2011 No More Homeless Pets National Conference Organization: Featuring: Title: Playbook Salt Lake County Animal Services Shawni Larrabee Director
Shawni Larrabee Salt Lake County Animal Services (SLCoAS) is a government agency that provides consistent, reliable and professional solutions for animal-related problems and encourages responsible pet guardianship to help people and animals coexist in a safer environment. SLCoAS serves the pets and 409,000 citizens within the unincorporated area of Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, Holladay city, Midvale city, Herriman city, and the University of Utah campus. SLCoAS comprehensive animal care and control services include 24/7 field operations and enforcement, animal care and sheltering, pet licensing, on-site veterinarian and clinic, pet adoptions, placement of animals with rescue groups, volunteer and foster programs, community-issue focus programs, emergency planning, community education, media relations, and outreach events. In 2008, when Shawni Larrabee took the job of director at Salt Lake County Animal Services, the shelter s save rate was 83 percent for dogs and 37 percent for cats. In short, the numbers just weren t adding up to success. Since Shawni has taken lead of the team, the save rate has climbed to 89 percent for dogs and 77 percent for cats. For Shawni, the biggest obstacles were twofold: 1. There was a disconnect between what SLCoAS goals were and the culture from which they could be achieved. Some employees understood that realizing a time of No More Homeless Pets was important, but there were others who didn t quite get the bigger goals and the steps it would take to realize them. 2. There seemed to be a stalled effort in making progress on behalf of the animals who needed help most to not become a dismal statistic. 1
An overwhelming number of cats were coming into the shelter (both community cats, aka feral cats, and lost or abandoned house pets). Only 3 to 4 percent of cats were being reunited with their family, a statistic that needed to change. Other than the Salt Lake City trap/neuter/ return (TNR) program, there were zero options for community cats they weren t being made available for adoption and many weren t being trapped, neutered and returned. In 2008, while making up only 22 percent of the shelter s intake, 78 percent of the adoptable pit-bull-type dogs were being euthanized. The first order of business was to turn the tide for the community cats of the area. A more far-reaching TNR program needed to begin as soon as possible as there were no options for community cats; entering the shelter system almost ensured their euthanasia. In the beginning, there was only one TNR program in Salt Lake City that partnered SLCoAS with No More Homeless Pets in Utah and Best Friends Animal Society that was helping sow the seeds to accomplish long-term save-rate goals, but SLCoAS needed to start saving lives immediately in all jurisdictions. Also, to help place the friendly house cats who were coming into the shelter every day into new homes, a radical idea for the time had to be tried: free cat adoption promotions. The other challenge to increasing the shelter s save rate were pit bull terriers and pit bull terrier mixes. Shawni saw the dogs greatest hurdles as an image issue and the wrong fits for the right dogs. SLCoAS needed to help break stereotypes and be more thorough with their adoption coaching. Seeking out information from professionals in animal welfare, in 2009 the Salt Lake County Pit Crew emerged as the last bastion for pit bull terriers before becoming a dreary statistic. The Pit Crew focused on public education and awareness about the dogs, while providing avenues for pit bull terrier training. Free sterilization was also offered for dogs who lived within the agency s jurisdiction. The proof is in the numbers: In 2011, a pit-bull-type dog has an approximately 85 percent chance of leaving the shelter for a loving home. Salt Lake County Animal Services lifesaving programs also include such outreach endeavors as spay/neuter clinics, ongoing support to adoptive homes, and laws and ordinances that build trust within the community as they keep the area safe and save more lives. The atmosphere of trust that SLCoAS has cultivated extends to the area s elected officials and the citizens the agency serves. It s worth pointing out that SLCoAS has implemented its positive changes and achieved results during a period of extreme recession, budget cuts, and drastic organizational transition. Responsible Pet Guardianship Salt Lake County Animal Services brings lifesaving ideas to the municipal arena in a proactive, solutions-based way. Shawni Larrabee reached out to Bill Bruce of Calgary 2
Animal & Bylaw Services to learn about their best practices that could be applied to the Salt Lake County area. By engaging the public in a respectful and truthful manner, Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services is able to address animal issues, with an eye on the best outcome for the animals, while keeping the public safe. With the support of local officials, such as the mayor, their community is committed to the bigger mission of No More Homeless Pets. WHAT WORKED: Cat licensing: One big step in the right direction was SLCoAS cat licensing, which was modeled after Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services requirement. This was quite contentious at the time of proposal, but with only a 4 percent return-to-guardian rate, cat licensing was seen not as a punitive measure but a lifesaving one. License noncompliance fee: One way SLCoAS got more people to follow the law and license their pets was to increase the penalty fees for noncompliance. Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services also charges noncompliance fees. Since the pet license is a crucial component of reuniting lost animals with their families, making the punishment stiffer for not licensing gives people more of an incentive to do the right thing. Another way to help people license their pets was to include a microchip with the license fee. The public perceived that they got more value for the licensing cost, while the microchip is another great tool to get a lost pet home. Eliminating pet limits: Doing away with maximum pet limit laws came as another recommendation from Bill Bruce and was implemented in Salt Lake County. This allows responsible guardians to keep the number of animals they can properly care for and helps the people, pets and shelter system in the community. By recognizing that different people are equipped to take care of a different number of pets, depending on their available resources, SLCoAS was able to take a more practical approach to responsible pet guardianship. People are now able to adhere to the law by licensing all their pets and not just their declared limit. There was one hurdle that took some negotiating. The Parks and Recreation department believed that lifting the pet limit laws would result in parks being being overrun and ruined by a huge influx of dogs. Building trust within a community means recognizing that people want to be responsible. With an increase in the number of pets living legally with their families, the parks were no worse for the wear. Animal service officers new approach: SLCoAS officers daily tasks include enforcing the ordinances and laws and reuniting pets with their people. Both duties require officers to work with people to ensure the best outcome for the animals and the public. SLCoAS officers now take mediation and communication certification courses, which help them engage better with the public, just as Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services officers do. Their training pays off in many ways. Here s one case in point a situation involving two neighbors and a barking dog. Rather than just giving a ticket to the neighbor who had a dog who would go out in the morning and bark while going potty, the officer had a conversation with both neighbors. It turned out the aggrieved neighbor worked late and was trying to sleep in the morning when the dog was barking. A solution was found by delaying the dog s potty break an hour. Officers are experts in identifying the underlying problem and getting to the solution. Their goal is to find that solution, not write a ticket. New look for animal services officers: SLCoAS helped shift the public s perception of animal control officers. The agency wanted the public to see officers as animal courtesy officers, so the officers uniforms were changed to look less like police officers. The officers now look more like approachable professionals. WHAT DIDN T: Nothing to report: The above changes were implemented in May 2011 in Salt Lake County and so far have been very well received by the community. WHAT S NEXT: Getting to 100 percent licensing compliance: By getting all the pets licensed in the Salt Lake 3
County area, more of the animals who are lost or stolen will be returned home. The extra revenue from the license fees can be funneled back into lifesaving programs, projects and events. Better service, more employee input: SLCoAS encourages their employees to be creative in finding solutions to the animal issues of their area. By fostering an open forum to come up with different ways to serve the area s animals and people, SLCoAS is looking towards the future of meeting their goal of creating a time of No More Homeless Pets. Adoption elements Getting their adoptable animals into forever homes was a crucial step towards No More Homeless Pets. There were some inconsistencies in SLCoAS adoption practices and some missed opportunities to adopt out animals that needed to be addressed. Since adoption is an ongoing contract between the pets, their people and the agency, SLCoAS learned that a little bit of support can go a long way. WHAT WORKED: Adjusting adoption fees: Setting a sliding scale for adoption fees helped more pets be adopted into loving homes. When Shawni stepped to the helm of SLCoAS, she could see that an elderly dog could be as, or more expensive to, adopt than a purebred puppy from the shelter, and that could hinder the ability for the less adoptable animals to leave the shelter. A slidingscale adoption rate helped to radically change the odds for the most at-risk animals at the shelter. Shawni immediately realized that the price of adoption shouldn t get in the way of an animal finding his or her home. Free adoption fee: In 2008, the fee to adopt SLCoAS cats was $65. By offering adult cats as part of a free adoption program, which was implemented in 2009, more of the animals who were being euthanized first were now finding homes. There was a concern about the cutoff for kittens at six months old as the marker for paying an adoption fee or not. The public s idea of what a constituted a kitten was size, so SLCoAS tweaked the definition from age to size, and thus under four pounds, the feline was available at the kitten adoption fee, and over four pounds, the feline could be offered for free. Also, since the impetus behind waiving the adoption fee for cats was to save more lives, this reasoning had to be extended to kittens during kitten season. To save as many cats as possible at the height of kitten admissions, when the ratio between cats and kittens is at its closest, kittens are also offered for free. The sliding-scale adoption fee model made it so the adoption fee for the more desirable and in demand animals helped cover the costs of caring for the animals who were flooding the shelter. Ongoing adoptive home support: Dogs adopted out of the SLCoAS shelter are offered training opportunities at a steep discount. SLCoAS obedience training classes are geared towards helping dogs pass the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test a standardized method to measure how well a dog should be able to fit nicely into society. The training classes also help to bond the dog to the guardian, and since many shelter dogs have an unknown past, the training also allows for the guardian and trainer to identify 4
problem areas that may need more work for the dog to stay in his or her forever home. Creative ideas for the facility: The shelter was built during another era in animal welfare when animal control had a catch-and-kill mentality. As such, the shelter was not built to be warm and friendly. Some low-cost changes have been made to make the environment less stressful for the animals and more inviting to the public. SLCoAS took small steps like increasing the public s accessibility to adoptable pets by putting kennels in the shelter s lobby. The shelter also added a take a number system so that potential adopters get more efficient customer service. The staff has been encouraged to think outside the box to help make proactive changes to the environment, policies and procedures. Most changes and new programs were the ideas of staff or volunteers. Eliminating adoption appointments: In the past, four to five visits to the animal shelter were required to adopt an animal. An adopter had to find an animal he or she was interested in, schedule an appointment to get acquainted with the animal, schedule an adoption appointment, and then actually pick up the animal. Today, as long as a person comes in within half an hour of closing, he or she can complete the getacquainted session with the animal and adoption interview. The process has dropped to as few as two visits. WHAT DIDN T: Dog training program exclusive to pit bull terriers: Initially, the dog training program was part of the Salt Lake County Pit Crew and only for pit bull terriers. However, SLCoAS received complaints from citizens with other breeds who wanted to participate, so the classes were opened to all breeds. WHAT S NEXT: Building on success: Offering a sliding scale on adoption fees and free cat adoptions has been quite successful so far. Continuing to look at unique ways to help get the pets into forever homes, even when strategies seem counterintuitive, is the way to find the next lifesaving ideas. Not being afraid to fail is one overarching mindset that keeps SLCoAS growing and improving. Exploring more adoptive home support opportunities: Beyond dog training and offering the Canine Good Citizen test at cost, SLCoAS is also looking at other ways to engage their dog adopters to continue to build their bond with and train their dogs. For instance, dock dog competitions and agility classes could also help keep training fun and people and pets connected. Pit bull program elements Something had to be done for pit bull terriers they made up 22 percent of the SLCoAS animal intake but represented 78 percent of their adoptable animal euthanasia rate. In short, the need to save their lives was crucial to fulfilling SLCoAS goal of No More Homeless Pets. SLCoAS checked out what animal welfare leaders around the country were doing to help 5
turn the tides for pit-bull-type dogs. SLCoAS learned about programs from BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls) in California and the Animal Farm Foundation in New York. By studying these programs, SLCoAS was able to discern two major components that needed to be in place to start saving Salt Lake s pit bull terriers. The shelter needed to educate the community on the very basics, such as how to select a dog who is right for your family and how to care for the dog once he or she is part of your family. SLCoAS also needed to change the image of the pit bull terrier from an erratic and unpredictable monster, as portrayed by the media, to a family companion animal, who is an individual. The other component to saving pit bull terriers was to provide avenues for education, proper training, and free spay and neuter surgeries. All components converged when the Salt Lake County Pit Crew was born! The Pit Crew was founded on the premise that a good dog is a reflection of a good owner and that promoting responsible dog ownership is the right path to a safe and humane community. The mission of the Salt Lake County Pit Crew is to promote responsible ownership and provide a proactive solution for the large population of pit-bull-type dogs in the community. Through humane education and low-cost resources, the program challenges breed discrimination and encourages responsible ownership for all breeds. There were a few hurdles that the program needed to clear. The Pit Crew s launch in 2009 coincided with one of the worst economic downturns in contemporary history. Shawni faced naysayers who said, We can t do it. We don t have any money. She went ahead with the plan, with the reasoning that even if they just helped a few dogs per week, those would be dogs who would not be killed and that would be worth the effort. Her instincts were right and the community really stepped up to support the lifesaving program. Another challenge was being transparent with the community without adding to any hysteria. Their intentions to partner with the community meant that a truthful and completely honest conversation needed to take place. The premise was scary at first. SLCoAS was unsure how the program would be received, and they were battling the myths and propaganda that have held the public s attention for the last few decades on what having a pit-bull-type dog in your neighborhood could mean. Shawni checked in repeatedly with her staff to make sure the messaging was always on point and that they were fully educated to give responsible answers to even the toughest of questions. WHAT WORKED: Dog training resources: Providing the right resources was important to help the pit-bulltype dogs of the area. Low-cost training is available to the public for pit bull terriers and their mixes through SLCoAS, and the fees cover the cost of the Canine Good Citizen test. Spay and neuter resources: Using SLCoAS own clinic, pit-bull-type dogs are spayed or neutered for free. Pit bull terriers who are picked up at large are also spayed or neutered for free. Altered dogs are given a reduced licensing fee. Events: The Salt Lake County Pit Crew holds numerous events throughout the year to promote pit bull terrier adoptions and proper guardianship. From themed adoptions, to Neighborhood Pit Bull Day, to Pet Bull Paloozas, the events are focused on education and giving people the tools they need to keep their dogs safe and socialized. Volunteers: Volunteer support for the Pit Crew is a huge part of what makes the program work. Volunteers assist in helping stage the events, getting dogs adopted by taking photos and writing adoption profiles, showcasing the dogs at events, and getting the dogs out of the shelter environment by placing them in the foster care network. More support from like-minded organizations: The Pit Crew s work came to the attention of Best Friends Animal Society and the pit bull initiatives team. Having similar goals of saving as many pit bull terriers and their mixes as possible, a synergistic partnership was formed. Through Best Friends support of the program through media and additional events, the Pit Crew ultimately increased their visibility and the reach of the program. The 6
Pit Crew was also supported by monetary grants from the Animal Farm Foundation and American Dog Rescue. Plus ongoing support from local volunteers who formed a 501(c)3 called Utah Friends for Animal Care and Effective Solutions (Utah FACES) has also been a major contributor to the success of the program. WHAT DIDN T: The negative plea: Early in the program, SLCoAS made the mistake of sending out emails and Facebook posts that focused on dogs who were out of time. This reinforced the image that the agency was just the pound and resulted in people wanting to adopt or foster out of panic to save a dog, not necessarily because it was a good fit for them. It is very difficult to turn down a potential adopter or foster once you ve told them that the dog will be put down. Fosters: SLCoAS rewrote their orientation/training program for fosters after realizing that not all of the fosters were as well versed in dog behavior as they initially seemed. Fostering adult dogs requires that the potential guardian receive additional training to ensure that he or she, the dog, and any other pets remain safe. WHAT S NEXT: Keeping it all going and growing: In 2007, approximately 57.5 percent of pit-bull-type dogs who entered Salt Lake County Animal Services were either adopted out or returned to their guardians. In 2010, that number had climbed to 70.3 percent. However, there is always the possibility that one highly publicized incident involving a pit bull terrier could jeopardize progress, so making sure the resources are continually available and continuing to effectively partner with the community are an ongoing endeavor. Building more trust: The more the public sees that the pit bull terrier problem of Salt Lake County was never a dog problem and instead a people problem, the more the public will embrace the responsible guardianship elements and the educational programs that the Pit Crew supports. The Pit Crew s success is the community s success, and the more trust SLCoAS builds among with the general public and the dog guardian sector, the more goals they will be able to meet in the future. Community cat elements To save as many cats as possible, SLCoAS approach to helping community cats is multipronged. From trap/neuter/return services, to TNR-sanctioned ordinances, to rigorous adoption strategies, looking out for cats is an important part of the lifesaving work that SLCoAS makes a priority. WHAT WORKED: Robust TNR program: By working with No More Homeless Pets in Utah, SLCoAS has made concerted efforts to spay/neuter as many community cats as possible, especially in problem areas where the number of nuisance complaints highlights extra need. No More Homeless 7
Pets in Utah has been part of the solution in targeting communities that need TNR and has helped by working through issues with people who don t like cats as well as supporting community cat caregivers. The resulting drop in cat admissions was realized in the middle of 2010 in Salt Lake City, when fewer cats entering the shelter system meant fewer cats to funnel resources towards. Learning from the experts: By conferring with leaders in the field of community cats, like Holly Sizemore (then director of No More Homeless Pets in Utah and now director of Community Programs and Services at Best Friends) and Rick DuCharme (creator of the Feral Freedom program in Tampa, Florida, and founder and director of First Coast No More Homeless Pets), SLCoAS has been able to approach the County Council to get pro-tnr ordinances on the books and incorporate tried-and-true best practices to help the cats of Salt Lake County. Volunteers: From SLCoAS network of foster homes for cats and kittens to their on-theground community cat caregivers, volunteers are an integral part of the lifesaving work that SLCoAS does for the feral and friendly cats alike of Salt Lake County. Implementing positive changes carefully: Incorporating all of the information available is the best way to make forward movement. Staff spent hours upon hours discussing TNR issues and ensuring the new direction was in line with private sector investment. WHAT DIDN T: Inspections of cat colonies: With approximately 160,000 people in Salt Lake County and only three or four registered community cat colonies, SLCoAS couldn t figure out why the program wasn t attracting more public involvement. When SLCoAS realized that requiring a colony inspection was causing the historically more secretive community of caregivers to eschew becoming a registered colony, SLCoAS simplified the process and eliminated the inspections. This instilled more trust in the community and gave the program stronger legs. Identifying individuals: There were some issues that cropped up when neighbor disputes started to focus on cat problems. The disputes were often not about the cat situation, but it was a way a disgruntled neighbor could target the cat caregiver by stating the community cats were a nuisance. Of course, if the caregiver s permit were revoked, the neighborhood would have a bigger problem because all of the community cats would no longer be cared for. An important lesson learned from Tampa s Feral Freedom program was that SLCoAS didn t have to identify individual caregivers but instead just register their address. Having an address registered, rather than a person, made it so the cats could be spayed and neutered and returned to an address instead of a person. This strategy kept the caregiver out of the mix and any personal issues out of the way of helping cats. WHAT S NEXT: Continuing to engage the community and attract more caregivers: The success of the TNR program is based on the involvement of the community. The volunteers are the lifeblood of making TNR an effective tool in saving lives. Keeping an open dialogue with the public, even the non-cat-loving public, helps to target nuisance areas and make sure as many of the community cats as possible are getting spayed/neutered and that the caregivers are getting the support they require to keep the program working. 8