I m Karen Layne, President of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society or Chairman Manendo and Committee members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, good afternoon. Thank you for allowing the video conferencing of this meeting to Southern NV. Each year since 1998 the completes a regional animal sheltering report which studies the number of animals impounded and dispositions of those animals including adopted, and euthanized for all governmental or contracted shelters. A copy of information from the 2008 study has been submitted to you. While not yet completed, subsequent years show that impounds have increased and most of those increases about 2000 in 2010 were euthanized. Similar numbers have been seen for the past ten years. In an effort to deal with 30,000 animals being euthanized each year, local governments and their animal control agencies, along with, Heaven Can Wait, NSPCA, NV Voters for Animals and other local organizations began in 2008 with North Las Vegas and then in 2010 with the other entitites from Southern NV to adopt a tough spay/neuter regulatory ordinance. This ordinance created a breeder s permit for those desiring to breed their animals as well as the requirement that everyone spay/neuter owned animals once they reached 4 months of age. Veterinarian deferrals were permitted. Many of the items included in those ordinances are included in the proposed changes to 574.360 574.440. The current economic situation has played havoc with efforts to deal with animal overpopulation in Southern NV as many unemployed people have left the area and a recent news article indicates that over 270,000 homes have been in the foreclosure process. However, these efforts have also been impacted by local governments reduced expenditures impacting the number of animal control officers and the continued influx of animals outside of the Valley from neighboring counties and even from Utah. These counties do not have similar requirements and no regulatory ordinances for breeders. That is why the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society supports these supposed changes to NRS 574.360 to 574.440. I would also like to point out that the was very involved in changes made to Title 10 of the Clark County Ordinance. One of the changes is somewhat reflected here in 574.380 2 (c) which states remain cool during a period for which the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory is to first to highlight the need to make provisions for animals left outside in the heat of Southern NV summers something never before done in this portion of the NRS. There are sections on keeping animals warm, but nothing on dealing with the 105 plus temperatures of Southern NV. The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society can tell you horror stories of animal breeding in Southern NV parvo puppies left to die in containers placed outside for trash pickup, mothers and puppies found in small sheds with no ventilation in the middle of the summer in mobile home parks, a continuing stream of parvo puppies to one of our local clinics from people with no money whose only recourse is to euthanize the animals. Southern NV is working hard to resolve its overpopulation problems, but needs help from the State to make regulations for surrounding jurisdictions. Thank you.
Assessing the problem: Cat/dog populations p in Clark County Dr. Karen Layne, President Las Vegas Valley Humane Society BB-2
# of dogs and cats in households h in Clark County # of Animals (including dogs and cats) impounded and disposed of in local shelters TWO ISSUES BB-3
DOGS: 461,500 in 729,800 households* CATS: 520,000 in 729,800 households* 208,000000 to 520,000 ferals or freeroaming** Estimate of Dogs/Cats BB-4
Animals Intakes (Impounds) 55451 Adoptions Return to Owner Euthanasia Dead on Arrival Percentage of dispositions 12438 25.6* 5808 10.5 30921 56.5** 3910 70 7.0 (DOA) Died on Premises 267** (DOP) Transfer to Rescue Other 1693* 147 2008 Local Shelters Statistics BB-5
Dog Intakes 25982 Percentage of (Impounds) Dispositions Adoptions 7971 36.3* Return to Owner 5026 19.4 Euthanasia 10026 39** Dead on Arrival 1359 50 5.0 (DOA) Died on 86** Premises (DOP) Transfer to Rescue 1452* 2008 Local Shelters Statistics BB-6
Cat Intakes 26393 Percentage of (impounds) Dispositions Adoptions 3718 14.0 Return to Owner 650 24 2.4 Euthanasia 19749 73.3* Dead on Arrival (DOA) Died on Premise (DOP) Transferred to 54 Rescue 2019 7.5 98* 2008 Local Shelters Statistics BB-7
Disposition Dogs Cats by Percentage 25982 26393 Adoptions 36.3* 3* 14.0* Return to 19.4 24 2.4 Owner Euthanasia 39 73.33 Differences Dead on between Dogs and Cats 5.0 7.5 Arrival BB-8
NUMBER OF ANI IMALS CLARK COUNTY SHELTERING TRENDS 60000 50000 40000 Impounds Adoptions 30000 RTO 20000 Euthanized 10000 DOA 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 SHELTERING TRENDS CY2002-CY2008 CY2008 BB-9
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