IRVINE ANIMAL CARE CENTER PUBLIC FORUM Planning our

IRVINE ANIMAL CARE CENTER PUBLIC FORUM Planning our Way Forward

Agenda for this Evening o Review the JVR Report • Who did the work? • What is it? • How will we use the information? o Major Policy Decisions – Where community input can assist us going forward • Mission, values and goals of the IACC • Definitions • Volunteer program

Next Steps Information collected tonight will be provided to City Council for consideration as it makes policy and budget determinations.

JVR Shelter Strategies o Performed by Dr. Jyothi Robertson, an alumnus of the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis o Previously served as medical director for OAS, an open admission municipal shelter in the Bay Area o Is a delegate for the California Veterinary Medical Association o On the Executive Board of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and sits on 4 other national veterinary boards

Examples of JVR Consultation Services o General management practices o Population planning including statistical analysis o Sanitation protocols o Intake processing and flow-through planning

The JVR Report Contains Recommendations on: • Intake and Processing of Animals • Facility Use and Repurposing of Spaces • Cleaning and Sanitation • Volunteer Program • Behavioral Health and Enrichment Overview • Capacity for Care, Population Medicine and Length -of-Stay

Recommendations for Infrastructure and Operational Improvement A few notable examples: • Cat Kitchen – repurpose this room as Cat Isolation for sick cats • Outdoor dog pens – remove coverings on outdoor dog runs • Cages with wooden bases and frames should be discarded • Review cleaning protocols for dogs • Continue to utilize accelerated hydrogen peroxide for all cleaning and sanitation • Create consistent procedures that minimizes spread of contaminants from one litter box to the next • The order of cleaning should be from most susceptible animals to least • Create a hand-feeding program for dogs

Next Steps for Infrastructure and Operational Improvement Task groups of staff members have been established and implementation plans are being developed.

Major Policy Decisions for Discussion o What is the community vision for the IACC? o What is the mission of the IACC and how does this play into our planning for continued operations – C 4 C o What should be the goals of the IACC? o How do we enhance and strengthen our volunteer program?

Major Policy Decisions for Discussion, cont’d. o How do we define an “adoptable” animal? o What should our policy be on euthanasia and enhanced care for animals? o How do we pay for enhanced care? o Budget implications

Our Proposed Mission, Values and Goals Statement for Discussion Mission • The Irvine Animal Care Center (IACC) is committed to be a safe, clean and caring environment while advocating for animals and promoting healthy human and animal relationships. Values • Mutual Respect, Innovation, Integrity, Professionalism, Flexibility, Responsiveness

Our Proposed Mission, Values and Goals Statement for Discussion, cont’d. Goals • Increase placement of adoptable animals • Attract, retain and develop professional, caring staff and volunteers • Provide and monitor programs that will provide for well-being of animals at IACC • Provide programs and services to improve human and animal relationships • Identify and secure additional financial resources to support special programs such as Third Chance, Extended and Enhanced Care

Asilomar Accords (a national example) In August 2004, a group of animal welfare industry leaders from across the nation convened at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, to build bridges across varying philosophies, developing relationships and creating goals focused on significantly reducing the euthanasia of healthy and treatable companion animals in the United States.

How do we define an “Adoptable” animal Asilomar Accords Evaluation • Healthy § IACC Approach = Adoptable • Treatable Rehabilitate § IACC Approach = Adoptable with enhanced care funding. Propose if funds available IACC decision up to $1, 500. Consult with Irvine Pet Partners (IPP) subcommittee on items above $1, 500 • Treatable Manageable § IACC Approach = Potentially Adoptable. Funding as above. May seek rescue or other humane options, at times requiring donations

How do we define an “Adoptable” animal, cont’d. Asilomar Accords Evaluation • Unhealthy and Untreatable § IACC Approach = Unadoptable because of 1. behavioral or temperamental characteristics that poses a health or safety risk or otherwise makes the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet and 2. are suffering from a disease, injury that adversely affects the animal’s health.

Volunteer Program Recommendations o Volunteers are a major asset to IACC operations o More structure needs to be in place for the volunteer program to be more effective and efficient – some examples: • Hire an individual to manage the program full-time • Develop a mentor program • Develop a process to address volunteers who are not following the mentor agreement • Revise the volunteer agreement and handbook • Inform new volunteers that they must commit to a regular schedule • Consider establishing volunteer “ambassadors”

Capacity for Care or C 4 C “The capacity of an organization to care for the animals in its facility is perhaps the most fundamental factor that must be defined and is based on an organization’s resources, staffing, housing and animals as they all align with mission and goals. ” – JVR Report

Limits and Capacity for Care o Number of appropriate housing units o Number and condition of the animals o Staffing and staff training o Average length of stay o Number of return to owners, adoptions and transfers