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Animal Shelter Advisory Committee Minutes - 03/03/2011RECEIVED IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE DATE: S �' MINUTES THE ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ASAC) March 3, 2011 MEMBERS PRESENT: Julie Gibson, DVM Marty Maxwell, Animal Welfare Organization Rep. Penny Miller, Citizen -At -Large Katrena Mitchell, Chair /Animal Services Administrator Stephen Dodge, LRCA/Animal Control Supervisor Michael Smith, Councilor- District 1 Lou Franklin, Director of Public Health Steven Parady, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER Katrena Mitchell, Animal Services Administrator called the meeting to order. ■ Members ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Council Liaison • Staff • Staff II. REVIEW & APPROVAL OF DECEMBER MINUTES The minutes from the ASAC Meeting on December 2 2010, were distributed and reviewed. Mrs. Maxwell made the motion to accept these minutes with corrections with a second by Dr. Gibson. Motion was carried. III. OLD BUSINESS None IV. NEW BUSINESS Ms. Mitchell advised the committee that there wasn't an official chair and the position wasn't able to be voted on in December and that it needed to be done. Mrs. Maxwell nominated Ms. Mitchell with nomination seconded by Dr. Gibson. Ms. Mitchell asked for all in favor. Everyone was in favor and Ms. Mitchell was approved as ASAC Committee Chair. Ms. Mitchell stated that the next order of business was an update on the Animal Services Center. Ms. Mitchell advised the committee that the Animal Services Center has been open right at a month and the center has been doing very well. Besides the ice the first two weeks, residents are starting to realize that we are open and are waiting outside the doors at 11:00am to drop off or reclaim their animals. Counselor Smith asked if there are employees at the center before eleven. Ms. Mitchell advised that the first Animal Control Officer is at the center at 7:00 a.m. and the rest of the staff comes in at 8:00am. Counselor Smith then clarified that to the public the center's not open until 11:00am. Mrs. Franklin advised that the 11:00am opening gives the kennel staff time to clean so the public is not coming in with the kennels dirty. Ms. Mitchell also advised that time is also set for euthanizing animals. Animal Shelter Advisory Committee February 16, 2010 page 1 Ms. Mitchell advised the committee that for the month of February, the center took in a total of 322 animals which breaks down to 226 dogs, 78 cats, and 18 others. We also took in 1 goat and 1 pig. Mrs. Franklin also advised that the Animal Services Center had had a chicken and a ferret. Counselor Smith asked about the disposition of the large animals. Ms. Mitchell explained that the animals weren't reclaimed by their owners so one of the Animal Control Officers paid the reclaim fee and took them home. Dr. Gibson asked if the animals were abused. Ms. Mitchell explained that when the goat was picked up it was being attacked by dogs and the pig was a stray from the county. Mrs. Franklin stated that it wasn't a feral pig. Ms. Mitchell added that was a domestic pig and very friendly and weighed between 300 to 350 pounds. Mrs. Franklin stated that Animal Services is working on an adoption policy. Before it hasn't came up in the past but now we have the animals and want to take them so we allowed them to pay the reclaim and boarding fees but Animal Services needs to come up with an adoption policy for livestock due to it will cost more to take them to auction than what we will get for the livestock. Ms. Mitchell advised that the owners of the chickens are going to reclaim and rehome them outside the city limits. Dr. Gibson asked out of the dogs and cats that came in to the center how many were euthanized. Ms. Mitchell advised that 79 were sent to the humane society which included 19 cats and 60 dogs; 12 went to rescue and the rest were euthanized. Counselor Smith asked Ms. Mitchell if she knew the new policy of the humane society as in how long they hold the animals before they euthanized the animals. Ms. Mitchell explained that the ones they choose for adoption, as long as they stay healthy and have no behavioral problems, are normally kept until adopted out. Mrs. Franklin added that the Humane Society is working on becoming a no -kill/ low -kill shelter and to meet those guidelines, they would need to keep those animals until they are adopted out. Mrs. Maxwell stated that she knows that in the past that the humane society has had some animals for years. Mrs. Maxwell stated that she read in the paper Ms. Fannies received a grant and will be working with P.E.T.S. to spay and neuter cat colonies. Mrs. Franklin advised that it the only way we will ever take care of our pet over population. Counselor Smith asked Ms. Mitchell to help the committee know what's out there in other cities for spay and neuter laws and if it is even conceivable that it will work here in Wichita Falls. Mrs. Franklin advised she's been looking at some spay and neuter laws in other cities which is what helped set our current fee schedule for altered and unaltered animals. She also stated that it is something that Animal Services will be looking at within the next year with reviewing the city's ordinances and strengthening that. Counselor Smith replied that he would like to see that. Mrs. Maxwell inquired if Lawton, Oklahoma has made spay and neutering mandatory and Dr. Gibson replied that Lawton did enact a spay /neuter ordinance. Mrs. Franklin advised that Dallas has one as well. Counselor Smith advised that he would also like to see improvement in the tethering and chaining laws. He explained that Austin, Big Springs, Dallas, Electra and Georgetown have laws against tethering /chaining and that all pets either need to be inside a fence or inside a house. Mrs. Franklin advised that we do have some citizens that chain their pets because they are fence jumpers and it assists in keeping them confined inside the yard. Dr. Gibson asked if Wichita Falls had a tethering law. Mrs. Franklin advised that we use the state chaining law but the issue is that it's unenforceable. The law states you can't leave a dog chained or tethered for a certain period of time and the animal must be chained using a collar and have access to food shelter and water. Mrs. Maxwell replied Animal Shelter Advisory Committee February 16, 2010 page 2 that there should be a law against owning a pet without having a yard. Counselor Smith stated that lots of times, a dog will be in a lot next to a house with no fence and no one's there except to feed and water dog and what's the use in having a dog. Mrs. Miller advised that the dog is there for protection and that she gets frustrated with it as well especially when there's no grass and when it gets wet, the dog's laying in mud because there's no where else for it to go but she sees it less that she use to. Mrs. Franklin advised that the Animal Control Officers do a great job when they see that type of a situation to stop and educate the owners and make sure that there is proper shelter, food, and water. Dr. Gibson asked if anyone knew how well that the mandatory spay and neuter law has been received in Lawton. Mrs. Maxwell replied that she hasn't heard but hopes it was received well. Mrs. Franklin stated that she doesn't know but Amy Cone, Assistant Director of Health, is living up there and she would ask if she's heard anything. Dr. Gibson asked if it's up to the veterinarians in town to monitor spay /neuter status. Mrs. Franklin stated she doesn't know but she will research and try to find out. Dr. Gibson asked if the Animal Services started deeming animals adoptable, if local veterinarians would be looked at to come here to spay and neuter or an option would be to have the veterinarians in town do the spay and neutering for the people who adopt out. Mrs. Franklin stated that the rabies voucher program had started and that response will be looked at first. Ms. Mitchell replied that good response had come from veterinarians for that program and if we do the adoptions that may be the way we will go. Dr. Gibson stated for the Animal Services Center to try keeping an open relationship with the vets in town. Mrs. Franklin replied that was our thought when we went with the rabies voucher program. Ms. Mitchell advised that she spoke with the veterinarians when starting the rabies voucher program and there was support there. Dr. Gibson says that she brought it up because her clients went to the Humane Society to adopt and they wouldn't let them take the animal to their vet for spay and neuter. Mrs. Franklin replied that she understands wanting your own vet to spay and neuter. ADJOURN Ms. Mitchell advised that they are required to have three ASAC meetings a year and asked if this was good for everyone. The committee agreed to change the meetings to once a quarter on the second Friday at 12:00 p.m. in February, May, August and November. The next ASAC meeting was set for Friday May 13, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. Dr Gibson made motion to adjourn. Mr. Dodge seconded the motion to adjourn. Motion carried to adjourn and all were in favor. -- atrena Mitchell ASAC Chairman Animal Services Administrator Steven Parady, ASAC Recording"Secretary Animal Services Sr. Admin Clerk Date Animal Shelter Advisory Committee February 16, 2010 page 3