Agenda - 02-15-2011 - 3c - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 15, 2011 Action Agenda Item No. ~ - G SUBJECT: Resolution Declaring February 22, 2011 as Spay Neuter Day USA in Orange County and Community Spay and Neuter Program Presentation DEPARTMENT: Animal Services PUBLIC HEARING: No ATTACHMENT(S): Spay Neuter Day Resolution INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Marotto, Director, Animal Services, 968-2287 Sarah Fallin, Program Director, Animal Services, 942-7387, ext. 224 Kristine Bergstrand, DVM, Chair, Animal Services Advisory Board, 928-6311 PURPOSE: To approve a resolution declaring February 22, 2011 as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in Orange County and to receive an overview and update on the County's Community Spay and Neuter Program. BACKGROUND: Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) have recommended that the BOCC adopt a resolution designating February 22, 2011 as "Spay Neuter Day" in Orange County. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has nationally designated the last Tuesday of each February as "Spay Day USA." Spay Day USA was originally created in 1995 by the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), and in 2006, HSUS assumed responsibility for Spay Day USA when DDAL combined its operations with HSUS. Since the creation of Spay Day USA, participants have spayed or neutered more than one million animals, preventing millions of potential births. As a result, millions of taxpayer dollars have been saved that may have otherwise been needed to provide animal control, care and sheltering for the offspring of these animals. In Orange County, pet overpopulation is a priority issue. In a work session held in January of last year, the BOCC received and discussed Managing Pet Overpopulation: AStrategic Plan for Orange County, North Carolina (see http~//www co orange nc us/animalservices/spaVneuter.asp). Working closely together, Animal Services staff and the ASAB prepared this five-year strategic plan on the basis of best practices in the field of animal welfare and public policy. Fundamental to this plan is targeting spay and neuter in the County to decrease the rate of reproduction of dogs and cats and thereby contain the number of animals that must be sheltered and the costs of caring for those animals.