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2024 BUDGET RECOMMENDATION PRESENTED TO:
Mayor Rex Richardson
AND
Long Beach City Council
Mary Zendejas........... District 1
Cindy Allen.............. District 2
Kristina Duggan........ District 3
Daryl Supernaw........ District 4
Megan Kerr............. District 5
Suely Saro... District 6
Roberto Uranga........ District 7
Al Austin..... District 8
Joni Ricks-Oddie. District 9
FOR:
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Services
PRESENTED BY:
Laura Selimer, ACS Volunteer, Medical Foster & Shelter Advocate Lauren Campbell, President, Friends of Long Beach Animals, 30 years Veterinary Medical Industry Nici Daniels, Co Founder K9 Kismet Dog Rescue, ACS Volunteer Claudia Otis, Executive Director, Little Lion Foundation Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Services
Summary
On August 21, 2023, our group met with the City's Budget Manager, Grace Yoon, PRM Director Brent Dennis, PRM Deputy Director, Steven Scott, ACS Interim Manager, Dr. Melanie Wagner and budget support staff, to discuss the Proposed '24 Budget for Animal Care Services. Our group was able to review the proposed ACS Budget in detail, discuss our concerns based on our deep involvement as volunteers, rescue partners and financial supporters of ACS for many years. We are respectfully requesting City Council to consider and approve recommendations for vital staff positions and make a minor accounting adjustment to track ACS costs of animal food. • Enhanced Position, Animal Behavior, Assessment and Transport New Position, Dog Foster Coordinator Public Health Associate III (PHA III) • New Position, Cat Foster Coordinator Public Health Associate III (PHA III) • Create New Spay Neuter Team
• Full time Veterinarian
• Three (3) Animal Care Technicians
• Budget Line Item for Animal Food
Cross Section of the Community
Our group is comprised of animal rescues, ACS volunteers, non-profit stakeholders and community advocates. We came together in response to the unprecedented number of animals at Animal Care Services. ACS operating over capacity for nearly two years is unsustainable and we are seeking structural changes that address the needs of staffing and programming.
We are deeply committed to the success of ACS. We are part of a large community of volunteers and rescues, spending countless hours caring for animals both at ACS and on the streets in Long Beach. We have strong working relationships with the bureau and are very knowledgeable about past and current shelter operations, the findings in the two past audits, the key principles of Compassion Saves and the rollout of the ACS strategic plan.
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Service:
Enhanced Position
Animal Behavior, Assessment and Transport
Requires upgrade
from Public Health Associate | (PHA I)
to Public Health Associate III (PHA III)
This position is currently a minimum wage position yet requires highly specialized animal experience, skills, aptitudes and strong working relationships with the rescue community across the region. This is not an entry level position. At the current minimum wage salary, the Bureau cannot attract nor retain the talent required for the duties of the position. We urge City Council to adopt the 2024 Budget with an upgrade to the position from Public Health Associate | (PHA I) to Public Health Associate III (PHA III).
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Services
New Position
Dog Foster Coordinator
Public Health Associate III (PHA III)
We are requesting a new position for a dog foster coordinator exclusively dedicated to the ACS dog population. There is currently only one all-animal foster coordinator at ninimum wage, requiring an individual to handle hundreds of dogs, cats and neonatal kittens. It is untenable and unsafe to expect a single entry level position to responsibly place and oversee the behavior care and medical care for all species.
The proposed dog foster coordinator position requires specialized dog behavior knowledge, dog experience, strong organization skills, excellent judgment and interpersonal skills. The Bureau cannot attract nor retain the talent required for the duties of the position with an entry level salary. We urge City Council to adopt the 2024 Budget with a new position of Dog Foster Coordinator, Public Health Associate III (PHA 1II).
Reference:
Please see appendix: Dog Foster Pilot Program prepared by experienced volunteers and rescue partners which is currently in a pilot phase with an Apple One temporary employee.
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Services
New Position
Cat Foster Coordinator
Public Health Associate III (PHA III)
We are requesting a new position for a cat foster coordinator exclusively dedicated to he ACS cat and the demanding neonatal kitten population. The current all-animal foste position is a minimum wage position, requiring an individual to handle hundreds of dogs cats and neonatal kittens. It is untenable, and unsafe to expect a single entry level position to responsibly place and oversee the medical care and behavior care for all species. The proposed cat foster position requires specialized knowledge, experience, a high level of organization and excellent interpersonal skills. The Bureau cannot attract nor retain the talent required for the duties of fostering animals an entry level salary.
We urge City Council to adopt the 2024 Budget with a new position of Cat Foster Coordinator, Public Health Associate III (PHA III).
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
ong Beach Animal Care Services
New Positions
ACS Spay Neuter Team
Veterinarian - One (1) Full Time
Animal Health Technicians - Three (3) Full Time
We are requesting one (1) full time Veterinarian and three (3) Animal Health Technicians (Veterinary Assistants) to create a dedicated ACS Spay Neuter Team.
This Vet to Technician ratio is the standard ratio of in veterinary clinics across the country. Our request will have a direct and major impact on the enormous backlog of unfixed animals that ACS is responsible for fixing; those in the shelter, those in foster care and those in private homes under an ACS "HomeFirst" practice. The practice of sending unfixed ACS animals into the community is being discontinued because deferring Spay Neuter has resulted in a spay neuter backlog with no clear path forward.
The use of outside Veterinarian practices for spay neuter is already proving to be extremely costly to the taxpayer and is unsustainable. We believe it is the duty of the City to provide the legally mandated spay neuter care with fiscal responsibility.
Should the New ACS Spay Neuter Team get caught up with the backlog of spay neuter surgeries. We believe the value can be even greater when the team can pivot to supporting many other surgeries that ACS currently sends out, the pivoting to affordable community clinics for spay neuter.
Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) is willing to enter in discussions with the City of Long Beach to support the additional needs of operating a Spay Neuter Clinical practice. FOLBA has the history of supporting ACS and the professional expertise to play an important role in establishing an ACS Team. Once established, the team can also be positioned to support the ACS core veterinary team with in-house care in lieu of high cost outsourced care.
This request supports the mission of Compassion Saves ensuring the City is able to comply with the State of California mandates to spay and neuter. An ACS Spay Neuter Team also creates critical pivot points to eventually offer affordable spay neuter in underserved communities.
Requested Adjustments to Proposed 2024 Budget
Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Animal Care Services
Animal Food Expenses
We are requesting that the City create a separate and discrete accounting line item for animal food. Currently ACS accounting does not track the discrete cost of animal food, in spite of several requests from community dating back five years. We believe by tracking this cost, the shelter is better able to manage its costs and forecast basic care.
For example, the price of dog food has increased by 45.5% on average when compared with 2020 prices. We believe tracking ACS costs supports better management and is in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of establishing greater accountability and transparency.
Impacting the dogs who need it the most.
Long-Stay Kennel Stress Injury/Illness/Surgery
Dogs who are Dogs who suffer from Dogs suffering from
languishing in the kennel kennel stress need to be short-term injury or need to be in a home to in a home sooner than illness need a home to experience true later to prevent recover in. Fosters
decompression, learn a self-harming and become a house of routine, develop basic healing so a dog can get
physical/mental
obedience skills, and back to being adoptable.
deterioration.
prove they can be a
well-adjusted pets who
are deserving of a home.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Dogs and fosters are set-up for success.
Contacted Screened & Matched Supported
After a foster applies, During the screening After meeting and taking the coordinator reaches call, the coordinator home a foster dog, the out with a welcome discusses expectations foster begins the work, email, complete with a and takes notes on the but they aren't alone: The detailed informational applicant's experience, coordinator is there every packet. If the applicant schedule, & home step of the way as the decides they're the right environment. If suitable, dog's medical, fit, a screening call is they're matched with a behavioral, & networking set-up. short-list of dogs. needs are met.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Abby • Adara • Alaska • Ariel • Avalon • Bandit •
Bennett • Blue • Bonbon • Brownie • Capri •
Clarissa • Delores • Dino • Dollie • Eeyore •
Meet the Favorite • Felicity • Fender • Fletcher • Francesca • Jasmine • Kingsley • Kobe • Leia • Lhana •
Foster Dogs Miracle • Marley • Marrybelle • Marshmallow • Minnie • Mocha • Mojito • Mookie Petts •
Mr. Bojangles • Nala • Nike • Obi-Wan • Patterson
Approximately 97% of the • Peppermint • Phoenix • Porkchop • Priscilla • dogs who've entered into the
foster program were adopted Ralphy • Riley • Ripley • Roxy • Sabre • Savannah (or likely will be) as a direct • Serendipity • Shadow • Shia LaFloof • Simbli result of being part of it. • Snow • Spicy • Squeak • Stardust & Puppies • Steadman • Stella • Stubrik • Supra • Tanya •
Theresa •Tiny Tuna • Tootsie Pop • Travis Barker
• Washington • Whiskey • Zukes
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Squeak
Stray Intake: 9/7/22
Foster Home: 3/24/23
Adopted: 4/4/23
Squeak had been languishing at the kennel after being
passed up time and time again. After six months of
languishing at the shelterwent by, she was the dog that no longer got up and greeted people at the kennel
door. Always so crestfallen, she seemed to be losing
hope. As one of the longest stay dogs at the time, she
was put on a potential foster's shortlist of candidates.
After meeting Squeak, he decided to welcome her into
his home. By the time they got to the car, she was a
much lighter dog-all smiles and tail wags. It wasn't
long before her foster's brother and niece would come
to fall in love with the sweet and easy-going girl we all knew she would be. All she needed was someone to
give her a chance.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Porkchop
Stray Intake: 1/21/23
Foster Home: 4/19/23
Adopted: 5/21/23
Emiliano helped Porkchop, a very strong puller with a
tendency to bark at every person passing by his kennel, to decompress in the home environment. He also gave
him a routine and a human he could count on. He made
considerable strides with him on his pulling and was his advocate for space so he wouldn't dare return to the
shelter with a bad mark on his record. His foster was on a mission to get Porkchop adopted: He attended four
adoption events in as many weeks. He sent in pictures
for networking and supplied home notes through emails
and the foster dog report card. It wasn't long before
Porkchop had a bio that was reflective of who he truly is in a home environment.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Mojito
Stray Intake: 6/26/23
Foster Home: 7/4/23
Adopted: 7/19/23
This senior pup, Mojito, was stressed in the kennel and sent home with a patient foster. She would later have a meet-and-greet in the park where she impressed a
wonderful lady who would look past her heart murmur
and periodontal disease and just see "her dog.' " Even
on the morning that her adoption was supposed to
take place, there was a medical emergency with one of
her teeth that required us to rush Mojito to the ER, but that didn't deter her would-be adopter. By the end of
the day, she had already set up Mojito with the
necessary vet appointments so she could be the
happiest and healthiest version of herself.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Shadow
Stray Intake: 4/2/23
Foster Home: 7/9/23
Adopted: 7/22/23
Once a lead-only dog who struggled to find a sense of
work to get this boy decompressed, centered, and
ready to be someone's beloved pet. They shed some
tears saying goodbye at the adoption event, but are
already doing it all over again with a skittish dog
named Sabre.
So many people avoid fostering because they want to
avoid the pang of farewell. However, where would
some of these dogs be without people willing to lend
their homes and hearts to serve as beacons to those
who risk being adrift forever?
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program
Fender
Stray Intake: 1/28/23
Foster Home: 7/1/23
Adopted: 7/22/23
Fender had two fosters across three weeks investing
in him. Overlooked in the shelter for way too long,
Fender was finally able to get the attention he
deserves. His first temp-foster helped him decompress
and get used to a routine, while his second foster gave him structure and boundaries, and worked with him on
the basic obedience and leash skills he'd need to win
over an adopter.
Appendix Dog Foster Pilot Program