Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to express deep concern about the current state of animal care services provided by Apple Valley City. Based on recent observations and data, several critical issues demand immediate attention and action in Apple Valley Animal Shelter (AVAS).
1. Inadequate Evaluation and Placement of Cats: At AVAS, less than 5% of adult cats are deemed friendly for adoption, a stark contrast to the 40% to 50% at neighboring shelters like Devore Animal Shelter. Recent statistics reveal alarming trends:
In the week of May 17th, none of the 23 new cat intakes were labeled as friendly or placed for adoption.
From June 4th to June 8th, only 1 out of 42 adult cats listed on the AVAS website was identified as friendly.
On June 12th, 8 foster kittens were euthanized allegedly due to health reasons, yet their shelter notes had not been updated for several weeks, indicating a lack of proper assessment and care. Concerningly, shelter notes for these kittens were never updated Most of these kittens were 11 to 13 weeks old but under 2 lbs.
Kittens grow rapidly and they could actually be adopted instead of being kept in the shelter. Their outdated shelter note stating they are foster/rescue only ultimately leading to their euthanasia on 6/12 due to health reasons.
2. Euthanasia Despite Adoption/Foster Applications: There have been distressing incidents where cats were euthanized despite submitted/confirmed adoption or foster applications:
For instance, Luke, a surrendered kitten, was euthanized despite a confirmed adoption application. The adopter had driven 2.5 hours to AVAS and was told that the paperwork was mixed up and Luke was euthanized.
Similarly, an adopter physically visited AVAS, submitted an adoption application for Rubeus Catgrid, but was refused without being informed about she can sign a medical waiver and then continue the adoption
In another case, a prospective adopter's repeated attempts to adopt from AVAS were thwarted. After submitting her adoption application, the shelter informed her that the cats would be reassessed.
However, the following day, she received the devastating news that the cats had been euthanized.
This same scenario repeated twice more. On the third attempt, the family's status changed from adoptable to rescue-only/ can not be adopted.
3. Urgent Need for Medical Care Improvement: There is a glaring deficiency in medical and basic care at AVAS:
Cats and kittens were often euthanized in batch for health reason 57 cats were euthanized for health reason in May
On May 19th, the cat adoption area was closed due to suspected ringworm, resulting in the unnecessary euthanasia of several kittens. Recent instances, including the June 12th euthanasia of 8 kittens, highlight ongoing concerns about the shelter's medical protocols and record-keeping practices, with minimal medical records available except for basic vaccine information.
4. Transparency and Public Access Issues: Transparency remains a significant challenge at AVAS:
Only 36% of cats taken in by AVAS in May were listed on the shelter's website, depriving potential adopters of crucial information and contributing to low adoption rates.
In the week of June 17th, no cats with an intake date within the week were added on the AVAS website out of numerous cats in need of adoption, indicating inadequate outreach and communication with the community.
With no urgent list sent, rescue and adopters does not know which cats are there/ which ones are urgent
The prohibition of volunteers from non-adoption areas means rescues and adopters have zero visibility of the 95% of cats labeled as feral or non-adoptable.
Based on recent observations and data, it is evident that immediate reforms are necessary to ensure the welfare of animals under AVAS's care and to restore community trust.
1. Improve Mislabeling and Behavioral Evaluation: To address mislabeling and ensure accurate behavioral assessments:
Implement comprehensive training and standardized protocols for staff and volunteers conducting behavioral evaluations. Consider employing a full-time or part-time behaviorist specializing in cat behavior.
Implement regular reassessment of cats and timely updates to shelter notes to accurately reflect their behavioral status.
2. Cease Unnecessary Euthanasia:
Cats should not be euthanized once they are legally eligible. Avoid euthanasia when space is available.
Refrain from immediate euthanasia for health reasons; instead, initiate medication based on symptoms and responses.
Ensure kittens are paired in separate kennels to prevent disease spread and promote socialization.
3. Provide Adequate Medical Care:
Ensure cats receive sufficient food and water daily.
Establish a dedicated medical room and consider offering on-site veterinary services, potentially through partnerships with veterinary clinics.
Maintain a variety of antibiotics and medications to treat illnesses promptly.
Improve airflow and hygiene protocols within the shelter to prevent the spread of disease.
4. Support Adoption and Rescue Efforts:
Discontinue rejecting adoption or foster requests arbitrarily and cease euthanizing cats under evaluation.
Eliminate aggressive disciplines towards rescues and implement spaying/neutering of cats before adoption, including charging deposits if necessary.
Enhance community outreach and rescue coordination efforts to increase adoption rates and support for cats in need.
5. Enhance Transparency:
List all cats on the shelter's website immediately upon intake and provide a daily urgent list of cats in need of adoption or rescue. Allow authorized volunteers to take videos and photos of cats in nonadoption areas to increase visibility and promote adoptions. Disclose the outcome of each cat in monthly reports to ensure accountability and transparency.
Ensure cats are included in all adoption events and community fairs to maximize adoption opportunities.
6. Community and Shelter Cat Management Policy:
Provide low-cost spaying and neutering services to reduce overpopulation and improve overall cat welfare.
implement Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) programs to manage community cat populations effectively.
Update city ordinance and allow cats to roam free roaming. 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 un-enclosed 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.
The approach of impounding and euthanizing has proven ineffective, with cats continuously trapped and impounded from the same areas.
the adjustment aligns with the national trend and the success seen in neighboring counties.
In conclusion, these comprehensive reforms are essential to address the systemic failures in animal care and management provided by Apple Valley City. I urge the City Council to prioritize these recommendations and take decisive action to ensure AVAS operates at the proper standards of animal welfare and community responsibility.
Thank you for your attention to these urgent matters. I look forward to seeing positive changes that benefit both the animals and our community.
--