Dear Mayor Scott Nassif, Mayor Pro Tem Art Bishop, Council Member Larry Cusack, Council Member Kari Leon, and Council Member Curt Emick, Town Attorney Thomas Rice, and Town Manager Orlando Acevedo,
I am writing to bring to your attention a critical issue concerning the management policy for community cats adopted by Apple Valley City.
You mentioned that cats are exempt from leash laws but according to Apple Valley's Code of Ordinances 15.01.070 - Control of animals, it appears that the same regulations apply to cats:
(a)No person in Apple Valley, owning or having control of any animal, shall permit such animal to stray or run at large upon any public street, sidewalk, school ground, public park, playground, place of public assembly or any other public place, or any un-enclosed private lot or other unenclosed private place, or upon any private place or property without the consent of the owner or person in control thereof. Parkways comprising the area between the street and sidewalk shall be included as private property for purposes of this Chapter. (b)Any person who finds any animal which has strayed or is running at large upon his or her own property or any other place contrary to the provisions of this Chapter, may take possession of and hold same; provided, however, that he or she shall notify the Animal Control Office that he or she has such animal in his or her possession within 24 hours after securing possession thereof, and give such Officer full information in regard to the animal, including a complete description of such animal and license number, if any, and surrender the same to the Animal Control Officer or Department upon demand.
I am deeply concerned about the trap-and-kill approach currently being utilized.
It's striking that a majority of incoming cats are labeled as unfriendly, and then swiftly euthanized in Apple Valley Municipal Animal Shelter (AVAS). -- For instance, out of the 36 new adult cat intakes listed on the website from 6.4 to 6.7, none of them are labeled as friendly or placed in the adoption area. We're concerned that AVAS may be categorizing all adult cats as feral without conducting proper evaluations. In contrast, other shelters in the same county label around 40% of cat intakes as friendly. -- Based on the observation of the members of the public, space is not an issue however cats in non-adoptable areas are scheduled to be euthanized the same day/ next day they can legally be.
Here's our recent observations as an example:
-- All 6 cats listed on AVAS website, not in adoption area and and eligible for euthanasia on 5/16 and 5/17 were euthanized on 5/17;
-- The shelter was closed on 5/19 and 5/20, and on 5/21, all 13 cats not in the adoption area and eligible for euthanasia between 5/18 and 5/21 were euthanized, except for two who were adopted;
-- AVAS does not list all their animals on the website, many cats not in the adoption area are neither visible to the public, nor do they ever have a chance to be visible on social media:
-- For example, all 10 cats with an intake date of 4/16 were euthanized as "not adoptable" according to the shelter intake disposition report, these 10 cats were not even being posted on the AVAS website;
-- According to your shelter intake disposition report of April, 65 cats were euthanized due to health;
-- Notably, only ten cats were adopted out of the 266 intakes for the entire month of April.
There are genuine concerns that the fate for AVAS cats in 2024 may mirror those of 2023 (7% adopted, 0.03% rescued, 2,560 euthanized and 533 died). -- TNVR is not only efficient but more cost effective:
-- AVAS annual budget is 2.4 M
-- 3469 cats and 5097 dogs were taken to AVAS in 2023
-- cost for each animal = budget / intake = $280
-- With TNVR implemented, the cost the county pays to get each cat is around $100 (based on observation of nearby areas).
We call upon the city council to swiftly address the deficiencies in animal care services provided by the Apple Valley Animal Shelter by:
1. Implementing TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) and low cost spaying and neutering programs to effectively manage cat populations.
2. Updating the existing Apple Valley's Code of Ordinances to exempt cats.
3. Enhancing the evaluation procedure and cease categorizing the majority of cats as feral without thorough assessment.
4. Ensuring full disclosure of all shelter animals on the website during the intake process, including photos and basic information, to enable the community to monitor their status and facilitate adoptions.
5. Distributing daily euthanasia lists for both cats and dogs to rescues and the community to increase transparency and aid rescue efforts
6. Allowing volunteers access to the receiving and holding area of the shelter to capture photos and videos of animals, enhancing their visibility and chances of adoption.
7. Providing proper medical care to all shelter animals to ensure their well-being.
8. Promoting cat adoption by ceasing the euthanasia of cats in non-adoptable areas when there are available spaces.
The urgency of the situation demands immediate action to improve the animal services the city provides.
I appreciate your attention to these urgent matters and look forward to positive actions from the city council to improve the welfare of animals in the community.
Best regards,
Elena