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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023.06.08 TCACA Agenda AGENDA Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority 5:30 PM - Thursday, June 8, 2023 Pasco City Hall, Council Chambers Page 1. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - The public may address the Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority (TCACA) on any items related to animal control within Kennewick, Pasco or Richland. This is to provide the opportunity to bring items to the attention of the TCACA or to express an opinion on an issue. Its purpose is not to provide a venue for debate or for the posing of questions with the expectation of an immediate response. Some questions require consideration by the TCACA over time and after a deliberative process with input from a number of different sources; some questions are best directed to staff who have access to specific information. Public comments will normally be limited to three minutes each. Those with lengthy messages are invited to summarize their comments and/or submit written information for consideration by the TCACA outside of formal meetings. 3. OLD BUSINESS 3 - 7 (a) April 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes 4. NEW BUSINESS 5. TCACA AGENCY REPORTS 8 - 19 (a) TCACA PowerPoint Presentation 6. TRI-CITIES ANIMAL SHELTER UPDATES (a) Bi Monthly Statistics for April & May (b) Communications Plan (c) Outreach and Events (d) Staffing, Training, and Volunteering Page 1 of 19 (e) TCAS Budget (f) Updates to Policies/Process/Operations 7. NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 10, 2023 8. ADJOURNMENT Page 2 of 19 MINUTES Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority 5:30 PM - Thursday, April 13, 2023 Pasco City Hall, Council Chambers WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Attendees: City of Kennewick Representative: Randy Maynard City of Pasco Representative: Zach Ratkai City of Richland Representative: David Neher City of Pasco Animal Services Manager Ben Zigan City of Pasco Administrative Assistant Ally Garza City of Pasco Department Assistant Annen Martin Mr. Ratkai opened the meeting with a welcome and provided brief announcement on what the meeting would entail. PUBLIC COMMENTS Kennewick resident - Recommended an advisory board be put in place. She indicated there was no voice for the animals. Kennewick resident - The Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority Shelter is currently is running in a very large trust deficit with the community. They would rather see action and activity than posts on social media. She also mentioned that we need a group of shelter members and rescues to get together to address issues openly and with back and forth dialogue. Pasco resident - Commented on Baxter on social media and later found out he was euthanized with the four other dogs. She mentioned she was very discouraged at the recent Council meeting and asked if there's actual dog training going on at the shelter. Finley resident - Mentioned the general consensus is that TCACA needs an advisory board for checks and balances. TCACA needs to be operating more efficiently in how staff take care of the animals. She owns a rescue and mentioned that any time dogs are turned away from the shelter or other rescue groups, the dogs end up abandoned in Finley. She also recommended the community and City need to work together to help the animals. Page 1 of 5Page 3 of 19 Pasco Resident - His wife was attacked by two dogs and. after the incident happened, he began to read through the different municipal codes from Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. He mentioned how the City did away with the breed ban. However, there are still dangerous dog exemptions. What happens if the dog passes the dog training class, becomes exempt and then bites someone again? He was frustrated because he kept getting conflicting answers from the TCACA shelter and staff from the three Cities. He suggested that the three Cities work together to have one enforcement procedure made to avoid confusion. Pasco Resident - Mentioned a severe lack of trust from the community and an oversight board is needed. City Council needs to bring this oversight board to a vote for creation of an advisory board. The community wants to help with policies. Kennewick resident - Volunteered at TCAS since 2014. TCACA shelter was a no kill shelter. The TCACA currently lacks vision and forethought. Listen to the people but mentioned the Animal Control does an amazing job. She also mentioned she was offended to know that the old contractor was pushed out due to lack of funds. When it all would of taken is a few hundred thousand dollars to run things right. Al White, A local dog trainer - Noted that the TCACA staff is doing an amazing job and means well by the animals. He mentioned that he felt the funds for his training should have come from the City, rather than an anonymous donor. He said TCACA needs to eliminate environmental stressors on the dogs. With the building of the new shelter, TCACA needs to design kennels that are stress free. This will help the dogs become more adoptable. TCACA also needs training for shelter staff and volunteers. TCACA AGENCY REPORTS Deputy Police Chief Neher said there was nothing to report from the City of Richland. City of Kennewick Commander Maynard indicated that they are dealing with two vicious dogs in the 2000 block of W 21st Pl. They are currently trying to work through the issue. Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Manager, Mr. Zigan, provided an update regarding the TCAS budget. He stated staff is establishing proper training for the ACO's. Currently social media and the website our being updated and transformed so they are more accurate and complete. TRI-CITIES ANIMAL SHELTER UPDATES Page 2 of 5Page 4 of 19 Quarterly Statistics 1. Intakes Pasco: Dogs- 182 Cats- 126 Kennewick: Dogs 114 Cats- 116 Richland: Dogs- 28 Cats- 55 West Richland: Dogs 4 Cats- 0 2. Returns/Surrender: Dogs 4 Cats- 6 Total Dogs: 332 Total Cats: 303 Total: 635 3. Adoptions Dogs: 190 Cats: 222 Total: 412 4. Transfers Dogs: 132 Cats: 88 Total: 220 5. Returned to owner. Pasco: 36 Kennewick: 34 Richland: 7 Other: 10 Total: 87 6. Animal Control Cases Pasco: 193 Citations: 6 Kennewick: 252 Citations: 9 Richland: 118 Citations: 7 Total Cases: 563 Total Citations: 22 Communication Plan 1. Social Media Facebook: Staff assigned to provide updates, educational tidbits, public announcements and more. Page 3 of 5Page 5 of 19 2. Webpage Has been updated and is functional. Outreach and Events Transfers set up with The Noah Center and Seattle Humane Society Transfers occur about once a month. Seattle Humane will also transfer our animals to other shelters in their area. Jenny’s Hope – Adoption Event in Columbia Park April 29 (10 am – 3 pm) Updates to Policies/Process/Operations 1. Hours of operation extended to 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday. 2. Adoption Return Policy established: After an animal has been adopted and the new owner has taken custody, they will have two weeks to return the animal for good cause. There will be no refunds. The owner will have six months to find another animal that may be a better fit for their household. This agreement will be offered twice after the first return. The six months will start at the date of the first return. Staffing, Training and Volunteering Staff: 1. Animal Control Officer Animal Control Officer: 3 Animal Control & Shelter Lead: 1 Animal Services Manager: 1 Above positions will be Limited Commissioned. 2. Customer Service Front Desk: 2 Transfer Coordinator: 1 Animal Control Dispatch: 1 3. Animal Care Technicians Animal Intake/Medical: 2 Animal Care Technicians: 7 (Vacant: 1) 4. Department Assistant Department Assistant: 1 Training: 1. Washington Animal Control Association (WACA) Lesion Identification Class: 2 ACO’s (April 27 in Ellensburg) 2. Code 3 Associations Equine Investigation Class: 2 ACO’s (April 12 - Virtual) 3. Al White w/ Al White’s Dog Training LLC: All Staff (Weekly) Funded by Friends of Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Volunteer: 1. We have a lot of volunteer opportunities. Primarily now are dog walkers and help with laundry. I will be implementing a new Volunteer Policy that is more specific to the animal shelter. Looking Page 4 of 5Page 6 of 19 to be involved in more community events that may need volunteers as well. OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS • Mr. Zigan mentioned that TCAS partnered up with Jenny's Hope to put on an adoption event on April 29th from 10am-3pm. • TCAS has also extended our hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. This has greatly helped and been good for the community. • Mr. Zigan says he would like to see the volunteers attend the community events on a more regular basis, to allow the shelter staff to work with the animals. • Mr. Zigan brought up the adoption policy, which gives people the option of returning an adopted animal to the shelter within two weeks if things don't work out. They will then have 6 months to adopt another animal with their initial deposit. • Mr. Zigan mentioned that the TCAS is fully staffed with the exception of an open kennel technician position that closes on April 20th. The ACO's have been getting the proper training to do their job accordingly. Ben brought up the anonymous donation so that the shelter could set up dog training with Al White. We are working on a more tailored volunteer policy to make sure that everyone is on the same page. • The TCACA has also received a request from the Benton County Canine Shelter for weekend enforcement. No, not at this time. • The TCACA also received a request from the City of Mabton for housing assistance, due to an overflow of animals in the City. They will bring the animals to TCACA as long as TCACA can accommodate housing. Unfortunately, at this time we do not have space to house any animals outside of our community. NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 8, 2023 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:13 PM Page 5 of 5Page 7 of 19 Page 8 of 19 •City of Pasco Representative: Interim ACS Director Jesse Rice •City of Richland Representative: Deputy Chief David Neher •City of Kennewick Representative: Lieutenant BJ Moos (filling in for Commander Randy Maynard) •City of Pasco/Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Manager: Ben Zigan •City of Pasco Administrative Assistant II: Ally Garza •City of Pasco Department Assistant II: Annen MartinPage 9 of 19 Public Comments The public may address the Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority (TCACA) on any items related to animal control within Kennewick, Pasco or Richland. This is to provide the opportunity to bring items to the attention of the TCACA or to express an opinion on an issue. Its purpose is not to provide a venue for debate or for the posing of questions with the expectation of an immediate response. Some questions require consideration by the TCACA over time and after a deliberative process with input from a number of different sources; some questions are best direct to staff who have access to specific information. Public comments will normally be limited to three minutes each. Those with lengthy messages are invited to summarize their comments and/or submit written information for consideration by the TCACA outside of formal meetings. Page 10 of 19 Minutes from April 13, 2023 •Welcome and Announcements on what the meeting would entail. •Public Comments •The general consensus from Kennewick residents is that there is a lack of trust within the community regarding the shelter and care of the animals. They also recommend an Advisory Board where the shelter and rescue groups can address issues openly and with back and forth dialogue. •Pasco residents also believe there should be an Advisory Board to give a voice to the animals. One Pasco resident mentioned the dropping of the breed ban and the continuation of the dangerous dog exemptions, after is wife was attacked by two dogs. Another Pasco resident spoke of his concern about training at the shelter after he learned about the euthanasia of four dogs in January 2023. •Dog trainer Al White, talked about how the TCACA needs to eliminate environmental stressors on the dogs and give training to staff and volunteers. He also mentioned that he felt that funds for his training should have come from the City, rather than an anonymous donor. •TCACA Agency Reports •Deputy Police Chief Neher stated there was nothing to report for the City of Richland. •City of Kennewick Commander Maynard indicated that they were dealing with two vicious dogs in the 2000 block of W 21st Pl. They are currently trying to work through the issue. •Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Manger, Ben Zigan, provided updates regarding the TCAS budget, establishing proper training for staff, and discussed how our social media and website have progressed. •Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Updates •Quarterly Statistics for intakes, adoptions, and redemptions. (See handout) •Information on staff training and volunteer opportunities. (See handout) •Outreach and events •Transfers set up with The Noah Center and Seattle Humane Society. The Seattle Humane Society will also transfer animals to other shelters in their area. •Jenny’s Hope –Adoption Event –was held at Columbia Park on April 29, 2023. •New hours of operation –open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday –Saturday. •New Business •Benton County Canine Shelter requesting weekend enforcement. •City of Mabton requesting housing assistance. •AdjournmentPage 11 of 19 Intakes for April: 258 Pasco 40 –Dogs 75 –Cats Kennewick 38 –Dogs 44 –Cats Richland / West Richland 13 –Dogs 29 –Cats Returns / Surrenders: 16 10 –Dogs 6 –Cats Seized: 3 3 –Dogs Adoptions for April: 104 58 –Dogs 46 –Cats Intakes for May: 298 Pasco 55 –Dogs 86 –Cats Kennewick 31 –Dogs 96 –Cats Richland / West Richland 13 –Dogs 10 –Cats Returns / Surrenders: 11 8 –Dogs 3 –Cats Seized: 2 1 –Dog 1 –Cat Adoptions for May: 97 43 –Dogs 54 –Cats Transferred Out (April): 95 14 –Dogs 81 –Cats Euthanasia Medical: 13 2 –Dogs 11 –Cats Euthanasia Behavioral: 0 Transferred Out (May): 107 26 –Dogs 81 –Cats Euthanasia Medical: 9 9 –Cats Euthanasia Behavioral: 2 1 –Dog 1 –Cat Page 12 of 19 Social Media Interaction •Currently the shelter is posting on social media 2-3 posts a week. •All posts are either informative, uplifting, and/or fun. They sometimes will also highlight the pet of the week. •The public really liked the post on animal CPR, as there are different methods for different types of dogs/cats. •One uplifting post consisted of the time when eight homeschooled boys came to the shelter and read to and played with the dogs. Such a touching and heartwarming story. •We also recently had a group of girls bring in goodie bags for the animals. •Another post that seemed to really touch the public, was the post regarding long distance dog adoptions. We have had people from all over the country come to the shelter because they found the perfect dog for them online. It’s so refreshing to hear positive stories of hope for these animals. •The public also tends to enjoy the updates the shelter posts on adopted animals. It’s fun to see how the dog or cat is doing after it has found its furrever home. •The shelter is regularly posting construction updates on the new building, and the progress that is being made.Page 13 of 19 Current Projects •The shelter is currently working with SECOMM to set up after hour services for the public to contact the on-call Animal Control Officer or leave messages for non-emergencies. •We are communicating closely with our current outreach groups, and trying to obtain more contacts, so that we have more options for placing dogs and cats. •The shelter is going to be using SECTOR, which is an automated e-ticketing system that will file tickets electronically, saving money and time. •We are in the process of creating and implementing a visitor’s liability waiver, to protect the shelter, the City, and the public. •The shelter has currently partnered with Krystal from Speak Dog, to provide training and assessments on the dogs. Page 14 of 19 Current Challenges •We are currently at full capacity for dogs. All other rescues and humane societies are full as well. Adoptions have drastically slowed and there are more dogs coming in than going out. This presents a challenge each time a new dog enters the shelter. •The shelter is running into issues with out-of-state transfers. In order to transfer out-of- state from rescue to rescue, a USDA Vet must sign off on the animal beforehand. The cost to do so is $150.00 per animal. •With the shelter’s new schedule of Tuesday –Saturday, 10:00 am –5:00 pm, this has granted the public more access to the animals. However, in order to minimize overtime for intake staff, the shelter is considering making 4:30 pm the latest intake time. •The shelter is currently looking for rotating behavior consultants to work with the dogs, staff, and volunteers.Page 15 of 19 Rescue PartnershipsPage 16 of 19 3 –Animal Control Officers 1 –Animal Control & Shelter Lead 1 –Animal Control Dispatcher 1 –Animal Services Manager 1 –Department Assistant 2 –Front Desk/Customer Service Representatives 1 –Transfer Coordinator 2 –Animal Intake/Medical Assistants 6 –Animal Care Technicians (2 Vacant) The two vacant Animal Care Technician positions will be filled on June 12th. Both candidates will begin orientation on that day. Training Hours Bite stick training for ACO’s –10 hours Hantavirus training for shelter staff –10 hours SECTOR Training –12 hours Minimizing Workplace Gossip Training –2 hours Search Warrant Training –2 hours 36 hoursPage 17 of 19 TCAS Budget Amended YTD Budget -YTD Percentage of UsageBudgetTransactionsTransactions The current revenue will be much higher when the June billings go out to the various cities, thus creating a smaller debt to income ratio. Page 18 of 19 Euthanasia Action Report ID: A0052419563 Breed: American Pitbull Terrier •April 11, 2023 –The Dog was brought to the Animal Shelter by Animal Control. •April 17th 2023 –The Dog was neutered, vaccinated against rabies, and implanted with a microchip. •April 17th 2023 to April 27th 2023 –Concerns about the Dog’s behavior towards other animals, staff, and volunteers, was brought to the attention of the TCAS Manager. •April 27th 2023 –There was an altercation between the Dog and another dog in the shelter during a walk. The injuries that the other dog sustained were severe enough that it required medical attention. •April 27th 2023 –After the altercation, Behavior Consultant Krystal Ellingson with Speak Dog, came to TCAS to assess the aggressive behavior of the Dog. •April 27th 2023 –TCAS Manager determined that the Dog was not suitable for adoption. •May 9th 2023 –A group email was sent to at least eight rescue groups requesting assistance with the Dog. Four of the rescues responded with a no, saying they would not be able to take the Dog. •May 19th 2023 –As of this day, the other four rescues that were contacted on May 9th had not responded. •May 21st 2023 –There was a second altercation between the Dog and another dog in the shelter during a walk. The injuries that the other dog sustained were severe enough that it required medical attention. •May 22nd 2023 –TCAS Manager reviewed the case history of the Dog with the Interim ACS Director. The Interim Director agreed with the submission to the vet for review and euthanasia. •May 23rd 2023 –A request for euthanasia was presented to Paws, Claws and Hooves Vet Clinic. The request included the case history on the Dog. •May 23rd 2023 –The Dog was euthanized at 1:30 pm.Page 19 of 19