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Animal Services Monthly Report September, 2008 <br /> <br />8 <br />Special Monthly Notes <br /> <br />There have been several events and challenges that have affected animal disposition <br />numbers this month. The most notable was the end of the remediation project that had <br />been underway near the Animal Shelter on Municipal Drive for several months. The <br />project, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, posed several <br />challenges, including parking adjustments, public awareness and visibility. The project <br />was completed and original parking and entrance routes were re-established in <br />September. <br /> <br />September 28th, as mentioned above, was the date of the second annual World Rabies <br />Day. This worldwide event is co-sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and <br />Prevention and the Alliance for Rabies Control, among others. Orange County Animal <br />Services celebrated World Rabies Day by holding three low-cost rabies vaccination <br />clinics. In addition, Orange County also created a Rabies Informational Flyer that was <br />distributed to area vets and other public places to raise awareness and increase education <br />about rabies for pet owners and others. A copy of that flyer can be seen at <br />http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/RabiesInfo.asp. <br /> <br />Another recent challenge has been the overall economic downturn that North Carolina <br />and other regions have experienced in recent months. As has been discussed in <br />professional publications and reviewed on national networks news coverage, this <br />economic burden has forced many people to give up things they once were more able to <br />afford, including pets. Our impression is that may not only be affecting not only <br />adoption numbers, but also reclaim rates and the ability for people to provide different <br />levels of care such as spaying and neutering pets. Despite the economy’s effects on <br />businesses of all kinds, adoption and reclaim numbers have stayed moderately level, in <br />part due to staff’s dedicated work in areas such as outreach, visibility, awareness, and <br />education. <br /> <br /> <br />Conclusion <br /> <br />As a very young department that only came into existence in 2005, Animal Services <br />continues to develop new ways in which to better serve the animals and citizens of the <br />county. As suggested in our discussion of pet overpopulation, there are a number of <br />initiatives that must be taken to effectively address the underlying problem of pet <br />overpopulation. These include the creation of a spay/neuter fund and an effective <br />program to address feral cats, among others, and steps are being taken toward those goals <br />by the department in coordination with the Animal Services Advisory Board. <br /> <br />Also, on behalf of its citizens the County has committed itself to building a new animal <br />services facility. With the opening of this facility at the end of 2008, for the first time <br />Animal Control, the Animal Shelter, and Administrative staff will be housed under the <br />same roof. In addition to providing some true economies of scale, and better allowing the <br />coordination of animal services, it is expected that this facility will help to overcome one