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Item
Title: Name Change for the Wake County Animal Shelter
Specific
Action Requested:
Item
Summary:
Since the first day Wake County housed a stray animal so that it could
be reunited with its owner, the program has been referred to as Wake County Animal
Control. However, over the years the shelter has grown to become much more
sophisticated and diverse in its services. However the name has remained the
same. The current name of Wake County Animal Control does not properly or
adequately portray the services provided by Wake County Government related to
this field.
Wake County Animal Control currently includes, but is not limited to,
the pick up of stray and owner surrendered animals; the confiscation of evicted
animals and animals related to criminal activities and quarantine of bite
animals; the management of the Wake County Animal Shelter including its
receiving of stray and owner surrendered animals from the public, the shelter
and feeding of lost, stray and abandoned animals, and the adoption of unwanted
animals.
Over the past decade, Wake
County’s investments in improved sheltering facilities and management have
enabled Wake County to increase adoptions from 18% to 28% and reduce euthanasia
from 71% to 59%. However, an average of over 10,000 animals have been
euthanized each year for the past five years. The number of animals euthanized
presents a community problem that needs increased attention and more proactive
approaches.
In an effort to address this
community problem the Wake County Department of Environmental Services has
developed an Animal Control Business Plan, generated a Memorandum of
Understanding and a Memorandum of Agreement with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County,
written a Memorandum of Agreement with the North Carolina State University
College of Veterinary Medicine and worked in participation with the SPCA, the
Towns of Cary and Garner, the City of Raleigh, the veterinary community, rescue
and foster groups, and other stakeholders to tackle issues involving animal
control, sheltering and pet overpopulation.
In light of the many
aforementioned efforts to address the community overpopulation problem it is an
appropriate time to change the name of Wake County Animal Control to more
adequately reflect the myriad of services provided. Three main areas of focus
have been identified for inclusion in the new name. A brief explanation of each area is given below.
This element includes the boarding, feeding and vaccination
of lost, stray, abandoned and unwanted animals; the spaying or neutering and
microchipping of adopted animals to prevent unwanted litters and to more
readily return lost animals to their owners; and the education of the public on
being responsible pet owners to decrease the number of surrendered animals.
Animal Control
This element encompasses rabies vaccination enforcement,
bite quarantine, and the handling of evictions, confiscations, cruelty cases
and dangerous animals.
Animal Adoption
This element involves the rehoming
of unclaimed or surrendered animals. The adoption center at Beacon Lake Drive
in Raleigh will adopt out animals as well as a mobile unit and adoption
partners such as the SPCA.
Given the three main areas of
focus for this service provided to Wake County citizens, the new proposed name
is Wake County Animal Care, Control and Adoption Center.