Agenda 12-5 - Information Item - Memorandum - Update Regarding Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Grant

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1 f ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Anima(Services 1601 Eubanks Road I Chapel Hill, NC 27516 1 phone: (919)942-7387 1 fax: (919)918-2393 http://orangecountync.gov/departments/animalservices January 2, 2019 To: Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager and Board of County Commissioners From: Bob Marotto, Animal Services Director Re: Update Regarding Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Grant Staff has prepared a brief update about the annual Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Grant in response to a request for information about the award that you received. This is the third year we have administered the $500 annual award to honor the memory and many good works of Pat Sanford, Executive Director of Orange County Animal Protection Society during its heyday. Staff would recall that the Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Award has been possible by a generous donation from Friends of Orange County Animal Shelter(FOCUS). In 2016, FOCAS made a $5000 donation to Orange County Animal Services with the understanding that the funds would be used to make a $500 annual award over a period of ten years. These funds are now managed by Animal Services and funds for the 2018 award are part of the department's approved operating budget. Each year since it was created in 2016 the number of applications for the award has increased and this year there were four(4) applications. They came from varied animal organizations each of which, in its own way, serves pets and recreational animals in Orange County. In accordance with the concept plan for the award, all applications were reviewed by a committee consisting of three members of the Animal Services Advisory Board and two staff identified by the Animal Services Director. The recipient of this year's award is Hope Animal Rescue. Hope Animal Rescue has an outstanding record of working with Orange County Animal Services (among other organizations)to rehome animals with special medical needs. Most of these animals would otherwise be euthanized and Hope plans to use the award to further its efforts with other animals from Orange County Animal Services in the coming year. Hope Animal Rescue will receive the Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Award at the January 16, 2019 meeting of the Animal Services Advisory board. This is the second year of the award being made in this manner as opposed to the first year when the award was made at a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners because the award was being inaugurated. The other award applicants have already received a notification letter. Also, staff hopes to meet with one applicant in 2015 as there is an opportunity to partner with that organization to meet some of the needs it identified in its applications independently of the award.