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7 <br />II. Overview <br />This strategic plan builds upon existing programs and processes and it is expected to <br />make a measurable and sustained impact on Orange County's pet overpopulation <br />problems and their costs. It extends the work currently being done with the County's <br />recently established Community Spay and Neuter Fund on the basis of a survey of <br />practices in other communities and emerging professional perspectives on the problem <br />of pet overpopulation.' <br />The plan emphasizes controlling costs and could also mitigate staffing needs in the long <br />run. The program is self-sustaining in that the primary funding comes from the licensing <br />differential for unsterilized pets in Orange County. This is not only an effective part of <br />budget management now, but in the long run as well. <br />The primary goals of this program will be to: <br />• Lower annual animal intake measured as a per capita rate at Orange County's Animal <br />Services Center. <br />• Control the costs of managing the County's pet population by lowering annual animal <br />intake measured on a per capita basis. <br />• Generate funding for strong, proactive community spay/neuter via an effective <br />licensing program based upon differential licensing fees. <br />• Increase the annual rate of targeted sterilization of dogs and cats to 5 per thousand <br />county residents (or approximately 600 per year based on the County's current <br />population) over a period of 5 years. <br />• Lower the euthanasia rate at the County's Animal Services Center to 35 percent or <br />less in five years.2 <br />A number of the elements of this proactive and progressive perspective are found in Chapter IV <br />(Programs for Spaying and Neutering) of.Handy, Geoff. 2002. Animal Control Management: A Guide <br />for Local Governments. Washington, D.C.: International City/County Management Association. The <br />significant development of this perspective on pet overpopulation along programmatic, policy, technical, <br />and other dimensions is apparent in the presentations and papers delivered at two recent national <br />conferences of note: the Fix It Forum: National Spay and Neuter Networking and Training <br />Conference, held in Chicago in October, 2007, and sponsored by PetSmart Charities; and the <br />Southern Regional Spay/Neuter Leadership Conference, held in Memphis in September, 2007, <br />organized by Spay USA (a program of North Shore Animal League America) with a variety of national <br />organizations as sponsors. <br />In addition, there is now considerable information available from a variety of national professional <br />organizations. In different forms, for instance, practical materials as well as general information are <br />provided by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty and The Humane Society for the United <br />States. Our strategic plan as benefited as well from careful consideration of other community or area <br />plans. These included the Richmond (Virginia) SPCA: Spay/Neuter Campaign (August 2007); <br />Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee Strategic Plan 2006-2011 (nd); and City of San Antonio, <br />Animal Care Services Advisory Board, Animal Care Strategic Plan (Preliminary Report) (June 2006). <br />z This number is based on the number of animals that are euthanized because they are not considered <br />adoptable. Animals that were euthanized for behavioral or medical reasons, feral cats, and owner <br />5 <br />