Minutes 04-04-2019 Work Session - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Commissioner Dorosin arrived at 7:10 p.m. Maureane Hoffman reviewed some of the ASAB's accomplishments in 2018: • The ASAB continued to work with staff and stakeholders managing pet overpopulation in Orange County. Free-roaming cats have been of great significance to recent efforts in this area, and among other things, the ASAB and staff together have sought to establish strong working relations with community partners Including the Agricultural Preservation Board. • Central to this effort has been the creation of a "working barn cat" program. Within the last year more than 150 working barn cats have been sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped and vaccinated through this program. This innovative and important program has received very positive coverage in the media including a feature article in the Herald Sun and News and Observer. • Also, the board worked closely with Animal Services staff and one of the County's staff attorneys to develop some needed amendments for the Unified Animal Ordinance. These were developed on the basis of the County's experience with the Unified Animal Ordinance since its adoption early in 2016. The BOCC adopted these amendments in November of 2018. • In a related vein, the ASAB has collaborated with staff to develop several recommendations for the County's legislative agenda. As can be seen from Attachment B, these include a number of recommended changes to the State's dangerous dog law. Specifically, they would allow for the review of potentially dangerous dog declarations; for dogs declared potentially dangerous to interact with a certified trainer in a secure area without being muzzled; and for there to be an evaluation of dogs seized in dog fighting cases in order to make a final determination as to whether they are dangerous. • One deliverable was that staff developed a more satisfactory procedural approach to animals suffering from neglect that are surrendered to Animal Services. Another was a coordinated effort between Animal Services and the County's Homelessness Coordinator to identify community resources that can be tapped to help care for pets belonging to the homeless as they undergo different transitions. Maureane Hoffman reviewed some of the on-going concerns for the ASAB going into 2019: • Managing Pet Overpopulation: The board will continue to work with staff to implement a plan for managing free roaming cats. In particular, the board will work with staff to coordinate with the Agricultural Preservation Board and other entities to advance the "working farm cat" program. The board will also continue to work with staff to develop and sustain community partnerships and resources for addressing the challenges presented by free roaming cats. • Easement Area Dog Walking Trails: The ASAB is continuing to support staff in ensuring that dog walking trails are recreated in the area of the new OWASA and Duke Energy easements. The board also plans to continue to support Animal Services working with other County staff to ensure that the entrance and presentation of the Animal Services Center is not compromised by these easements. Doing so is critical to the intent of making the Animal Service Center an attractive and welcoming facility, an actual destination for the community.