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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 SBACC Annual Report Filed in Clerk's Office E--MAYO72019 KAREEMAH FOWLER ANNUAL REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2018 CIN CLERK,SOUTH BEND,IN Animal Control Commission of the City of South Bend, Indiana '--- April 30, 2019 Dear Mayor Buttigieg and Common Council Members of the City of South Bend, Greetings from the Animal Control Commission. Under Section 5-97 of the Municipal Code of the City of South Bend, Indiana,the responsibilities of the Animal Control Commission are (in part) as follows: Sec. 5-97. -Duties and responsibilities of the animal control commission. The Animal Control Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities: (1)To receive and review recommendations made by the Shelter Manager; (2)To recommend proposed policies, principles, standards and regulations for the control and humane treatment of all animal regulated by this chapter; (3)To review and make advisory recommendations aimed at improving regulations and enforcement of the regulations codified into this chapter to the Common Council; (4)To submit to the Mayor and the Common Council no later than March 1 stof each year a written report of its activities and recommendations; (5)To hear appeals within ten (10)working days (excluding holidays and weekends) of any appeal being filed on the determination of: a. An animal being deemed a "potentially dangerous animal"; and/or b. A person or persons alleged to have "provoked" an animal resulting in a violation of this chapter. (6) Such determinations shall be reduced to writing with the original of the same being maintained by the City and copies being sent to the person or persons filing an appeal, with copies also being maintained in the Division of Animal Care and Control. Electronic notification of such determinations shall be sent to all Animal Control Officers and the South Bend Police Department. (Ord. No. 10309-14, § I, 5-28-14) The Commission, as a body, underwent a few notable changes in 2018 and 2019. On August 14, 2018, Dr. Betsy Culp resigned as a Commission member. We thank Dr. Culp for her service. Although Sec. 5-96(b) states that "The Commission shall meet at least once each month, or upon special call by the Chair or upon the written request to the Chair by any three (3) members." the City Legal Department decided that the requirement of having one member of the Commission who was a licensed veterinarian, see Sec. 5-95(c),would prohibit us from meeting until a replacement veterinarian was found.The Commission did not meet for regular meetings or hearings in September or October. Dr. Mariah Covey was sworn in as a Commission member and regular meetings resumed on November 1, 2018.We welcome Dr. Covey. Although this report is intended to be for the year 2018, after the January 3, 2019 Commission meeting, prior President and then-current Vice-President, Rebecca Kaiser's term closed. We thank Ms. Kaiser for her years of service on the Commission. The changes to the Commission resulted in our Annual Report being overlooked,with the end result that we submit this past the due date. Our sincere apologies for the tardiness of this submission. ANNUAL REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2018 1. INTAKES/OUTCOMES 2. ENFORCEMENT 3. PROGRAMS 4. SHELTER CONSTRAINTS 5. REVISION TO CHAPTER 5 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 6. COMMISSION HEARINGS 7. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. INTAKES/OUTCOMES In 2018, SBACC had an intake of 2,650 animals. Comparatively, the St. Joseph County Humane Society, an agency that covers the cities of Mishawaka, Osceola, Lakeville, North Liberty, Walkerton, Roseland, the Universities of Notre Dame and St. Mary's, and St. Joseph County, only took in 700 more animals for the year than SBACC did. Also worth noting is the fact that SBACC has fully a third less staff and shelter space. Out of the 2,650 animals taken in, 370 were returned to their owners (RTO), 753 were sent to rescue,and 652 (an average of 54 per month) animals were adopted out. Excluding bite cases, owner requested euthanasia, and Indiana State Department of Health cases,428 animals were euthanized. (Please see SBACC metrics for details on ill/injured animals). An important figure to note is that in 2018, 21 animals were euthanized for Time and Space. In 2014,the number of animals euthanized for Time and Space alone was 270! SBACC is showing consistent and positive improvement since the new shelter manager,Jenn Gobel, was hired in November of 2016. In the first subsequent year(2017) SBACC staff decreased the number of euthanized animals by 140 for Time and Space! By the Numbers: (These numbers include ALL species and wildlife). Total Intake: 2,650 animals, of which, 1,210 were dogs and 1097 were cats. Return to Owner: 370 Adoptions: 652 (391 more than in 2016) Rescue: 753 Euthanasia: 815 (21 Time/Space) Animals in Shelter as of 12/31/18 Close of Business: 60 2. ENFORCEMENT Animal Control Officers (ACOs) have also done an excellent job of increasing enforcement by their response to calls, and when necessary, issuing citations and Animal Welfare Alerts (AWAs). In 2018,there were roughly 1,023 citations written and 1,580 AWAs.The drive for enforcement is not to monetize animal-related matters, but to ensure that the current ordinance is complied with for the safety of our citizens, and for the humane treatment of the pet population within the city limits. SBACC as a whole, and ACOs in particular, have used these enforcement tools to not only relieve the suffering of animals, but to educate pet owners regarding the expectations for positive pet ownership as outlined in our ordinance, and for the health and safety of their (and others') pets. Unfortunately,there are those within the city limits who abuse, neglect, injure and otherwise harm animals no matter how much enforcement and education SBACC staff provide. SBACC is bringing cases in front of the Commission for hearings for those who will not abide by the Municipal Code of the City of South Bend, Indiana as it pertains to animals. The Commission would also like to ask for the support and involvement of the Mayor's Office, the City Council,the South Bend Police Department and the St.Joseph County Prosecutor to combat behavior against animals,especially in regards to criminal abuse of an animal, and dog fighting (see IN 35-46-3). South Bend Animal Care and Control needs these partnerships to effectively prosecute the abuse cases and dog fighting in our area. Dog fighting is an insidious crime that is not just about the cruelty,torture, and wanton killing of the animals involved, but is part of a network of crimes ranging from theft, illegal gambling,to drugs and firearm crimes. South Bend would be a safer community for both animals and people if dog fighting and animal cruelty were strongly focused on. 3. PROGRAMMING SBACC staff has successfully increased the number of partnerships with rescues throughout the region to ensure that adoptable animals can and will find homes. SBACC participates in weekend adoption events at PetSmart stores and has regular adoption spots on WSBTTV and other local media programs. It is important to maintain a community presence and to showcase adoptable animals. SBACC is also utilizing social media platforms to highlight everything from adoptable animals to animals found as strays. In this society, a strong social media presence is a must. SBACC has a volunteer photographer,Tami Barbour,who takes excellent photographs of the pets at SBACC to help increase their adoptions across various platforms. The Commission is grateful to Ms. Barbour for her wonderful contributions! "Operation Silent Night," an open house and raffle at the shelter in December, had the goal of clearing the adoption floor of pets before the holidays and it was a huge success! The shelter was full of potential adopters from opening until closing, and 26 animals found their new homes. SBACC had also hosted "Photos with Santa" earlier in the month. SBACC's participation during South Bend City events such as the Dog Days of Summer and the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, highlights adoptable animals, and allows shelter staff and volunteers to build relationships with community members.These type of interactions can help to inform members of the public about their shelter and its programming,while showcasing adoptable animals.These events also help to form positive relationships with citizens who may not have had much exposure to the shelter. SBACC has also held training seminars for the public to assist in dog training which helps keep pets in homes. 4. SHELTER CONSTRAINTS Some of the largest obstacles for SBACC to realize their full potential and attain a "no kill" status,which is a must for any modern community, is the small number of staff members and the lack of physical space in the building to accommodate the sheer number of pets that pass through their doors on a yearly basis.The dedicated tasks that must be fulfilled on a daily basis in running a shelter are numerous and time consuming. The shelter only has 20 dog kennels in their adoption area and 15 for the dogs in the stray hold area, (there are 4 in isolation and 2 in the treatment room as well).The cat situation is as bad with only 18 small kennels and a community cat room that can hold approximately 12 cats. When you consider that SBACC dealt with 2,650 animals this past year,with these space limitations for the animals, you should be able to extrapolate just how difficult the job is for shelter staff to move pets quickly, not to mention the risk to the animals to have a successful live outcome placement. According to Maddie's Fund, a no-kill shelter is defined as: "Maddie's Fund and most in the no-kill movement define a no-kill shelter,a no-kill city, a no-kill community or a no-kill nation as a place where all healthy and treatable animals are saved and where only unhealthy&untreatable animals are euthanized. Maddie's Fund uses the definitions in the Asilomar Accords to define these terms." [Emphasis added] It is consistently held that to achieve a no-kill designation,a shelter has to have a consistent live release rate above 90 percent. SBACC offers euthanasia as a service to pet owners, and there will be cases where a truly humane euthanasia needs to occur in any municipal shelter. But in its truest sense, humane euthanasia needs to be reserved for those cases in which it is absolutely necessary, i.e. when an animal is so ill or injured (or behaviorally presents a health and safety risk)that they are not going to become healthy in the future, even if provided the care that a reasonable pet owner would provide.The minimum goal is for at least 9 out of every 10 animals that enter the shelter to leave the shelter alive. Animals that are loose in the city can be there for a few reasons. Many have gotten loose from owners, some are victims of neglect, and some are intentionally abandoned. In certain cases, when people fear that the shelter will kill a pet they can no longer care for,they abandon that animal on the street thinking it will have a "better chance"of living without thinking of the dangers. Unfortunately, that begins a problematic cycle. When pets are abandoned, it causes more work for the shelter as unaltered animals reproduce,when abandoned animals who can't care for themselves starve and become ill or injured, or cause risks to the public by being in traffic.This in turn begets more shelter deaths, when ill and injured animals are brought in as strays, and the cycle completes.This cycle can be broken when a shelter has attained a no kill status. Unwarranted "euthanasia" of animals also takes a very human toll. Recent studies have shown how animal shelter staffers and veterinarians can "burn out" due to the emotional impacts of euthanasia related stress and depression. Another constraint on SBACC is the staffing level. Animal shelter employees on a whole are generally in a position where the work itself is physically and emotionally demanding, staffing levels are not at an optimum capacity, and the compensation levels are less than lucrative. While we are not discussing compensation,South Bend Animal Care and Control non-managerial staff consists of 2 part- time staff members,3 Animal Control Assistants, and 4 Animal Control Officers who cover calls across the entire city. Under the current shelter manager, SBACC has positively worked to lower euthanasia rates numbers that former shelter managers did not come close to attaining.The goal of attaining no kill status is much closer, due to the hard work and dedication of this small staff. 5. REVISION TO CHAPTER 5 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA The Commission is currently reviewing an update to Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code of the City of South Bend, Indiana. Although the ordinance was updated in May of 2014,there are provisions that need to be addressed or were written in such a manner that the City Legal Department feels they are too vague to enforce. We are looking forward to a completed revision that will allow enforcement to function as it should to keep the welfare of the pets and our community safe. Once the Commission completes our review, we hope to have the backing of the Mayor's office and City Council to pass the updated version as soon as possible. 6. COMMISSION HEARINGS The Animal Control Commission continues to meet for specific case hearings brought by SBACC and the Legal Department regarding violations of the Municipal Code. Most cases presented to the Commission are those involving bite cases, abuse or neglect cases, or for those persons considered habitual animal offenders. In 2018, we lost two months of regular meetings and hearings by being unable to meet after Dr. Culp resigned, so the number of hearings is not as robust as it could have been. Discussions are also continuing as to how the process can be streamlined so more cases can be heard in an effective manner. 7. RECOMMENDATIONS All current programs, educational activities and efforts to promote adoptions, spay and neuter programs, anti-cruelty initiatives, enforcement of animal control laws and regulations, cruelty investigations, humane community cat management, and training opportunities are effective and crucial. These programs need to continue, be supported, and we encourage them to continue offering, and expanding upon all programs to increase live outcome rates, public education, and community awareness. We hope that the foster program SBACC currently has can be a focus and will continue to grow. Foster families for pets can alleviate stressors for both shelter staff and pets. When pets are in foster homes,there is more room in the physical shelter facility on high intake days, and overall, less demand on staff time. A foster home network also provides pets with a less stressful environment where they can be truly assessed, exercised, and taught basic manners. Most importantly, a robust foster network reduces the euthanasia rate. 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 compassionate animal welfare. It allows us to leave behind the stigma of municipal shelters as nothing more than killing grounds. Millennials are even choosing housing and locations to live based on how animal-friendly the communities are. If we are going to be a forward-thinking city, we need to up our game on animal issues. Respectfully submitted, Pa.vk.e l a,S. W e,s c ir Pamela S. Wesolowski,Vice President On behalf of the City of South Bend Animal Control Commission Dr. Mariah Covey, President Pamela S. Wesolowski,Vice President Barbara Leavell, Secretary Lynne Losecco (New Member Karen Haun)