Animal shelter seeks

on-site veterinarian

Susie Forrester (Nov. 6)

    Several animal advocates voiced their support on Thursday for a proposal from the staff at the Escambia County Animal Shelter for an on-site veterinarian to care for and spay or neuter pets before they are adopted.

   According to the shelter proposal, about 40 percent of the adopted animals who leave the shelter unaltered are never spayed or neutered. The staff believes that altering 100 percent of adopted animals will decrease greatly the number of animals euthanized there each year and save taxpayer money.

   Christa Pettijohn, a Junior Humane Society of Pensacola volunteer, praised the current shelter staff and urged commissioners to support the plan. JHS is one agency finding new homes for animals at the shelter. Others include the 4-H Club, Cat Clinic of Pensacola; Emerald Coast Golden Retriever Rescue; Florida Bassett Hound Rescue; Humane Society of Pensacola; New Beginnings Animal Hospital; Safe Harbor Animal Hospital; Santa Rosa Animal Services; South Florida Boxer Rescue; and Southern States Mastiff Rescue.

   Another animal advocate, Laura Catterton outlined national statistics supporting the benefits of spaying and neutering animals as a means of decreasing the number of animals euthanized as well as a way to cut operating costs at the shelter.

   Veterinarian tech Lisa Dinolov told commissioners she had visited eight vet clinics that afternoon to seek support in writing and met no resistance to the idea of an on-site veterinarian sterilizing animals.

     Supporter Teresa Bradley called on each commissioner to consider the idea carefully. 

She praised the work of Animal Control Manager Candace Stordahl and Kennel Supervisor Phyllis Trout, as did all those speaking in support of the plan.

   According to Katie Tiner, who along with her mother Mickey rescues golden retrievers, Candace and Phyllis opened the doors of the shelter to the community. The shelter now works with rescue groups to find homes for animals in its care and gladly welcomes visitors, she said.

    What's next: At 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, the commission will discuss the proposal. Interested residents may attend, but not address the panel at this meeting.

Shelter proposal highlights

1. Goal: To be a no-kill shelter by 2015. To neuter and spay all adopted animals before the leave the shelter.
   

2. How: Hire a full-time vet for $43,000 a year. Fee to adopt would not change, but the animal would be altered before it left the shelter. Also, the shelter would offer low-cost spay/neutering services for other dogs and cats; rabies vaccinations and other health-care checks; provide minor surgeries and care for wounded animals brought to the shelter; and expand other services such as immunizations, heart-worm tests and microchip injections.
   

3. Short-term goal: Reduce euthanasia rate; reduce number of strays; reduce number of animals coming to shelter; and the altering of all adopted animals.
   

4. Long-term goal: Becoming a no-kill shelter by 2015.

Susie Forrester  (Nov. 11)

   Two groups of animal-minded people want their hands on money raised by increasing Escambia  County's pet licensing tax -- and both groups have only the animals' welfare in mind.

  The first group, Jury-Duty Spay & Neuter, a non-profit founded by Greg and Cindy Farrar, wants  the money to fund a mobile clinic that would provide low-cost spaying and neutering services throughout the county.

   The second group, the staff at the Escambia County Animal Shelter, has its own proposal which it gave to the commission last week. It calls for becoming a no-kill facility by 2015 as well as:

County wants more

info on spay/neuter plan

Robinson to spearhead talks between the two groups -- the county staff and Jury-Duty -- to gather detailed information about costs, to answer specific questions raised by commissioners and to re-present a proposal concerning the use of the revenue.

   Target date for returning the issue to the commission: Dec.11.

  Money in question: Over a year ago, Jury-Duty's founders urged the commission to raise the pet licensing fee from $6 to $8 and to use the extra money generated to fund low-cost spay and neuter services to pet owners in the community as a means of reducing the number of animals euthanized at the county shelter every week. The panel voted to raise the fee.

    Jury-Duty is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization established in 2004  to promote animal welfare, to offer an ongoing education program and to provide low-cost spay and neuter programs to low-income pet owners. It targets three groups: low income pet owners, shelter and rescue groups doing neuter before adoptions, and feral or free roaming cats.

Dec. 11  

   The Escambia County Commission has delayed discussion until January on a proposal from Animal Services. Commissioner Grover Robinson IV is spearheading talks between the staff and Jury-Duty Spay & Neuter. Both groups have ideas for using pet licensing fees to provide low-cost spaying and neutering.  Animal Services would like to hire an on-site vet at the shelter. Jury-Duty has a mobile spay/neuter program in mind.

County delays discussion on shelter plan