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12 <br />significant difference in reclaim rates for dogs and cats.s Through ongoing public <br />outreach by electronic, as well as more traditional~means, there will be an effort to <br />increase the number and percentage of lost animals that are recovered by an <br />owner or custodian. <br />These components of the strategic plan should positively affect the number of animals <br />that are placed after they are sheltered at the County's Animal Services Center. By <br />contrast, the following components are focused on reducing the number of animals that <br />must be sheltered and the number of surplus animals in our community. <br />B. Reducing Animal Intakes- An effective, targeted spay/neuter program is crucial in <br />reducing the number of surplus pets in a community over time. As previously <br />indicated, these are animals that would not be spayed or neutered without specific <br />interventions aimed at that objective. This plan will include the following programs to <br />reduce the number of surplus animals in the county and thereby the number of <br />animals that Animal Services must be shelter each year. <br />a. The $20 Fix and I-Care <br />The $20 Fix and I-Care are programs that target low-income households and offer <br />qualifying applicants assistance in spaying and neutering their pets for a reduced <br />fee- or even no fee. Programs such as this have reduced the numbers of animals <br />coming into shelters in jurisdictions across the country. The I-Care program is a <br />program of the state of North Carolina that offers some reimbursement to local <br />governments for the costs of spays and neuters of pets from qualifying <br />households. Orange County's $20 Fix agreement also involves the Department <br />of Social Services (DSS), which offers a no-cost spay or neuter for pets of <br />qualifying clients in certain Orange County DSS programs. More than 200 cats <br />and dogs were spayed or neutered in calendar year 2009 through the County's <br />$20 Fix program. <br />b. Litter Patrol <br />Litter patrol is a program intended to address owners who repeatedly breed <br />and/or surrender litters to the County. By providing these individuals with a <br />voucher for aloes-cost or discounted spay and/or neuter, this program can helped <br />curb the numbers of incoming litters and animals in Orange County as well as <br />elsewhere. As previously noted, each year OCAS receives hundreds of puppies <br />and kittens, which contributes to the costs of animal care and control in our <br />County.' Critical to the successful operation of such a program will be the <br />development of appropriate income guidelines for households that do not qualify <br />for the $20 Fix or I-Care. The program's management would involve select <br />s The recovery rate for dogs and cats is very dissimilar, reflecting their still very different status in our <br />culture and communities. In 2009, only 4 percent of cats were recovered by contrast with 36 percent of <br />dogs. Our calculation of these rates of recovery excludes owner surrendered animals. <br />Orange County Animal Services spent an estimated $241,401 to shelter litters of puppies and kittens in 2007. <br />This figure does not include any administrative costs or animal control costs associated with transporting <br />litters. <br />10 <br />