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Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2009 <br /> <br />4 <br />December 2009. For the month, there was a total of 187 “live releases,” consisting of <br />124 adoptions, 26 transfers and 37 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 December, there were 282 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 256 “placeable” animals. To find the “live release rate,” we must <br />then divide the total number of “live releases” (187) by the total number of potentially <br />placeable animals whose disposition was decided in the month (256)—and as can be seen <br />in Table B.2 Live Release for Placeable and Recovered Animals, the rate is 73 percent for <br />the month of December.2 <br /> <br />Several observations can be made with respect to adoptions for the month. By <br />comparison with November 2009, there is a increase in the number of adoptions (124 vs. <br />97), and an increase in the number of “live releases” (187 vs. 157). When compared with <br />December in 2008, there was a slight decrease in adoptions for the month (124 in <br />December 2009 vs. 132 in December 2008), but a very comparable live release number <br />(187 vs. 188). <br /> <br />Likely contributing to the overall decrease in adoption and live release numbers is the <br />overall decline of the economy. The Triangle area of North Carolina saw the effects of <br />this later than some other areas, but is beginning to see the results of economic decline <br />take effect throughout. This affects not only adoption rates, but the public’s ability to <br />reclaim animals as well. It also affects transfer numbers to placement partners, as many <br />of those organizations are volunteer-run nonprofit organizations that are also feeling the <br />effects of 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 /> <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 />