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<br />ORANGE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER <br />SIX- MONTH PROGRESS REPORT <br />July 2004 -December 2004 <br />Organizational Summary <br />With the hard work and support of many County Departments and the entire <br />Animal Shelter staff, the Shelter has transitioned from APS management to <br />County management, There were a number of challenges involved in the <br />transition.. <br />Staffing <br />Staffing was the first and most immediate consideration. All supervisory <br />management and several exempt staff went with APS, leaving the county to hire: <br />1 Shelter Operations Manager, 1 Administrative Service Manager, 1 Accounting <br />Technician, 2 Health Care Technicians, 2 Animal Care Technicians and 1 <br />Program Coordinator. In the early stages of the transition the Shelter was below <br />staff but the County has since been able, not only to fill these positions, but to <br />attract applicants with more experience and technical training. <br />For example, the Shelter was able to hire two veterinary technicians with six <br />years' experience each to fill the Health Care Technician positions. This has <br />brought a higher level of knowledge and skill to the Shelter staff and allowed <br />Shelter staff to provide more in house procedures, better monitor the health of <br />the animals and more efficiently use the consulting veterinarian's time, <br />The Shelter Operations Manager has management experience from a <br />progressive shelter operation in Colorado and has brought new programs, <br />procedures and ideas to the Orange County Animal Shelter, <br />The Administrative Manager has been a professional computer and accounting <br />consultant, run a professional photography business, and has previous <br />management experience through APS. <br />Several Animal Care Technicians have experience from other shelters, <br />Fifteen permanent positions were approved for the transitional staffing structure, <br />including one time-limited. Eight positions were filled through transfers from <br />APS, and seven were filled through recruitment. The Animal Care Technician <br />workload proved to be greater than initially anticipated and employees had to be <br />pulled from other areas (such as, health care and office duties) for basic animal <br />care duties. Temporary funds have been used to provide for the equivalent of <br />two (2) additional temporary Animal Care Technicians. <br />