Good evening and welcome to the Wednesday October 15th meeting of the Animal Well-being commission.

The meeting is now called to order.

Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum?

Yes.

Commissioners, please unmike your meet unmute your microphones.

Commissioner Treat.

Commissioner Snell.

Here.

Commissioner Middleton.

Here.

Commissioner Hayes.

Here.

Commissioner Bell.

Here.

Commissioner Bagley.

Here.

Commissioner Christie.

Commissioner Fu.

Commissioner Morris.

Here.

Commissioner Garcia.

And Chair Hefner.

I am here.

Thank you.

All members of the public are welcome to address the Commission.

If you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip no later than when the item begins.

You'll have two minutes to speak once you're called on.

After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

We'll now proceed with today's agenda starting with the land acknowledgement and pledge led by led by Commissioner Garcia.

Please rise.

Please rise to the meeting now.

Indigenous people and tribal land.

The original people of this land, the Nissan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley Plains, and Bewok, Patoon Wintune peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history contributions and lives.

Thank you.

Please say the Pledge of Allegiance.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Commissioner Garcia.

First item in business today is approval of the consent calendar.

Um do we have anyone any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar?

I do not have any speaker slips for this item.

Thank you.

Are there any members of the commission who wish to speak on the consent calendar?

No, Mr.

Chair, but I can barely hear you.

Is there something wrong with your mic?

I don't know.

So let's see.

Is that better?

Is that better?

A little bit.

A little bit.

Is that it?

Is that better?

Anyway.

Speakers on the consent calendar.

Seeing and hearing none, we will entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar.

So moved.

I have a motion from Commissioner Garcia.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by member Hayes.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All those opposed.

Any abstentions?

Seeing none.

The consent calendar is approved.

Item number.

Oh, now we'll move to the discussion calendar.

Item number three has been withdrawn.

We'll now proceed to item number four, which is the draft final report from the ad hoc committee on dog adoptions.

From when we met in September, but we did have uh a meeting subsequent to that where we talked about uh post adoption support options, and so I included that in this draft because I want to include all of that uh in the annual report, which will come back to the commission next month.

Uh do we have members of the public who want to speak on that item?

Item number four.

Yes, I have one speaker slip for number four.

Excellent, Jamie McDoll.

Hi there.

Uh thank you for the update.

I just wanted I know these microphones are a little off today.

Uh wanted to press that uh one of the things that Front Street really needs to work on is their work with uh the various rescues.

Front Street uh among all of the shelters around here, and franklin through the state of California does a very poor job of of working with our rescues and uh the in frequency of which animals are transferred to rescues in front street needs to be improved greatly.

Thank you.

No, that's all the speaker slips I have for item four.

Okay, members of the commission who want to speak on that item.

Seeing and hearing none.

Oh, Commissioner Few.

Oh, and that's gonna be Commissioner Morris.

Um, thank you.

So one of the things that I can't hear you either, so thank you.

One of the um items that was uh that I identified when this report was drafted that we had some analysis of where dogs were being adopted to.

In particular, we did some analysis of large dog adoptions uh and found that huskies and pities and German Shepherds, and there was some analysis of like where they were going to, and so uh I think we were thinking there might be some opportunity to do some targeted marketing in those areas uh to support that.

So I was just asking to add that into this final report, and then just to kind of confirm the this report is gonna get folded into our annual report, which we don't have here today, so no, that will come back to us in November, I believe.

Okay, okay, so this this gets folded into that.

Correct.

Thank you.

Comments and questions from other members.

Seeing none, we will then move on to item number five, which has been put over until November.

Item number six updating the commission work plan.

Do we have speakers on the work plan?

I do not have any speaker slips for item number six.

Okay, there are members of the commission who want to speak on the work plan.

Can I get you up?

Commissioner Bagley.

There are other ad hoc committees that align with the work plan, uh, that we have signed up, various areas.

There are no other ad hoc committees.

What does it take?

I mean, how are we to work on what we signed up for to work on?

However, you would like.

And when created by the chair, then they are empowered to meet for up to a year, and they've got to bring back a final report.

Is it something the chair is interested in in some of the areas that we signed up for?

What's that?

Is that something the chair is interested in given the areas that we signed up for individually?

It seems like there were maybe two or three people signed up for each.

We're signed up, but we're not actively working on those things.

Yes.

So when it comes to individual work or work by members of a committee of the commission who uh who have not been formed in to an ad hoc committee, work groups are allowed to gather, convene, gather whatever data they choose to gather and then present whatever they would like to present when when they've made some progress.

I know for example, um that um Commissioner Christie and some others are working on the uh uh assessment about uh spay and neuter capacity, for example.

Uh there's some other folks who've done some some work individually on a whole number of other issues.

So uh uh short of creating an ad hoc committee, which is not it's not necessary.

Not at all necessary for folks to undertake whatever work they choose to undertake.

Okay, I'll reach out to those folks.

I had one other question about the adoption ad hoc committee.

Is there any further pursuit on the post adoption suggestions or ideas that we had?

Those were incorporated into the latest draft, I believe.

Yes.

Right.

And it seemed like the shelter was uninterested in those.

Has there been any further pursuit of um working on those things?

I we haven't I have not engaged in any discussions with the shelter um folks about it.

So it's left where I see it.

There's hasn't been anything uh to go past that at this point.

Wanted to get the final report together and perhaps sit down with folks at the shelter who might be interested and see what's possible.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Commissioner, I'm gonna guess Morris.

Yeah, so uh just kind of give a reflection on this tool.

Uh, as you know, I took the input from folks that was submitted earlier in the year and tried to compile them as I as best I could.

What I did notice is some folks were quite um uh quite energetic uh about this and that and this and that and the other thing, and that's all great.

It was a little hard to uh know kind of how to plug things in.

So if you see something that doesn't reflect what you were energetic about, I'll say, let me know and I can modify this.

The other part that I want to share is that this is your personal work plan.

This is, you know, things that you are going to as Paul just said, things that you think would be something helpful to do.

You may have some other colleagues on the um on the commission who sort of share your passion or your expertise or your your skill set, and so engaging with your colleague commissioners, so long as it's fewer than a quorum, is is sort of how things are forwarded.

And so as I said, some of the team, some of the commissioners were quite energetic of a the lot of ideas, and um part of me wanted to say, whoa, are you gonna you're gonna do all that?

Um but uh I tried to do the best I could to incorporate the various ideas.

If you see something again that you want to have taken off or you want to have modified or something, please tell me um uh and many as we as we know, for example, on the ad hoc, once we generate some information and ideas, we would work with the staff at the shelter on some of those idea implementations.

So I think that's sort of some of the next steps on some of these ideas of how do we, you know, how do we collaborate with the team at the shelter on marketing ideas or um or other ideas, and in this document, you'll if you've read through it, you'll see a couple things.

For example, that Denise and I have been working on reaching out to um veterinarians, veterinarians, which I'll talk about later, but some of it's just sort of somewhat organic, and so that's how we've kind of been able to move on some of these things.

So let me know if you see something different or if you'd like to add something please do.

Commissioner Treat.

Yeah, Mr.

Chair.

Um, we're still on the work plan, right?

Yes.

On the work plan, uh it's out of section five, but it's the first item.

Back in June, we passed, we adopted uh the idea of increasing the the dog numbers, and where did that ever go?

With the match county at four.

I believe it's also on the log, I've noticed.

It's also on the log.

Yeah.

Yeah, I believe that is referenced in the follow-up log because we did approve that recommendation.

And I'm now looking for my follow-up log.

Um, I see it in the log.

No, I suppose ordinance to be sent to law and ledged committee date to be determined.

So, do I need to follow up with the ledge committee to see if they're gonna do anything?

That would be entirely appropriate if you would like to do so.

Okay, I've not I've not received any indication that they intend to or have agendized the item.

Okay, thank you.

Other questions or comments on the work plan.

My only comment would be that this seems to be a very good catalog of the wide range of things that seem people seem to be interested in, uh, and are in various ways, one way or another working to achieve or at least move forward.

Um to me, a catalog and a plan are a little bit different, and I would suggest again that uh to the degree possible, we try to sort of focus on some priorities at some point, so although I think this is a very good um a good attempt to capture all the things that have been of people's interest, so uh perhaps that will just happen organically, as folks work or or don't work toward various and sundry goals.

Commissioner Middleton.

Yes, I was just curious if um given that it seems more like a catalog, uh if there's opportunities to report out on progress when we would do that, if there's interest in that, or that's a very good question.

Um I would say that if folks have progress to report on items that they are particularly interested in when we bring the work plan forward for discussion, that that's an opportunity to do so.

And if they've got uh further comments beyond that, they can certainly add those at the comments and questions portion of the meeting.

That makes sense.

Others who would like to be heard on this.

Oh, Commissioner Few.

I think it's me.

I'm gonna say I'm gonna guess you every time.

Uh to Commissioner Middleton's observation.

I I think in prior iterations of this commission, we did spend time going through the items and getting an update from people on what was going on, and that helped sort of winnow some stuff to the side, if you will, as well as catch up on, for example, some of the public meetings that some of the commissioners were attending, some of the reception that they had there.

Our meetings now have been quite robust with other business, and so we really haven't really talked about these sorts of things.

Um, and I personally have a couple of updates on things that I'm holding on to till we get to comments.

Uh but uh in the past, in a sense, that work plan was at least an effort to try to say this is what we do, let's talk about the things that we're working on.

And I'm I'm gonna look at Julia for one second because she's she's been very passionate about some of the um social media activities that we could, for example, do some more of or have our own commission social media page, which I have no expertise, no way no knowledge of that, so that's not a thing that I would be reporting out on.

But for example, uh, I think it's in here.

We could talk about, for example, if Julia was like, Yeah, I I found a way to put up a web page for the commission, and this is what we're gonna put on it, and this is this the timeline of how things will get refreshed or that sort of thing.

Um, but again, we've been really busy with some other things, so we haven't gotten into any of these um details, but I would leave that again on people's ideas of is that a way that they would want to engage, and I'll kind of look to um Commissioner Treat when when she and I worked on the um update of the ordinance, basically she and I and the city clerk's office had a few web calls where we drafted the ordinance.

Um, and if this is a suggestion of our commission, it might be worth it for us to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and find the right ordinance and draft specifically, you know, like we do over at the Capitol.

What do we want to see?

And then bring it forward to the ledge committee or our council member to propose to the ledge committee?

It's my experience that if we put stuff forward for people to react to, there's a little more action around it than if we say when will it happen?

Um, and so that, for example, with the ordinance that that Commissioner Treat, you know, we we had support from the clerk's office because we put stuff forward.

Um, so that's kind of where some of this hits the road, so to speak.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Hearing none, we will move on.

Let's see, item number seven shelters managers report has also been put over to November.

We'll now proceed to comments from commission members.

Are there comments and questions from commission members?

I'm gonna make comments, but I'm waiting for other people to dive in here, and if nobody is, then I will.

Okay.

Um look at Commissioner Middleton.

Is it supporting on this comment?

We uh, in the effort of learning about our colleagues in surrounding communities and a recommendation in the audit to um install a clinic in a can.

Commissioner Garcia and Middleton and I had the opportunity to have a conference call with the um executive of YOLO County.

And I'm gonna turn it over to Commissioner Middleton to fill us in on that um conversation.

Thanks for putting me on the spot.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's a really helpful way for us to learn more about what's happening in our surrounding communities and with local shelters, and of course, Yolo County is um different without a lot of more um rural areas.

So the director there shared with us that they're getting animals from cock bites.

Not that that wouldn't happen in Central City, but um, they are taking in animals from, you know, farmed animals to our domestic companions.

So they're faced with a lot of different um challenges than we are here in the city, but a lot of the same challenges.

Um the clinic in a can idea just came from um the prospect of increasing their capacity, but also they have a rig currently, um, like think of a truck rig uh that they're using for doing their spay neuter and all of their veterinary services.

So the clinic in a can was something that they received a grant for, and they um it's not actually installed, they still have to create some infrastructure, a pad, electrical, etc.

to actually get it installed, but that would be their clinic.

Not an auxiliary, but it would actually be where they're doing all of their veterinary care um and procedures or spay neuter.

Um they did say they have an off-site um spay neuter facility that is um operating right now, and that if and when they um start using this clinic in a can, then that might be available for another organization to be able to take on.

So that definitely um perked my ears.

Um beyond that, you know, it's it's an option, but it does seem like it's still gonna be space constrained.

So I don't know that that would be the best option for us here at Front Street.

Um, but it is interesting to learn more about what sorts of creative ideas that some of the other surrounding municipalities are doing to solve for their needs for spay neuter for other veterinary care.

Um those are some of my key takeaways, but would love to invite um Kathy and Lee to share a little bit more about the conversation.

I think the point that you made that adding that clinic in a can on that facility does not increase their spay due to capacity.

Um they basically have one table in them, I believe, and they were thinking of doing maybe one can for dogs and one can for cats eventually, but then again, like they said, it doesn't necessarily increase the um spate neuter capacity.

Yeah, the one thing I learned from her was what they have right now is literally um a um a big rig container off of a so it's a can what they have now, but what she described is it has no windows, it's it's basically just a container that apparently they've had quite a long time, and this clinic in a can is to replace it.

So it's not adding more capacity for them, it's to replace it, but it is updated, it has windows, we'll have a washer and dryer in it, um, it will have more current equipment, etc.

But it it is not solving their issue about volume, high volume, high quality.

Um, and in addition, she expressed that there are many more dollars that they are having to invest in order to each actually bring it and install it.

Um, and so they have not even it comes out of Kansas and it hasn't even been brought to California, I don't think, because they don't have a pad, they don't have the electricity, they don't have the drainage.

So she was excited for us to know about it and to and to come visit either now or when the can is here.

Um, but it was definitely more of a replacement than solving a problem of of high volume, high quality spay and neuter, which was interesting.

She was she was really engaged and interested in chatting with us.

Uh so that that was kind of part of our capacity analysis of sort of learning what's out there, etc.

Um, so that was one of the things I had.

Um, a couple of other points I wanted to share was um I had an amazing drive to Portland, Oregon, uh, where we transported 22 animals to the Oregon Humane Society, uh, an amazing um effort of coordinating with another organization to move animals that uh because our capacity is quite full.

Um, it was it was lovely to see that facility, and in fact, they have a freestanding hospital slash clinic with like eight surgical tables, five dental tables, eight exam tables.

Um the person who toured us didn't know the details of how much cost to build that, uh, where the money came from, et cetera, et cetera, but it was really quite engaging to see this beautiful facility, and the people that did tour us were interested in engaging with us further about volume of animals, et cetera, that they put through.

I know that a human society is different than a municipal shelter, but um that organization was very willing to talk with us further about the volume of animals that they put through there, etc.

Um, it was a friend of mine, not a shelter person who accompanied me on this drive because it was an overnight drive, so it takes two people, and my friend was very excited, and as we were driving home, said I would do this again.

Um, and so it it was really quite something to transport these animals.

Um, so happy to to share with anybody further kind of how that came to be.

Um we uh some some folks know that in a prior life I had a role at the UC Davis Cancer Center.

Um I was in charge of the department of what is called supportive services, and so that included social workers, nurse navigators, dietitians, etc.

I received a phone call late on Friday evening from the pediatric social worker asking if we could help make a dying wish come true for a 13-year-old who was being discharged that day on hospice.

That child would like a pet.

This is his dying wish.

So I want to give great recognition to the Front Street team, particularly Philip Zimmerman and Stacey Danes, who have been working to find the right animal for this young man to have a pet.

Now, as you can imagine, many questions are out there.

Have they ever owned another pet?

Who's gonna take care of this pet when this boy is no longer here?

What exactly is the type of animal, size of animal, etc.?

Um, and our team has reached out and is working also with Bradshaw to see if they might have an animal that would meet.

There have been two animals tested in the home.

Um the family was was not able to keep for a brief window of time.

Um, but time is of the essence, and we recognize this may end up as a foster, etc.

But it um it's really been something wonderful to see the team of people trying to help make this young man's wish come true.

And I'm so thankful that folks are willing to engage in this, and I I know that we're working with Bradshaw to see if we can find an appropriate pet for this family.

And just want to thank the folks at Front Street and at Bradshaw who are involved because that's something special to be able to help out this family.

So thank you to the people involved if you're listening.

The only other thing I wanted to do was talk maybe a little bit about the capacity analysis.

I know Sam's been doing some background work on that, and I just wondered if there was something you might share with with us today about the capacity analysis stuff.

Sure.

I'm a little unprepared.

But uh I can share that we've uh a couple of us have met a few times to uh to chat about what an assessment would look like, what we think should be included, who would be, you know, the people that we reach out to.

Is this a survey?

Is it an interview?

Is it just our own fact finding?

Um, and it's still very much in progress because we want to be respectful of the time and and energy and resources that would go into this from staff, from uh staff at other facilities.

So we're kind of still building out what this will look like.

Uh, we've met and gotten input from uh a veterinarian with Corette just about uh survey building and and just kind of things that we might not have anticipated.

We've learned some interesting things.

Um, one thing that's now very high on my radar that wasn't initially is um I really had it in my mind that we'd be able to find spay and neuter slots available at low cost clinics that we might be able to use for shelter animals, and it is the most obvious thing to me now, but using those spaces takes away from the community, um which is not something that I'd really thought about.

So kind of revisioning that approach a little bit.

Um we're kind of framing it as prioritizing getting Front Street's caseload fixed.

Um, that's our top priority as it just feels right for the scope of our role in the commission.

So prioritizing that and that would kind of look like uh looking at the capacity uh we're looking at the caseload of Front Street.

We have lots of years of historical data, and we can review uh the number of animals that come in that are bound for a live outcome.

And we got a presentation a couple of months ago about the percentage of pre-altered animals coming into shelters is unfortunately getting lower.

Um, but it's about 80% of animals coming into the shelter are not altered.

It varies throughout the year, and it varies between cats and dogs, but that's the the typical and so kind of doing some some math with some estimations to understand what number we can expect need to be fixed, and what I'm realizing is that we need to be doing this by month and not as an overall year because the caseload does vary so much, and certainly April through October, the alteration rate of incoming animals is as low as 11%, which is real tough on the staff having to do all those surgeries, and then also just different averages from the dogs and the cats.

So that's something that I'm I'm kind of picking apart right now.

Um, when we reach out to the partners, so if you remember when um staff uh Brittany came and presented to us about all of the partnerships that they have with the veterinary resources, which are wonderful and vast, um, but we want to understand like how much time does it take front front street staff to use all of those resources.

It must be a lot of coordination and effort to send animals out versus when we're able to do in-house surgeries.

Um, and then with those clinics that are being used, we want to reach out to them and ask what their barriers would be to expand their resource to expand their capacity.

Is it that they don't have enough staff?

Is it that they don't have enough space so that we can understand that?

Um, and then in addition, we also want to look at what resources are available to the community because we understand that when we have uh animals coming in that are not fixed, that's affecting Front Street as well.

And of course, we want more uh spay neuter options for the community.

Uh so just kind of doing an assessment of what is available to the community and what resources they have, and and seeing if there's any possible avenues for expanding on those.

So uh we've learned that this is a really sprawling and complicated topic.

We kind of anticipated, but it's um like peeling back layers every time we think we've we've found something, we find 10 more things.

So we're hoping to have something to share uh maybe at our next meeting, but it's gonna be kind of a a doozy, it's a big project.

One other update if I may, unless you wanted to comment on.

Let me uh let's take the other folks in line in line if we could.

I uh Commissioner Bagley.

Yes, I had a question, and I know um Commissioner Morris, you've brought this up previously.

Is there a plan on where dogs go when you start the improvements when you start taking out the curbs of the kennels?

Has there been any plan or any outreach for temporary kennels with shelter that can take the place of the kennels that will be improved?

Are you gonna have to move dogs?

Um how is that gonna affect the shelter and what is the plan for that?

When does that start?

I'm looking at Ryan.

Can you have any information you can share about this?

Uh I don't have any information about like the the uh plan for the logistics.

Um, so um yeah, I don't really have any updates on that.

Do you have a start date?

I don't.

Do you have an idea of when you would know what the plan is?

I don't.

Commissioner Hayes.

Um something that so a couple of us met with the director at um Bradshaw, and just to get a sense for what's going on over there, um, I was very interested in the way they conduct um their uh rescue and outreach efforts in terms of final pleas and how they get dogs out of there.

And what's really interesting is they have and they got permit special permission from the county to have a second page that's not up yet, still in the works, to put all of their dogs that are on final pleas.

Um so that's definitely something that's very interesting.

Um I'm gonna get a list of statistics and how successful that is as it stands now with their outreach efforts, um, engaging staff, volunteers, um coordinators, they're very successful.

Um, but when this page is up and implemented on the county website, um, it'll be separate than the shelter, but it'll be another page for final pleas with all the dogs information, their background, their medical, you know, so rescues and and people can see um I'll get statistics and how successful that is, but that's definitely something to look at with Front Street.

Um, of course they have a bigger team over there, but um efforts can be the same on a certain level, in terms of um, you know, many hands in the in the in the bowl to save a dog's life.

So um that's that's something exciting that they're doing over there.

We'll we'll see how successful that is, and maybe looking at it over here because um, you know, there is no indication of that deterring people from adopting dogs.

Um so I'm not I'm not sure, you know, they they know how to walk a fine line.

Um, I know there's been talk of this notion of advertising, and how you know that can sometimes deter people from shelters, but um that was definitely not the main argument when I was talking to folks at Bradshaw.

They know how to um, you know, promote a dog um and get a dog out of the shelter by walking that fine line.

So maybe there's something to learn there, but that's that's something exciting that's going on over there.

So I'm gonna keep following up on that, and uh hopefully here soon we'll see that page at at Bradshaw's website.

Thank you.

Did you have a last one?

One last one.

I'm kind of tagging on to what Commissioner Hayes says, you'll listen to meet with the um executive director and assistant executive director, and I wanted to thank them uh for meeting and spending time with us.

And one of the topics that came up was capacity and spaghetti, and they uh described some formula that they're working on, and that was interesting.

It wasn't the point of the meeting, but uh we could do some follow-up with them on this idea of how they're doing some analysis, and I thank them for that time that they gave us.

The last item which is on the work plan is this idea of reaching out to the private vets in Sacramento, which Commissioner Bell and I have done.

We took the list of veterinarians who report in on rabies, and then we sorted that to the city of Sacramento only, and then we sorted that to veterinarians who are not affiliated with a corporate entity such as Banfield or BCA.

That left 14 private vets.

Um Commissioner Bell and I split that list, and we have emailed hard copy mailed, walked in the clinic door, uh reached out to office managers, two have replied positively to being willing to help support low-income people to get spay and neuter.

The three that I spoke to in person were very cordial.

One said if he grows his team, please contact him again in a year, but they are overwhelmed today with the number of animals that are brought to them from the community, and so the idea of adding more animals is not amenable to their business to their ability to practice.

So there was one person who said that he would be retiring soon, and uh based on a conversation I had recently, I'm gonna circle back to that veterinarian to find out if they have a clinic that they would be willing to have the front if they're shutting down entirely, or is he gonna sell it to another vet?

Like, is there another surgical space that we might be able to use if he retires say January 1st or something?

Um so uh it's it's been kind of a fascinating effort.

Commissioner Bell, you want to speak in here as well?

Yeah, so I the two vets that said that they were interested were on my half of the list.

Um there were a few that were absolutely no.

So we're going to meet with um with the shelter to find out how we can promote this, um, as far as for the low-cost uh prices that they were agreeable to, and to find out from them, um, how many were they willing to um spay and neuter at that price.

So I mean it's still a work in progress because you know we need to figure out right now.

You can go on to Front Street's website and apply for a for a voucher for SPCA or community spay and neuter.

You have to have already made the appointments, so that's a little challenging in itself trying to get those appointments secured, and then you have to meet certain um financial criteria to qualify for the voucher.

So, with this option, we thought maybe we could throw in on the website.

This is just kind of brainstorming.

If you're if you're above this threshold, maybe you would qualify for this program.

So um anyway, that was um what I found out, and then one of the veterinarians I just threw in there.

So, how many animals can you spay?

And he said, if we have two veterinarians, we can do four animals a day.

So, I found that kind of interesting as well.

So, thank you.

Okay, we're gonna move on then to comments from members of the public on items not on the agenda.

Thank you, Chair.

The first speaker I have is Susan Falcon.

Good evening.

Um, I'm reading this statement on behalf of Leanne Thorpe, who could not be here this evening.

My name is Leanne Thorpe.

I am a registered nurse and a longtime feral cat colony manager.

One of the colonies I manage is at a park on the garden highway in Front Street's jurisdiction.

Since Front Street implemented court's programs, I've seen a huge increase in the number of friendly, scared, and confused cats being dumped at the park.

I've helped so many cats that we were simply left to starve and die.

One adult purebred cat weighed only two pounds.

She couldn't even stand.

I gave her fluids, stayed up nights, hand feeding her, and brought her back to life.

I named her Thomasina and found her a wonderful forever home.

This is what really happens to cats turned away and abandoned under Court's programs.

Dr.

Hurley claims these cats are thriving in an outdoor home.

This is patently false.

Friendly cats are not equipped to survive.

They reproduce litter after litter, with no food or shelter, vulnerable to coyotes, cars, and cruel people who prey on defenseless animals.

It is people like me who must trap these cats wait hours and spend our own hard-earned money for the few spay and neuter appointments available at the SSPCA.

Why am I doing the shelter's job, the job they are paid to do?

These failed programs are inhumane and cruel and must be stopped.

That is the real impact of Court's failed model.

For every Thomasena who survives, countless others survive, excuse me, countless others suffer and die alone and unseen.

Dr.

Hurley and Cora's programs are not humane, they are dangerous, they are illegal, they are immoral.

Shame on Director Zimmerman.

Thank you for your comments.

The next speaker is Jamie McDowell.

It's unfortunate that Dr.

Hurley didn't come here today because we really did have some questions about the Million Cat Challenge.

Having read it, it talks about leaving cats who are thriving in the community, that are spayed and neutered.

This policy that the Front Street has bastardized it into of leaving animals unaltered, unvaccinated out into the public, is actually against the whole concept of the court.

The fact that it has changed to letting the animals out there because we're managing intake, does nothing to manage the population.

In fact, the population continues to grow and explode.

And what happens?

More animals are euthanized, more animals die on the street, more animals starve to death.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker is Estella.

Commissioners and fellow animal advocates.

We are here today because we share a common belief.

We believe that every animal from the smallest kitten to the most senior dog deserves a safe and compassionate home.

We believe that animal shelter should be a sanctuary, not a last resort.

But a dangerous philosophy is spreading through the shelters.

I'm talking about the influence of UC Davis Court shelter medicine program.

For years, Court has promoted policies that claim to reduce euthanasia rates by limiting the animals' shelters will accept.

They call it capacity for care.

But what does that really mean?

It means turning away healthy straight animals at the door.

It means telling concerned citizens that our shelters are full.

It means that the animal on your doorstep, that one you desperately want to save, is now left to fend for itself.

Advocates on the ground have seen devastating uncontrolled breeding, starvation and suffering, betrayal of public trust, prioritizing a flawed ideology.

We cannot stand by why millions of taxpayer dollars are funneled into a program that harms animals and misleads the public.

We must hold our shelters and policymakers accountable.

We must expose the failed approach for what it is: a betrayal of animal welfare.

It is time to return to a model of genuine care that means open intake shelters that do not turn away animals in need, aggressive high volume spay neuter programs that address the root cause of animal animal overpopulation, public-private partnerships that expand foster networks and adoption opportunities, not just manage intake.

Let us be the voice for the voiceless.

Let us reject the policy of court shelter medicine program.

Let us demand that our shelters truly serve the animals and the communities that support them.

Thank you very much.

And thank you for what you're doing.

Next speaker is Tara Mock.

Hello.

I moved here from Tennessee.

I came looking for a better life.

In many ways I found it, but I never imagined that in such a beautiful thriving place, I would see so many innocent animals being abandoned.

Lately, because of the reduced intake at animal shelters, people don't have anywhere to take unwanted cats or strays.

Shelters are full, and as a result, people have started dumping cats in my neighborhood.

It's heartbreaking.

These cats were just left behind to starve to fight for survival and to lose the trust that they once had in people.

Reduced intake doesn't just affect the shelters, it affects our communities.

It affects the living creatures that depend on us.

Back in Tennessee, when there was a crisis, we called on the people of California to land a hand, and which they usually did.

Now I'm calling on the leaders, the ones who have the ability to make a difference, fix the shelters.

Every life matters, even the small ones that are left dumped outside of my apartments, just like the one about two weeks ago that was left crying at 11 p.m.

at night.

No one to help but me.

I took to Front Street Animal Shelter.

I was turned away.

They said he looks perfectly fine and in tech mill for me to just take back and have to take back to the streets for him to what go multiply.

Please feel fixed the shelters.

Next speaker is Kim M.

Is Kim M here?

I don't think they are Cat M.

Julie Verga.

Good evening.

Because uh uh Director Hurley was canceled this evening.

I put out a message to uh so many animal advocates, cat advocates, advocates who are going to be here tonight, because many of them are out at colonies feeding cats that have been turned away at Front Street and helping mama cats that have had kittens out in the cold and rain in this horrible weather.

It's been a real crisis for people who are taking care of animals that Front Street turns away.

And so there were going to be a lot more people here.

I just want to say that.

That at least we're having this discussion.

Uh what concerns me is that Front Street has employed these, these ridiculous, illegal, um, horrendous, illogical programs for five and a half years.

That's why we're here.

Um, but one of the things that really has gotten lost in the shuffle of all this Kate Hurley nonsense, quite frankly, is that this is the city of Sacramento, Friends Feet Shelter, and we still don't even know or understand what their cat policy is.

We've asked numerous times all year long.

Commissioners have asked, and yet this has been ignored on the agenda.

Okay, so shouldn't this be addressed?

Isn't it fair that you engage with a community who is concerned about what your actual policy is?

What is the kitten connection?

What is going on here in Sacramento?

And we need a chair and a vice chair.

I'm going to tell you this, that are going to be standing up for the animals of Front Street and the animals in our community.

Okay.

We we need leadership there just as much as we need leadership at Front Street.

And to talk about Kate Hurley and her programs that do not prioritize spay and neuter, I think there's your answer what the problem is.

Thank you.

Keep your comments.

Next speaker is Alan T.

Hi.

I didn't prepare anything, but I just want to tell my story.

So I'm not part of any advocate group.

I'm not part of any organized group.

I just saw this on Facebook where they said they have meetings regarding cats, and I just want to tell my experience regarding the shelter that I that I've been through.

So I'm a self-fostered father for a nine cats.

It started for just one, and then it's now it's nine cats.

So I went to the shelter for some help.

I told them, can you have them fix or let uh help me in some capacity?

But the answer is no, we can't do anything about it.

And I was like, so what would you like me to do with the this cats?

They just told me that just send them back to the street and let them roam.

It's their right.

That's according to the person who I spoke with.

So I was surprised though.

I was like, okay, so you want me to.

I told myself, you want me to bring them back to the street without anything, you know, without fix or any help.

And I'm not gonna do that because it's just going to create another problem.

So I took them back in my house right now, and I'm still self-forcing them at this point.

So I don't know what's going on with the front street leadership, but I am pretty sure you as our self-esteem uh elected officials can do something about it.

And then even then, when I was there, they keep pushing me to go to the website, and then they didn't ask me if I even did try to go to the website.

If I did try to go to the website to make an appointment, let's say, for example, tomorrow is the appointment.

So they're gonna open up the appointment uh on the website at Suabokla.

I will go there in five minutes.

It's the spot is already gone.

So, I mean, it it gives me.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker is Lisa Kirk.

I've been a community trapper both in Contracosti County and Southern uh Sacramento County.

When I first started this, I was trained by SPC in SAC County to do TNR given a geographical area and resources.

I can't believe that the city of Sacramento does not do in their spay and neuters, instead, they impact Sacramento SPCA, so the rest of us can't get appointments.

Number one, your facility not needs to start doing spay and neuters where you're at.

You need to figure this out.

Number two, Kate Hurley came to Contra Costa County in November of 2021 and told a group of us, along with our director, your county will never accept spay or never never accept unaltered friendly cats and kittens.

We're just gonna leave them outside.

Okay, all you cat trappers, leave them outside, walk away from them.

All right, that's what happened.

That's her community cat program.

You should there should be a restraining order against Kate Hurley and her policy, all right?

They harm animals.

She got 50 million dollars from Governor Newson in 2020, supposed to make shelters go no kill.

That was his words, not mine.

Instead, she blew 34 million on an unadministrative cost.

Very little went to Spain neuters.

Do not let her near your clinic.

Thank you.

That's all the speaker slips I have for this item.

All right, and we are adjourned.