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Orange County Animal Services Sheltering Practices and Philosophies 62 "fishing" for rats and then beating or impaling them was a popular annual event at a local bar. Almost 30 percent of Baltimore's residents live at or below the poverty level, says Anderson, In recent years, the city has been dubbed the heroin capital of the country; it's home to about 60,000 drug addicts, the majority of whom are hooked on heroin. And Baltimore's population has continued to fall dramatically every decade since the 50s, from a height of nearly 1 million to only 651,000 today. "The city is in trouble," says Anderson. "The tax base is dwindling. The people who earn the money are moving out; we're losing population every year." "If you compared me to Reno, Las Vegas, San Francisco, I would look like the worst city in the world, like we really didn't care," he says, "But if you've got a city that is growing, you got a city that's vibrant and healthy, it's got a good tax base and they've got the money to spend on animal control, they're going to look good." In his dream world, Anderson would build a symbiotic relationship with the nearby Maryland SPCA; his agency could then focus on investigations and protection, and the SPCA could devote more energy towards adoptions and education. Leaders from the two organizations already meet and talk regularly, and Anderson is committed to bringing change, one step at a time, to an agency that has for years been at the bottom of the list of priorities for city managers. "The ideal place where I would like to be is in the park, right next door to the Maryland SPCA. ,., The reason why? It's just like San Francisco, I would like to partner with them, You let us handle all the vicious dogs, the cats who have bitten people. And I'll give you every adoptable animal you can adopt." The Maddie's Magnet From Baltimore to California, animal care and control professionals in agencies large and small daydream about the paradises their organizations could become given adequate resources, community support, and time. But not every community is like progressive, enlightened San Francisco, and not every shelter can or should fallow the model of the SF/SPCA and SF/ACC. Even where the partnership model is feasible, it's not the best solution for everyone, and some groups favor a more cohesive approach. In terms of sheer percentages, the Marin Humane Society can boast statistics as impressive as those of San Francisco; a range of training and support programs for both the two-legged and the four-legged creatures in the Novato area has helped ensure that only the severely ill and aggressive animals are euthanized. Yet Marin holds the contract for local animal control services and has no plans to relinquish it. In northern Virginia, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington has experienced similar success, even though it also serves as the local animal care and control provider. Executive Director Linda Willen says dropping the contract just wouldn't