Agenda - 02-09-2016 - 2 - County Commissioners - Boards and Commissions – Annual Work Plans-Reports

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34 consideration of stakeholder concerns, before bringing an item to the Board of County Commissioners. The ASAB would stress that it is fundamentally concerned not only about animal welfare but about the human aspects of animal issues and services. Indeed, one board member is the Health Board veterinarian for Orange County. In addition, the ASAB values and seeks to support the "human- animal bond" and the role of animal companions in enriching the quality of life for individuals, communities and cultures. Of special concern are the services needed by disadvantaged and often underserved households. A good illustration is the ASAB's support for Animal Services partnership with the Department of Social Service to provide affordable pet sterilization to households of lesser means. A more recent initiative is support for efforts to create partnerships with the Family Success Alliance and also the Roger's Road Neighborhood Association and Rogers Eubank Neighborhood Association (RENA). What are your Board/Commission's most important accomplishments? The ASAB continued to work with staff and stakeholders to support and promote a strategic plan for managing pet overpopulation in Orange County. The board was integral to developing a five year plan to address free-roaming cats as a critical component of pet overpopulation in Orange County (see Appendix I). The ASAB continued to conduct appeal hearings for potentially dangerous dog declarations made under North Carolina's general statutes. The opportunity for an appeal is mandated and also an important check and balance for county Animal Services. To date In 2015, eleven (11) potentially dangerous dog declarations have been appealed and several of these are currently under further appeal in Superior Court. The ASAB considered whether Animal Services should participate in research oriented toward helping shelter animals. Ultimately, the ASAB decided against recommending that Animal Services participate in such research because of the risks involved in doing so on the basis of the work of a subcommittee that was formed to consider this complex and challenging issue. The subcommittee reported out on the pros and cons of Animal Services participating in such research on two different occassions before the ASAB made its final decision. The ASAB considered thie issue of animal research at the request of staff which had declined to participate in such research because of the absence of known and accepted guidelines and protocols. Most recently staff declined a request made by a faculty member at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine seeking to reduce morbidity and mortality arising from diarrhea in young cats.)