Feb 2021 Animal Services Report — original pdf

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February 2021 February 2021 Animal Services Report ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT Animal Services News • A total of 228 animals were adopted (163 dogs, 63 cats) • A total of 63 dogs and cats were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO-Adopt). • A total of 502 animals were brought to the shelter (328 stray, 96 owner surrender, 14 abandoned, 38 public assist, 26 wildlife). • Austin Animal Center moved to virtual adoptions at the end of December and continued through February, after the City of Austin moved to COVID-19 Stage 5 restrictions. Animal Protection month of February. impounded 86 injured animals. • Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 58 animals to their owners in the field during the • Officers handed out 20 fencing assistance applications, implanted eight microchips and • Officers entered 200 rabies exposure reports and submitted 26 specimens for rabies testing. All specimens came back negative for rabies. • Five new APO’s have been hired and are in various stages of training. • 43 total coyote related activities o 31 sightings o 5 wild sick reports of mange o 3 wild injured o 2 wild speaks o 1 encounter involving chickens o 1 observation • Out of 43 coyote related activities, 32 fell within the reported behavior types (sighting, encounter, and incident). • Encounter: Livestock was a factor in this activity February 2021 Animal Services Report Volunteer, Foster and Rescue Programs • A total of 56 volunteers donated 937 hours during February. The volunteer program is still operating at limited capacity due to COVID restrictions, but did add cat socialization shifts toward the end of the month. • Volunteers assisted with the City’s Emergency Pet Shelter at the Palmer Events Center warming facility during the winter storm. They monitored pets staying at the shelter with their owners and ensured basic care needs were met. • More than 243 families provided foster care, and a total of 107 animals were adopted directly from foster care. • There are 954 approved fosters in GivePulse, and 134 new foster applications were processed. • There are currently 257 animals in foster homes. • 92 live outcomes were attributed to 16 AAC partners:  15 to Spay-Neuter-Return program with Austin Humane Society (AHS)  16 to Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), approximately 5 of which are neonatal kittens  3 to small partners o 34 cats o 54 dogs  30 to APA!, approximately 9 of which are neonatal puppies  1 to AHS  23 to Small partners o 4 Other Species  2 rabbits for housing  2 Guinea pigs for housing • Large partner engagement and pulls continue to be down significantly in February 2021 compared to February 2020. Pulls decreased by 71 percent for APA! and 79 percent for AHS. • Small partner engagement shows an increase in cat pulls of 100 percent and decrease in dog pulls of 63 percent compared to February 2020. February 2021 Animal Services Report Veterinary Services • Veterinarians addressed 73 emergency cases, performed six orthopedic surgeries and 14 other specialty surgeries including enucleations, amputations, mass removals, hernia repair, wound repairs and dentals. A total of 204 spay/neuter surgeries were performed and 513 vet exams. Pet Resource Center • The Pet Resource Center (PRC) currently has a wait list of 275 animals waiting to be owner surrendered. PRC staff has been able to defer nine behavior dogs by working with the owner on alternatives to shelter placement. • PRC staff has handed out 2,315 basic necessity items including food, beds, leashes, etc. • • In February,136 found animal reports and 121 lost animal reports were filed. In January, PRC staff launched a text program to help reunite lost pets with their family. The program, called LostATX sends subscribers tips and tricks that are proven to increase chances of finding their lost pet. In February, the team launched FoundATX, sending subscribers tips and tricks for how to facilitate reunification for a pet they have found, instead of bringing it to the shelter. Currently, the programs have 638 total subscribers, with 439 of those being added in February. • The chatbot feature on the Austin Animal Center website had 1,341 conversations with community members who were looking for resources and information.