2018 SBACC Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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We would like for it to be as easy as possible for the owners of lost pets to be able to reunite with their pets. Towards that goal, we would like to see all new"found" or ACO picked-up animals photographed and placed into a "New Arrivals" album on Facebook and on the website. Those photographs, coupled with the arrival dates and locations that the animals were found,would be a good resource for the shelter and the public alike. SBACC is using social media to announce lost pets now, but we believe a comprehensive album with photographs, updated daily,would give the public a solid resource and lessen the need of people having to walk the shelter itself daily to search for lost pets. We would like to see a more robust web site for SBACC, possibly as a stand-alone website(from the City of South Bend website) along with a donation link to make it easier for fundraising. Building a donor database and fundraising is important to any animal shelter, as is customized content. All SBACC calls are now being routed through the 311 operators. While we understand that this can take a burden off of various departments, in the case of SBACC, where you are dealing with live pets instead of a utility, it not only is off-putting, but is also dangerous when it comes to animal emergencies. Wait times to connect with a 311 operator are random and can be over 6 minutes. If you have a situation with an animal that has been hit by a car, or is injured in some manner-that wait time becomes crucial. Not onlyis apet sufferingwhile a customer has to wait to connect with an operator, P , but when they finally do,they then have to place the call to SBACC before someone can be dispatched. Pets can also be traffic hazards, and again,when routing calls through 311,there is an additional wait time. We feel that SBACC should, at a minimum, have at least one dedicated line that the public can call for emergencies that will route straight to SBACC. Staffing at the shelter simply needs to be increased.The nature of the work itself-work that is a critical service to any city-as mentioned earlier, is physically and emotionally demanding work. When you factor in the amount of animals that our shelter sees and cares for per year, let alone calls from the public that ACOs are attending to across the city,they have their hands full. In the interest of saving lives, and in reducing some of the burden on current employees, we would like to see the part-time employees made full time, or in the alternative, adding another full time person to staff. In general, employee and animal welfare would be better served. Many of the animals brought to the shelter as strays are in need of some type of medical attention. We would like to see an increased budget to help with medical expenses so that all animals can be medically treated,thus leaving the shelter alive and altered. We also firmly support that dogs and cats brought to the shelter need to be spayed or neutered before they leave, and also microchipped. So much has been accomplished by the City on a whole to make South Bend a vibrant community.As a Commission, we hope the future goals of the Mayor's office and the City of South Bend Common Council include increased levels of support for compassionate animal welfare and South Bend Animal Care and Control. Even if you are personally not a pet owner, animal health and welfare is directly related to human health and welfare in our cities. Historically,animal welfare in our city has been a low priority that is reflected in everything from police assistance to budgetary support.The very model of the agency as one of"control"for mainly health reasons is long outdated. While health and human safety is always a concern (from rabid bats in the county,to stray animals being a danger to themselves as well as motorists or other animals), health and human safety is not the only factor. A successful community has animal welfare at the forefront and flips that model to one of kindness along with public health. It gives the community a chance to "buy-in" and feel pride about having