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

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2 Since the creation of the County's Community Spay and Neuter Fund, Animal Services staff has worked with the ASAB to begin to establish a proactive and cost-effective spay and neuter program. Significant developments in this area in calendar year 2010 included: • Spaying and neutering a total of 383 cats and dogs through Orange County's The $20 FIX, a partnership of Animal Services and AnimalKind; • Spaying and neutering 249 dogs and cats belonging to clients of the Department of Social Service (DSS) on a "no pay" basis through Orange County's The $20 FIX program; • Reducing the number of animals admitted to Orange County's Animal Services Center from 4,036 in 2009 to 3,613 in 2010 as a result, in part, of ongoing efforts to target spay and neuter efforts towards pets that otherwise would not be sterilized; and • Being recognized for creating an innovative partnership-based program and invited to participate in "What's Happening with Spay/Neuter in the Tar Heel State," a symposium that will be held this spring in conjunction with a national Summit for Spay and Neuter Industry Professionals. These and highlights of other recent efforts will be discussed at the meeting in a brief power point presentation prepared to update the BOCC on the County's Community Spay and Neuter Fund. The presentation will also provide additional detail on the partnership between Animal Services, DSS and AnimalKind (The $20 Fix). As part of the "Spay Neuter Day" celebration this year, Animal Services will again work with Pet Overpopulation Patrol-NC (POP-NC) to spay or neuter up to 30 cats and or dogs from families who receive service from DSS. The intent of the event is to sterilize these animals before they have the opportunity to procreate and add to the number of "surplus" pets that that enter the County's Animal Services Center during the summer months when the animal shelter population peaks. In addition, Animal Services will continue ongoing outreach efforts. Outreach will consist of themed advertisements to promote the benefits of spaying and neutering pets as well as the opportunity for qualifying Orange County households to obtain low-cost or no-cost surgeries for their dogs and cats. These will be paired with a media release to further inform the public of the problem of pet overpopulation and help offer effective and low-cost solutions to County residents who may not otherwise have the means to spay and neuter their pets. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Neither the presentation nor the resolution have any financial impact. Events and outreach in conjunction with this year's Spay Neuter Day USA will involve budgeted expenditures from the County's Community Spay and Neuter Fund. POP-NC sterilization services will be obtained via an annual agreement that that includes several spay and neuter events such as Spay Neuter Day USA. The FY 2010-11 operating budget for the Community Spay and Neuter Fund is $33,500. These funds primarily come from the $20 differential cost for licenses for a reproductive cat or dog versus a spayed or neutered cat or dog. So far this year the County has also reimbursed $5,214 from the North Carolina Spay and Neuter Reimbursement Program. As of June 30, 2010, the fund balance for the Community Spay and Neuter Program account was $51,881. These funds accrued from the licensing differential, donations and state reimbursements as targeted spay and neuter efforts were tested in Orange County. In coming years, the funds will be used to support the $20 Fix on an expanding and sustained basis as well as to support other efforts