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No More Homeless Pets Forum
August 11, 2003 Animal Control: Leading the Way? |
Animal Control leading the way? Ed Boks revolutionized animal control in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona and is now director of the New York City Center for Animal Care and Control. He believes animal control can take a leadership role in the no-kill movement. Find out how his innovative approach can help your community reach its no-kill goals.
Questions
Planting the seed of "care and control" rather than just control
Working with animal control in a rural community
Getting animal control to neuter before adoption
Determining the actual cost of animal control
Having more convenient shelter hours for AC
Can AC also be in charge of shelter operations without a conflict?
Using volunteers to help AC reach its goal
Getting hold of animal control budgets and numbers
Making AC a priority in a community when there isn't even dog licensing
Where to find cost savings on spay/neuter
Challenging pet limit laws
Building trust with animal control
When do you stop trying to work with AC that doesn't want to work with you?
Making positive change when there is a sense of apathy and lethargy
Animal control and ferals
Planting the seed of "care and control" rather than just control
Question from Judy:
I'd like to "plant" the "Care and Control" idea in my community and/or agency rather than the current Dog Warden and Animal Control name and mentality. What is the best way to do that?Response from Ed:
I submit that one of the best ways to do that would be to get involved with your animal control program. Suggest to the animal control managers the need for a strategic plan to address the expectations and demands of the community. An effective strategic planning process will quickly discern what the community expects from animal control in the way of non-lethal, humane strategies for resolving its pet related problems.Community demand should always dictate the organization's mission, not state statute, municipal ordinances, or the Office of Management and Budget. These forces may dictate the budget, but they should never dictate the mission. Animal control is a government agency developed by the community to address animal control problems. Few communities would ever endorse wholesale euthanasia as an effective or worthy means to that end. And yet, many animal control agencies adopt euthanasia as an appropriate tool for fixing this problem because it is fiscally expedient.
That thinking has to change. Once an agency understands the community's expectations, and it redefines its mission to meet those expectations by including animal care with control, it is ready to design, develop, and implement programs that meet the approval of the community. That agency will then find its community is willing to support its new creative, innovative thinking.
Working with animal control in a rural community
Question from Susan:
I am from a very rural county, where dogs are tied in the back yard and shooting dogs out behind the house is commonplace. The county doesn't even interpret our state law of "animals must have necessary sustenance" to include shade in 95 degree weather, which tells you about the mentality towards animal welfare. Consequently, our county shelter is WAY behind the times. Animals are adopted out for $5.00 a piece and there is no spay/neuter clause because "folks out here just won't go for it" - the exact words of the administration.I have gone in there and removed animals from cages who were literally in a dying state, having them euthanized at the local vet; I've bought food bowls for the shelter because they would place 1 bowl of food in a pen with 3-4 dogs; they place dogs covered in mange in pens with other dogs; and I've witnessed numerous dog fights because they place strange dogs together. I must say it is hard to NOT have negative feelings towards animal control in this type of situation. BUT, I like the manager a lot, and I do believe he does the best he can, albeit he is afraid to make too many waves. What would be the best way to address some of these serious issues, in such a rural community, and without alienating the shelter manager?
Response from Ed:
It's difficult to respond, not knowing all the particulars concerning your community's awareness. Why is the animal control manager afraid of making waves? What constitutes making waves? It sounds like you are on the right track; it is just a matter of spreading the word and garnering additional support. Is the Shelter Manager open to a fund raising event to spotlight the needs of the animals? Much can be done, but not in a vacuum. Word must get into the community concerning the need. That can be done without being critical of animal control; just be truthful. Your community has a serious need. The county or city may not have the ability to address the need with appropriate funding. What a great opportunity to ask the community for help. The problem is a community problem, it is only fitting that the community help resolve it. It would be great if the shelter manager would join you in this effort, then he would not be seen as an obstacle to change but a proponent of change.Comment from Lana:
Susan doesn't say where she lives, but her description of the rural mentality sounds very familiar. I am in a rural county in northwest Tennessee and the common method of animal control here is shooting, drowning or poisoning. I've always heard a picture is worth a thousand words. If Susan could take photographs of the dying and suffering animals and get those in the media, the community might become part of the solution instead of the problem.Getting animal control to neuter before adoption
Question from Cassey:
The forum speakers consistently talk about the goal of "increasing the amount of animals that are spayed/neutered". While our humane society already fixes all animals that leave the shelter, how would we convince the local animal control to do the same thing, if a coalition has not been formed between the two organizations?Response from Ed:
Often times the best argument to make to municipal leaders to convince them of the wisdom of spay/neuter programs is a budget argument. Studies have shown that for every one dollar invested in spay/neuter programs nearly $20 is saved over ten years. Aggressive spay/neuter programs results in fewer impounds, fewer euthanasias, and a community in control of its pet overpopulation problem.Determining the actual cost of animal control
Question from Michelle:
I'm an ardent supporter of shelters actively fundraising to support programs that increase adoptions and decrease euthanasia, but I sometimes feel that shelters are given unfunded or at least under funded mandates to provide animal control services. Often it seems as though animal control is the last line item on a county's budget. I worked with one shelter recently whose total food budget for the year for its animals was $1,500! The shelter regularly has 30-50 dogs in its kennels per week. If the shelter ran out of money for food, which I'm told they did at least once last year, they were in a real bind. In many municipalities it seems as though the county lawmakers creating the budget do so arbitrarily, often without ever even stepping foot into the shelter to see the county's needs. I'm wondering if you can explain how you work with your county to determine its financial commitment to the shelter each year and, can you offer any advice about how shelters can help county officials determine the shelter's basic needs so the county can budget accordingly? Are there ways shelter management can be more proactive about making the county responsible for funding the necessities?Response from Ed:
You are quite right; many municipal leaders do not understand the complexities and needs of running a humane animal care and control program. In Maricopa County we are in what seems to be a unique situation. We do not get one dollar from the County General Fund. We have to earn our funding the old fashioned way - we have to earn it. Our agency is set up like a business, with one caveat: we can't make a profit.The way we obtain our funding is through contracts with cities and towns for their animal control services. We also get dog license and shelter fees to fund our shelter operations.
Because we can't make a profit we had to determine what the actual cost of doing business is. So we hired a firm to do a "cost service analysis". They determined the actual costs associated with every service we provide. Having a respected third party analyze the costs for providing services took all the argument out of the discussion. With this information in hand, the cities and towns could only tell us the level of service they could afford. We could also adjust our shelter fees so that we are not losing money. I'm doing this very analysis in New York City now.
Once we plugged up all the holes where resources were being lost we started to focus on developing alternative funding sources. We formed our own 501(c) 3 to do fundraising for us. We initiated many no-kill focused goals and programs the community supported. Donations became a significant revenue stream that enabled us to do many of the innovative programs we've developed here that we would never get a municipality to pay for.
It is indeed ironic that municipalities are very willing to fund programs that react to animal control problems, but don't solve them. We recognized long ago that municipalities would never be able to provide the funding necessary to finance an effective animal care and control program. It will often take the courage to get out there and make the money the old fashioned way... I encourage animal control departments everywhere to become as independent as possible. Charge cost recovery fees and fund raise.
The issues we are solving are societal problems and it is going to take the community to solve them. And the community will help solve them as soon as animal control provides the moral leadership to address these problems.
Having more convenient shelter hours for AC
Question from Bobbi:
It appears that most animal control agencies have hours of operation and visitors hours so limited that it's almost impossible for people to seek their lost pet or go to look for one. It is always a budget issue as to why they can't have later hours and/or be open all weekend. Hoe do you convince them differently? I'm sure this would save more lives if hours were user friendly.Response from Ed:
I share your conviction. That is why our three shelters in Maricopa County are open seven days a week and into the evening hours. As much as I harp on recovering costs as much as possible there are some areas where we will never recover costs, and that is in adoptions. But that doesn't mean that we don't find a way to raise money in other areas to supplement what we lose in adoptions and extended hours.I am facing this very issue in New York City. I fully intend to get all five shelters operational seven days a week. But I can't just wave a magic wand and do that; I have to be able to pay for those extended hours.
To answer your question directly, when it comes to convincing "them" of the moral imperative of extended hours, you have to offer a compelling argument. A shelter manager has to justify how he/she will pay for the costs associated with those extended hours. A vibrant volunteer program can help buy down those costs. Using technology to post pictures can help offset the inconvenience of limited hours. There is always a way, you just have to find it.
Comment from Jenn:
I would like to offer a response to the person who wrote in asking how the Animal Control shelter could expand its hours to make them more convenient to the public. The answer may lie in hanging the hours rather than increasing them. For example, the shelter may currently be open from 9 am until 5 pm, the very time that most people with traditional jobs are at work. If the animal control facility were open from 11 am to 7 pm, the same number of hours, it would afford many people a greater opportunity to visit the shelter. Having volunteers commit to operating the shelter on weekends could also aid in creating convenient hours without incurring a large cost.Can AC also be in charge of shelter operations without a conflict?
Question from Denise:
In the jurisdiction where I live the Animal Welfare organization's Chief Animal Control Officer is ALSO the Director of Shelter Operations... a direct conflict of interest with the government role of Animal Control being held by the same person that is in charge of the non-profit's shelter operations. How can that be fair?Response from Ed:
I disagree with your premise. I see no conflict of interest in combining these roles. My whole career is devoted to obliterating the wall that divides animal care from animal control. I am in the very position you describe. I am directly responsible for both the animal care functions of shelter operations and the animal control functions of field operations for the two largest animal control programs in the United States.Combining animal care and control creates the strongest platform for articulating the moral arguments of no-kill and other humane issues. It is easy to be the leader of a humane or animal welfare organization and pass the hat asking folks to fund all the wonderful work you do. But as wonderful as the work these folks do, they are not in the trenches every day doing the work that will forever transform a community. Only when the no-kill imperative becomes integrated into every community's animal control program will we see the dawning of a new day in animal welfare in this country. We're proving that every day in Maricopa County, and soon we hope to prove it in New York City!
Using volunteers to help AC reach its goal
Question from a member:
A few weeks ago on the forum, Nathan Winograd answered a question about animal control saying that they cannot have volunteers because of union issues and liability issues. Our animal control is telling us the same thing, and saying they also can't do off-site adoptions because of liability. Since you head a large animal control that does use volunteers and off-site adoptions, I'd like to get your opinion on this and how we can approach our animal control.Response from Ed:
We have a wonderful volunteer workforce, both in Maricopa County and New York City. We could never do the wonderful things we are doing if not for the commitment and dedication of our volunteers.We simply ask our volunteers to sign a liability waiver to participate in our programs. It's really quite simple as that. The waiver was developed by our legal counsel. A similar waiver agreement could be drafted and used in any community.
I understand that some unions are concerned when volunteers perform the same duties as an employee. Volunteers are not meant to replace employees, only to support them. Volunteers enable an agency to engage in events and services they could not do otherwise. So the concern is quite unfounded and most union representatives are reasonable enough to understand the benefits of a Volunteer Program for the employees when it is explained to them.
The fact that the two largest animal control agencies in the United States rely heavily on volunteers should cause legal counsels in other communities to recognize it can be done, is being done. I'd be happy to pass on our waiver statement to any counsel wanting to review it.
Comment from Dorathy:
Off site adoptions run by volunteers are an excellent way of supplementing hours of shelter operation without increasing shelter costs. As a municipal shelter manager I can tell you from experience that no matter what hours of operation you hold to, the general public will want them increased to accommodate their schedules. Off site adoptions at local pet stores can give you a much-added bonus of hours you don't have to pay for however, many problems can crop up if the volunteers are not properly trained. I do like the off site program so much that I will manage the problems as I feel they are more than off set because people will go to pet stores that cannot bring themselves to go to a shelter.Getting hold of animal control budgets and numbers
Question from Jaime:
Are animal control detailed budgets and numbers of animal intakes open to the public? If so, how do we go about getting them if animal control themselves won't share them with us? We would love to get a look at them to see what they spend money on and if there are ways to cut costs and develop other programs for spay/neuter before adoption.Response from Ed:
All existing municipal records are public records. Most agencies have a process for requesting public records. Submit a specific public records request for the records you want, and if those records exist, the agency is required by law to release them to you. The agency is not, however, required to create new records for you.Of greater concern is the appearance that an agency would withhold this information from the public. Animal control agencies are often attacked by citizens who do not understand the budgetary constraints of the agency. When attacked, many agencies assume a "hunkered down" attitude. The best way to obtain this information is to get into the yoke with your animal control professionals. Demonstrate you are there to help by helping, not by going over their budgets and being a Monday morning quarterback. Get into the game; get your hands dirty. Help; don't criticize.
Making AC a priority in a community when there isn't even dog licensing
Question from Debra:
I live in the South where we don't even have dog licenses and the animal control is often the second job for someone who is also responsible for checking parking meters or doing police duties. How do we even begin to raise awareness about the importance of animal control and building a partnership when the AC officer is only doing this part-time because he got assigned to it, and doesn't even have the simple process of dog licenses for revenue or identification of lost animals? We've thought about working to introduce dog licensing. Do you think that is a good idea and do you have any ideas for us to get started?Response from Ed:
You certainly have a challenge before you. I'd find out to whom animal control reports. Sounds as though it is the police department. I would enlist the support of public health in your campaign. A strong public health concern could, and probably should, be raised over the fact that there is no dog-licensing mandate. This is the single most effective means of controlling rabies in a community. Rabies still exists and is becoming more of a specter in many areas of the country. The fact that your community is not doing the minimum to protect its citizens from this dread disease is a concern.Revenue generated from licenses should be used to provide for the humane care of animals in the custody of animal control. Your argument to the police department is that licensing revenue will offset the costs of animal care. I think that this approach may be a way to begin forging the partnership with animal control you desire. When you initiate a licensing program suggest a license differential that encourages pet owners to spay or neuter their pets. This too will buy down the costs of animal control.
Although it sounds as though your community has already reduced their expenditure on animal control as far as possible, an argument that you can save them money while raising revenue is difficult to overcome for most municipal leaders. Good luck.
Where to find cost savings on spay/neuter
Some members have asked for studies that show cost savings for spay/neuter to take to their animal control.
The cumulative costs and expenses of the New Hampshire spay/neuter programs are contained in Geoff Handy's book, Animal Control Management: A Guide for Local Governments published by the International City Council Management Association:
"In the six years since the program's inception, the state's eight largest shelters admitted 30,985 fewer dogs and cats than in the six years preceding the program (see Table 4-2). (New Hampshire's eight largest shelters account for 95% of the animals admitted statewide). Estimated savings on impounding and sheltering those animals was $3.2 million, based on a per animal sheltering cost estimate of $105. The cost of the program was just over $1 million, meaning that the state saved more than $2.2 million in the program's first six years. Thus New Hampshire taxpayers saved about $3.23 for every dollar the state spent on the subsidized sterilization program (Page 37)."
You can get a copy of Geoff's book by sending $11 to The HSUS, Dept. ICMA-ASM, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.
There is also a 10-year study (pdf) done by Orange County Animal Services after implementing a feral cat trap-neuter-return program that shows reductions in impounds, and nuisance complaints, and major cost savings.
Challenging pet limit laws
Question from Carol:
We have a city municipal code that limits the number of dogs and cats any one person can own without a kennel permit (the limit is three dogs and three cats). This particular law has been responsible for a tremendous amount of friction between the City animal control and local rescue groups (and individual pet owners at times). The belief out there is that our city animal control is this horrendous organization that ignores real animal abuse problems, but shows up to harass rescue groups for having too many animals.It is believed that sometimes these visits are retaliatory for speaking out at public meetings against the city animal control services. I've had a number of individuals call me with serious animal abuse
complaints, stating that they are afraid to contact animal control because they have one too many cats or dogs (usually the neighbor responsible for the abuse has threatened to turn them in to animal control for having too many animals).
I don't necessarily believe that all these visits are malicious, because I do understand that the city animal control is a public organization and, therefore, is responsible for responding to all public complaints, regardless of how frivolous they might seem. Whether or not any of these visits have been retaliatory, the problem is that there is a law out there, which seems to be responsible for a great deal of friction and not much benefit. True or not, the belief that animal control cares more about how many animals you have than how you treat them is out there, and that definitely needs to be addressed.
At the recent No More Homeless Pets Conference, one of the speakers had brought up the issue that he believed this law was unconstitutional, since it was limiting the amount of property an individual could own. He felt this law could be easily challenged and done away with. I'm wondering how one would go about doing this. What are your thoughts on this issue?
Response from Ed:
I was the speaker that suggested this law should be challenged. I also said, "I am not a lawyer, I just like to practice".There is a lot of discussion today about changing the law, to do away with the concept of ownership in favor of guardianship. I favor that type of change. But there are times when "ownership" can work for us.
US citizens have certain inalienable rights. One of our inalienable rights is the right to own property. Thomas Jefferson's first draft of the Constitution read that we have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of property". That makes more sense than the pursuit of happiness, although, most Americans do equate property ownership with happiness. But that's another discussion.
The bottom line here is the government cannot tell you how many cars you may own, or how many homes you may own. Neither do I believe the government has the authority to dictate how many pets we may own.
It seems to me, that with all the lawyers out there, there must be one that loves animals that agrees with this concept and is willing to challenge these types of laws in court. We just need one victory to set a precedent. It might be appealed and the whole exercise might end up in the Supreme Court, where I am confident these laws would be overturned. So, it's just a matter of finding that lawyer who has the time and resources to do this. (Hey, Nathan Winograd is a lawyer, isn't he? And Rich Avanzino?)
Then animal controls could focus on the real issues of quality of care rather than the quantity of pets.
We are fortunate in Arizona that we don't have laws limiting the number of pets we own. You might look at your law closely. We have a law that says anyone with five dogs or more may apply for a kennel permit. They don't have to; they can purchase individual licenses instead. Ask a lawyer if the law is being accurately interpreted by local officials. Its amazing how everybody can believe a law says something it doesn't and all it takes is for someone to read it without the lens of how its currently being enforced.
Comment from Mary:
I believe that the pet limit laws arose from improper pet care. The Courts are handed cruelty cases (which are neglect-cruelty type cases) and do not hand down proper sentences. Here in the south we are still overcoming "good ol' boy" politics and "a dog is a dog is a dog, and that dog is an ol' yard dog" mentality. The courts view companion animals as "property" and who cares if the car rusts in the back yard or if the dog tied up starves? I believe that because of this, the Court systems don't want to have to punish people for not caring for their pets. Someone got an idea that anyone could care for 3 dogs properly (or which ever number they've picked out of a hat). So, instead of dealing with cruelty situations and imposing appropriate punishments (and large hording impounds are what grab the headlines, but typical cases are only a few animals), they decided to just limit the number of pets one can have. And I thought only our public education was going down the tubes, how sad that our judicial system is joining it...Comment from Judi:
Regarding the statement "We have a city municipal code which limits the number of dogs and cats any one person can own", this code surely needs to be revised. If the number of dogs/cats a person owns are not causing a nuisance, or any health related problems, there is no reason why it should be dictated the number of pets someone chooses to own. In another related issue, worthy of serious concern is the fact that many rental properties limit or entirely disallow any pets!! My sister, as an example, was forced to move, when a neighbor reported her for having more than 3 cats!! There are also many seniors that live alone in apartments that could benefit immensely from having a cat or dog. Some seniors are so lonely - which can lead to feeling depressed, when it has been proven that a cat or dog can prevent this problem. We need to take action to prevent landlords in apartment buildings the right to deny apartment dwellers to have a cat(s), I do understand that in some cases dogs (due to barking and other nuisance problems should be disallowed). Furthermore, many more pets would be adopted from shelters if there were no restrictions in apartments. I have personally met many people (all ages - young and old) who tell me they want to disparately adopt a cat but can't - since they are not allowed to own one. Talk about individual rights - someone needs to challenge this in the courts.Building trust with animal control
Question from a member:
Our local shelter does not have a veterinarian on staff. Sometimes animals come in that would benefit from medical care, but do not receive any and instead are held the mandatory holding time without care. There have been several documented cases where animals have been misdiagnosed in the shelter and have been slated for euthanasia. These ailments are often minor and treatable, such as ringworm or flea-bite dermatitis; yet, these animals are killed. The shelter relies on volunteer veterinarians to drop by whenever they have free time - there is no set schedule for consistent care. Our coalition offered to lobby the county to increase funding to have a veterinarian on staff, but the shelter's board said they didn't want a veterinarian on staff because this would mean they would have to further subsidize the animals' care. Rescues within our coalition are willing to take the sick animals and provide veterinary care and find homes for them, but the shelter has made it clear it does not really want to transfer animals to rescues.Do you have any suggestions about how a coalition can work with a shelter to make sure the animals at least receive adequate medical care, especially so they are not needlessly killed? I've considered the "friends of the shelter" concept to conduct fundraising to support veterinary care, but if we don't work at the shelter on a daily basis, how can we ensure that these funds are really being spent on animals that need medical care?
Response from Ed:
There is always two sides to every story. If I take what you are saying at face value, then a concerted effort should be made to remove those members from the board that assert "they don't want a veterinarian on staff because that would mean they would have to further subsidize the animals' care".I have to believe there is more to the story. However, if this is an accurate state of affairs, I think an argument could be made that this policy is criminal in nature, and that this board is derelict in its responsibility to the community. I'd ask for a public statement on this issue, so that you're not assuming the worst without knowing all the details.
Creating a "friends" group is a good idea, but not if your intention is to run the operation from the sidelines. If there is not a level of trust that the funds you raise will be used to save lives, then you're getting the cart before the horse. It sounds like there is a fundamental trust issue. I would suggest getting to know the director of your animal control, asking for a tour, let him explain the constraints he labors under, and then come back with some positive suggestions on how the community can help. Start a volunteer group to support his adoption program.
Animal control programs are so used to being attacked that often much has to be done to gain their trust. This often takes time, but if you are sincere in your desire to help the animals it is well worth the effort to try to get into the yoke with animal control, as opposed to trying to influence them from the outside.
When do you stop trying to work with AC that doesn't want to work with you?
Question from Sarah:
We are a 2.5 year old group with about 70 members of which 20 are foster homes. We work with many shelters in other counties placing animals. The trouble is that our own county Animal Control and Humane Society (2 separate organizations) do not work with rescue groups. We have offered our assistance several times, but they have declined. They oppose what we do and have made that public. They truly dislike us!We extended them an invitation to meet our dogs and see our headquarters - my house and 20 acres - which they have not done, yet make statements as to our "Disneyland" mentality. They are referring to the fact that we keep 10-15 dogs at a time. They live in the house and interact with each other indoors and outdoors. They claim that these animals will form a pack and become dangerous and that feces will pile up and become a public nuisance. They claim that by bringing dogs in from other counties, we are increasing their need to euthanize.
We have asked the county shelter if they might make their shelters more accessible by extending hours from 10-4 Mon-Fri to maybe include Saturday or evening hours. They say they can't do it. We have invited the Humane Society to attend adoption events. They will not.
Thanks to www.petfinder.com many of our animals are adopted outside of our county. We hold adoption events here and across the state. We are a responsible, organized group who provides complete vetting before adoption. What else can we do?
I guess I'm looking for some practical advice. Do I stop worrying about what our own county thinks and says and go on with the business of helping whoever wants help?
Response from Ed:
I suggest you speak to the board of supervisors or governing body over your animal control agency. I suspect that if they knew their representatives were refusing assistance that would save the county money, they would be asking for an explanation. It is important that you are a reputable organization and that you can deliver on your promises in a way that is above reproach. You should be incorporated with a Board of your own. You should have bylaws, and written policies and procedures. The more organized and professional you are the more difficult it will be for these agencies to refuse to work with you. I'd meet with Board members regularly to explain what you could do to help the agency and what that would mean to buying down the costs of animal control, increasing adoptions, and decreasing euthanasia.Making positive change when there is a sense of apathy and lethargy
Question from Krista:
How do you transfer the knowledge of successful programs and ideas in populous areas to a rural, low-income area? Our animal control head officer has been in this position for 26 years and says he wants to see changes. Yet, we face no dog licenses, no dog tax, no rescues, no humane organizations and certainly no spay/neuter programs within at least an hours' drive.What creative ideas exist for the hunters who keep 15 or more unneutered animals which will be running freely once deer season begins and who collect the good ones and leave the ones they don't want to feed after the season ends? There are several hunters on the board as well, so I would like an ingenious way to enlist their support.
We on the Advisory Board were stunned to hear that people don't even bother to bring in their unwanted animals. They just call and leave a message that they want them picked up. They may or may not be present when the officer arrives. Once the head ACO told a county resident that he had to get his dog spayed after a repeat visit to pick up pups. That resident went to the Commissioners who told the ACO that his job was to pick up animals, not advise people.
Response from Ed:
I wish I could give you the silver bullet answer you are asking for, but I can't. But I can offer you hope. Maricopa County has just as many rural areas as we do metropolitan areas. Maricopa County is 9,200 square miles, is larger than 17 states, home to 24 cities and towns of all shapes and sizes, and vast rural areas. Our programs are working in all size communities and rural areas. So the issue of running innovative programs is not a matter of geography, nor is it a matter of license fees and taxes. None of our special programs is funded by license fees or taxes. They are all funded by donations, and unsolicited donations at that.It sounds as though the problem you describe in your community is a systemic lethargy, an inability to believe progressive change is possible or even necessary. There is no silver bullet for a situation like that. It will require commitment, and a lot of hard work to change your community's culture. But it can be done. Maricopa County was once considered the worst county in the United States for animal welfare. Today, we are considered the most progressive and innovative community for addressing animal welfare needs.
Change can occur. But it has to start somewhere. Find other like-minded people and start promoting life affirming programs. Don't despair if your ideas are not immediately accepted. If you persist your ideas will spread and will eventually dominate. Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has".
Animal control and ferals
Question from Holly:
I run a privately funded Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program for feral cats. Some municipal shelters are opposed to the program. Some of the feedback is:No-roaming ordinances, harboring a stray ordinances, and pet limitation laws often make TNR illegal. Many support the idea behind TNR but state that by conducting a program now I'm "putting the cart before the horse" and say I need to change the laws before implementing any program. I am advocating illegal activity.
They are obligated to follow up on complaints, and therefore if a nuisance complaint is issued, they, must follow up on it; and if the cats are fixed or not fixed rarely matters to the complainant. Some have tried feral cat permit programs and no one is applying for the permits, so the message they are getting is that caregivers aren't supporting the shelter's efforts to make TNR viable.
My responses to those issues is:
I am striving for ordinance changes and sent a letter to all the shelters saying if they would like to partner with me to address their governments that I would be happy to assist in whatever way I could.
I think complainants need to be properly educated, mediation offered between the caregiver (if there is one) and the complainant, and a formal process by which the situation has a chance to be resolved.
The permit process poses a myriad of problems from a caregiver's standpoint. It appears to be so strictly interpreted that only a handful of caregivers would qualify, i.e., no residential areas, the cats can't be contained, must be micro-chipped, etc. Those few caregivers that might fit all the criteria are still nervous to apply because many of them feel like they historically have been treated like criminals. They are worried that if they apply, the first complaint that comes in will result in their colony being killed.
Question from member:
What are your thoughts on how can Animal Control agencies lead the way in the no-kill movement with regards to feral cats and feral cat caregivers?Response from Ed:
Our response is Operation FELIX (Feline Education & Love Instead of X-termination). This is a comprehensive program that promotes TNR in all our 24 cities and towns in Arizona. I hope to implement this program in New York City soon. A smaller, but similar, pilot program has been initiated in Ohio by Aimee St.Arnaud.Our program recruits and trains feral cat colony managers and connects them with participating veterinarians. We also practice TNR on all county campuses and properties. We have put the cities and towns on notice that we will not kill cats for them. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors issued a public proclamation that TNR is the only viable feral cat solution. All of our Operation FELIX information is on our website at pets.maricopa.gov click on Public Programs and then Feral Cats.
