Agenda - 02-12-2013 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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D II, overview The ASAB is committed to helping orange County reduce the numbers, associated costs, and euthanasia rates of stray and unwanted cats and dogs that are brought to the orange County Animal Services (OCAS). At the ASAB meeting on May 16, 2012, there was a review of the strategic plan, "Managing Pet overpopulation: A Strategic Plan for orange County, North Carolina dated January 28, 2010 (available at http: llorangecountync .gov /animalservices /spayneuter .asp). The year 2012 had been designated as the year to work on legislation that would help to control pet overpopulation. Legislative changes are integral to the County's strategic plan to control pet overpopulation. According to the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), research indicates that the main reason for the steady decline nationwide of per capital shelter intake and euthanasia rates has been the increasing incidence of spayed and neutered animals in the pet population. By encouraging and enforcing a stronger code of responsible pet ownership, which includes spaying and neutering cats and dogs, the County can reduce the long terms costs incurred by caring for "surplus" pets due to unexpected litters and unnecessary animal euthanasia. One of the legislative areas considered was whether sterilization of pets repeatedly recovered by owners from OCAS should be mandatory. Kris Bergstrand, Aviva Scully, and Lynn white were named to the Task Force of Spaying and Neutering of Recovered Stray Animals, with Bob Marotto participating as OCAS's director. This committee met on July 5, August 13, August 28, and December 19 of 2012, and the meeting minutes from these sessions are attached (Appendix A). As a result of these meetings, literature searches, and data review, this committee put forward the specific recommendations found at the end of this proposal. III, Background Every year, OCAS shelters numerous owned cats and dogs that become separated from their homes. OCAS staff provides a safe environment, food, as well as necessary medical attention, and work towards identifying and contacting owners so that these animals can be reunited with their families. Unfortunately, some dogs and cats are found as strays on more than one occasion and brought to the shelter. Concerns about repeatedly stray animals include: A. Animals at large are at greater risk of injury and death. B. Unsupervised animals that are not spayed or neutered may participate in reproductive activities that can result in unwanted litters of puppies and kittens and contribute to the already burdensome issue of pet overpopulation in our area. C. Stray animals, particularly unneutered males and females in heat, may cause human safety issues by causing traffic accidents, engaging in fights with other animals, behaving aggressively towards humans, and causing human injury during attempts to capture and aid these animals. D. There are significant costs incurred by OCAS to capture, impound, and care for repeatedly stray animals and to identify and contact their owners. Orange County's animal control ordinance seeks to discourage pet owners from allowing their animals to repeatedly stray by increasing the impoundment fee for each additional animal recovery. Currently, the first time an animal is recovered by the owner from the shelter, the owner is charged a $10 impoundment fee, a $10 daily board fee, and is charged for rabies vaccination if he/she can not prove that the pet's rabies vaccination status is up to date. The owner is also asked to update the pet's license if it has lapsed. Pet owners who fail to do this are warned that they may receive a citation for a lapsed pet license. when a pet is returned to its owner a second time, the owner is charged a $50 impoundment fee in addition to the fees noted above. A third recovery results in an impoundment fee of $100, and the