These statements were made at the July 28th Board of Supervisors meeting.
Inaccurate Statement
San Bernardino County’s Animal Care and Control Budget is $30,000,000.
RESPONSE: The budget for the San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Division of the Department of Public Health is $6,808,099 for fiscal year 2011-12. FRIENDS: Boy, if the budget were that $30 million, we wouldn't have a need for this blog and those activists wouldn't exist.
Inaccurate Statement
It is estimated the cost to capture, house and euthanize or adopt stray animals is $450.00 per animal in San Bernardino County.
RESPONSE: During fiscal year 2009-10, San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control (ACC) served 24,320 animals utilizing our two (2) animal shelter facilities and six (6) contract animal shelter facilities. Total budget for ACC during FY 2009-10 was $6,603,564. If you consider developing an average cost per animal, by dividing the total budget amount by the number of animals served, you could establish an average cost of $271.53. This methodology is extremely inaccurate, and the cost basis reflected in the ACC Division’s total budget includes program costs that are unrelated to apprehension, care and sheltering. As an example, the $180,000 utilized to fund the County’s spay/neuter voucher program is included in ACC’s total budget. If unrelated costs were removed from the total budget the per animal cost would be significantly lower. FRIENDS: All they can see is putting blankets in kennels without regards as to any costs involved, even just a small thing like that can cost the taxpayer. SBACC has to live within a budget.
Inaccurate Statement
No other shelter system in Southern California euthanizes animals within one (1) to two (2) weeks of impoundment.
RESPONSE: Several animal shelters including San Bernardino City and Riverside County animal shelters have reduced their animal holding period back to seventy-two (72) hours to be consistent with the suspension of the Hayden Bill. San Bernardino County operated animal shelters still hold animals ninety-six (96) hours, not including the day of impoundment, with rare exception, as provided within California State law. Other animal shelter facilities are, in fact, only housing animals for one (1) week or less, as provided for within California State law. FRIENDS: The question bears asking why these activists aren't demonstrating in front of those shelters with less adoption hours?
Inaccurate Statement
San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control does not have staff assigned to the task of serving as “rescue group coordinators.”
RESPONSE: Both of the lead Supervisors at our Devore Animal Shelter serve as “rescue group coordinators.” The County has in excess of ninety (90) charitable non-profit 501 (c) (3) organizations that are enrolled as “rescue group partners.” The enrolled organizations can coordinate their requests with one (1) of the assigned animal shelter Supervisors, who will determine if an additional amount of time can be granted to a respective animal to allow a rescue group to pick up the animal. FRIENDS: Coordinate is the key word here, not something like placing a hold on every pet in the shelter even through the rescue group has no desire to receive the pet(s). This places an undue burden on the shelter system, creates overcrowded conditions in the kennels and waste taxpayer funds.
Inaccurate Statement
Animals admitted to the Devore Animal Shelter do not receive “vaccinations” for D.H.L.P. & P. or Bordetella (kennel cough).
RESPONSE: All animals are vaccinated upon admission for potentially life threatening diseases, with the exception of those animals which are vicious, aggressive, may be sick or showing signs of a recognized illness upon admission. Dogs are vaccinated with DA2PPVL vaccine which protects against the following diseases: Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza, Canine Parvovirus , and Leptospirosis and they also receive a Bordetella vaccination. Cats are vaccinated with FVRCP vaccine which protects against the following diseases Feline Viral Rhinotracheiti, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia. FRIENDS: Also keep in mind that although vaccinations may be administered, it takes time for them to take effect. Pets can become ill in that time.
Inaccurate Statement
San Diego County has half the budget allotted to their Animal Services Department, when compared to San Bernardino County’s Animal Care and Control Division.
RESPONSE: The County of San Diego has allocated $15,343,329 to their Animal Services Department in FY 2011-12. This is more than double the amount allocated to San Bernardino County’s Animal Care and Control Division. FRIENDS: Well, what can one say about this only that these activists have flat out lied on this one. Wonder what their purpose was in doing that?
Inaccurate Statement
Animal are sent to “Pet Fairs” without full Veterinary Care.
RESPONSE: Animals sent to Pet Fairs are examined by veterinarians who provide service to the County and are spayed or neutered prior to being taken to the Pet Fair. If the animal has a diagnosed illness, it is not a candidate to be taken to a Pet Fair. The unfortunately reality is the animal may be incubating or harboring a disease which is undiagnosed at the time of examination or surgery. Animals may become ill after being sterilized, due to the fact they were admitted to the shelter with an illness and were not showing or displaying signs of the ailment at the time the surgical procedure was performed. FRIENDS: Refer back to the comment I made on vaccinations. Dealing with animals is not black or white, lots of grey area.
Inaccurate Statement
The County’s Animal Shelter in Devore has an extremely high euthanasia or “kill” rate.
RESPONSE: The number of animals euthanized at the Devore Animal Shelter is consistent with other animal shelter facilities serving San Bernardino County. See below chart for 2010 CY statistics: FRIENDS: And these stats would go right along with the unemployment rate of 14% and SB being one of the poorest counties in California. Poor people don't spend their money on adoption fees. The economy forces people to surrender their pets to shelter. Uphill battle.
Animal Shelter Total Dog/Cat Admissions Dogs/Cats Adoptions Dogs/Cats Euthanized
Town of Apple Valley 4,884
Barstow Humane Society 2,488
Big Bear Animal Shelter (County) 705 301
City of Hesperia
City of San Bernardino 17,873
Devore Animal Shelter (County) 15,496
Town of Yucca Valley 3,480
City of Needles
Inaccurate Statement
San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control lacks a volunteer program at the Devore Animal Shelter.
RESPONSE: Volunteers are utilized in program areas in which the volunteer’s needs and expectations are a “good match” with the volunteer assignment provided. Our intent is to make sure the needs of both the volunteer and the organization are achieved. As such, those individuals wishing to assist in animal placement are assigned to assist in providing volunteer support during one (1) of our scheduled forty-eight (48) off-site pet adoption events. Work release volunteers are assigned to perform various tasks directly at the Devore Animal Shelter. Those wishing to gain experience in enforcement activities, can apply to be a “Reserve Animal Control Officer.” Those individuals wishing to support the Devore Animal Shelter are referred to one (1) of the many non-profit, charitable 501 (c) (3) organizations that are enrolled as “rescue partners” with the shelter. The animals at the Devore Shelter benefit, the volunteers benefit because they are working for an organization that is established to rescue pets and the community benefits by placing additional animals with our rescue partners. FRIENDS: With this atmosphere created by the activists, would you trust these people in the shelter? I don't want them anywhere near it myself.
We have found that the Devore animal shelter and the staff who work there are always willing to answer any questions that have been advanced by their critics. The problem is the critics do not like the answers they receive, so they must fabricate, distort or make-up statements to further their “reform No-Kill” agenda. As listed above, several statements made by the “No-Kill activists” are outright lies.
ReplyDeleteI also have found that true. Anytime I have mentioned something to them, they did it right then and there while I was there. The critics, as you call them, don't like the answers so they distort them. "No Kill" is nothing but one big lie.
ReplyDelete