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27 <br />5pay/Neuter.Fu~d Proposes! <br />Apri[ IOth, 2(1D7 <br />Page; 2 <br />promotion o€ spaying and neutering in the form of outreach materials and~or a marketing campaign as <br />well. as some temporary staff suppo. rt for such outreach and education. <br />As 1 believe you are aware, our Animal Sheltering Division budget currently includes a substantial <br />expenditure line item for spaying and neutering. As imporkant as these funds are to our operation and. <br />mission,. however, they are not presently utilized for a positive and proactive. program (or programs} that <br />can. address pet overpopulation as a community problem. Thus resources from the proposed fund would. <br />augmentour presentspaylneuter activities which are integral to but at the same time limited to our <br />adoption program.. <br />More specifically, the funds in our current budget axe committed to ensuring that the animals that we <br />directly adopt from the County's Animal Shelter are spayed and neutered prior to their adoption so that <br />they do not contribute to the problem ofpet overpopulation in our community, a very fundamental <br />commitment to progressive sheltering and animal services. Currently, they are used to cover the cost of <br />off-site surgeries that are performed by veterinary clinics with whom we contract for these services. <br />It should also be noted that it will be necessary to redefine the use ofthese funds when we move into the <br />County's new Animal Services facility at the end of 2008. Specifically, :pre-adoption sterilization wilt <br />actually be done within that facility, as it will contain a suite for the spaying and neutering of animals that <br />are adopted. to members. of the general. public (and conceivab y on some cost recovery basis fore animals <br />transferred to various placement partners),. To operate effectively within the new facility; indeed; we will <br />need to directly staff as well as provide effective oversight for our own surgical operations, and our need <br />will be to cover these costs rather than the costs presently incurred for off-site sterilization surgeries. <br />In conclusion, the creation. of the proposed fund would. be a very proactive step toward addressing the <br />problem of pet overpopulation in Orange County, Irt the longer run, this: is desirable not only from a <br />husuane perspective but in helping. to reduce the number of animals that need to be sheltered and the costs <br />of sheltering unwanted animals in our communities.. Pertinent in this: respect is'that a successful <br />comprehensive strategy of this :kind may help to ensure that. the County's new animal.. services facility has <br />a sufficient animal. capacity for. a longer period of time. In this as well. as other regards, the creation of the <br />proposed fund may be Regarded as a very wise investment of available funds. <br />Ccc Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager <br />Kristine Bergstrand, DVM, Chau, Animal Services Advisory Board <br />