Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 17, 2009 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4- - <br /> SUBJECT: Resolution Declaring February 24 as Spay Neuter Day USA •J <br /> DEPARTMENT: Animal Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Resolution Susan Elmore, DVM, Chair, Animal <br /> Services Advisory Board, 541-3474 <br /> Bob Marotto, Director, Animal Services <br /> 968-2287 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider a resolution declaring February 24, 2009 as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in <br /> Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) recommended at its January meeting <br /> that the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) adopt a resolution designating February 24, 2009 <br /> as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in Orange County. The Humane Society of the United States has <br /> nationally designated the last Tuesday of each February as "Spay Day USA". <br /> Spay Day was originally created in 1995 by the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) and outreach was <br /> assumed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in 2006 when DDAL combined <br /> operations with HSUS. Since creationist establishment participants have spayed or neutered more <br /> than 1,418,000 animals, preventing millions of potential births and thus saving taxpayers millions of <br /> dollars that may have otherwise been used to provide animal control, care and sheltering for these <br /> animals. <br /> Pet overpopulation in Orange County is a priority issue for the ASAB and Animal Services <br /> Department. The ASAB has created a subcommittee charged with developing a strategic plan to <br /> address pet overpopulation and has been meeting since fall of 2007, collecting information and <br /> researching other jurisdictions in North Carolina and throughout the country. One subcommittee task <br /> is to work with staff to formulate program plans to best utilize the funds for the Community <br /> Spay/Neuter Fund collected from an increase in the license differential of intact and sterilized dogs <br /> and cats. <br /> The Animal Services Department and the Department of Social Services have also partnered with <br /> AnimalKind's "The $20 Fix" program aimed at providing targeted spay/neuter services to low-income <br />