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Animal Services Monthly Report December, 2008 <br /> <br />8 <br />Special Monthly Notes <br /> <br />There have been events and challenges that have affected animal disposition numbers this <br />month. Most notable of those was our annual Home for the Holidays adoption drive. <br />Staff, volunteers and adoptable animals participated in multiple adoption events, as well <br />as three area parades. Staff also produced outreach geared toward bringing animals home <br />this holiday season (both reclaiming current animals and acquiring new ones). <br /> <br />Still a factor in disposition numbers again this month is the overall economic downturn <br />that North Carolina and other regions have experienced. As has been discussed in <br />professional publications and reviewed on national news coverage, this economic burden <br />has forced many people to give up things they once were more able to afford, including <br />pets. Our impression is that this may not only be affecting not only adoption numbers, <br />but also reclaim rates and the ability for people to provide different levels of care such as <br />spaying and neutering pets. Despite the economy’s effects on businesses of all kinds, <br />adoption and reclaim numbers have stayed moderately level, in part due to staff’s <br />dedicated work in areas such as outreach, visibility, awareness, and 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 beginning of 2009, for the first <br />time Animal Control, the Animal Shelter, and Administrative staff will be housed under <br />the same roof. In addition to providing some true economies of scale, and better allowing <br />the coordination of animal services, it is expected that this facility will help to overcome <br />one of the major inhibitions to our placement efforts—namely, the inhibition that <br />members of the public have toward earlier generations of shelters which are often <br />perceived as dreadful places. <br /> <br />As it is being designed as a resource center that is an attractive public destination, the <br />new facility is expected to have a very positive affect on the number of adoptions, <br />transfers, community outreach programs, public visitors—and much more. With its <br />innovative and modern design, this new facility will become a community asset and help <br />further staff efforts to deliver integrated and coordinated animal services to the citizens of <br />Orange County. As well, it is intended and expected to enhance our adoption activities <br />and increase our average rate of “live releases” at the same time as it enables our staff to