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Animal Services Monthly Report February, 2010 <br /> <br />6 <br />County has had differential licensing for many years, and in 2007 that differential became <br />$5 for sterilized dogs and cats and $30 for intact dogs and cats. <br /> <br />The increase in this differential went into a Community Spay/ Neuter fund, which is <br />being used to promote responsible pet ownership and provide low-cost spay and neuter <br />surgeries for pets of qualifying households in the County. Animal Services partnered <br />with AnimalKind’s The $20 Fix to provide this service, and also paired with the <br />Department of Social Services (DSS) to offer no-cost pet surgeries to recipients of certain <br />DSS programs. <br /> <br />In early 2010, Animal Services completed “Managing Pet Overpopulation: A Strategic <br />Plan for Orange County, NC.” This plan, which was presented and well received at the <br />Board of County Commissioner’s January 28th work session, outlines objectives and <br />initiatives for reducing the number of animals coming into the Animal Services <br />Department over the coming years. Initiatives include partnerships such as the one with <br />The $20 Fix, that will eventually make a difference in the number of animals euthanized <br />as a means of population control. <br /> <br />The strategic plan is available in full format on the Department’s webpage at <br />www.co.orange.nc.us/spayneuter.asp. <br /> <br />This plan and the programs and objectives included in it are the beginnings of positive <br />and proactive approaches that are needed to address the problem of pet overpopulation as <br />a community problem. In working to reduce the number of unwanted animals that must <br />be sheltered in our own communities, we would also expect improvements in some of the <br />outcomes of our sheltering practices. We should all look forward to the day when there <br />are very good numbers of adoptions and “live releases” but no less notable ongoing <br />decreases in the number of animals that come to our shelter. <br /> <br /> <br />Rabies Cycle, Rabies Prevention and Rabies Control <br /> <br />With respect to rabies control—historically a core function of animal control—there is a <br />continuing concern about positive rabies tests based upon public reporting and our <br />surveillance of possible exposures of people and/or their pets. Table C.1 Rabies <br />Exposures Investigated and Positive Cases shows that this month there were no positive <br />rabies tests in Orange County in February. In Orange County, there were twelve (12) <br />positive tests in 2009, twenty (20)3 positive tests in 2008, and nineteen (19) positive <br />rabies tests in 2007. <br /> <br />Our own public education activities stress that pet owners not only need to be sure that <br />their pets are vaccinated and licensed but that a dog or cat with a current rabies <br />vaccination must receive a booster shot within one hundred and twenty hours (5 days) of <br /> <br />3There was a positive rabies results from February 2008 that is not counted in this total as there was no suspected <br />human exposure. <br />