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Home My WebLink About2021-06-17; San Diego Humane Society Euthanasia Policy (Districts - All); Williams, MickeyTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date "/n /:u CA ✓ cc ✓ CM ✓ ACM v1 PCM (3) ✓ --· - {city of Carlsbad Memo ID #2021122 Council Memorandum June 17, 2021 To: From: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council Mickey Williams, Assistant Chief of Police Via: Geoff Patnoe, Acting City Manager @ Re: San Diego Humane Society Euthanasia Policy (Districts -All) This memorandum provides information related to the San Diego Humane Society's policy on euthanasia, as requested by a Council Member. Background The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is devoted to the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition's commitment of zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals. Since 2015, they have not had to euthanize any healthy or treatable sheltered animals in their care. Discussion Staff reached out to the Humane Society's Director of Government Relations and received the following response: "With more than 45,000 homeless animals entering San Diego shelters each year, shelter facilities are constantly full to capacity and their resources are stretched incredibly thin. As such, we do everything they can to help the healthy and treatable animals in our care. At our San Diego Campus, SDHS operates the Pilar & Chuck Bahde Center for Shelter Medicine, providing medical care far beyond that found in traditional shelters. Its veterinary team -Jed by one of only 28 veterinarians certified in shelter medicine by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners -performs everything from trauma medicine to specialized surgeries. We repair fractured bones, perform advanced dental work and lead the country in developing new treatments for deadly diseases like parvo and distemper. SDHS is also proud to operate a state-of-the-art Behavior Center that provides a safe space and individualized training plans for some of the most challenging dogs and cats to enter San Diego County shelters. It's one of only a few facilities of its kind in the country, and it enables SDHS to save hundreds of animals each year. In Fiscal Year 2019-20 nearly 600 companion animals from the City of Carlsbad were either sheltered or served at one of our four campus locations. Of those, nearly all were adopted out, returned to their owners or transferred out to rescue groups or coalition partners. Only Police Department Administration 2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-210 Council Memo -San Diego Humane Society Euthanasia Policy (Districts -All) June 17, 2021 Page 2 31 were irredeemably ill, injured, or suffering from behavioral challenges that would make them unsuitable for adoption and requiring euthanasia. Our live release rate for the City of Carlsbad for FY 19-20 was 93.28%. Regionally, over 31,000 companion animals entered San Diego Humane Society shelters and our live release rate was 90.6%." Next Steps Staff has provided a copy of the latest SDHS City of Carlsbad Quarterly Report (Attachment A), as well as the SDHS Companion Animal Statistics Report for 2020 (Attachment B), to show the total reported number of animal intakes, outcomes, and euthanasia. Attachment: A. San Diego Humane Society City of Carlsbad Third Quarter Report B. San Diego Humane Society Companion Animal Statistics Report cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney Cindy Anderson, Senior Management Analyst City of Carlsbad Quarterly Report 3RD QUARTER • January 1-March 31, 2021 Carlsbad Total .AnilTlals Helped Htrfillne"'" SOCIETY,,, ANIMALS SHELTERED 81 COMMUNITY SERVICES* 69 *Spay/Neuter; Vaccinated/Microchipped; Owner Requested Euthanasia SAN DIEGO CAMPUS 5500 Gaines St. San Diego, CA 92110 619-299-7012 EL CAJON CAMPUS 1373 N. Marshall Ave. El Cajon, CA 92020 619-299-7012 ESCONDIDO CAMPUS 3500 Burnet Drive Escondido, CA 92027 619-299-7012 Attachment A OCEANSIDE CAMPUS 2905 San Luis Rey Road 572 Airport Road Oceanside, CA 92058 619-299-7012 Anim.als Sheltered & Outgoing Anim.als INCOMING DOGS OUTGOING DOGS Stray 27 • Owner Surrender 11 • Seizure 6 Adopted 11 • Returned to Owner 24 • Transferred Out 3 • Euthanized 6 • Other Outcomes 0 INCOMING CATS OUTGOING CATS Stray 8 • Owner Surrender 3 • Seizure 3 Adopted 16 • Returned to Owner 5 • Transferred Out 1 • Euthanized O • Other Outcomes 0 INCOMING OTHER OUTGOING OTHER Stray 14 • Owner Surrender 8 • Seizure 1 Adopted 9 • Returned to Owner 4 • Transferred Out 2 • Euthanized 1 • Other Outcomes 0 Com.m.unity Services LICENSES: 513 RABIES VACCINATIONS: 31 MICROCHIPS: 12 DISlEMPER VACCINATIONS: 25 SPAY/NEUIERSURGERIES: 4 PUBUCVACCINAlED/MICROCHIPPm ANIMALS: 55 Hum.ane Law Enforcem.ent DISPATCH CALLS Priority 1: 69 • Priority 2: 51 • Priority 3: 17 • Priority 4: 10 • Priority 5: 209 • Unassigned: 3 • TOTAL CALLS 359 CALL lYPES A. Animal Control 639 B. Investigations 71 C. Medical 60 D. Public Assistance 241 E. Safety 25 NOTICE OF COMPLAINTS: 13 CITATIONS: 4 Hu~ane"'" SOCIETY,,,. San Diego Humane Society Companion Animal Statistics Attachment B In August 2004, animal welfare industry leaders from across the country agreed to gather statistics about animals served in a standardized form. The statistical guidelines they developed, known as the Asilomar Accords, serve as an important tool to consistently track the progress of reducing or eliminating the euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals across the United States. This method of calculating impact is used by all shelters in the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition (SDAWC), including San Diego Humane Society. The table below reflects our organization's numbers for the 2020 fiscal year. DOG CAT OTHERS TOTAL INTAKE A Beginning Shelter Count (07-01-2019) 419 1,354 198 1,971 B From the public 13,166 14,965 3,070 31,201 C Incoming transfers from SDAWC members 59 265 6 330 D Incoming transfers from ALL other organizations outside of 273 43 24 340 SDAWC E From owners requesting euthanasia 2,228 885 82 3,195 F Total Intake (B + C + D + E) 15,726 16,158 3,182 35,066 G Owner-requested euthanasia (not healthy) 2,228 885 82 3,195 H ADJUSTED TOTAL INTAKE (F -G) 13,498 15,273 3,100 31,871 OUTCOME I Adoptions 6,857 10,099 2,274 19,230 J Outgoing transfers to SDAWC members 316 330 84 730 K Outgoing transfers to other organizations outside of the SDAWC 1,117 933 386 2,436 L1 Return to owner (stray animals only) 4,481 2,146 83 6,710 L2 Reclaim (animals relinquished by and then returned to owner) 244 122 2 368 EUTHANASIA M Healthy (includes any healthy animal euthanized at owner request) 0 0 0 0 N Treatable 0 0 0 0 0 Unhealthy & untreatable 635 2,149 274 3,058 p Owner-requested euthanasia (not healthy) 2,225 884 82 3,191 Q Total euthanasia (M + N + o + P) 2,860 3,033 356 6,249 R ADJUSTED TOTAL EUTHANASIA (Q -P) 635 2,149 274 3,058 s Subtotal outcomes (I+ J + K + L(l) + L(2) + R) excludes owner-13,650 15,779 3,103 32,532 requested euthanasia (not healthy) T Died or lost in shelter care 42 168 117 327 u TOTAL OUTCOMES (S +T) 13,692 15,947 3,220 32,859 excludes owner-requested euthanasia (not healthy) V Ending Shelter Count (6-30-2020) 225 679 78 982 w ANNUAL LIVE RELEASE RATE/PERCENTAGE 95.3% 86.4% 91.2% 90.6% (I + J +K + L(1) + L(2)) / S The Annual Live Release Rate does not include (P) owner- requested euthanasia, which were not healthy and (T) animals who were lost while under she ter care.· IMPACT REPORT 2019-2020