ASAB minutes 101712 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Old Business (A) Meeting with Agricultural Preservation Board Regarding Nuisance Animal Noise Report  At meeting on September 24, 2012, Bob Marotto, ASAB Chair Kris Bergstrand and ASAB subcommittee members, Judy Miller, Suzanne Roy, and Michael Stewart presented report and conclusion of the subcommittee not to recommend any change to the ordinance concerning nuisance animal noise. Ag. Preservation Board Officers and DEAPR staff discussed the possibility of talking with the County’s new Public Affairs Director about roviding information to potential home buyersegarding the prevalence of agricultural land use in the county. Attendees also discussed potential cooperation in the event of emergencies involving large farm animals.  Susan Elmore acknowledged that complaints related to agricultural use may increase as the rural part of the county becomes more populated. Kate Doom-Patel suggested the possibility of distributing information to realtors in the county regarding prevalent agricultural land use. (B) Animal Identification Follow-Up Items  ASAB reviewed Margaret Heath’s communication to BOCC regarding animal identification and BOCC Chair B. Pelissier’s response to Margaret Heath.  Friends of Orange County Animal Services (FOCAS) offered to provide $100 worth of fillable tags. Bob Marotto suggested that it is feasible to sell the tags for a fee to fund acquisition of additional tags, which would need to go through a budget request. He indicated that this option is preferable to mechanical engravers, which are cost-prohibitive, or additional data entry by staff. Board members agreed by general consensus that the Department should take this approach. (C) Cat Sheltering  No updates since Progress Report III (summer workload)  Community member Margaret Heath presented article entitled “A Gentle Kind of Cat Care: Reducing anxiety, frustration, and URI in shelter cats”  Community member Deanna Rowan sought any feedback on information presented at the last meeting regarding cat colony rooms. Ms. Rowan emphasized her concern for giving space in colony rooms to cats that have been at the shelter longer.  Community member Bette Smith commented favorably on the communal cat housing at Paws4Ever and suggested visitation of other facilities in evaluating use of cat colony rooms.  Community members Wendy Long, Walt Turner, and Joan Danaher voiced their support for the views expressed by other community members.  Kris Bergstrand noted that cat colonies likely will not be a priority for the ASAB and shelter staff in the next couple of years due to other pressing priorities, including a potential ordinance amendment addressing feral cats. She also described her conversations with UC Davis Vet School Shelter program vet Kate Hurley who advised that keeping more cats longer is not always best for the cats, and that colony rooms, when used, should be limited to 4 cats. Lynn White noted that the shelter currently has colony rooms and acknowledged concerns about spread of disease. Suzanne Roy acknowledged that as long as animals are euthanized for space reasons, there is room for improvement. Bob Marotto emphasized the overall importance of population management in a shelter setting and its impacts on total animal placements. New Business (A) Animal Recovery and Sterilization Draft Report and Proposed Recommendations  Lynn White presented task force report, which recommends (1) requiring microchipping of all reclaimed animals at owner’s expense ($25) and (2) tiered impounding fees based on reproductive status and number of impoundments.