Dear Apple Valley City Council:
I am writing to address very urgent concerns about animal care services provided in Apple Valley City. I am extremely distressed about the extensive rates of euthanasia, care the animals are given, and the lack of communication the public receives about animals available for adoption or rescue.
Many animals are not given a chance to live, because they are euthanized with barely any notice for people to adopt or rescue them! I know many people in the cat rescue world. They work so hard to network for these animals but they need to be given reasonable amounts of time to try and help, the public should be given reasonable amounts of time to adopt, and there needs to be greater transparency about which animals are at the shelter. I know this concern resonates deeply with many members of this community… The vast majority of cats coming into the shelter are euthanized, and many of them do not need to be! Why does this happen?
While efforts have been made to increase cat visibility on the shelter's website, recent observations have revealed serious flaws in the shelter cat management process that demand immediate attention to protect these vulnerable animals.
1. Website Listing Removal: instead of changing state to “pending euthanasia “ and still listing them on the website, cats pending euthanasia are removed one day or earlier from the website, making it difficult for rescuers to identify cats in urgent need. This affects not only the cats but also the concerned citizens who want to help.
2.Extremely Short Rescue Window: Despite the shelter's state-of-the-art facility and larger capacity for cats, cats outside the adoption room face euthanasia either on the same day or within a day of becoming available, which really undermines their chances.
It is incomprehensible to those who care deeply about animal welfare. Why are these cats not given more of a chance?
2.1 On May 2nd, 8 cats were euthanized, and 5 out of the 8 were euthanized the next day they were available to people. V.S.
2.2 As of May 3rd, there were 31 cats in the non-adoption room and 25 cats in the adoption room/green room. Why are so good cats not shown in the adoption room where they could be given more of a fighting chance?
3. The current trap-and-kill approach the city adopted to control community cats population is neither effective nor economically efficient.
3.1 Economically efficiency: Sterilizing rather than killing community cats, is simply less expensive in the long-term, with exponential savings in terms of reducing births. -- 3.1.1 The annual budget of AVAS was $2.4M in 2023. With around an 8k animal intake, the cost for each animal was about $300, with around a 7% live release rate for cats in 2023 in the shelter.
-- 3.1.2 The cost of TNVR is around $100 per cat on average (please inquire nearby city/county for details) with cats released back to the community they come from.
3.2 Effectiveness: The approach of impounding and euthanizing feral cats has proven ineffective in reducing cat populations, with cats continuously trapped and impounded from the same areas.
-- 3.2.1 The same trap and kill repeat year after year and is proved to be just a waste of money. Trapping and killing has been going on for over more than 10 years and the intake amount of community cats has not decreased.
-- 3.2.2 TNVR, on the other hand, returns the existing cats to their territory which they will occupy without reproducing, and they prevent other unfixed cats from coming in and breeding.
-- 3.2.3 Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has been proven to be effective and adopted by counties nationwide and nearby counties including Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego.
3.3 Community preference: Surveys investigating the public's preference for managing free-roaming cats consistently indicate much stronger support for TNVR in the U.S. than trap and kill.
Proposed Solutions:
1. A daily euth lists of both cats and dogs to be sent out to the community, including those pending euthanasia ones.
2. Volunteer Access: Granting volunteers access to the shelter to capture photos and videos of the animals will greatly enhance the visibility of these animals and provide rescuers with valuable information about their personalities and current status.
3. TNVR and low-cost spay and neuter services to be provided to the caregivers and pet owners.
3.1 In short term, expanding Current Voucher Program to Include Community Cats.
Currently there are vouchers for dogs, however no vouchers for cats are available.
The current voucher program should include community cats, and invite reputable organizations and veterinary clinics that offer low cost S&N (spay and neuter) to participate.
3.2 In the middle term, utilize the Mobile clinic to provide low cost S&N. The city can utilize Paw Mission, Animal Action League and Stray Paws to provide mobile clinic services while trying to nail down a vet to operate the mobile clinic truck.
3.3 Continuous efforts working with volunteers and nonprofit organizations to implement the TNVR programs in Apple Valley City. Through the TNVR program, friendly cats will be taken to the shelter for adoption and others will be released back to the community where they come from.
In light of these concerns, I urge you to prioritize the welfare of these animals and take immediate action to improve the rescue process at the Apple Valley City Shelter. By doing so, you not only uphold the values of compassion and responsibility, but also demonstrate your commitment to serving the needs of our residents and animals.
Thank you for your attention to this matter! I trust that you will listen to the voices of this community and take humane and decisive steps to address these pressing issues.
Sincerely,
Geness Lorien