2 4
2 7
CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: January 15, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Rochelle Clayton, Acting City Manager;
Kris Watson, Director of Animal Services
Department: Animal Services
Subject: Accept $1,000 Grant Funding from Best Friends Animal Society (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2025-007:
1. Authorizing the Department of Animal Services to accept grant funding in the amount of $1,000 from Best Friends Animal Society for animal sheltering programs; and
2. Authorizing the Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Budget to appropriate $1,000 of the grant funding in both revenues and expenditures for animal shelter programs and services.
Executive Summary
In July of 2024, Best Friends Animal Society asked animal welfare organizations who wanted to start or expand their return to home program for dogs and cats to register for the challenge which took place from September 1st through September 30th. Return to Home programs considered were those that actively reunited the animal with their owner in the field or before adoption, transfer or other outcomes. On October 25 th, 2024, the Department of Animal Services was notified that they were successful in the challenge and were awarded $1,000 in grant funding. This grant funding will help cover the cost of supplies for crucial animal shelter programs and services.
Background
The Return to Home Challenge is all about reuniting pets with their families. The Department of Animal Services focused on several initiatives during the challenge to help get more pets home. The Department placed extra emphasis on returning animals to owners while still in the field. Department staff as well as contract city officers were 2 4
2 7
trained in properly scanning for microchips in the field before impounding animals. Staff were educated on the importance of scanning for microchips when animals arrive at the shelter. The Department encourages the community to post lost and found animals on local social media pages, to foster the animal at home while they look for an owner and create lost reports with the Department. The Department partnered with Petco Love Lost and Pawboost to automatically upload all lost and found animals from the shelter to their websites, increasing the visibility of lost pets in our jurisdictions. The Department also offers payment plans for individuals who may have a financial barrier to paying all fees at once to redeem their impounded pet from the shelter. For owners who can show proof of low income, fees can also be waived to make redemption of their animal affordable. Free microchips are given at many offsite events to increase awareness of the importance on microchipping pets and the link to getting those pets returned home quickly.
Discussion
During the month of September, 86 impounded dogs were returned to their owners.
This is a 4.94% increase in the number of dogs returned to their owners from September 2023. This challenge was important to highlight the need for owners in the community to microchip and place tags on their pets. According to data from Best Friends Animal Society, there has been a 26% national decline since 2019 in dogs being reclaimed by their owners after entering animal shelters. As shelters across the country continue to grapple with an increase in dogs entering their facilities, reuniting lost pets with their families is more urgent than ever. The Department of Animal Services believes that pets belong at home with their families rather than waiting in the shelter. The Department will continue to engage community members to support our shelter by helping more lost pets return home by ensuring their pets are microchipped and always wear collars and identification tags with up-to-date contact information.
These proactive steps can greatly enhance the likelihood of a quick reunion if a pet goes missing and ends up at an animal shelter. The unrestricted grant of $1,000 will be used to help with shelter supplies such as microchips, leashes, food bowls, crates, kennels and other items as needed. As a Best Friends Network Partner, the Department is eligible for future grant opportunities which support increased lifesaving of pets in the community.
The performance period for this grant is from October 12, 2024 through October 12, 2025. One of the conditions of the grant is that the Department is required to submit monthly data on shelter intakes and outcomes to the Shelter Pet Data Alliance Organization (www.shelterpetdata.org). The Department has submitted all monthly intake and outcome data on dogs and cats to this organization from January 2019 through November 2024. Although this platform does not allow public access to the shelter statistics, the Department submits the same data to another nonprofit organization, Shelter Animals Count (www.shelteranimalscount.org). The Department has included the link to Shelter Animals Count on our website under the statistics tab on our page.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
2 4
2 7
The acceptance of this grant is consistent with Key Target No. 1: Improved Operational & Financial Capacity, through the opportunity for increased grant funding which will allow the Department to maintain animal shelter programs and services. The acceptance of this grant also aligns with Key Target No. 3: Improved Quality of Life through community involvement by allowing community members to receive free microchips for pets. These programs give the Department an opportunity to educate and engage the community, building trust and increase awareness.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund for this grant. The budget for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 will be amended by $1,000 in both revenues and expenditures.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2025-007:
1. Authorizing the Department of Animal Services to accept grant funding in the amount of $1,000 from Best Friends Animal Society for animal sheltering programs; and
2. Authorizing the Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Budget to appropriate $1,000 of the grant funding in both revenues and expenditures for animal shelter programs and services.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Resolution No. 2025-007 Best Friends Animal Society Attachment 2 Best Friends Animal Society Return to Home Challenge Agreement
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
On September 18th, 2024, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024- 202, authorizing the Department of Animal Services to accept grant funding in the amount of 25,000 from Best Friends Animal Society.
On November 17th, 2021, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2021- 270, authorizing the Director of Finance to amend the FY 2021/22 budget to transfer $1,500 from the Animal Services Best Friends Revenue Fund to the Animal Services Best Friends Expense account for the purchase of volunteer tracking software for the Department.
On May 19th, 2021, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2021-102, accepting a grant award in the amount of $45,000 from Best Friends Animal Society for Animal Shelter Programs and Services.