Animal Advisory Committee

Animal Advisory Committee - Meeting Minutes Monday, June 19, 2023 Regular Meeting Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center Committee Roll Call: Stacey Warner Susanne Joosten Jasmine O’Keefe Patricia Rytlewski Dr. Betsy Robinson Assistant Chief Cliff Woitena Absent: Amy Potter Losh Meeting was called to order at 6:17 p.m. AGENDA: No minutes were taken. Jasmine provided a handout with May statistics and the shelter updates. A copy of the handout will be posted. Next meeting will be Monday, July 10, 2023, at 6:15 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.  May Outline • Canine:89 • • Feline: 43 Beginning 234 • Other: l Animal Count • Foster: l 0 l • Canine: 95 • Intakes 259 • Feline: 162 • Other: 2 •. Outcomes 21 4 • Tota l Live Outcomes: 200 • Canine: 81 • Ending Animal • Feline: 53 276 • Other: 2 Count • Foster Care: 140  ..>..League City ~ I Animal Care Volunteer • Updating the on boarding process to include: o Updated "public" My Impact page to include more information on different volunteer opportunities o Separating on boarding by interest o Adding more on-site positions o Updating the LCAC website to reflect the new changes • 34 Total Applicants o 22 - In Process o 11 - Accepted o 1 - Archived General • Got Skillz class on Customer Service for Animal Shelters by Maddie's Fund was completed by all staff on June 15th o Next Class: Friendly for a Reason; Expanding Your S-N-V-R Eligibility Program by Best Friends Animal Society • Case Management Study started on June 1st o Postponed starting today until August 1st to update the new donated "fitbit" for dogs from CAWA • Community Pet Day Event was on June 17th o 22 microchips o 33 rabies vaccines o 32 packets of flea preventative o 109 other supplies such as leashes, collars, harnesses, beds, carriers, etc. FosterI Marketing • 653 increase from the month of April • 142 pets placed in foster care • Pups & Pints event raised over $9 ,000 • Next Space Event will be on June 24th • Best Friends Adoption Event will be on June 24th in Houston ••• • ••• 2  ;...._League City ~ I Animal Care General Account • Operating Supplies (51250) • Professional Servic es (53050) o Microchips o Spaying/Neutering o Anima l Food o Vet Expenses o Kennel Disinfectants and Sanitation o Rabies Only Vaccinations Supplies o Pre-Exposure Rabies Va ccinations o Cat Litter o He artworm Treatme nt o Vaccination Supplies • Memberships (53100) o City License Tags o Society of Animal Welfare Administrators o Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies • Printing & Binding (53130) • Minor Equipment & Furniture (51300) o Doorhangers o Re p laceme nt/Maintenance of o Business Cards Transport Cages o Brochures, Banners, and Promotional Items o Animal Cantonment Supplies • Uniform Expense (53210) o Trap Replacements/Maintenance o Uniform Replaceme nt o Muzzles, Elizabethan Collars, Le a shes, o Ke nnel Staff Uniforms Collars, Adoptio n Pet Carriers • Technology Mainte nance & Services (53280) o Mic roc hip Sc anners o Shelterl uv Adoption Software • Chemicals, Drugs & Lab Supplies (51850) o Foster Keeper o Euthanasia Med ic atio n o Better Impac t o Dog & C at Va ccines o Waitwh ile o Pa rasite Preve ntion M e dicatio n • Misc. Services & Charges (53990) o Cre matio n Services for Animal Carc asses 3 ~League City ~ I Animal Care Donation Account • Operating Supplies (51250) o LCAC Merchandise o Supplies for Petfest and Other Adoption Events o Supplies for Community Room Events/Training Classes o Supplies for Animal Protection Community Programs o Adoption Supplies o Animal Care Supplies o Supplies for Volunteers o Adoption Sponsorships • Minor Equipment & Furniture (51300) o Replacement or Maintenance of Electronics • Professional Services (53050) o Professional Fees/Vet Services o Spay/Neuter o Medications and Medical Supplies o Emergency Medical Care 4  Year To Date Summary Dog Live Release Rate May Live Release Cat Live Release Rate 99% 89% • Dogs • Cats • Other • Total 300 ----------------------·-·--------- 200 a 100 • I I : 0 • Dogs • Cats • Other • Total 300 200 100 ---~~~I==---•~=~-=>~<::::::::: ~- ~:~:......_. . .:;:::>"2~' 0 Live Outcomes 5 amer1can Pe6s auve! SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS amer1can STRATEGIC PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS LEAGUE CITY ANIMAL CARE MAY 22., 2.02.3 MARA HARTSELL Page 1 / © 2023 American Pets Alive! amer1can Pe Gs auve !, SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS I ABOUT AMERICAN PETS ALIVE (AmPA!} American Pets Alive! {AmPA!) is the national support and education division of Austin Pets Alive! (APA!). AmPA!'s site visits and assessments empower shelter professionals with best practices and customized solutions that help them achieve positive change at their organizations . AmPA! believes the deaths of shelter animals is a crisis that demands immediate attention and resolution-and that the tools for this should be available to everyone in the sheltering industry. It also holds that people are the solution to closing life-saving gaps and actualizing possibilities for animal welfare. I ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES AmPA! site visits and assessments identify opportunities to streamline shelter operations, encourage community-minded practices, and grow programs that serve people, pets, and institutions. AmPA! recommendations also aim to reduce inefficiencies by sharing ideas that improve the quality of shelter services and shelter environments . Sincere collaboration with partners turns these objectives into reality at individual shelter locations. I SITE VISIT CONTEXT League City Animal Care {LCAC) is a valued shelter partner of AmPA! that demonstrates sincere commitment to life-saving innovation and excellence. To discuss future opportunities for shelter operations and program growth, AmPA! Shelter Support Advisor, Mara Hartsell, met with John Baumgartner, City Manager, on March 14, 2023 and both Jasmine O'Keefe, Director, and LaKeisha Shaw, Supervisor, on April 27, 2023. This report highlights strategic planning recommendations following those conversations. AmPA! wishes to complement League City's inspiring No Kill vision with this input and looks forward to seeing what LCAC will accomplish in future years . Collaborating with League City's team is always a pleasure! Page 2 / © 202 3 America n Pets A live! amer1can PeGs auve!, SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS I TODAY, PUBLIC DEMAND CALLS FOR HIGH STANDARDS IN ANIMAL SHELTERS In 2023, it is no secret that on a national level , most municipal animal agencies are struggling to keep up. Community needs, public expectations, animal needs, staff needs, and volunteer needs have all outgrown an outdated "Animal Control" model. Citizens expect a modern "Animal Services" model that ensures animal lives are stewarded responsibly, promises are kept, and community members can depend on the agency to carry out its official duties with integrity. Key differences between the two models are summarized below. Outcome-based Output-based (# of Pet Adoptions, Returns to Owner) (# of Impounds, Citations Issued) Balanced Operations Front-Heavy Operations (Equitable resources devoted to field-based (Many field staff bringing animals in, few services and shelter-based services) shelter staff caring for/getting them out) Proactive Approach Reactive Approach (Focus on root cquses of animal issues - "If (Focus on the symptoms of animal issues - an owner hasn't fixed their pet, it's probably "If an owner hasn't fixed their pet, they will an issue of finances or education, and our receive a fine, and it's their fault for not agency can help with both'1 listening") Systems Serve Individuals Systems Forget Individuals "Pets are family" "Pets are property" "Our community is the solution" "Our community is the problem" While municipalities invest resources into new areas as they shift out of Animal Control and Page 3 / © 2023 American Pets Alive! amer1can PeGs auve !. SITE VISIT RECOM MEN DA TIONS into Animal Services, doing so is not "more expensive" as some may believe. Instead, agencies that sincerely embrace progressive ideas see an immense return on investment. The City of Austin, Texas, for example, noted a positive impact worth $157 million after embracing change that was grounded in compassion for people and pets. Fortunately, League City An imal Care {LCAC) has embraced many Animal Services upgrades, and this shows in its impressive live release rates, transparency reports, and proactive commun ications. Staying grounded in an Animal Services framework and committing to further growth helps agencies do th e fo llowing: I Boost community pride and engagement I Inspire public trust and lessen public scrutiny I Grow public-private partnerships that supplement City budgets I Build a stable foundation that strengthens City and staff resilience I Establish themselves as top performers and thought leaders in the sheltering industry I THE ANIMAL SERVICES MODEL HONORS COMMUNITY VALUES Today, a high-performing Animal Services model owns thei r social contract with their community. This translates into responsible messaging, programs that reasonably match the public's an imal-related needs, and informed strategic planning . In 2021, KPMG, a global consulting firm, released a report on the future of local governments insisting that, "Local authorities exist to support their loca l communities, and the need to demonstrate a strong sense of purpose that aligns with modern values is essential" {p. 28). An Animal Services model aligns with modern va lues when it assigns intrinsic worth to the lives of animals and dignity to the humans who care for them . This matches what more than 70% of Americans and 90% of pet guardians consider to be true, whi ch is that Page 4 / © 2023 Ameri can Pets A live! amer1can Pe6s auve ! SITE VISIT RECOM MEN DA TIONS pets are Family. Caring-based systems understand the ethical consequences of family bonds and the emotional and psychological effects on people they have. People working in caring-based systems are allowed to safely exercise their natural gifts of compassion and creativity, enhance their workspaces, and better connect with the community they serve. One way in which shelters put this into practice is through animal case management. Animal case management can be defined as the umbrella term for work done to recognize and serve individual pets in institutional settings, meet their unique needs, and match them with good homes. As a municipal No Kill shelter that views every animal as unique, LCAC has set a case management foundation stronger than most. There is great opportunity to synchronize these efforts into a well-oiled system and prevent crises that are the result of disconnected and fragmented models of the past. While people in human and animal case management systems fulfill different roles, they are all interconnected and working toward the same big picture outcomes. Using this awareness as empowerment and inspiration, we can craft a strategy that unites the League City team and its community. I STAFFING THROUGH A PROACTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT LENS One-on-one care and attention is needed for animal case management, and this requires time and depth . This is challenging for shelter teams to master given that shelter pets often dramatically outnumber care staff members. Outnumbered people divide their attention between many different animals at once to reach simple animal care baselines . The human cost associated with such a challenging workload spills into unexpected areas and manifests cyclical issues that affect entire organizations . Nation-wide, shelters are bursting with animals because their worke rs are bursting with the stress of being in constant survival mode. To come out of a crisis, people need bandwidth to observe, think, and plan. Currently, LCAC as a combined field services and shelter structure features 14 total paid staff positions. Direct animal care within the shelter is provided by Kennel Workers (4.5) and Page 5 / © 2023 Ameri can Pets A live! amer1can Pe&s auve ! SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS Animal Care Technicians {4 .5), or 9 different positions. For LCAC to fully modernize its Animal Services model, enhance its animal case management efforts, and build organizational resiliency, additional shelter staffing positions are needed. Looking at human-animal ratios and the labor that demands, cu rrent staffing yie lds the following : An annual intake of approximately 2,800 pets assigns 311 pets to 1 care staff member a year. If an average length of stay for pets is 19 days, that places approximately 150 pets on-site at LCAC, on a typical clay. With every pet receiving 15 minutes of just basic animal husbandry care each day, this adds up to 2,250 minutes, or 37.5 hours. 3Z5 hours of basic animal husbandry care daily equates to the need for 12.5 animal care staff positions at LCAC. The above was calculated with the help of NACA's staffing calculator, wh ich does not take the higher-level wo rk of animal case management into account. With record rates of burnout in the sheltering industry, it is a good time for Animal Services to sta rt working on right-sizing human-anima l ratios in order to retain ta lent and make high animal volume operations sustainable. Surviving is not thriving. In human services, wh ere case management is bui lt into all success models, caretaker ratios differ d epending o n professional title and work complexity. Med ica l case manag ers and social workers typically have a 1 person - 15 patients recommended ratio at a time, for exa mple. On ICU teams, we see ratios as low as 1 nurse-2 patients at a time. Because of how diffe rent work systems are from shelter to shelter, the " perfect" human-a nimal ratio w ill take mo re time and research to determ ine. However, it is very apparent, just looki ng at basic animal husbandry resource needs, that shelters abso lutely need more staff to merely keep afloat, nevermind develo p a service "edge." Page 6 / © 2023 American Pets A live! amer1can Pe6s auve ! SITE VISIT RECOM MEN DA TIONS I STAFFING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LCAC The need for a caring-based system to support increasing at-risk animal and human populations will only continue to grow, and the following positions address that need . Once LCAC is unified in its efforts here, it will see boosts in productivity, morale, and organizational efficiency. • Create 3 additional full-time Animal Care Technician positions and 1 part-time Kennel Worker position to more sustainably provide basic animal husbandry care within the shelter. Priority: High • Create 1 full-time Lead Animal Care Technician position that will help care staff organize the concrete needs of animal husbandry within the shelter. Priority: High • Create 1 full-time Dog Case Manager position that will focus on higher-level canine case management duties such as needs evaluation, service referrals, and the supervision of ongoing support needed to facilitate live outcomes. Priority: High • Create 1 full-time Lead Animal Control Officer position that will focus on higher-level case management duties within field services such as needs evaluation, service referrals, and the supervision of ongoing support needed to prevent unnecessary shelter intakes and proactively solve root issues related to intake. Priority: High • Create 1 full-time Cat Case Manager position that will focus on higher-level feline case management duties such as needs evaluation, service referrals, and the Page 7 / © 2023 American Pets Alive! amer1can Pe&s auve !, SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS supervision of ongoing support needed to facil itate live outcomes. Priority: Moderate • Create 1 full-time Social Worker position t hat will equip staff with resources needed to manage com passion fatigue and the complexities of their jobs, coordinate community coa litions, and link organ izational resources for the well-being of underserved and at-risk individuals and family members in the commun ity. Priority: Moderate SUMMARY OF LCAC STAFFING RECOMMENDATIONS Quantity Title 3 Animal Care Technician .5 Kennel Worker 1 Lead Animal Care Technician 1 Dog Case Manager Lead Animal Control Officer Quantity Title 1 Cat Case Manager Social Worker 2 Positions to Build Resilience Page 8 / © 2023 American Pets A live! amer1can Pe6s auve ! SITE VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS I IN CLOSING Animal Services models that embrace modern demands and cultivate caring-based systems like case management move agencies out of "survival mode" and into a place where they can make the most out of their resources. Once an agency recognizes interdependencies (e.g . culture, environment, task complexity, resources} and how they can be optimized, they enter an entirely new stage of development. Graduation to this stage has a big effect on every human's productivity, every animal's ability to move into a home quicker, and every community's status . League City Animal Care has an opportunity to shine in this way, and when it does, it will set a memorable example. Pag e 9 / © 2023 American Pets Alive! FISCAL YEAR TO DATE 06/19/2023 GENERAL ACCOUNT DONATION ACCOUNT