Agenda - 06-02-2009 - 4l - Laserfiche WebLink

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z Thirty (30) spays and neuters were performed in the first quarter of 2009, the only full quarter for which such information is available under the existing agreement between AnimalKind and Orange County. Staff expects this number to grow as the program grows and becomes better known to DSS clients and other qualifying residents of Orange County. Staff also expects the already large demand for "low cost" and "no cost" pet sterilization to significantly increase in coming years as a result of the economic recession. It is the opinion of Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) that this program is good public policy, good fiscal policy, and a wise investment of economic resources. Ultimately the issue of overpopulation and euthanasia cannot be addressed through adoption and placement alone. It must be addressed at its root -namely, the reproduction of unwanted litters of animals. A decrease in unwanted numbers entering the shelter will equate to a decrease in the number of animals the shelter must care for each year, saving the County and its residents the costs of caring for those animals. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The $15,000 for this agreement comes from the Community Spay/Neuter Fund created by the BOCC in FY2007-08 from the increased pet licensing differential. The cost of the County offering this type of program on its own, just examined from the prospective of needed human resources, would be prohibitive. It would not be possible to organize the veterinary services needed nor the time and human resources required to effectively manage and oversee such a program. Under the agreement, AnimalKind receives a $5 administrative fee as part of the cost for each surgery, considerably less than the resources needed for the County to provide a service of equivalent value. A public/private partnership of this kind will make it possible to provide services that the County would otherwise be unable to provide, greatly benefiting the residents, pets and taxpayers of Orange County. It is critical to underscore the return on investment that such collaboration will offer. With spay/neuter services provided to more residents of the County and fewer animals coming into the shelter in the medium and long run, it will not only decrease the number of animals euthanized in the County, but also the costs incurred by sheltering these animals in the coming years and decades. It is expected this agreement will cover the costs of approximately 175 spays and neuters for the pets of low income residents in the first year. In the long run, it is expected this number to be in addition to those funded by AnimalKind's own fundraising efforts. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve the agreement between the County and AnimalKind for FY 2009-10 in the amount of $15,000 for the spay and neuter of pets belonging to low income Orange County residents and authorize the Chair to sign the agreement subject to final review by staff.