ALACHUA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ANIMAL SERVICES DIVISION

ALACHUA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ANIMAL SERVICES DIVISION 3400 N.E. 53 rd Avenue Gainesville, Florida 32609-2015 Tel: (352) 264-6870 Fax: (352) 955-2542 Home Page: www.animalservices.alachuacounty.us David Flagler Director Email: dflagler@alachuacounty.us Gwen Jones Administrative Coordinator Email: GJones@alachuacounty.us Vernon Sawyer Field Supervisor Email: vsawyer@alachuacounty.us Chris Barnes Shelter Supervisor Email: cbarnes@alachuacounty.us Florida Animal Friend, Inc. c/o Lois Kostroski 13153 North Dale Mabry, Suite 105 Tampa, FL 33618 March 5, 2008 To the Florida Animal Friend Grant Review Committee: Alachua County Animal Services (ACAS) respectively requests $20,000 for the purpose of establishing a public spay/neuter program for indigent owners of dogs and cats, as well as owners of pit bull breed dogs (regardless of indigent status). We propose to sterilize 800 animals at a cost of $25 per surgery for the duration of this project. By targeting indigent pet owners and owners of a problem breed, we feel we can maximize our options for reducing the population in our shelter. Randy L. Caligiuri, D.V.M. Staff Veterinarian Email: rcaligiuri@alachuacounty.us James Jarrell Public Education Program Coordinator Email: jjarrell@alachuacounty.us Alachua County, Florida, is an economically challenged southern community. Comprising 874 square miles in north central Florida, the county is populated by 241,000 people residing in approximately 90,000 households. The local median household income ($31,426) is well below that of the state ($38,819). Likewise, the percentage of residents living in poverty (~23%) is above the state average of 12.5%. Alachua County is unique in that roughly one-quarter of its residents are students of the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College. While students are generally not counted in poverty statistics and are frequently denied access to subsidized public programs, many may be considered "transiently indigent" and often exist on subsistence income

Page 2 of 3 (student loans, etc.) and accumulated debt. The student population also comprises a large portion of the county s domestic animal ownership, and inevitably contributes to many of the animal care/treatment problems that our Outreach and Humane Education program strives to combat. Perhaps as a reflection of these factors, Alachua County has historically had one of the highest rates of dog and cat euthanasia in the nation. Chief among the causes of this high rate of euthanasia is a lack of public awareness (particularly among the low-income residents described above) about proper care of domestic animals, knowledge of services available at the animal shelter and ignorance of animal services ordinances in Alachua County. Many of these citizens end up abandoning or surrendering their animals to Alachua County Animal Services for a number of reasons. Some surrenders are the result of aggressive action investigations (bites, fighting, etc), but many more are because owners cannot afford the cost to care for the animals once they reach maturity. The unfortunate result is an alarmingly high population in the animal shelter Our proposed public spay/neuter program will attempt to target two of the biggest obstacles in reducing the population of our shelter: (1) sterilization of animals belonging to the low-income/uneducated population of the county and (2) sterilizing pit bull breeds regardless of owner s indigent status. Both of these factors contribute to our growing shelter population, which inevitably leads to the euthanasia of unclaimed or unadopted animals (in cases where the animal is even deemed adoptable). The current stated and approved goal by the County Commission is to continue the no-kill philosophy advocated by other programs like Maddie s Fund, and we feel strongly that this program can help us achieve our goals. ACAS recognizes that the Florida Animal Friend Grant subsidizes the sterilization (surgery) costs only, but we do require updated rabies vaccines and county tags before we can perform any surgeries. In cases where pets are not up-to-date, pet

2008 FLORIDA ANIMAL FRIEND GRANT APPLICATION Application must be RECEIVED BY: April 1, 2008 APPLICANT INFORMATION Entire application must be typed. Sections may be expanded as needed to provide important details, but remember to be concise. Do not change the format of the application. Name of Applicant Agency: Alachua County Animal Services Person Submitting Proposal: Jim Jarrell Title: Public Education Program Coordinator Organization Address: 3400 NE 53rd Avenue City, State, Zip Code: Gainesville, FL 32609 Website Address: http://animalservices.alachuacounty.us Phone number: 352-264-6870 Fax Number: 352-955-2542 Cell Number: 352-213-0435 Email Address: jjarrell@alachuacounty.us Dates of Last Complete Fiscal Year: 10/01/2006 to 09/30/2007 (MM/DD/YY) Organization Income in Last Fiscal Year: $2,365,637 Organization Expenses in Last Fiscal Year: $2,365,637 Year(s) of previous Florida Animal Friend grants (if applicable): Number of Paid Employees: Full-time: 34 Part-time: 0 Number of Active Volunteers: 17 Total Volunteer Hours per Week: 25.5 Describe Your Agency (check all that apply): Services Provided Unlimited intake shelter Limited intake shelter Foster network Animal control Spay/neuter services Feral cat sterilization Organization Structure City, county, or tribal agency Private nonprofit agency Spay/neuter clinic Veterinary association Private veterinary clinic Community collaboration Veterinary care to the public Other Public rabies vaccinations Other Adoption services Revised 1/15/08 1

Applicant Qualifications: For your organization, In the last complete fiscal year: 3,783 cats and 4,691 dogs were admitted 1,507 cats and 2,164 dogs were adopted 1,380 cats and 1,912 dogs were sterilized 1,631 cats and 1,664 dogs were euthanized Describe your animal programs: Our Mission at Alachua County Animal Services is to promote a peaceful coexistence between citizens and animals through regulation, protection and education. We are committed to working with compassion, courtesy, and in a humane manner to provide every pet with a loving and caring home. In addition to handling lost and abandoned animals, ACAS offers adoption services, pet registrations, public rabies vaccinations and public humane education programs. If your program performs adoptions, are all animals sterilized before adoption? Yes No If not all, what percentage of animals is not currently sterilized before adoption? % If not all, how are animals selected for sterilization before adoption? If not all, describe your sterilization policies and procedures for assuring sterilization after adoption: As of the new fiscal year, all animals adopted by the general public or transferred to local rescue groups are sterilized in-house. Historically, animals adopted to rescue groups were not necessarily sterilized in-house (some rescue groups preferred sterilizing in their own clinics). Give additional background information on your organization s programs as they relate to this application and the qualifications of the personnel who will be in charge of this program. Show that you have the ability to carry out this program: We have a clinic on-site that is staffed with a D.V.M. and licensed vet-techs to carry out this program. What kinds of spay/neuter services are currently available in the target area? In what way are these resources currently insufficient? The public programs that historically existed locally were funded by grants that have ended (i.e., Maddie's Pet Rescue Grant Program and Alachua County Humane Society's Gallenkamp Spay/Neuter Program). Another local program, Pit-Nip at West End Veterinary Clinic in Newberry is set to expire soon. If you currently have a program for sterilization of cats and/or dogs, describe your current level of funding and productivity and why additional resources are needed. We currently do not have funding for public spay/neuter programs of any kind, and impending municipal budget cuts will make funding even less likely. We plan to use this program as a pilot to demonstrate the need for funding by the Board of County Commissioners. The need for this kind of program at our shelter is undeniable, and implementing a spay/neuter program to target both low-income pet owners as well as owners for pit bulls and pit bull-mix breed dogs will significantly reduce our shelter population. Revised 1/15/08 2

GRANT PROPOSAL DETAILS Title of Proposal: Public Spay/Neuter Program for Low-Income and Pit-Bull Breed Pet Owners Total Amount of Funding Requested: $ 20,000 Check payable to: Alachua County Animal Services Is this a community collaboration involving multiple groups? If so, list each group by contact information and role in the project: Group Name Group Address Website Role Problem statement: More than five million pets are euthanized annually because there are not enough homes for them. It costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $2 billion each year to take in, care for, and often euthanize homeless animals. Although education has increased the percentage of animals that are spayed and neutered, more sterilization is needed to reach the critical thresholds necessary to control overpopulation. Since funding for sterilization programs is limited, it is important that available funds be used for programs that target the most significant sources of cat and dog overpopulation and that these programs increase sterilization surgeries above the current baselines of the community. Describe the target area: Geographical target area (name of city, county, Florida, etc.): Gainesville, Alachua, Florida Total human population in target area: 227,120 (information available at www.census.gov) Percent of residents living below poverty in target area: 22% (www.census.gov) Estimated number of pet cats in target area (human population divided by 3.3): 68,824 Estimated number of pet dogs in target area (human population divided by 4.0): 56,780 Estimated number of feral cats in target area (human population divided by 6.0): 37,853 Number of cats 3,686 and dogs 4,605 admitted to animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) Number of cats 1,650 and dogs 1,723 euthanized in animal control shelters in the target area last year (if known) Please explain if you believe your target area animal population is significantly different than above. Revised 1/15/08 3

Describe the specific target animal population of the spay/neuter project proposed for this grant: Pets in low-income families: What qualifications will you use to determine low-income status? Poverty level (local) x 150%; presentation of Medicaid assistance card. Special populations (e.g., pit bulls, underserved regions, unique events): Pit-bull and Pit-bull mixed breeds Feral cat sterilization Other: Objectives: What do you hope to accomplish with these funds (objectives should be specific and quantifiable)? Despite current public programs available to serve low-income pet owners and, more specifically pit bull/pit bull mix pet owners, between 35-45% of our canine intake (sometimes as high as 50%, depending on the time of year) are pit bull and pit bull-mix breeds, many of which are abandoned by low-income owners. By providing a subsidized sterilization program to lowincome pet owners, and especially owners of these breeds, the hope is that the size of the abandoned/surrendered population of pit bull and pit bull-mix at the shelter will dramatically decrease, thereby dramatically reducing our overall euthanasia statistics.. How does this program increase the number of sterilization surgeries above the existing baseline? At present, we provide low-cost sterilization vouchers that are accepted by local vets, but that is the only public sterilization program available at our shelter, other than the mandatory sterilizations we perform whenever an animal is adopted to the public. The funds we are requesting for this program will enable us to offer public spay/neuter services to any low-income pet owner and any owner of a pit bull or pit bull-mix breed (a breed we are targeting to help reduce the shelter population, and thereby, the number of euthanized dogs). Methods: What criteria will you use to determine eligibility for the program? We will provide sterilization services to any pet owner that is defined as low-income (as stated above). We will also provide sterilization services to any owner of a pit bull or pit bullmix breed dog. Dogs must be classified as pit bull or pit bull-mix breed to qualify. Additionally, all animals accepted for eligibility must be up-to-date on rabies vaccine and registered with a county tag. How will you advertise the program? Explain how the advertising will reach the target audience. Attach promotion materials if available. Alachua County Animal Services participates in a weekly segment on local ABCtelevision affiliate TV-20. We regularly use this segment to promote animals available for adoption and to advertise our other services. This weekly segment would be one of the ways we would advertise this service and maximize reaching our target audience. The segment is also archived on the TV-20 website each week for audience members who may have missed the segment. Alachua County also has a public access television channel that is frequently used to advertise new and improved county services. We would also make an effort to post marketing materials (posters, flyers, brochures) in areas that target low-income households (Social Services, the health department, public libraries etc.) Revised 1/15/08 4

How will you address barriers to full use of the program such as transportation, illiteracy, and cultural hurdles? In cases of elderly or physically handicapped pet owners, ACAS would dispatch our Animal Control Officers to collect the animals and bring them in for the procedure (at a cost that would be absorbed by the Department). In addition, our officers regularly patrol areas where our target populations are the greatest and where they could serve as ambassadors promoting the program to those handicapped by illiteracy. Our Public Education Coordinator would also go into targeted areas for Town Hall meetings with residents to explain the program and promote the benefits of participation. Does this project involve the transportation of animals by someone other than the client? If so, describe the vehicles, methods for confinement, personnel training, liability releases used to assure the safety of the animals and handlers. ACAS would only volunteer to transport animals in cases where the client is physically unable to transport the dog (elderly, handicapped). In such cases, an officer would be dispatched in one of our animal control vehicles to collect the animal. For the duration of the procedure, animals will be confined to surgery kennels or isolation kennels (to prevent spread of disease to/from other animals in the shelter). ACAS would require the owner to sign a waiver of liability (as drafted by the Alachua County Legal Department) in order for the animal to be transported to and from the shelter, otherwise the owner will be required to transport the animal by her own means. Every effort will be made to return the animals on the same day, although ACAS cannot guarantee same-day returns, in which case boarding fees may apply. Veterinary Services: What arrangements have you made with veterinarians to perform the surgeries? The staff veterinarian, Dr. Randy Caligiuri, will perform the procedures, at cost. What is the fee range to be paid for spay and neuter and what is the distribution to be paid by the client vs. the grant program? Keep in mind that Florida Animal Friend grant funds may only be used for costs directly associated with sterilization surgery (including anesthesia and pain control) and not for other items such as vaccines, testing, licensing, and capital purchases. Amount Paid by Client Amount Paid by Project Total Amount Range for Male Cats $ 0 $ 25 $ 25 Range for Female Cats $ 0 $ 25 $ 25 Range for Male Dogs $ 0 $ 25 $ 25 Range for Female Dogs $ 0 $ 25 $ 25 Revised 1/15/08 5

Please check each item below to indicate whether additional services are required at the time of surgery and whether the client is required to pay for them. Included in Cost Not Offered Optional Required Amt. Paid by Client Examination Yes No $ 0 Vaccination Yes No $ 6 Pain Medication Yes No $ 0 Parasite Medication Yes No $ Testing Yes No $ Dog Licensing Yes No $ 15 Cat Licensing Yes No $ 8 Ear tipping Yes No $ If necessary, please explain the procedures and fees described above: Dr. Caliguiri performs a cursory physical exam, including heart, lung and skin condition exam to ensure the animal is healthy enough to undergo surgery. Though necessary for the procedure, it is not a completely thorough physical exam. All animals are administered pain medication in post-op, at no cost. Is this a voucher program? If so, how will you assure compliance with the program? This is not a voucher program. We currently sell discount spay/neuter vouchers to the general public that are accepted by some local vets. These vouchers will still be available for purchase by pet owners who would otherwise not qualify for this program. Other Information: Provide any additional information that will help the grant selection committee understand how the program will operate to achieve its goals. Ideally, we hope to perform as many as 16 sterilizations per week under this program. After a year, the program will qualify as successful if we are able to locate and sterilize 800 animals. By reaching that many animals, we can significantly reduce the number of abandoned/surrendered animals that populate our shelter and run the risk of being euthanized. Budget: Total number of sterilization surgeries projected: cats 300 dogs 500 Total budget requested: $ 20,000 Average cost/surgery projected: $ 25 Describe any expenses that are not included in the grant and how they will be paid for: Pain medication is administered without charge on a case-by-case basis, and is covered in the Shelter's annual budgetary allowance because we perform adoptions (and sterilizations) as one of our daily services. Eligibility of some animals will depend on proof of updated rabies vaccine and purchase of a county tag. Pet owners will assume those costs, if necessary, before the procedure can be completed. Revised 1/15/08 6

CHECKLIST OF ATTACHMENTS AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Organize the completed applications in the following order and complete checklist. Nonprofit Agencies Municipal Agencies 1 Grant application Grant application 2 Checklist Checklist 3 Veterinary collaboration letter(s) Veterinary collaboration letter(s) 4 Current fiscal year agency budget Current fiscal year agency budget 5 Roster of board of directors Letter of support from director 6 IRS 501(c)3 determination letter Media coverage, brochures, PSAs, etc. 7 FL DOACS registration certificate 8 IRS 990 or 990 EZ 9 Media coverage, brochures, PSAs, etc. For all applicants: Completed grant application (hard copies and electronic copy) Veterinary collaboration letter for spay/neuter services Copies of newsletters, media clippings, public service announcements, brochures, etc. that pertain to the applicant s spay/neuter program (hard copies only, no videos, DVDs, etc). For private nonprofit agencies: Current fiscal year agency budget Roster of applicant s board of directors, including address, phone number, email address, occupation and whether board members are compensated for their positions. IRS Tax Exempt # (attach determination letter) FL Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Registration # CH- (attach) Most recent IRS Form 990 (pages 1-4 & signature page) or 990EZ (page 1-2 & signature page). For city, county, or tribal entities: For city and county governments, attach current fiscal year agency budget, the line item that the funds would be deposited into, a letter from the director of the city or county animal care and control agency on city or county letterhead clearly indicating support for the application of the grant proposal. For tribal entities, attach a letter signed from the Tribal Authority of the local Tribal Health Department. Applications must be received by the due date of April 1, 2008 to be considered in the current cycle. Applications received after the due date and incomplete applications will be returned without review. It is advisable to use a carrier that offers a guaranteed delivery date. Completed applications, including the grant application form, required supporting documents, and other attachments must be submitted together as a complete packet. Please submit 1 original and 4 identical hard copies of the application and all attachments for review. Each copy should be stapled or compiled with a binder clip. Do not use binders, folders, or other display materials for the applications. Please also email 1 copy of the application (signatures and attachments not required) to the address below. Send 1 original and 4 hard copies of application or grant submission inquiries to: Florida Animal Friend, Inc., c/o Lois Kostroski, 13153 North Dale Mabry, Suite 105, Tampa, FL 33618, 866-303-3222, info@floridanimalfriend.org. Send 1 electronic copy or content inquiries to: Julie Levy, levyj@vetmed.ufl.edu, (352) 392-2226 ext 5717 Revised 1/15/08 8

Alachua County Government FY 2008 Tentative and FY 2009 Planned Budget Document Public Works Animal Services Mission Statement Promoting safety and the value of life by strengthening the animal-human relationship. Summary of Services Provided Alachua County Animal Services envisions that all companion animals will have human partners that provide them with appropriate care and the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals and those requiring veterinary care and treatment is eliminated. The Animal Services Division provides all county citizens and animals of Alachua County with: Enforcement of Federal, State and Local animal laws and regulations. Emergency response in matters of public safety and health for animal-related aggression, accidents, disease outbreaks, sanitation concerns, and declared states of emergency. Licensing, registration and identification of companion animals (dogs, cats, ferrets). Investigation of animal cruelty and abuse concerns and related court testimony/action in prosecution of animal cases. Humane sheltering of impounded, lost, abandoned and/or unwanted animals. Adoption of un-reclaimed and/or unwanted animals. Medical examination, vaccination and treatment of sheltered animals. Surgical sterilization of adopted and reclaimed companion animals. Public Education and Community Outreach on animal control and animal welfare issues and concerns. Promulgation of local ordinances dealing with animal control and/or animal welfare. Inspections of business enterprises that sell, show, or display animals. Assistance in veterinary medical student education through an active Shelter Medicine Program offered by the University Of Florida School Of Veterinary Medicine. Major Variances FY2008 Tentative & FY2009 Planned 4 - J - 8 Public Works

Alachua County Government FY 2008 Tentative and FY 2009 Planned Budget Document Expenditures Personal Services Operating Expenditures Capital Outlay Total Operating FY 2005 Actual Public Works Animal Services 1,127,332 490,567 - FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 Actual Adopted Tentative Planned 1,346,130 1,657,246 1,611,493 1,311,051 582,480 684,391 505,856 506,239 37,953 24,000 - - 1,617,898 1,966,563 2,365,637 2,117,349 1,817,290 Total Expenditures 1,617,898 1,966,563 2,365,637 2,117,349 1,817,290 Source of Funding General Fund Community Services Other Special Revenue Funds Other Capital Projects FY 2005 Actual 1,605,901-11,997 - FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 Actual Adopted Tentative Planned 1,941,579 2,358,137 2,102,349 8,080 - - 11,104 7,500 15,000 5,800 - - 1,802,290-15,000 - Total Funding 1,617,898 1,966,563 2,365,637 2,117,349 1,817,290 Staffing Summary 08PWD009-12 09PWD008-12 Office and Clerical Officials and Administrators Professional/Technical Other Professionals Technicians Total Full-Time FTE FY 2005 Actual - 2.65 3.20 20.93-1.00 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 Actual Adopted Tentative Planned - 0.00-4.00 2.70 2.70 2.00 3.20 5.20 3.10 27.05 27.00 29.85-0.00 1.00 3.00 3.00 3.00-11.00 2.00 3.10 29.85 1.00 3.00 27.78 35.95 37.90 34.95 27.95 Total Part-Time FTE - - 1.00 - - Program Enhancements FY 2008 FY 2009 Non-Funded Non-Funded 2% Operating Reduction for Animal Services - - Elimination of Microchip Program - - Elimination Shelter Medicine Program - - FTE (1) Accounting Clerk Position Animal Services - - FTE (1) Animal Services Officer - - FTE (1) Animal Services Supervisor - - FTE (1) Humane Educator Position Animal Services - - FTE (1) Office Assistant Position Animal Services - - FTE (1) Program Coordinator Animal Services - - FTE (1) Senior Office Assistant Animal Services - - FTE's (2) Animal Services Officers - - FTE's (2) Animal Shelter Assistants - - Reduce Self Insurance Funding - - Travel Expense Reductions - Board Departments 25% - - Total Enhancements - - FY 2008 Tentative FY 2009 Planned -13,688-27,376-7,311-9,620-101,000-101,000 - -31,963-43,643-44,978 - -57,139-51,370-52,764-34,669-35,936 - -38,481-37,358-38,646 - -89,956 - -67,824-13,173-13,173-2,450-2,450-304,662-611,306 FY2008 Tentative & FY2009 Planned 4 - J - 9 Public Works