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Animal Shelter Advisory Committee Minutes - 11/20/2023 The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Nicki Bacon City Official LRCA Samuel Jones Animal Services Operator Michelle Pohlman Animal Welfare COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENCE: Amber Browning At Large Dr Bryan Wade Veterinarian OTHERS PRESENT: Amy Fagan Director of Public Health Katherine Moore Senior Admin Clerk Tom Taylor District 5 Councilor I. CALL TO ORDER Katherine Moore, called the meeting to order. II. STATEMENT OF MEMBERS AND GUESTS PRESENT All members were present except for the following; Dr Bryan Wade and Amber Browning. All guest's names were stated, and none were missed. III. REVIEW & APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER MINUTES The minutes from the ASAC Meeting from July 2023, were distributed and reviewed. A motion was made to accept these minutes by Nicki Bacon, with a second following by Samuel Jones. The motion was carried. IV. OLD BUSINESS There was no Old Business to discuss V. NEW BUSINESS A. Shelter Update Nicki Bacon begins by stating that as of today November 20t, 2023, our live outcome for all the animals that have come into our shelter, including guinea pigs, ferrets, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, and more, is 60%. We have brought in 2,239 total animals this year (this number is only until October 2023). Our live outcome for just dogs and cats is 59%. Our adoption rate is at 14%, this is a 6% increase The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 from 2022. Our Euthanasia rate is about 40% which is a 10% increase from 2022. The transfer to-rescue rate is at 24% which is a 4% decrease from 2022. Lastly, our return-to-owner rate is at 22% which is a 2% decrease from 2022. Again, our total is 60% which is a 12% decrease from 2022. In 2022 our live outcome rate was 72%. Ms. Bacon states that looking at these numbers, she believes this decrease in live outcomes can be attributed to people going back to work and prices going up economically. Last year our owner surrender total was 135 animals around this time, we are now already at 181 animals this year. We have a 74% increase in our owner surrenders this year. Amy Fagan asked what were our front desk numbers last year at this same time. Ms. Bacon states that she can say that our intake numbers for this time last year were 331 less than it is this year overall. Michelle Pohlman asked what is the difference between an owner surrender and a front desk intake. Ms. Bacon explains that owner surrenders are citizens who bring in their animals for several reasons, one being euthanasia requests as we are cheaper than a Veterinary to euthanize animals. Additionally, we get owner surrender due to an animal's behavior problems, animals that have bitten or have aggression (These get separated in our numbers as we cannot help having those circumstances). We want people to know the impact of what we are bringing in off the street, what citizens are bringing in at strays, and what our citizens are bringing in their own owned animals (These are citizens that took responsibility for the animal). Now we have 181 animals coming back to us. Ms. Pohlman verifies by stating that "front desk intakes" are just citizens bringing in strays. Everyone states yes, and Ms. Bacon explains "ACO'S: mean animals brought in from our officers. Ms. Bacon states if we look at our month-to-month numbers, for example when we take a look at January; dogs brought in by animal control were 56 whereas dogs brought in by the front desk was 69. Many citizens like to say "I'm doing your job for you" but, there are many times when they have not told the truth about whether the animal is actually a stray. We have also had cases where citizens outside of city limits bring animals in stating they did find them in city limits (We do not take animals located outside of city limits). That then leads us to take on the burden of the cities around us that don't have a shelter, which is a large number. Mrs. Fagan states that one of our main goals this year is to refocus on what our goal is. Meaning what really is the goal of the staff here and it was always tied back to the live outcome rate. We all would like to increase our live outcome rate, this not only makes us feel better but also makes everyone in the city look and feel better. Unfortunately, though, we have no control over that, we don't have control over the number of left, dumped, brought to us Etc. The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 Things we do have control over are how we treat the animals while they are here, making sure we follow the rules and regulations and then doing the right thing by that animal when we can. So, the only place that we can really control is getting more animals into foster homes and rescues, which has been amazing. Mrs. Fagan states that one of the main things that we need to figure out is what are our goals and how can we check box them to show that we are accomplishing them. Otherwise, there is just a constant barrage of awfulness. For example, going down to a 60% live outcome rate it feels like a failure in some ways. We have spent a lot of time visiting about this topic, and figuring out what is our goal, what is tied to the 60%, and if we had any control over it, which is a no other than working with rescues and doing education. One of the things we have done this year is Ordinance Education. We have been trying to educate citizens, the PSAs with news channels. But,citizens are making choices based on what their needs are not on what the community needs are. It has been an interesting dialogue for the past year regarding what our goals are. Mrs. Fagan believes that 60% is not a failure, it is better than it was, and we are dealing with what we can in a time and in an economy that we can. Mrs. Fagan acknowledges that this is hard, and she does not even work in this building but, for the people who work here, it is probably one of the hardest jobs we have in the entire department of 102 people. As they are the ones who have to euthanize the animals and deal with these situations. What we have seen over time, is it used to be owner surrenders plus the front desk equaled an animal care officer in the field but, now the totals are exceeding what is being brought in from the field. This is all very concerning. Unfortunately, no matter how much we educate or try different options we have no control over this. Mrs Fagan states she just believes it is a part of the economy and part of the world we are in today. Ms. Bacon adds that we did in 2019 turn owner surrender to appointment only. To show how much of an effect that is having, the total 181 could be well over 200. For example, we have scheduled around 15 owner surrenders, and most time only 5-6 of those appointments show up. These numbers could be drastically different. Ms Bacon does believe that the small changes we made in 2019 have had a big impact. The next thing we need to start thinking or discussing is the barriers we may have in place when adopting animals here at the shelter. This is not to say we have big barriers in place that hinder adoptions here but, we do have some minor barriers that are worth taking a look at that may help these numbers. If we drill down and look at these numbers month by month, in June alone we brought 321 animals. There are around 30 days in a month and with the size of this building, 321 total animals is a lot. In addition, we are expected to be their advocates, we find the rescues, we find the adopters, we find their owners, and if we do not then we have to make these really hard decisions. Ms. Bacon states that the staff here day in and day out have to euthanize, that is the hardest thing they have to do. If we did not what would be our alternative? Putting the animals back out of the The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 street? That's over 2,000 animals that we would be putting back out on the street, causing chaos and mayhem. This would also increase the stray population. Overall, the efforts we have made are making a difference, this is the portion that the citizens need to hear and understand. In this portion a lot of people do not see the reality of it, for example, did anyone know that we brought in a total of over 2,200 animals into the shelter? To help with showing those numbers, a decision was made to a whiteboard when you walk in. This board will show you daily numbers, it will show you how many animals we currently have in our shelter, how the animals came to our shelter, and the kind of animals we have intaken. Ms. Pohlman asks if we have considered putting these numbers on social media such as our Facebook page. Ms. Bacon responds stating now that we have the board set up and we know how we want it to look ( The presentation and what numbers we want to give). We are beginning to post these numbers on Facebook, we believe that the conversation we receive will be different and mindsets will shift, and everyone can understand the amount of what we deal with. The blame can not solely be put on us, but instead on our community, and the efforts that we ALL make. We have to spay and neuter, we have to try our hardest to get the animals home. Mrs. Fagan adds seeing more adoptions will be a part of this too, what most to realize is the turnover in the animals we have. She believes that when you walk into the shelter it looks beautiful and the staff may look calm but, there is a whole lot going on behind the scenes. Samuel Jones mentions that most people like to go to other places to adopt as other places don't ask questions, for example, you can pay the adoption fee at the Humane Society and they won't do a fence check or about other animals in the home. Then just leave with the animal you adopting. Katherine Moore states that citizens have told us many times before, that it is too difficult to adopt from us and decide not to. One of the main issues with the adoptions we have is that citizens are required to have the animals that they have in their home spayed/neutered and if they do not they are required to get a prepay to be able to adopt another animal from us. They also mention the issue of having to pay extra money since their animals do not have city licenses/tags and do not want to purchase those in addition, as that is a requirement. Councilor Taylor refers back to the posting on social media Ms. Pohlman asked about. He states that he considers himself more knowledgeable in the city government and/or ordinances than the average person here but, some of the things we have talked about here he had no clue on. That is one of the things that the city in general has to do more on, he believes in doing more. Mrs. Fagan states that Councilor Smith has been a great advocate for us, he sits on the board of Health. In January, we approached him about being on a monthly video in regards to our ordinances and he agreed( These videos were made to educate the public on common ordinances that no one new about but we were enforcing). The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 We do believe we need more reach with these videos because the people who are already watching/following us see them but, the issue is we have around 10,000 followers, and places like the Humane Society have 50,000 followers. So, how do we get more people to repost those so they get as many views as possible? Ms. Pohlman mentions it's not just reposting but it is also comments and liking with sharing, all together. All three have a different "Power", and if we have people doing 2 out of the 3 or all 3, it goes higher in the algorithm. Ms. Moore also states about using hashtags, if someone looks up a specific word such as "shelter", if anyone looks up that word in any way, then there is a chance that post will pop up. Further on you can also follow a certain hashtag to keep up with it. That's why so many posts have 30-plus hashtags on them. Ms. Pohlman adds you want to add good and bad hashtags and even some that are silly or simple, Like "Dog lovers" and "Cat Haters" Etc. The more that are added the farther the possible reach is. Ms. Bacon states that there is also the interaction in the comments, if someone is going to comment we also need to be proactive in responding. Being silly is also okay. Ms. Moore states that a lot of our posts are very serious and do not connect with our citizens, for example, the whole situation with "A-Hole Eddie" and the Humane Society. That dog is now famous. Now of course the city has policies and is unable to do some of the same things in that term but can do something along those lines. Ms. Pohlman asks why are we unable to do something like that but use different terminology. Ms. Moore states by using the word "Butthead". Ms. Bacon adds for example when we do have roosters, Ms. Bacon likes to name them and use funny names for them (She named one Ru Paul cause it was a very exaggerated attitude with a flashy look). When you add a catchy theme with something, along with being funny, people do catch on with that. Even if they are not adopting a rooster, they will share it because they enjoy it or think it is funny. Which then draws it back to our page. Mrs. Fagan continues by stating that we have all the greatest intentions with our ordinance campaigns and do all the work, then we do not have these cross-discussions to figure out how to maximize our work. Multiple suggestions are thrown out; using hashtags, putting a motto, making a skit out of it, etc. Councilor Taylor mentions using the news. It is responded that we do go for ordinances and that pet of the week is shot by the news at the shelter. Mrs. Fagan continues by referring back to the statement Ms. Moore made regarding city tags; For the city tags, she had wondered why we still do city tags. Well, one of the things that we added to the ordinance is that if you have a certain number of violations/convictions, then you are unable to get a city tag anymore. Which means you are unable to own animals anymore. That The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 is a big deal, and that's not one that we have pursued before but, we are pursuing these things that we haven't done before. For people who are repeat offenders can no longer have animals within the city limits of Wichita Falls. Ms. Pohlman states that she is surprised most people are unaware of this as she has never lived in a city that did not require a city tag. It is also mentioned that most vet offices do sell our tags,just not all. Mr. Jones states that many people do not understand why animals have to be registered. If we do have a natural disaster it allows us to know how to assist by, knowing how many animals are within our city. Ms. Moore states she likes to compare the city tags for animals just as we need a driver's license or ID card. B. Ordinance Campaign Ms. Bacon begins the next agenda. What the ordinance campaign is; is our PSA that we are doing on the most important ordinances that most people don't know. The three that we currently have left are litter permits, interference with duties, and feral cat feeding. We are going to be doing spots with KFDX and also KFDX and KAUZ will be running PSAs on their channels regarding these ordinances, in addition to past ones we have done. We have Councilor Smith who is slated to do the litter permit video, the interference with duties video will be done by Ms. Moore, and feral feeding which will be done by Ms. Bacon. Those videos will be on KFDX as well. Mrs. Fagan added by stating we have also made QR codes, which will be added to our website because we are missing the re-engagement on those videos. We are missing those not just on social media but also in person. So, all of the materials that she produces from here on, will have a QR code on it. This helps if someone has a question they can just scan it and it takes them to our page that has the ordinances on it and our videos that go along with it. For example, in our barking dog ordinance, barking dogs are the hardest thing to prove. If we drive up dogs are going to bark regardless, we have to park so many miles away and then, proceed to walk up to see if he can hear it. We now have a process set up with the municipal court, where they can do a barking dog law, there's a letter that they can do and all of that is on the website now. That is one that we believe we have improved on, which is the information we have available for citizens. Using that QR code, and looking back at all those videos so that people can see and know, will help with the issue that we fight against; the not knowing. Ms. Pohlman asks if we have a YouTube channel. Mrs. Fagan responds; The city does and that is one thing that we have not capitalized on. The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 Ms. Pohlman states that if we were to put all the videos that we have been working on, on that YouTube channel then, it would get more cross-reaction and go higher in the algorithm. Mrs. Fagan states that is on her list to discuss. Ms. Bacon also states we had thought about doing videos like "A Day in the Life of an ACO" Ms. Bacon continues; that this current ordinance campaign will end in the next three months but, she wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas for other ordinances that we haven't done so that we may be able to continue it. Mrs. Fagan stated she would like to see one done on "Rabies" not just the rabies rules, but about the why. For example, if your animals do not have a current rabies vaccine it can lead to $10,000 of Atrig, post-exposure, how much the shots hurt, and that you have to go in for 4 medical visits. Most people don't know anything about that side of things until they have to come into us and get medicine dispensed. For the video, we should tackle these aspects together, instead of seeing it as a"quarantine" only thing. Ms. Moore adds on to the idea, that it needs to be mentioned that when your dog goes into quarantine it does not label your dog as a "dangerous dog". That is one of the main things citizens will come in with tears about. From her personal experience working at the front desk, she states that; most people don't necessarily not want to leave their dog but, instead they are just afraid their animal will be euthanized because they hear this whole thing of their animal now being aggressive. Ms. Bacon suggests also doing a video on Adoptions and the reason why we do fence checks. This video would explain that this is not a barrier but,just a helpful tool. We adopt out to people that don't have fences. Having a fence is not a requirement to adopt out, the main reason we do fence checks is to verify we are not adopting out to someone who has a hole in their fence, then that dog gets out. We have also bought some of the Chicken Wire so that we can help citizens fix their fences. All this is for is to ensure you are a successful owner and/or successful new adopter and your dog stays at home with you. Many people believe they can not adopt from us due to us having fence checks so, that is something the public needs to be educated on. Ms. Moore states that it has been brought to our attention that many people believe we do not adopt out to people who live outside of city limits which we do, and that should be mentioned. Mrs. Fagan states that even as a new puppy parent adopting from here, there are some things we can probably do to help encourage people how to have a successful adoption at home. Multiple ideas said; letting them know to get a veterinarian, helpful tips section, etc. Councilor Taylor asks if there is a pet emergency vet here in town. Mr. Jones states that the emergency vet here in town is Simmons and Harlan. The Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC) Minutes Date: November 20, 2023 Ms. Pohlman states that what most don't realize is they charge for that and they charge extra. Ms. Bacon mentions there is a new law for veterinarians' offices that offer emergency services have to give a quote for what that visit would be so, that you're not blindsided when taking your animal in. This helps a lot. In addition, there is a Texas law that if we had a veterinarian on staff we could not treat an "owned" animal. For example, if someone comes in with their animal stating their dog needs their toe amputated but the vet's office is charging them thousands of dollars but, a shelter with a vet could do it for cheaper, we would still be unable to as the animal is owned. Ms. Pohlman adds that she has seen many people get upset when they adopt puppies or kittens from here and they may get sick. She states that she mentions that puppies and kittens get sick, and need a vet (It's not on the shelter) Ms. Moore states when adopting puppies the staff does hand out a parvo sheet, nothing is ever guaranteed when coming out of the shelter, vaccines that were given to the animal are explained, etc. Ms. Pohlman continues by saying Humane Society also gets a bad "rap", what most people do not understand is no matter where you adopt or shop, puppies and kittens get sick just as babies do. Mr. Jones reiterates that the whole concept is we do explain to them that they have received their first set of shots with us but, they still have other shots being puppies and kittens to help them not get sick while being so young. Ms. Bacon asks if there are any further ideas on more ordinance videos to do. Mrs. Fagan suggests doing a video on what ASAC is. Ms. Bacon states that she has already started on one for that, so she will add it to her next agenda item, that way everyone will be more informed on the roles and what we hoped to get from everyone. ADJOURN No date was set for the next meeting at this time. Ms. Pohlman motions to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Jones seconds the motion. The motions carried, all in favor. 11/4)Le:X., ISCX-C Nicki Bacon Date ASAC Chairman Animal Services Administrator