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4. c. Records Management <br />The HSOC will promptly incorporate suggestions found in the HSUS report, as well as making <br />other improvements, to bring record-keeping up to professional standards and foster an open and <br />accountable Shelter. <br />HSOC will: <br />1. Initiate transition to Chameleon Software. Test computer system while continuing manual <br />routine. Train one beta user who will be responsible for implementation and who can serve as <br />instructor for next-level users. The County showed foresight in paying for the purchase and <br />installation of this software. A great benefit would be the immediate sharing of information <br />between the OCAC and the shelter. <br />As a backup plan, if Chameleon proves to require more than two months for training, PetWhere <br />Software (free and downtoadable from the ASPCA) can be used to enter information. This data <br />management software was previously used by the APS and performed adequately. PetWhere <br />has report generation capability. Some staff members are already familiar with PetWhere and <br />could use it during the transition period. <br />2. Switch to real-time computer data entry for incoming animals, lost and found, vaccinations, <br />health checks, rather than performing such actions at the end of the day or during Wednesday, <br />when, inevitably, other crises occur and data entry is put on a back burner. Real-time entry <br />requires viable workstations at both the front desk and back office, as well as the presence of at <br />least two front desk attendants/administrative assistants at all times (including lunch periods) so <br />that there is no backlog of information. While this will be a challenge initially, over time the shelter <br />will save many hours now spent searching for information and placating frustrated adopters and <br />retrievers of lost animals. Further, this practice will decrease the potential for lawsuits. <br />3. Network the computers. Backup, file-sharing, data retrieval by a variety of personnel, data <br />update, virus-scans and security concerns can all be better addressed using networked <br />computers. An inadequate computer system can be worse than none at all. <br />4. Rigorously perform routine maintenance of computers- most importantly, daily automated data <br />backups and virus checks. "Losing" shelter data due to power failures or any other reason is <br />unacceptable. Daily data backup is easy, quick and requires little or no training. <br />5. Daily inventory of animals present in the shelter and off-site. This is a top priority. There is no <br />excuse for "misplacing" animals. The shelter's primary responsibility is to the welfare of the <br />animals in its care. A "misplaced" animal may have been stolen or mistakenly euthanized, both of <br />which represent serious failures. <br />A management-level employee will make a daily count of animals in each room via walkthrough; <br />he or she will also make a daily count of animals in foster-care and off-site adoption locales (the <br />latter to be based on current data in log books). No less than 45 minutes will be allotted for this <br />process. The count will be compared to paper log sheets (until computer system is fully <br />functional). Any discrepancies will be reconciled before end of the work day. A complete tally will <br />be presented to the Assoc. Director for sign off that same day. <br />23 <br />