for part of our plan that calls for an increase in adoption and board fees. In order to continue to reduce the numbers of animals reaching the Shelter during a period of great human development In Orange County, APS needs to 1) decrease the numbers of animals euthaniaed, Z~ Increase the numbers of animals adopted, Z~ increase the numbers of animals reclaimed by their owners. To do this, we propose greater outreach for !ow-cost spay/neuter in Orango County, greater media coverage of the overpopulation problem, greater adoptions numbers, and Brea#er reclamation rates. The next step of our plan addresses owner talclamation--to be able to return lost animals to their ownors. The most definitive technology to aid us to reach this goal is the microchip. Tha APS proposes an increase in adoption fees for dogs and cats that will allow the APS to place a microchip in every animal during the adoption process. While we get wonderful stray anima#s ire the Shelter, only about 17°~ ever find their way home because most pets do not have identifrcation. A microchip is a small. grain-like capsule with a unique number inside that can be scanned and traced back to the owner. The microchip will allow us to trace any animal that has been adopted from ua. So rather than euthaniting an animal, we can get it back to its owner. THlS CAN ST9P 08/18/1999 10:55 9199677517 ORANGE CO APS 4 THE HORRENDOUS CYCLE: WE KNOW THAT iF A FAMILY LOSES ITS PET, THAT PET WILL, BE REPLACED WITHMI POUR MONTHS. But what this ado n~sans is that the new pat usually is NOT liconsad, Boas NOT have its rabies vaccination, and is NOT neu#ered. ff wee can keep animals in their homes AND in the system, we can rosily cut down on the pet overpopuia~tlon problem, track animals through the licensing process, and work toward a more concrete rabies control program. The bnrekdown of cast: dog cat pnasent fee ;7b ;49 proposed fee ;09 ;75 fee inareas4 ;24 $26 _. This would provide;l5 for a~ microchip and;9 or;11 for spaylneuter surgery to help defray coats. The other adoption fees on the attached chart show adoption fees for otiterr species. The other foes that w• ask to incrwse includ4 boarding foes for animals being reclaimed by their owners. M support for this increase I would like to point out that tM hoarrting fees have not been increased since 18T9. We would uke tD increase board f~ese from;5 per day td S8 per day f+or dogs and cats. MYe would itioe to increase board fees on evidence dogs to ;10 per day. The extra care that evidence dogs roquire warrants this incr+easo, and the general increase do S8 is in Dne with neighboring counties. Boarding fees for large animals and exotic animals will bar based on the actual costa (which may include transportation in the case of horses). The reclamation fee increase was passed three years ago to put in piece a Graduated system to discoun~ge owners from allowing their pets to run free. The increase was from ~5 per anima! to a graduatied increase from ;10 for the ffrs# reclamation, ;Z5 for the second, s60 for tiro third, and 5100 for the fourth. We foal these fees should remain the same. APS staff and Board Members wilt be present on Monday, August 16, to answer any questions about these proposals. Sincerely, Pat Sanford Executive Director 8-3-99 2 08/18/1999 10:55 9199677517 ORANGE CO APS , P~tOPOSED FEES Passed by the APS Board of Directors in May 1998 ANMAAL PRO'CECTION 80CIL=TY OF ORANGE COUNTY 4124108 Adoption Fees adoption dogs ............................. .......................................89.00 cats.. ........................................................ BARNYARD ANIMALS s o 0 chickens ........................ .............. ......................... 5.00 houses ........... . ....................................................400.00 goats ..................... . ....... ........................::............15.00 rabbits ........................... ...................................... 77.50 pesoocks ....................... .......................................15.00 EXOTICS h k t ifl . ....1 .00 0 .............. nc para ee s . ................................. canary...ru..u....u^u..•.. ~ ~ l ..u.u...........r .............u.u..36.00 pan~ots ............. . .................................................200.00 cockatoos ..................... .......................................200.00 i l .. r..... 35.00 . s. r... u..r... u. u.. • e cockat . . •.. u.... w .................. 0 bi~ds ............................ w ................,.. _............ 35.0 love d M OD ~J tguaAas.... .... .•uu..•w..u.. . ....ru........u.u....•uu....•u.. pot-belly Pigs ................ 5.00 5 ....................................... ~/~ /~ ~~~...1 ...................w...............,..,..............,...r•.. 50.00 35 00 . hedgehogs ...................... . .................. . ................ 00 36 . prairie dogs............» ............................................ POCKET PETS hamsberlgerbilsJmice/nos ........................................7.00 g~iinea pigs .........................................................17.50 PRQPOSED CHANGES 1N BOARDING FEES (PER DAl(~ Board fees for atrray animals Board fees for evidence animals Board fees for quarantined animals Current Proposed 35 38 35 310 36 =10 5 Board fe®s for Isrge or exotic animals at+e based on cost.