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14 <br />vaccinated feral cats and ensuring they receive subsequent rabies vaccinations <br />throughout their life. <br />Many of the facets of this plan, as described above, will require quality outreach and <br />public relations approaches. In addition, any legislative changes or considerations will <br />require outreach on a wide scale to ensure that the community is informed and invited <br />to be a part of the process well in advance. This outreach may include disseminating <br />information in a variety of ways, including the Internet, inserts in tax bills; attachments to <br />licensing postcards sent out by OCAS, posters to be distributed in key locations, radio <br />announcements, door hangers for distribution in targeted neighborhoods, and media <br />releases. <br />It is for this reason that marketing and outreach are significant aspects of this strategic <br />plan for addressing the problem of .pet overpopulation in Orange County. Public <br />relations initiatives and endeavors are considered integral to the plan and they are <br />budgeted as a separate line item in the annual budget for the County's Community <br />Spay/Neuter Fund. <br />V. Working with the Community <br />Addressing the problem of pet overpopulation requires the active support of the <br />community and the effective collaboration of Animal Services with community groups <br />and members. Partnerships and volunteering are two of the most critical ways of <br />working with the community to reduce the number of animals admitted to the ASC and <br />to work toward a reduction in the number of animals that are euthanized. <br />Partnerships <br />Partnerships with other organizations are very important in furthering the objectives of <br />this strategic plan. Our current agreement with AnimalKind for the operation of a $20 <br />Fix Program in Orange County is an excellent example of how such partnerships can <br />enable Animal Services to do more than is possible for it to do on its own. <br />Several significant examples of such partnerships deserve to be mentioned in this <br />context. These are: <br />• Expanded placement partnerships, managed and expanded to sustain current levels <br />and oriented toward the movement of adoptable animals to other regions of the U.S. <br />Whereas this is conceived as an extension of existing placement partnerships, it will <br />require one or more partners to provide transportation and one or more partners to <br />receive and adopt animals. <br />• Feral cat programs that will need to be organized and sponsored by partners. In <br />these situations, Animal Services would work on the basis of existing legal <br />parameters and certain shared guidelines. <br />12 <br />