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Animal Services Monthly Report November, 2009 <br /> <br />4 <br />November 2009. For the month, there was a total of 157 “live releases,” consisting of 97 <br />adoptions, 32 transfers and 28 returns to owners or custodians. <br /> <br />Moreover, it is possible to determine the rate of live release for placeable animals and <br />animals that have been recovered for a given month. Placeable animals do not include <br />animals surrendered by their owner for euthanasia (usually due to illness, infirmity or a <br />behavior problem); feral cats (as these are typically not placed); animals that died before <br />arriving at the shelter or in our custody as a result of an “untreatable” injury or illness; or <br />animals that are being held for a bite quarantine or court case. The number of placeable <br />animals is determined by subtracting animals surrendered for euthanasia, feral cats, <br />deceased animals, and court and bite holds from the total number of animals <br />dispositioned in a given month. <br /> <br />For the month of November, there were 278 total animals dispositioned. When we <br />remove the animals on bite and court holds, animals surrendered for euthanasia, the feral <br />cats and those animals that arrived dead or died of an untreatable injury while at the <br />shelter, we are left with 238 “placeable” animals. To find the “live release rate,” we must <br />then divide the total number of “live releases” (157) by the total number of potentially <br />placeable animals whose disposition was decided in the month (238)—and as can be seen <br />in Table B.2 Live Release for Placeable and Recovered Animals, the rate is 66 percent for <br />the month of November.2 <br /> <br />Several observations can be made with respect to adoptions for the month. By <br />comparison with October 2009, there is a decrease in the number of adoptions (97 vs. <br />117), and a decrease in the number of “live releases” (157 vs. 195), as a result of lower <br />adoption and reclaim numbers for the month. When compared with November in 2008, <br />there was a slight increase in adoptions for the month (97 in November 2009 vs. 90 in <br />November 2008), but a slight decrease in the live release number (157 vs. 169), as a <br />result of differences in transfer numbers. <br /> <br />Likely contributing to the decrease in adoption and live release numbers is the overall <br />decline of the economy. The Triangle area of North Carolina saw the effects of this later <br />than some other areas, but is beginning to see the results of economic decline take effect <br />throughout. This affects not only adoption rates, but the public’s ability to reclaim <br />animals as well. It also affects transfer numbers to placement partners, as many of those <br />organizations are volunteer-run nonprofit organizations that are also feeling the effects of <br />the economy and are therefore unable to move animals as quickly through their <br />organizations, and are even, in some cases, being forced to downsize. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />2In earlier monthly reports, this was referred to as the “adoptable placement rate” versus the “gross placement rate,” <br />insofar as the latter was determined on the basis of all animals dispositioned in a given month. <br /> <br />