Animal Center Workshop
Legal Responsibility of the City
2 • The City is required to maintain or provide for the maintenance of a pound system and a rabies control program. (Health & Safety Code §121690(e))
• This mandate includes responsibilities to quarantine rabies-suspect animals or destroy the animal(s) at the discretion of the Health Officer, • Distribute anti-rabies vaccine,
• Investigate reports of rabies (bite investigations),
• Enforce dog licensing and rabies vaccination requirements • Provide dog vaccination clinics with no excess costs passed on to clients.
Legal Responsibility of the City
3 • The City is required to provide for the impound of all dogs found running at large and for killing in a humane manner, or otherwise disposing of dogs which are impounded. (Food & Agric. Code §31105). ).
• Animal control shall exercise rights to retrieve animals that have been involuntarily deposited (Civil Code §1815 and §1816)
• Take possession of stray, abandoned, neglected animals and care for the animal until it is redeemed by the owner or claimant. (Penal Code §597.1; §597f)
• Shelters shall provide animals with prompt veterinary care, nutrition, shelter, and treat them kindly. (Civil Code §1834)
• No adoptable animal shall be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home. (Civil Code §1834.4)
Mission and Vision
4 • The mission of the City of Fresno’s Animal Center is to provide a compassionate and humane approach to animal services
creatively through community and partner collaboration that maximizes survival rates in a sustainable manner.
• The Vision of the City of Fresno’s Animal Center is to become the industry leader in animal services for the benefit of our people and their pets.
Outcomes of Best Practices
5 Historic Operations
• Unmanaged/Unscheduled
Admissions.
• Animal Influx Exceeding
Capacity.
• Higher crowding, stress and
disease.
• Higher euthanasia.
• Poor customer experience.
• Compromised staffing efficiency.
• Decreased operational
effectiveness.
• Punitive outcomes
Planned Operations
• Triage and appointment based provide
situation specific solutions paralleled to
human healthcare.
• Increased customer experience in process
and outcome.
• Reduced crowding, stress, disease and
consequently, euthanasia.
• Improved staff morale due to more effective
and efficient staffing.
• Increased ability to reconnect lost pets with
owners and to serve our community.
• ROI maximized over long term.
Project Milestones: Now – September 2022
6 • Employee, equipment and supplies acquisitions with FHAS input. • Training, learning and ramping up toward operations.
• Establishing operating protocols based on current best practices and with expert partner input (UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program and Best Friends Animal Society).
• Initial phase of an outreach educational plan introducing the new operating process.
• Reviewing implementation of operations to collaboratively determine City and FHAS roles.
• Data collection to evaluate new programming and operational costs of new facility.
• Variable reimbursement to FHAS based on actual costs
incurred.
Project Milestones: Oct. 2022 – June 2023
7 • Return to Council to provide updates of the previous months of operations.
• Revisiting learned lessons arising from transition period. • Evaluating and refining data to ensure accurate cost analysis to determine actual operating costs.
• Refining accountability and oversight measures – this includes the City having full access to the animal data management system. • Updating scope of work and respective budget in alignment with proven best operating practices.
• Seeking outside funding opportunities and grants both by FHAS, City and other entities.
• Variable reimbursement to FHAS based on actual costs
incurred.
Current Roles
8 UC Davis
• Best Practices
• Grants
• Shelter
Optimization
• Education
• Operational
Support
City of Fresno
• Construction
• Equipment &
Vehicle
Acquisition
• Employee
staffing:
• Temporary
employees
• Workforce
Fellows
• Provide entry
level skill
development
Fresno Humane
• Expert
Oversight
• Determining
Needs
• Expanding
Capacity
• Employee
Staffing
• Education &
Training
Best Friends
• Best Practices
• Policy Overview
• Equipment
Acquisition
Support
• Education and
Training
• Operational
Support
Upcoming Agreement
9 • Term – 14 months
• Collaborative approach to all aspects that allows use of available resources by the City and FHAS
• Employee recruitments including temporary employees.
• Acquisition of equipment, vehicles and ancillaries.
• FHAS to use existing contracts requiring veterinarians for pharmaceuticals and consumables.
• Proactively recruit and plan for veterinary clinic operations. • Reimbursement on actual costs to FHAS.
• Monthly P&L statement audits – review and approval of reimbursement by City.
Future Agreements
• May 2023 return to Council with a fully evaluated program based on proven data and phased in achievable outcomes that include updates to Municipal Code & Master Fee Schedule and a budget reflective of the real operational need.
QUESTIONS