Changing how city administrators view animal control

Never has the need to change how city administrators view animal control been more evident than in the most recent case in Philadelphia. 

Let's give you a quick overview.

Three years ago, the city of Philadelphia had a save rate for animals that entered their shelter of 11%. Yip, that's right, 89% of the 30,000 animals that entered the Philadelphia animal control system ended up leaving dead through the back door.

In 2005, the city awarded the animal control contract to the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA). PACCA, along with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) began making changes to the way animal control was run, and how animals were dealt with once they entered the animal welfare system.  Now, under the control of PACCA and PAWS, Philadelphia is saving nearly 60% of the dogs and cats that enter their system.  This is approximately 14,000 lives that are being saved under their leadership.  While they have a long way to go to make Philadelphia a no-kill city, the improvement is undeniable and should be commended.

However, just this month, the city Department of Health has issued an RFP for groups seeking to run their animal control division.  In the RFP to bid for the city contract beginning in January 2009, they state that they are looking for a "qualified contractor" that can "hold, euthanize or dispose of 30,000 animals annually."

While the two organizations that are currently running animal control are succesfully saving 14,000 more animal lives each year, the city Department of Health is looking to bid out "dog catching" duties to the lowest bidder.  Yikes!

As we move forward, if we are ever to improve the way animals are treated in our city sheltering systems, we MUST move the thinking in city leadership that animal control is more than just being "dog catchers".  We must move beyond that model where animal control is expecting to pick up and take in stray animals off the street and kill them, and move the language to bringing animals in and SAVING them. At some point we've lost the "shelter" in our animal sheltering system.

Let's hope the city makes the right decision and keeps the PACCA and PAWS people in place.

You can do a lot of reading on the topic.

An editorial from the Philadelphia Daily News.

Citizens for a No Kill Philadelphia.

All the info you ever needed at the PAWS website. 

Where Philadelphia residents can look up the contact info so they can contact them to show their support.

Winograd's overview on the situation in Philadelphia (he's much closer to it than I am)

Winograd's Philadelphia tool kit.

Comments

[Denver Dog Grooming]

I love this site, I refer all my
Denver Dog owners to this site. Thank you for all of your efforts, I know
that my Denver Dog clients love this
resource. Keep up the fantastic work!
Denver Dog Groomer

[Garrett Elwood]

Actually Winograd is not as close to this situation as he leads his readers to believe. While the information has been invaluable in our efforts in the No-Kill Movement in Philadelphia, his tactics are anything but helpful. There is information on his blog that is incorrect and the timing of what he writes has been a hindrance to those of us working in Philadelphia to save the animals, hands on. We, the Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia must be looked to as the leaders in this movement on a local level, but Nathan refuses to coordinate his efforts with us, insisting instead on blogging, writing things that are not true and may, in fact not happen. He lives in California and relies on gossip and heresy as a basis of all his opinions. Despite some very long email exchanges, Mr. Winograd refuses to coordinate efforts for a common cause.

Mr. Winograd is a national leader on this issue and he should help the movement by coordinate his efforts with the local groups on the ground who are not only "close to the issue", but front and center inside the issue.

Unfortunately, the old adage "too many cooks in the kitchen" applies here all too well. We all need to try harder to work together. The animals deserve it.

Please visit www.phillynokill.com

[Garrett Elwood]

”Best Friends fully supports the goals of 'Citizens for a No-kill Philadelphia'. Pet Overpopulation remains a national tragedy, but communities across the country are making significant gains to save lives.

Philadelphia is a city in financial crisis. The Mayor's decision to rebid the animal control contract at reduced expense was probably just one step in a series of budget cuts to come across city services. But Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association was already severely underfunded, even before these budget cuts. So, now more than ever, animal advocates need to put aside differences, pool resources and work together for the homeless animals in Philadelphia.”

Paul Berry, CEO
Best Friends Animal Society