Agenda Item 4a HASS Presentation — original pdf

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A Proposal to Make Austin Animal Services (even) Better for People and Pets Ellen Jefferson, DVM Executive Director, Austin Pets Alive!/American Pets Alive! Executive Leadership Team, Human Animal Support Services Project Great News Coming Out of Shelters In March, shelters all over the country, even those that historically never had a foster program, saw the benefit of massive numbers of fosters coming forward to take pets home in an effort to prevent pets from being stuck in shelters in case of govt shutdowns or staff illness. This was extremely eye opening because shelters are entrenched in the “not enough homes” mindset. Lifesaving rates have never been higher. 80,000 foster homes signed up through Greater Good, only 30,000 were used In May, Greater Good did a national push to count foster homes that still wanted a shelter pet (this is more than 30 days after the shelters already emptied out so doesn’t count that initial rush of homes that were already full). Only a fraction were used which means that there is a much larger demand than shelters have ever realized for homes willing to house and help animals. COVID-19 Caused Disruption • The human virus made it impossible to care for animals en masse in a building • Shelter systems pivoted to sustain lifesaving and keep people and pets safe • This pivot fueled a nationwide re-envisioning for how shelters operate image source: unschool.co Because government funded shelters all over the country were able to take a breath from the rat race of intake, kenneling, outcomes due to empty kennels, discussions started about how the entire system needed to be overhauled to more accurately reflect what people want as exemplified by the outpouring of support to keep pets out of shelters. The history of animal sheltering in Austin ● 1900 - emergency of the dog pound model ● Pets are taken from their homes and neighborhoods, rounded up, and reclaimed or killed ● Our movement is built on this old foundation The “taking a breath” also allowed the industry to reflect on how we got here into this system that is so fundamentally broken. In doing research on Austin (which turns out is typical of almost every city), we found that the entire shelter system was created to deal with the pandemic of Rabies. Rabies caused huge amounts of livestock losses, massive public fear of death from it (100% fatal) and it was spread by dogs. The police were charged with shooting loose dogs on sight. The public became upset by that because their pets were being shot. The shelter was created in the late 1800s to pick up loose dogs, house them for 3 days and then shoot them. If an owner could 1. access the shelter and 2. Pay to get their dog out, the dog could live. If not, the dog died. Sound familiar? 120 years + later, we still have the same basic framework as our operating model. A vaccine for rabies was created in the 1950s but nothing changed in the shelter model. Article showing that dogs were only released if the owner could pay the fee and find the shelter. The pound model is persistent (Left): Shelters made it super easy to dispose of pets. Only ~10 years ago, Austin’s night drop boxes closed. We are entrenched in a disposal history. (Right): MUCH nicer facility but even after millions of dollars, it is still very institutional in style and environment which we know, based on human institutions, is not good for animals or people. Austin American Statesman 1944 Complaints about the conditions of the shelter have been happening for 80 years. Obviously, something needs to change foundationally if we still don’t have it ironed out. Austin American Statesman, 1969 As late as the 60s and 70s (and probably until the 90s), animal control was still run by the police in Austin. This is important as we examine the roots of animal services and the parallel with law enforcement changes being made in the name of social justice. COVID positive maps match highest animal intake maps This map is from Greg Casar in early July that shows where COVID hotspots are. The city instituted neighborhood based COVID testing to help triage the situation instead of continuing to require people to go to less accessible testing sites. It’s important to note that high intake, COVID-19 hotspots and other markers of inequity (ie redlining, etc) exist in same areas. Staggering Job Loss On to a new reason we need to change the system. We know that there is going to be much higher percent of Austinites experiencing job loss than we have ever seen as a result of COVID. Not Yet Appearing in Our Data Job loss and evictions are going to have a dire effect in every community in the US. Living Situations Drive Owner Relinquishment Which will drive shelter intake to skyrocket. If we are not prepared for at least a 2-3x need for owner surrenders, shame on us. We need to be preparing now for the impending doom of the next couple of years. Animal Welfare is Experiencing a “Great Awakening” Worldwide to 3 BIG Problems 1. COVID- Can’t Shelter Like Before and Don’t Want To 2. Job Loss/Evictions - Dramatic Intake Increases Expected in near Future 3. Based on Inequity - Shelter Foundation is Based on Rabies Epidemic and Discriminatory Practices that Started 120 Years Ago So we have 3 major reasons that we need to make drastic change to how govt funded shelters operate. 1. We can’t continue using shelters as a place for congregation of staff, volunteers, adopters, visitors due to risk of illness. If people can’t congregate to care for and outcome animals, then animals can’t be there. That is accomplished through a change in operations or more death. 2. We need to be smart enough to prepare for the future. 3. We need to evolve all of our practices including creating new programming around every reason an animal comes into AAC to ensure that we are practicing equity and inclusiveness in the services provided, eliminate barriers of inaccessibility and discrimination. Animal Sheltering Reimagined: Introduction to HASS That is why the Human Animal Support Services Model is fervently being created by the industry. Why are we doing HASS? To transform animal services into the human animal support services model during COVID to: 1. eliminate the need for gathering of humans by eliminating gathering of animals 2. prepare for a potential massive increase in 3. pets in need during the economic depression and to take part in the social justice movement to undo the systemic inequality that was created 120 years ago. Address the three problems What will HASS do? Foundationally transform animal sheltering into community based support and services that value all humans, all animals and their bond. The Mission of HASS Project To bring together all sectors of the industry to: ● collaborate and build a HASS model, which serves people and animals together more effectively than the current model, ● pilot it in prominent shelters throughout the country with success measured over the course of a year and then ● iterate the process more widely. How we will get there Bring the whole industry together ● ● ● 18 Tier 1 communities agreed to build and pilot HASS together ~20 Tier 2 communities who will follow Tier 1 200 individuals on 35 Working Groups to solve long standing industry problems ● Build the programs while driving the movement ○ Rehoming without using the shelter kennel ○ ○ Keeping Pets with Family by providing medical and behavioral support ○ Public Safety Reimagined ○ Intake to Placement ASAP Lost and Found without using the shelter kennel Tier 1 and Tier 2 HASS Pilot Communities Tier 1 ● Atlanta, GA ● Cabot, AR ● El Paso, TX ● Greenville, SC ● Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC ● Denver, CO Fresno, CA ● Pima County, AZ ● ● Washington, DC ● Morris County, NJ ● Oakland, CA ● Guilford, NC ● Rio Grande Area, TX ● Dallas, TX ● Los Angeles, CA ● San Diego, CA ● Kansas City, MO ● Detroit, MI ● Cincinnati, OH Tier 2 If Austin becomes a HASS Pilot City, we would be able to benefit from the work of 18 other prominent communities who are building the new programming while they are trying it. They are using metrics to chronicle success and working together to turn Animal Services into a true Human Animal Support Services model. As a pilot, the programs are tested in these cities first then reiterated nationwide. 35 Working Groups to Overcome Industry Obstacles There are massive problems that are in the way and there are over 200 incredible industry experts helping to resolve them. Building a Movement and a Model The Working Groups and Tier cities are both leading the movement and creating the programming. Sick owned pets Stray animals Community Cats Newborn kittens Old System Family disputes Evictions Animals in crisis enter City of Austin Animal Services Shelter for care. Staff Inside Dogs with Behavior Problems staff Can’t afford the pet Lost pets Need to rehome Owner going to rehab Schematic of how AAC operates pre-COVID. Everything has to touch the shelter, most in person. People can’t navigate the system. Most staff located IN the shelter. A few people (blue dots) are out in the field as APOs. During COVID some of these services have been cut off, causing community outrage. That is not the intention of HASS. Community vet services Fosters for found animals Homeless Human Support Short Term Crisis Support Stray animals Owner going to rehab Sick owned pets Transportation Services New System H o t l i n e Public Health Cross Training H otlin e Hotline People interact with City of Austin Human Animal Support Services to receive care. Staff Outside Shelter Walls H o t l i n e Resource Bank Dogs with Behavior Problems Hotline Dog Behavior Rehabilitation Street Teams Crowdsourcing funding Neighborhood Dog Community Schematic showing HASS System: By creating embedded services in every neighborhood and a “ring” of support around the shelter, calls/needs can be boomeranged back to those embedded services if appropriate. We know that more animals will find their original homes if they DON’T come into the shelter and neighborhoods with the highest intake are sorely lacking accessible services. Providing more accessible neighborhood based services, facilitated/operated by the city is a huge need. H o t l i n e H o t l i n e Important Points ● HASS is NOT leaving animals on the streets to die ● HASS is NOT forcing people to be part of the network of support ● HASS is NOT preventing animals from entering the shelter who really need to be there ● HASS is NOT a sudden beginning ● HASS provides CASE Management to find the RIGHT pathway for each individual animal and person ● HASS is creating a network of community fosters who are able to accept animals instead of putting them in a shelter kennel ● HASS is sheltering animals who have no other legitimate option ● HASS is a transition - as programs are built, animals and people use those programs This slide might help explain the transition better. HASS is the City’s Intake Solution Human Animal Support Services will: ● Keep Austin’s high live release rate, regardless where they are in the community ● Make Austin more safe for pets who don’t make it into the shelter ● Reunite lost pets with owners more effectively ● Move pets into homes no matter where they are in the community ● Treat all neighborhoods to be treated equally ● Prevent overcrowding at the city shelter after implementing HASS programming ● Use data to answer unanswered questions and ensure animals are safe HASS is not the cause of people being upset due to COVID intake restrictions, the lack of HASS is. Why Austin? ● Austin needs to be prepared for the economic fallout ● Austin is changing because of COVID and the social justice movement. ● Fits with 5 out of 6 of Austin’s Priority Outcomes: ○ Economic opportunity and affordability ○ Mobility ○ Safety ○ Health and Environment ○ Government that Works For All ● City of Austin promotes itself as a leader ● It’s the right thing to do In previous budgets, AAC has a hard time showing how they fit in the city’s priorities. That makes sense because the work is isolated. With a more inclusive, neighborhood based program that addresses the reasons animals AND people get into crisis, it becomes a well rounded department. Urgency is necessary because the city cannot join without council support, complaints are pouring in and Austin pet owners need the city more than ever. This will not happen without council action. It is clear that we will not see this systemic change without some help from the City Council to make it a priority (amongst so many other big priorities). If we want to fundamentally change the way we operate as a govt funded shelter, we have to act now. If we want to get ahead of a massive spike in pet need, we need to act now. If we want to prevent killing in our shelter, we need to act now. If we want to reverse the history of discrimination and inaccessibility, we have to act now. We are asking the Commission to: 1. Recommend to the City Council to pass a resolution to align Animal Services operations with Human Animal Support Services and join the HASS Project. a. Become a pilot city committed to implementing HASS as it develops over next 12 months 2. In the resolution we would propose the following: a. Set up task force of city employees, citizens, commission, public officials to work on fully integrating Animal Services with Human Services and DEI initiatives b. Expect to see performance metrics that show shift in services, budget, efficacy of new programs and outcomes