Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, and Assistant Town Manager, I am writing as a plea to your compassion for the community, which includes animal communities in Apple Valley and its environs. With regard to community cats, in particular, I have become aware that a cruel and unacceptably high number of cats that enter the Apple Valley Shelter do not leave it alive. This has got to improve. I myself have pledged donations to potential rescuers many times, but it's not enough.
I've recently seen numbers suggesting that, in 2023, 3,469 cats were taken to the shelter and, of those, 2,313 of them were euthanized. Only 7% of the cats who arrived were adopted, and only 0.003% were rescued; further, none have been rescued since May of 2023. These are appalling and unacceptable statistics.
There are a number of simple ways to save these innocent animals. I respectfully and urgently request the adoption of no-kill goals at AVAS and throughout the community.
Solutions include, but are not limited to:
• Better involvement of the community by spreading education about cats and how to help them, including reaching out to canvas the community and asking them to volunteer in building shelters for outdoor cats and fostering shelter cats until they can be adopted.
• Making the community aware of how many cats are currently at AVAS by providing photos, information, and status on all cats currently in the shelter and ensuring that the word is spread.
• Distributing daily euthenasia lists to the community and to rescues for both cats and dogs, as well as ensuring that euthenasia is only considered as an ethical, lastresort policy. • Granting volunteers access to the shelter to capture photos and videos of animals for the purpose of increasing their visibility and chances of adoption. • Adopting TNR (trap, neuter, return) strategies for stray/feral cats within the community and working with vets, volunteers, and other communities to provide low-cost mobile spay and neuter clinics.
• Expanding the current dog voucher program to include cats, which are equally beloved human companions.
• Providing proper medical services to cats housed within the shelter. This is a common-sense, humane approach, and a permanent, on-site vet (even if only parttime) should be appointed.
I beseech you to reach out to the following to establish partnerships and alliances to save these thousands of animals being destroyed: Humane Society of San Bernardino, Mary S.
Roberts Pet Adoption Center, Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA, Loma Linda Animal Hospital, Samaritan Animal Hospital, Paw Mission, Animal Action League, Stray Paws, and Alley Cat Allies/Feral Friends Network.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to happier outcomes for the cats of Apple Valley in the near future.
Sincerely,
Paris W. Brown