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Item G2 TIME APPROXIMATE: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY MEETING DATE: May 17, 2000 DIVISION: Public Works BULK ITEM: Yes No x DEPARTMENT: Animal Control AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Report by Tom Garrettson, President of Humane Animal Care Coalition, Inc., which operates the Key Largo Animal Shelter, concerning animal control issues in the Upper Keys. ITEM BACKGROUND: n/a PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: On February 16, 2000, the Board approved the third-year . renewal agreement with the Humane Animal Care Coalition to operate the Key Largo Animal Shelter. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: n/a TOTAL COST: BUDGET.ED: Yes: No: COST TO COUNTY: REVENUE GENERATED: Yes No APPROVED BY: County Atty.: x OMB/Purchasing: x Risk Management: ~ DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: ~c/L-:--, s8ftt} Dent Pierce ' DOCUMENTATION: INCLUDED: TO FOLLOW: NOT REQUIRED: x DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM #: ~ UPPER KEYS ANIMAL SHELTER OPERATED BY HUMANE ANIMAL CARE COALITION, INC. ANNUAL REPORT April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000 TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Mayor Shirley Freeman Mayor Emeritus Wilhelmina Harvey Commissioner George Nugent Commissioner Mary Kay Reich Commissioner Nora Williams AND UPPER KEYS CITIZENS WE SERVE From MM -70 TO MM -113 MM -106 TO OCEAN REEF (59 Miles of Coverage) Thomas F. Garrettson President, Humane Animal Care Coalition, Inc. (}~ Why We Have Animal Shelters? "Pet Over~ulation" Doas: 1 The top 35 breeds and frequently their half-breed offspring are commonplace orphans in our shelters along with less popular breeds and rare breeds. Most dogs are abandoned or given up because people did not investigate breed characteristics and temperament prior to purchase, discovering after the fact and at the dog's expense, that a great error has been made. Nearly a third of the strays processed by animal shelters are purebreds. Below is the list of the top ten breeds2 that comprise over half of the American Kennel Club registered puppies during 1998 (% Million). Recognizable half-breed offspring of purebreds account for a great many of the impounded dogs as well. Thousands more purebred dogs are abandoned each year at veterinary hospitals, boarding kennels, and grooming clinics. Additionally, thousands more purebreds are offered to new homes through classified advertisements in local newspapers. Monroe County Government is spending $662,893.00 (FY -2000 budget because of animal overpopulation. We do not need more dogs in the Key's from Pet stores and breeders. Purebreds are not any better or worse than mixed breeds as companions. Purebred registration papers in no way indicate the quality or state of health of a dog, and parentage is only as good as the word of the breeder. Cats: Feral cats, the number one animal problem in the Florida Keys, have resulted from people abandoning their domestic cats. The Humane Society of the United State, the nation's largest animal protection organization, policy is: "Cat should be indoors." HSUS also recommends "supporting laws requiring cat owners to register their cats and prevent them from roaming" . The attached recommend new animal control laws will help us reduce animal overpopulation in the Florida Keys. These laws are not new; they have been approved in other South Florida Counties and animal shelters in the U.S. 1. Reference, Shirley Weber "Project Breed Directory", 1999. 2. (1) Labrador Retriever; (2) Golden Retriever; (3) German Shepherd; (4) Rottweilers; (5) Dachshund; (6) Beagle; (7) Poodle; (8) Chihuahua; (9) Yorkshire Terrier; (10) Pomeranian BUDGET REVIEW: FY -2000 Total Animal Control budget: (from budget book) Upper Key Animal Control (59* miles of coverage) Balance of the Keys (70 miles of coverage) J662.893.00 $190,632.00 $472,261.00 The HACC, Inc. have saved the County taxpayers money (FY 97-98 budget for county employees to operate shelter $199,385.00) each year and provided all the services including enforcement of State and County Animal Control laws. In addition, we provided these extra services at no additional cost to the County Government: . Opened to the public 672 hours more each year. . Free spay and neuter for animals in the Upper Keys. · All shelter animals are spayed or neutered before they go into new adopted home - no exceptions. · We actively trap sick and starving feral cats. We also support free spay and neuter to "care givers" of feral cats if they agree to provide food and water for the life of the cats. · We go out into the community and have provided education, free spay/neuter, and transportation to over 207 pet owners; many of these animals have had puppies and kittens each year. The Monroe County Animal Control budget cost is mostly for the work force. Historically this number has been 16*, with 4 going to Upper Keys. The Upper Keys Animal Shelter operates 7 days a week and has someone on call 24 hours each day to provide emergency animal services. The following graphic shows maximum numbers of employees available to care for the animals at the shelter, serve the public, and cover the 59 miles on any single day based on (4 employee's) 40-hour workweek: Sun (1) The HACC, Inc. is also the Primary Agency to meet the Monroe County requirements of Emergency Support Function 17 "Animal Protection". * FY.'98 Animal Control Budget was $662,397.00,16 employees; FY-2000, $662,893.00. * MM-70 to 113; MM-106 to Ocean Reef, 12 miles; 905A to County Line 4 miles: total 59 miles STATISTICS for FY - 99 Total Dogs brought in or picked up: Total Cats brought in or picked up: Total dogs and cats: Bite reports: 508 1,043 1.551 2,231 65 $14,689.00 Service calls: Total County Fees Collected: Adoptions: We adopted 690A> of the adoptable dogs, and 61 % of the adoptable cats. National average for community animal shelters is about 20%. Related information: · HSUS reports 43% of households have animals. · FEMA reports we must find ways to help people evacuate their animals during a disaster; 28% of these people would risk their lives to help evacuate their animals/and or not evacuate at all because of their animals. Currently there are no public animal friendly shelter's for Key's Citizens in South Florida. · Florida American Veterinary Medical Association reports Cats are now the #1 domestic animal reported to have rabies. FERAL CATS (Defined as cats that can not be approached or pickup by people.) · People that have abandoned their cats caused this problem. · Feral cats living in the Keys never have a good day: Each day is an endless challenge for these cats to survive. They must avoid predators, finding clean water, food, and safe shelter, day and night. · National animal organizations would refer to most feral cats in the Keys as "Dumpster cats" because they congregate at this food source. · Feral cats in the Keys are always at some point of decline in their health from eating spoiled food, drinking contaminated water, fighting and spreading diseases such as upper respiratory infections, Feline Leukemia, AIDS, etc. · Almost any death in nature is miserable, whether due to disease or trauma. Most Keys cats succumb to slow starvation related illnesses. · There appears to be less tolerance towards free roaming feral or domestic cats in the Keys. For example, people have complained about the large feral cat colonies feeding stations. The complaint's range from the thousands of pounds of food dumped on the ground each year by private cat organizations and caregivers. This food is left on the ground and attracts other wildlife that creates another set of problems. People also have expressed their concerns about the threat to small wildlife from large numbers of free roaming cats. This includes endanger species that only live in the Keys, as well as small animals and birds. Some citizens simply do not want cats in their yard or on their cars. HUMANE SOLUTIONS TO THE CAT PROBLEMS · Create new "feral cat" caregivers Ordinances that protect property rights and the feral cat's colonies. West Palm Beach County has already addressed this problem. The recommend new Ordinance for Monroe County reflects this existing law. All the organizations and citizens that help feral cats have good intentions and all have different objectives. Some of these organizations and private caregivers are accepted by their neighbors, others are not. Some have stopped being caregivers, leaving the cats that were in their care to suffer starvation and disease. Below is a listing of some of the cat organizations that have or are currently operating in the Keys: Feline Manor Feline Rescue League Forgotten Feline Friends of Felines Helping Cats and Kittens Helping Homeless Cats, Inc. Homeless Cats & Kittens of Florida Keys o RCAT · The measure of success for all these organizations and caregivers should be the humane reduction in the number of cats in the colonies each year. This is accomplished by spay/neuter; removal of all kittens for domestication and adoptions; removal of sick and injured for treatment or euthanasia. The HACC, Inc. provides free traps, $40.00 deposit is required and refunded with return of trap. · Because we live on Islands where there is limited land, solving the feral cat problems is easier then other locations. We can humanely fix this problem if the Citizens of Monroe County get involved and work together. Solving the Animal Overpopulation Problems We need new laws that will help with the animal overpopulation problems and drive down the cost of animal control in Monroe County. For example, It makes no sense to invite breeders and pet store operators to bring more cats and dogs into the Keys as tax payers are paying $662,893.00 to reduce the animal overpopulation. To help get the job done and drive down the cost of animal control, the following proposed new laws be recommended for approval. Please note none of these laws are new to South Florida Animal Control and other shelter's in the U.S. NEW RECOMMENDED MONROE County Animal Control Ordinances: Sec. 3-24. (Suggested number) Pet Shops permit. 1. Any person operating a Pet Shop as defined in this chapter shall obtain a pet shop permit for each location in Monroe County and have it conspicuously displayed on the premise. This permit is only' required for Pet Shops that sell animals. Permit fee: $500.00, renewable each year. For pet shops that sell dogs and/or cats, a special license fee of $2500.00 is required each year. Proof of payment must be conspicuously displayed. 2. The permit holder shall furnish the purchaser a written statement at the time of sale the following information: a. Date of sale, b. Name, address and telephone number of purchaser and permit holder, c. Permit number of permit holder, d. Breed, description, approximate age and sex of dog, cat or other animal sold (Small mammals, parrot-type birds, and fish not included.) e. Medication and prophylactic immunization and dates administered, f. Internal parasite medication(s) and date administered, g. A guarantee of good health for a period of not less than two weeks with recommendation to have the animal examined by a licensed veterinarian, h. Identification of source of animal, in the case of dogs and cats the name, address, telephone of breeder. 3. The permit holder shall retain a copy of the written statement for 12 months from date of sale. 4. The pet shop permit holder shall be further required to register with the nearest Monroe County Animal Control the name, address, and telephone numbers of each buyer or new owner of any dog or cat transferred within five days after the sale or transfer. 5. All pet shops herein defined and stores selling animals, birds, reptiles and fish, as pets shall take care to house animals in a sanitary manner. Appropriate medical services, care, and housing shall be given according to individual species needs. 6. No puppy or kitten under the age of eight weeks may be offered for sale, trade or other compensation or for free giveaway (except a puppy or kitten, or litters taken to Monroe County Animal Control. 7. Violation of any part of Sec. 3.34. is $500.00 for each count. Sec. 3-24.1 Breeders Permit for Dogs or Cats. 1. Private breeders; any person who intentionally or accidentally causes the breeding of a cat or dog or makes a cat or dog available for breeding purposes; or Businesses or Organizations that offer for sale, trade or for other compensation, or for giveaway (except a puppy or kitten or litter or litters that may be taken to the Monroe County Animal Control.) must have Monroe County permit. No puppy or kitten under age of eight weeks may be offered for sale, trade or other compensation or for free giveaway, (except a puppy or kitten, or litters taken to Monroe County Animal Control.) The permit fee is $500.00 renewable yearly. The permit holder shall furnish the purchaser a written statement at time of sale the following information: a. The permit holder shall not allow the birthing of more than one litter per female dog or cat in a 12-month period, b. The permit holder shall be further required to register with the Monroe County Animal Control the name, address, and telephone number of each buyer or new owner of any dog or cat transferred within five days after the sale or transfer, c. A guarantee of good health for a period of not less than two weeks with a recommendation to have the animal examined by a licensed veterinarian. 2. Any owner or person having custody of the dog or cat, which has been neutered within 10 weeks from birth date of the litter, will have the permit fee reduced to $100.00. 3. Violation of any part of Sec. 3-24.1 is $500.00 for each count. Sec. 3-25. Feral Cat Caregiver Requirements: 1. It is unlawful for any person to intentionally provide food, water, or other forms of sustenance or care to a feral cat or feral cat colonies unless the person has registered the feral cat colony with the nearest Monroe County Animal Shelter. Registration consists of the following requirements: a. Annually register each feral cat colony with nearest Monroe County Animal Shelter. Registration fee is Free for each colony. b. Assure responsibility and arrangements for feeding the cat or cat colony/colonies regularly throughout the year, including weekends, holidays and vacations of the feral cat caregiver. c. Remove food each day from the feeding stations, to prevent harmful effects to wildlife by providing this food source. d. Sterilize all cats. e. Remove all kittens from the colony by eight (8) weeks of age for sterilization, domestication and placement. f. Remove any sick or injured cat from the colony for immediate veterinary care or humane euthanasia. g. Ear crops all cats on the left ear and provide identification. h. Vaccinate as required by law, all cats against rabies using the three- (3) year vaccine. I. Maintain proof of sterilization, vaccinations, identification and medical records of all cats. These records must be provided to Monroe County Animal Control upon request. 2. Monroe County Animal Control has the right to seize/remove the colony because: a. Of public health and safety concerns (rabies, other zoonotic epidemics and certain animal-to-animal diseases as identified by the Monroe County Public Health Department and veterinary association. b. The cats are creating a public nuisance, or c. The feral cat caregiver fails to abide by these requirements. 3. Violation of Sec. 3-25, paragraph (1) is $100.00 each count. Sec. 3-26. Animals as Prizes or Inducements. 1. No person shall sell, offer for sale, trade, barter, or give away any live animal, fish, bird, or reptile as a prize, holiday promotion, as an inducement for business or benefit of any kind. This ordinance does not apply to establishments selling animals as their primary business. 2. Violation to Sec. 3-26 is $100.00 each count. Sec. 3-27. Adequate shelter, food and water to be provided. 1. No person shall confine or allow his animal(s) to remain outside without access to appropriate shelter from the elements. The shelter should be structurally sound within reason, adequately ventilated, sanitary, dry, and weatherproof. Proper shelter should provide access to shade from direct sunlight and regress from exposure to inclement weather conditions. Proper shelter should be sufficient in size and space to allow all animals to stand their full height, stretch out, turn around, lie down, and make normal postural adjustments comfortably. 2. All animals shall have fresh, potable drinking water and be provided with food that is nutritional for that species in adequate amounts to maintain good health. 3. Violation of Sec. 3-27. is $50.00 each count. Sec. 3-28. Lost or Stray Animals. 1. Persons, businesses, organizations finding a stray animal are to notify nearest Monroe County Animal Control within 24 hours. At the discretion of the Animal Control, the finder may keep the animal and a found report left with Animal Control, to enable the finder an opportunity to return the animal to its rightful owner. 2. Upon demand by the nearest Monroe County Animal Control, any found animal will be surrendered to the department and held for five working days, before a disposition is made. 3. Violation of Sec. 3-28 is $50.00 each count. Proposed Changes to Existing Animal Control Laws. Sec. 3-6. Licensing of dogs. Add the following: (12) Monroe County Animal Shelters that provide free spay/neuter to owned dogs in the Keys are exempt from paying the County License fee. This does not apply to dogs that are held at the County Animal Shelters.