Animal Shelter Statistics - 08-2007

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Animal Services Monthly Report August, 2007 5 Monthly and Seasonal Variations Month by mo nth there are significant changes in the numbers of cats, dogs and other animals that are sheltered at Orange County’s Animal Shelter. In very general terms, there is a significant “spread” in the number of animals that are sheltered each mo nth, which reflect the seasonal nature of pet demographics and animal sheltering in our own and other communit ies. During the peak summer months, the numbers are much higher than in other months of the year. In August, for instance, 590 animals were sheltered. Whereas this is less than the number sheltered last August (752), it is almost twice as high as the number sheltered this past February (392). Similarly, this August 387 animals were admitted to the shelter—a staggering number that equates to nearly 13 animals per day over that thirty oneday period. During the last twelve months, the number of animals admitted to the shelter has ranged fro m 262 (February 07) to 449 (May 07). Moreover, it should be underscored that the “live release rate” for a given time period is determined by the number of animals that are sheltered as well as the absolute or total number of animals that are adopted, transferred, or recovered by their owner. It may well be that there is a very high percentage animals that are released alive in a given mo nth but that the abso lute number is lower than in other months because of the number of animals that come to the shelter. Wit h respect to this August, for instance, a lower number of animals were adopted than in August 2006—159 versus 162; however, the percentage of adoptions is much higher in August 2007 than in August 2006—42 percent versus 28 percent. Quite simply, the reason for this is that the number of animal sheltered was lower this mo nth than in August 2006 (590 versus 751). The same pattern ho lds true for the live release numbers and percentages using this same co mparison. Addressing Pet Overpopulation To work toward the desideratum o f ending euthanasia as a means of population control, it is thus essent ial to posit ively impact the number of animals that come into Orange County’s Animal Shelter in the course of the year. Essent ial to this is a communit y spay/neuter program for animal companio ns such as dogs and cats that promotes responsible pet ownership and enables all communit y members to spay and neuter their own pets. Developing such a program through the County’s Animal Services Department, in coordination with the Animal Services Advisory Board, remains a fundamental and realizable object ive for the foreseeable future. No less essent ial is progressive legislation that is enforced in an effect ive, fair and reasonable manner. A starting po int is what is sometimes referred to as “different ial licensing”—that is, licensing or registration fees that are much lower for spayed and