What King County Plans To Do For Our Animals
They are on record, lets help keep them there!!!!
Good News!
Julia Patterson’s Progressive Update on Animal Shelters
Thank you for writing me! I have received so many calls and emails about the King County animal shelters that, in order to provide you with a timely response, I’ve compiled all the recent information below. If you asked me a specific question about animal shelters, I will respond to you individually as well. Thank you for your interest in this issue, and your passion for the animals in our care.
Sincerely,
Julia Patterson
King County Councilmember - District 5
Council Initiatives and Goals:
The Council’s goal is to create a model animal welfare program at our King County animal shelters. A model program would:
· Reduce the rates of euthanasia for adoptable, healthy animals
· Ensure that animals have access to life saving programs including adoption, medical care, socialization, and behavioral modification,
· Reduce the number of homeless pets through the provision of low-cost, high volume spay and neuter services, and pet retention education,
· Pursue animal cruelty investigations, and
· Create partnerships with volunteers, fosters, rescue groups, stakeholders, and the media.
Immediate Solutions:
Starting this week, local veterinarians will offer their services to help provide medical care for the animals at King County’s two animal shelters. We will develop long-term strategies to improve the conditions at the animal shelters, but the animals in our care today need our help as well. Our generous community of veterinarians is ready to help and we are now calling them in.
Within the next month, the shelters will receive new cat cages, dog runs, and continued operational reforms starting immediately. These measures will help alleviate the shelter health crisis and prevent future overcrowding and suffering while the County moves forward with longer term strategic plans.
In addition, more and better trained staff will be scheduled during the peak animal population months during the summer. An additional veterinarian and a veterinarian technician will be brought on to provide ongoing medical care and spay/neuter services.
The Council and the Executive reached an accord. Funds will be invested to reduce crowding and the spread of disease at shelters in Kent and Bellevue. These shelters house approximately 13,000 stray, abandoned, and neglected animals each year. Funding will come from existing public donations in the Animal Benefit Fund, new Capital funds, and money redirected from the County’s capital improvement funds.
Long Term Strategies:
An inter branch work group is being assembled to analyze critical shelter functions. This group will provide recommendations on how the County should provide animals services in the future, if at all. After a complete public process, the Council will review and decide whether or not to adopt these recommendations.
Ultimately, we will ensure the animals in King County’s shelters receive humane treatment with better care and medical services. A collaborative effort by the Council and the Executive has produced an agreed upon set of values showing our commitment to working together as branches of government in making King County a stronger and more humane place to live.
What You Can Do To Help:
If you have been thinking about adopting a kitten, cat, puppy, dog or other animal, we would like to ask you to visit the shelters and find your pet. Help our animal friends – take a pet home from the shelters!
If you have any questions or comments, please email me, julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov.
Read More About It:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004364879_animalshelter22m.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/359965_animal22.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/359510_sheltersed.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004348560_dogsed15.html
Good News!
Julia Patterson’s Progressive Update on Animal Shelters
Thank you for writing me! I have received so many calls and emails about the King County animal shelters that, in order to provide you with a timely response, I’ve compiled all the recent information below. If you asked me a specific question about animal shelters, I will respond to you individually as well. Thank you for your interest in this issue, and your passion for the animals in our care.
Sincerely,
Julia Patterson
King County Councilmember - District 5
Council Initiatives and Goals:
The Council’s goal is to create a model animal welfare program at our King County animal shelters. A model program would:
· Reduce the rates of euthanasia for adoptable, healthy animals
· Ensure that animals have access to life saving programs including adoption, medical care, socialization, and behavioral modification,
· Reduce the number of homeless pets through the provision of low-cost, high volume spay and neuter services, and pet retention education,
· Pursue animal cruelty investigations, and
· Create partnerships with volunteers, fosters, rescue groups, stakeholders, and the media.
Immediate Solutions:
Starting this week, local veterinarians will offer their services to help provide medical care for the animals at King County’s two animal shelters. We will develop long-term strategies to improve the conditions at the animal shelters, but the animals in our care today need our help as well. Our generous community of veterinarians is ready to help and we are now calling them in.
Within the next month, the shelters will receive new cat cages, dog runs, and continued operational reforms starting immediately. These measures will help alleviate the shelter health crisis and prevent future overcrowding and suffering while the County moves forward with longer term strategic plans.
In addition, more and better trained staff will be scheduled during the peak animal population months during the summer. An additional veterinarian and a veterinarian technician will be brought on to provide ongoing medical care and spay/neuter services.
The Council and the Executive reached an accord. Funds will be invested to reduce crowding and the spread of disease at shelters in Kent and Bellevue. These shelters house approximately 13,000 stray, abandoned, and neglected animals each year. Funding will come from existing public donations in the Animal Benefit Fund, new Capital funds, and money redirected from the County’s capital improvement funds.
Long Term Strategies:
An inter branch work group is being assembled to analyze critical shelter functions. This group will provide recommendations on how the County should provide animals services in the future, if at all. After a complete public process, the Council will review and decide whether or not to adopt these recommendations.
Ultimately, we will ensure the animals in King County’s shelters receive humane treatment with better care and medical services. A collaborative effort by the Council and the Executive has produced an agreed upon set of values showing our commitment to working together as branches of government in making King County a stronger and more humane place to live.
What You Can Do To Help:
If you have been thinking about adopting a kitten, cat, puppy, dog or other animal, we would like to ask you to visit the shelters and find your pet. Help our animal friends – take a pet home from the shelters!
If you have any questions or comments, please email me, julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov.
Read More About It:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004364879_animalshelter22m.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/359965_animal22.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/359510_sheltersed.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004348560_dogsed15.html
posted by Deena at 6:05 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home