Although the County Animal Shelter continues to be faced with numerous challenges related to staff and budget reductions, shelter staff and volunteers took time to reflect on their accomplishments over the last year that are reflected in increased adoption rates, decreased euthanasia rates and over $150,000 in donations through the Support Our Shelter program.
“We have been working on changing our image from the ‘pound’ to an innovative and creative animal shelter that Sacramento County can be proud of, “said Dave Dickinson, Animal Shelter Kennel Supervisor. “While we still have a lot of work to do, with the start of the new year, now is the right time to take stock of how far we have come.”
Highlights from 2010 include:
· Dog adoptions have increased by 15.4 percent and euthanasia rates have reduced by 21.5 percent from 2009.
· Cat adoptions have increased by 33.1 percent and euthanasia has been reduced by over 4 percent from 2009.
· 834 pets in the community have been spayed or neutered through the low cost Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP). This is an increase of 16 percent.
· Almost 500 feral cats have been spayed or neutered since feral cat clinics started in October through an ASPCA grant.
· Over $150,000 in donations have been received through the S.O.S Support Our Shelter donation drive since April 2010, including over $10,000 in the final days of 2010.
· Over 1200 animals were adopted out through a collaboration “Home for the Holidays” pet adoption drive with the County Animal Shelter, the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services, the SSPCA, and Happy Tails, well exceeding the initial goal of 1000 animals to be adopted during the drive.
If you want to get involved by donating, volunteering, licensing your pet, or adopting an animal, stop by our shelter at 3839 Bradshaw Road on Wed. – Fri. from 12:30 to 5:30 or Sat. and Sun. from noon to 4:30 p.m. or visit us online at www.saccountyshelter.net.