Agenda - 02-07-2012 - 4c - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 7, 2012 Action Agen a Item No. 1 -C SUBJECT: Resolution Acknowledging February 28, 2012 as Spay Neuter Day USA in Orange County, and Communit Spay and Neuter Pro ram 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 request that the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) officially designate February 28, 2012 as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in Orange County and receive an update on the County's Community Spay and Neuter Program. BACKGROUND: Animal Services staff and the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) recommend the BOCC adopt a resolution designating February 28, 2012 as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in Orange County. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has nationally designated the last Tuesday of each February as "Spay Day". 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 a 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, the issue of pet overpopulation is a priority. In a January 2010 work session, the BOCC received and discussed Managing Pet Overpopulation: AStrategic Plan for Orange County, North Carolina (see http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/spayneuter.asp). Working 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.