Animal Shelter Statistics - 10-2008

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Animal Services Monthly Report October, 2008 8 Special Monthly Notes There have been several events and challenges that have affected animal disposition numbers this month, the most notable of which was our first annual Fall Cookout, held at the Shelter location. The cookout, held October 19th from 12-4, featured free food, adoptable pets and live music! Though cold weather reduced traffic, those that did visit the shelter enjoyed the festivities, including having their faces painted! This is the second cookout of this kind that the department has held. The first, a Spring Cookout, took place in May of 2008. Another recent challenge has been the overall economic downturn that North Carolina and other regions have experienced in recent months. As has been discussed in professional publications and reviewed on national networks news coverage, this economic burden has forced many people to give up things they once were more able to afford, including pets. Our impression is that this may not only be affecting not only adoption numbers, but also reclaim rates and the ability for people to provide different levels of care such as spaying and neutering pets. Despite the economy’s effects on businesses of all kinds, adoption and reclaim numbers have stayed moderately level, in part due to staff’s dedicated work in areas such as outreach, visibility, awareness, and education. Conclusion As a very young department that only came into existence in 2005, Animal Services continues to develop new ways in which to better serve the animals and citizens of the county. As suggested in our discussion of pet overpopulation, there are a number of initiatives that must be taken to effectively address the underlying problem of pet overpopulation. These include the creation of a spay/neuter fund and an effective program to address feral cats, among others, and steps are being taken toward those goals by the department in coordination with the Animal Services Advisory Board. Also, on behalf of its citizens the County has committed itself to building a new animal services facility. With the opening of this facility at the beginning of 2009, for the first time Animal Control, the Animal Shelter, and Administrative staff will be housed under the same roof. In addition to providing some true economies of scale, and better allowing the coordination of animal services, it is expected that this facility will help to overcome one of the major inhibitions to our placement efforts—namely, the inhibition that members of the public have toward earlier generations of shelters which are often perceived as dreadful places. As it is being designed as a resource center that is an attractive public destination, the new facility is expected to have a very positive affect on the number of adoptions, transfers, community outreach programs, public visitors—and much more. With its innovative and modern design, this new facility will become a community asset and help