Metro Animal Shelter - Casper, Wy



1371600-727710A Division of Community Development020000A Division of Community DevelopmentIt has been 35 years since construction of our Shelter was completed. Staff at Metro continues to realize successes and 2019 was no different. Metro Animal Shelter Staff is employed by the City of Casper and only has a staff of six employees; collectively we have 39 years of direct service to the Shelter. There has not been a vacant employment position here in 5 years, which speaks volumes of the dedication of our Kennel Techs. Metro Animal Shelter provides service to the City of Casper, the Towns of Evansville and Bar Nunn, unincorporated Natrona County, Midwest and Edgerton. The Town of Mills funds and manages independent animal control services for their residents.We are an open admission Shelter for our user agencies; which means we will accept any species of any animal in any condition that is brought here for any reason from one of the jurisdictions listed above. Animal Control enforcement was transferred to the Casper Police Department in 2018, so any animal-related complaints or criminal issues are managed by that department.485775026606500This is our Mission Statement:“The mission of Metro Animal Shelter is to provide services which safeguard the public’s health and safety, to humanely house and care for animals in its charge, and to provide public education concerning responsible pet ownership” There are many moving parts involved in this industry and it takes a cooperative effort from the administration and our citizens to maintain order in our community to keep the public protected from harm and ensure our pets are safe and healthy. Criminal violations must be addressed and effectively prosecuted for our society to realize progress in increased responsibility in pet ownership. In July of 2018, Casper City Council signed a Resolution which required adopters to pay $100 cash deposit for animals that have not been neutered. This money is returned to the customer after they have their adopted pet neutered. Metro Staff processed 567 adoptions in 2019, which required $100 deposit. This is the first year Metro Staff has handled nearly an additional $86,000 dollars through deposit collections and refunds issued. Each transaction was audited and there were no clerical errors. Below is the status of all cash deposits received in 2019:Collected$56.700Refunded$29,100Forfeited$10,700Active$16,900Collected – means all deposits received by the shelterRefunded – the customer fulfilled the adoption contract, had their pet neutered and received their deposit backForfeited – the customer failed to fulfill the contract, forfeited their deposit and may not adopt from the shelter in the futureActive – the contract date has not passed, the customer is in good standing46767756731000Our new fee schedule also changed fees for City Licenses. If a person’s pet is: neutered and microchipped, the fee is $0a $15 fee applies if the pet is not neutered, but chipped$5 if the pet is neutered, but not chippedit is $25 if the pet is not neutered and not microchippedA pet which bears permanent identification and is neutered is statistically much less impactful to a Municipal Shelter – they are less likely to roam and the owner’s contact information is readily available to Animal Control should their pet become lost. A microchipped pet is twenty times more likely to return home. Our City License sales increased 17% compared to the previous fiscal year. The Shelter sells pre-registered microchips during regular business hours for only $20. There was an 18% increase in sales compared to the previous fiscal year. Every dog and cat that is adopted from the Shelter is microchipped as part of the adoption process. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the many volunteers we are fortunate to have that work countless hours to advocate for our lost, abandoned or unwanted community pets. We have numerous volunteers that provide grooming, fund veterinary services, transport animals to new homes, advocate and advertise our adoption promotions, donate dog and cat food/treats and toys, many that take the time to walk the dogs; just to name a few of the things these folks do on their own time. Metro is proud to partner with the Natrona County School District through an unpaid internship with their ABLE Program. ABLE is a community-based program designed to meet the needs of adult students with disabilities 4686300000who are transitioning from the school environment. We gladly have one of their students on site twice a week in a work study program. We’ve developed and maintained an excellent working partnership with the Casper Humane Society. We have common interests and are both driven to see pets placed into permanent and caring homes. The Casper Humane Society routinely reaches out in support of our operation.402145526289000Metro also publishes a Pet Gazette newsletter on a monthly basis; it may feature pets available for adoption, provide informative tidbits or announcements.The Shelter is proud to provide Pet Therapy on a monthly basis to a local assisted living facility. The shelter installed security cameras to enhance employee safety, discourage pet abandonment and animal theft. Since installation, we’ve utilized the system many times and it’s been a valuable asset.We participate in events such as Safe Kids Day, Central Fair and Rodeo Parade, numerous NCSD functions and have been asked to speak at a variety of local organizations, such as the Kiwanis, Casper Garden Club, Windy City Striders, Lions Club, Rotary, etc. Metro also provides internal training to other City Departments that may encounter domestic pets or wildlife in their line of work. One Kennel Tech attended National Animal Control Association Level III Professional Development in Colorado this year; curriculum included the Cycle of Violence, Disaster Response, Backyard Breeders and Large Scale ImpoundsWe continue to partner with the Animal Adoption Center and the Wyoming Shelter Project. The $50,000 grant funded nearly 150 neuters prior to adoption last year and also provided well over 300 low income vouchers to the public. Metro Animal Shelter was budgeted $5,000 to assist with this effort.Each year, every Metro Staff member earns continuing education training hours from a licensed veterinarian to maintain euthanasia certifications. All staff members are dual certified with the Wyoming Board of Veterinary Medicine and the Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy every year.The shelter continues to have a PetSafe Harbor Program; which provides emergency housing to animals when their owner is displaced for an event such as a house fire, domestic violence situation or medical emergency. 38100952500There are several charts provided in this report, when reviewing it is important to keep in mind that our animal inventory is fluid. Meaning, the in/out numbers won’t total; animals often don’t leave the Shelter the same month they arrive. For example, when we started 2019 on January 1st, we already had 146 animals in the Shelter. Although Metro houses many species of animals; this report reflects only dogs and cats since that’s the majority of the animals we house. We have housed chinchillas, small and large birds, rabbits, goats, fish, ferrets, horses, reptiles, guinea pigs, alpacas, hamsters, yaks, snakes, etc. We’ll house any animal that is lost, abandoned or unwanted within our jurisdiction.The following statistics relate to every dog and puppy that entered our shelter in the corresponding year:499109954610The Shelter’s euthanasia rate for dogs is .01%. The National Average is 56%. Of the 14 dogs we euthanized, 11 had vicious tendencies and/or attacks on humans; the other 3 were euthanized to alleviate physical suffering.We had 7% few dogs enter the Shelter, and 2% more dogs that did enter were adopted or returned to their original owner.020000The Shelter’s euthanasia rate for dogs is .01%. The National Average is 56%. Of the 14 dogs we euthanized, 11 had vicious tendencies and/or attacks on humans; the other 3 were euthanized to alleviate physical suffering.We had 7% few dogs enter the Shelter, and 2% more dogs that did enter were adopted or returned to their original owner.Intake – all dogs that entered the shelter for any reasonAdopted/rto – means all dogs that were either returned to their owner (rto), transferred to a rescue group through an approved process, or transferred to the care of a local veterinarianEuthanized – all dogs that were euthanized473392549403015% fewer dogs were brought here by their owners as compared to 20188% fewer stray dogs were impounded in 2019 than the previous yearThis is reflection of increasing responsibility in dog ownership in our community.02000015% fewer dogs were brought here by their owners as compared to 20188% fewer stray dogs were impounded in 2019 than the previous yearThis is reflection of increasing responsibility in dog ownership in our community.Relinquish – dogs brought to the shelter by their ownersStray – dogs impounded while at large, by a private citizen or an animal protection officerOf all the dogs that were brought to the Shelter in 2019, 67% were stray – which means they were running at large without an owner present. 15% of all dogs were brought here by their families for a variety of reasons.The following statistics relate to every cat and kitten that entered our shelter in the corresponding year:4829175102235A feral cat is not domesticated, behaves as a wild animal and historically accounts for approximately 25% of all cats that enter the shelter. Feral cats plague our community, defecating and urinating on private property, killing protected songbirds and spreading disease. They cannot safely be placed with a family, and generally must be euthanized. 00A feral cat is not domesticated, behaves as a wild animal and historically accounts for approximately 25% of all cats that enter the shelter. Feral cats plague our community, defecating and urinating on private property, killing protected songbirds and spreading disease. They cannot safely be placed with a family, and generally must be euthanized. Intake – all cats that entered the shelter for any reasonAdopted/rto – means all cats that were either returned to their owner (rto), transferred to a rescue group through an approved process, or transferred to the care of a local veterinarianEuthanized – all cats that were euthanizedIn 2019, the Shelter had a 7% increase in cat intake. Owner reclaims, adoptions and transfers to rescue groups are at an all time high. We still have more than 4 cats enter our Shelter every single day, and with only 1 in 10 being reclaimed by their original owner – aggressive adoption efforts and advocating for neuter must continue to be made. Our euthanasia rate for all cats and kittens that entered our shelter in 2019 was 31%; the National average is 71% according to the American Humane Association. These statistics indicate that many of our citizens allow their cats to roam and only 10% of stray cats are ever reunited with their owners. Of all the cats and kittens we had to euthanize in 2019, approximately 95% were feral and/or diseased. 1057275381000Relinquish – cats brought to the shelter by their owners396240018415000180975157480The take-aways from statistics on cats are: We have an abundance of unwanted and homeless cats and kittens now, we advocate for neutering to prevent unwanted littersCats that bear identification are much more likely to return home than unidentified cats that are allowed to roamUnvaccinated cats and kittens suffer unnecessarily and spread disease; vaccinations are readily available in our community00The take-aways from statistics on cats are: We have an abundance of unwanted and homeless cats and kittens now, we advocate for neutering to prevent unwanted littersCats that bear identification are much more likely to return home than unidentified cats that are allowed to roamUnvaccinated cats and kittens suffer unnecessarily and spread disease; vaccinations are readily available in our communityStray – cats impounded while at large, by a private citizen or an animal protection officerHere is just one example of the work we do with our community partners…meet Jordan. A citizen found him lost and brought him in on 6/2/19. He didn’t have any identification and nobody came looking for him. During his stay here, the Animal Adoption Center funded his neuter and surgery was performed by a local veterinarian. Temporary Homes Animal Rescue transferred him to Petco and a private citizen adopted him in August. We took in 1,591 cats this year…this was Jordan’s story.The chart below represents every dog and puppy that entered the shelter that was adopted, returned to the owner or euthanized.Intake – all dogs that entered the shelter for any reasonAdopted/rto – means all dogs that were either returned to their owner (rto), transferred to a rescue group through an approved process, or transferred to the care of a local veterinarianEuthanized – all dogs that were euthanizedOver the past 15 years, our overall intake for dogs has decreased by 40%. With nearly 900 fewer dogs entering our Shelter, we can better allocate our resources. Despite the number of dogs that enter our Shelter each year, we still strive to increase owner reclaims and adoptions; while reducing the need for euthanasia. We achieved a 75% decrease in euthanasia from 2018 to 2019. Our overall euthanasia rate is .01%, which is outstanding by any Municipal Shelter Standard. According to the American Humane Association, the national average for dog euthanasia is 56%. 553402526536650034734507620000361957620000One of our most significant events last year occurred on July 17th. The Casper Police Department’s Animal Protection Officers confiscated 65 animals from a single residence for the animal’s well-being and pending criminal prosecution for the owner. Shelter staff worked late into the evening to process intake for 42 dogs, 8 parrots, 1 chicken and 14 cats. Before those 65 animals arrived, we had 154 other animals already in our care. The owner voluntarily surrendered all the animals to the Shelter, so we were able to place them for adoption fairly quickly. On July 25th, 2019 most of the animals went up for adoption and what a turnout! There were dozens of citizens here eager to adopt one of these dogs in need. 476258318500On 11/7/2019 the owner was found guilty of 79 counts of animal-related crimes; 65 of those counts were for cruelty to animals. The City Attorney’s Office and Casper City Council recently amended City of Casper’s Chapter 6 Animal Ordinances to include a person may be deemed a reckless pet owner. Municipal Court Judge Lund heard the case and ruled the owner was, in fact, reckless and is not permitted to own, possess, pet sit or be around any other animal than a visit to friends or family. Additionally, the owner was ordered to pay $70,563.28 in fines and restitution. This was a cooperative effort between several divisions in the City that demonstrates cruelty to animals is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in our community. 1333508763000467677562992000Many of these animals had medical issues, and the citizens who chose to adopt one accepted that as part of their recovery. We are happy to report that we’ve heard back from many of these citizens and these dogs have learned how to be pets. They now know what it’s like to be part of a family who cares for them. The chicken from this case was brought here with a leg injury and hopped around on her good leg. She was adopted by a local Veterinary Technician; her name is now Peg and she’s living out her days completely spoiled. It was incredible to see our community come together for these animals. Staff sincerely appreciates the support we received.The chart below represents every cat and kitten that entered the shelter that was adopted, returned to the owner or euthanized:Intake – all cats that entered the shelter for any reasonAdopted/rto – means all cats that were either returned to their owner (rto), transferred to a rescue group through an approved process, or transferred to the care of a local veterinarianEuthanized – all cats and kittens that were euthanized, regardless of reasonWhen we take a look at our overall intake for cats and kittens over the past 15 years, it has decreased by 13%. Again, with 239 fewer cats entering the Shelter, it is less cumbersome on our operations. Adoptions and owner reclaim have increased by 31% and we’ve achieved a 55% decrease in euthanasia. In 2019, the Shelter took in 661 unwanted or abandoned kittens, which is an 11% increase over 2018. We will continue to advocate for neutering cats as long as we see such an incredible number of unwanted litters.Metro has implemented rigorous adoption programs and provided public information and education programs for this community in becoming more responsible pet owners, in turn, lessening the burden on Metro’s resources. Since we are an open admission shelter; meaning, we don’t refuse animals, there will be a number of animals that must be euthanized. The primary reasons are:the animal came to us gravely injured or diseaseda court has ordered the euthanasia based on violent and dangerous action toward the public or other animals the animal has a history of attacking animals or people has demonstrated aggression while in our care and poses a threat to the publicTo support our mission, we operate on goals and objectives. A goal without a plan is a dream. Here is a general overview of our G & O from last year, with the current status typed in blue:GOAL: To increase general operational efficiency.OBJECTIVES:To explore and identify a modern and efficient records management system rather than purchase an upgraded RMS system, we’ve been working with our external system administrators; with the objective to be the ability to write our own reports to have access to data To maintain 100% compliance with Wyoming Association of Risk Management training as required by the City Metro Staff continues to maintain 100% compliance with mandatory training as assigned by the City. Additionally, Kennel Tech Justine Tuma has coordinated and managed additional OSHA training for increased safety for all of Community Development Staff; to include managing our Hearing Conservation Program.To increase the number of licensed pets by 2% in FY20 We’ve achieved a +17% increaseTo increase the number of microchips administered by the shelter by 2% in FY20 Actual increase was +18% increase (sold 1307 in 2019)Neuter deposits on unaltered animals initiated in FY19, 5% increase in contract compliance in FY20 Actual increase in compliance was +38% To resubmit phased marketing plan before end of FY19 phase I submitted, pending approvalAddition of 1 FT Kennel Tech position in FY20 proposed, FT not approved. Amended to PT and pending approvalTo continue shelter upgrades that are funded and approved; sewer system upgrade complete, duct cleaning approved, to be completed by May 2020, ceiling tile replacement completed, yard hydrants completedComplete HVAC upgrade in FY20 with optional one cent FY16 funds, approved, funded and scheduled to be complete in May of 2020GOAL: To increase placement of adoptable animals to responsible pet owners.OBJECTIVES:To continue to improve adoptions by 2% in FY20 Proud to report a +13% increaseTo increase owner reclaims by 4% through increased licensing compliance, and microchip sales -6% decrease. Microchip and License sales have increased. Voluntary compliance to reclaim animals is not successful, if coupled with enforcement of criminal violations this objective could be achievedBy embracing new models of effectiveness and efficiency in service to both people and pets, our division grows. Municipal Animal Shelters must continue to evolve; transforming from places where animals go, to places where animals leave. Innovation, diligence and acting responsibly strengthens our connection with our community. It is imperative that we have consistent and proactive procedures in place in order to advance our services. center11112500Metro Staff, left to right: Bryanne Mestas, Rick Constantino Jr., Tory Walsh, Mike Gaylord, Megan Cormier, Justine Tuma This is our devoted staff of Kennel Techs; they work 10-12-hour days, 7 days a week. Their dedication to our Shelter animals, our volunteers and customers is outstanding and unparalleled. Kennel Techs will come in as early as necessary to disinfect the facility, feed and care for each animal in our Shelter and be ready to open to the public at noon. Just this year, these 5 incredible employees facilitated 1,378 total adoptions and returned 853 pets to their original owners – that’s an average of 14 outtakes every day. The volume of clerical work and data entry is in addition to processing intake and providing care for the 2.932 animals that were brought to our Shelter last year. They’ve come in late at night to monitor a dog delivering puppies, they’ll come in to cover shifts for one another; the teamwork is inspiring and we are fortunate to have such an exceptional crew. I look forward to another successful year in 2020. 19050010096500Prepared by:Tory WalshManagerMetro Animal Shelter2392 E. Metro Rd, Casper WYtwalsh@(307) 251-0478 – cellPictured left: “Trouble” ................
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