Tallahassee Animal Services: Pitbull Sterilization Voucher ...
Grant ProposalTallahassee Animal Services:Pitbull Sterilization Voucher ProgramAbstract Tallahassee Animal Services Pitbull Sterilization Voucher Program will offer 600 free spay and neuter procedures for pitbulls in Leon County. Vouchers will be administered to the public regardless of financial status. In 2010, over 600,000 pitbulls were euthanized in animal shelters due to overpopulation. Many animal shelters immediately euthanize incoming pitbulls regardless of their temperament or history. Currently, only one-quarter of all pitbulls in the United States are sterilized, which only contributes to the overpopulation problem. Many pet owners simply cannot afford sterilization procedures. The goal of this program is to see the day when no pitbulls will face euthanasia due to overpopulation. This will be accomplished by providing 600 sterilizations to pitbulls over a two-year program period. By doing this, we will reduce the number of dog euthanasias to only 10% of intakes at Tallahassee Animal Services by June 2016. The program’s success will be monitored through record keeping of voucher redemptions and statistics that the City of Tallahassee collects about shelter outcomes. In order to accomplish these objectives and administer the program, Tallahassee Animal Services is requesting a grant of $40,000. IntroductionThe NeedEvery minute one pitbull is euthanized in the United States. At any given time there are millions of homeless dogs in animal shelters; a majority of them are pitbulls or pitbull mixes. Many reports cite 4 to 6 million pets euthanized per year.In a 2010 survey, pitbulls accounted for about 30% of all dog intakes at shelters and 60% of dog euthanasia at shelters. At the time of this survey, 930,00 pitbulls were estimated to be in animal shelters. With an outtake rate of only 34%, this suggests that 610,300 pitbulls were euthanized in 2010 (Clifton, 2011).The average euthanasia rate is 35% annually for dogs. About 30% of dogs at Tallahassee Animal Services are pitbulls or pitbull mixes. Pitbulls are the most often euthanized dogs at Tallahassee Animal Services. It is estimated that only about 25% of pitbulls in the United States are sterilized. A pitbull is typically able to breed once per year for about 10 years of their lifetime. Each litter averages six puppies. Therefore, sterilizing a female pitbull can eliminate 60 potentially homeless animals (ASPCA, 2012). Pitbulls often get a bad reputation for being aggressive or vicious. This idea has been proven to be wrong many times, suggesting that it is the owner that encourages aggressive behavior. Additionally, studies have shown that sterilized animals are less likely to have aggression issues (Bollen & Horowitz, 2008).Many efforts have been made to encourage pitbull adoptions, but adoption rates just aren’t rising fast enough to keep up with the rate of breeding. Contributing FactorsThe primary contributing factor for the overpopulation that leads to euthanasia is the breeding of unsterilized animals. This refers to both accidental breeding or breeding by strays and purposeful breeding by those who sell puppies. Breeding obviously occurs because pets have not been spayed or neutered. Pet owners have many reasons for not sterilizing their pets. Some feel that it is unnatural or unhealthy, though numerous veterinary studies have disproved this idea (Spain, Scarlett, & Cully, 2002). The most common excuse given by pet owners is that they simply cannot afford the spay or neuter procedure. The average price of a spay procedure is $125 and the average price of a neuter procedure is $100 (IMOM, 2013). This does not take into account the cost of vaccines and other tests that veterinarians often require first in order to perform a surgery. A lack of adoptions of pitbulls also keeps the numbers high. As previously stated, pitbulls are often wrongfully referred to as aggressive and do not get adopted as often. Behavioral problems or misconceptions about the breed leads to more pitbulls being abandoned at shelters on the streets. ImpactsPitbull overpopulation in the long run costs the taxpayers money. Shelters are often funded by governments, and most counties have an animal control office. Overpopulation of homeless animals leads to the use of more government resources for things like animal care in shelters and safely catching strays. Euthanasia is not a cheap solution, either. One economist suggested that each euthanasia costs approximately $100 (Coate & Knight, 2010). Considering the figure given earlier, the cost of euthanizing and disposing of pitbulls each year can cost up to $60 million. Homeless animals are also more likely to show aggression. Just like in humans, being hungry, cold, lost or sick can make an animal scared and aggressive. This can lead to more dog attacks, causing a public safety issue. Areas that have enacted animal legislation that requires sterilization of certain breeds have seen reductions in dog bite incidents (Cornelissen & Hopster, 2010). Promising Approaches Adoption is clearly not the long-term solution. Pitbulls are already one of the least desirable breeds when considering animal shelter adoptions (Jm, Pc, & Dk, 1998). The president of Animal People once stated that “there is no chance that the humane community is going to be able to adopt its way out of killing pit bulls” (Clifton, 2011). A study conducted in 2006 showed that there is a significant relationship between communities that offer low cost sterilizations and the rate of unwanted animals in shelters (Frank & Carlisle-Frank, 2007). Other papers suggest that sterilization is the only way to reduce the numbers of euthanasia (Salamanca, Polo, & Vargas, 2011). Goals and ObjectivesGoal: No pitbulls will face euthanasia due to overpopulation. Though this goal is overwhelming, is it achievable. The collaboration of veterinarians, shelters, pet owners and programs like this one will one day eliminate the need for pet euthanasia due to overpopulation. In order to get one step closer to achieving this goal, this program has established two objectives. The following objectives are explained in further detail in the next section. Objective 1: Sterilize 600 pitbulls in Leon County via the voucher program by June 2016 (300 per program year).Objective 2: Reduce the percentage of dog euthanasia to only 10% of intakes at Tallahassee Animal Services by June 2016. Project Description OverviewTwo objectives have been identified in order to reach the goal of the program, which is to eliminate dog euthanasia due to overpopulation. The first is the sterilization of 300 pitbulls in Leon County through the voucher program by the end of the first year of the program. To achieve this objective, the program will provide free sterilizations for pitbull and pitbull mix breed dogs in Leon County. This will be done by issuing free sterilization vouchers to pitbull owners regardless of income status. Dog owners must show proof of Leon county residency to receive a voucher. Vouchers can be redeemed at one of the three previously established partner veterinary offices. The partner office will accept the voucher as payment for sterilization. This will include anesthesia, surgery, antibiotics, pain medication and stitches removal. Voucher forms will be filled out by the dog owner. Each voucher form will have 2 carbon copies for records. The original stays with Tallahassee Animal Services for their records and reporting. The first and second copy will go with the dog owner. One copy is for the owner’s records and the second copy is to be given to the partner veterinary office in place of payment. The dog owner must call to schedule an appointment with the partner office and notify them of their intention to use the voucher. The second objective is to reduce the number of dog euthanasia to only 10% of total intakes at Tallahassee Animal Services. The average number of dog intakes at Tallahassee Animal Services over the past 5 years is 3,200 annually. To reach this objective, dog euthanasia will have to be reduced from the current rate of 35% to 10% after two program years. By reducing the number of breeding pitbulls, the long-term impact will be fewer unwanted puppies and fewer euthanasias. This objective will be met through sterilizations and future evaluation of Tallahassee Animal Services statistics. StaffThe vouchers will be issued at Tallahassee Animal Services by general reception staff. A one-hour training session will be held at the beginning of the program and again after one year. The training will teach reception staff how to administer the vouchers and maintain the records. Oversight and reporting of the program will be added onto the part-time community director’s position and will come with an addition of 5 hours per week to her schedule. No additional staff will be required, although a new file cabinet will be needed to keep records. TimelineThis program will require preparations beginning in April 2014. Things like ordering the vouchers, training the staff and establishing the new grant bank account will have to be done in April. The program will start administering vouchers in May 2014. The first 300 vouchers will be sold from May 2014 to June 2015. The second 300 vouchers will be sold from June 2015 to June 2016. The evaluation pieces will be used throughout the program, but certain evaluations will be done at the end (veterinary office and Tallahassee Animal Services staff evaluations). The following timeline will be the basis for administering and completing the program:April 2014 Establish a new grant account and procedures for using grant funds Order supplies, including the voucher forms Hold the first training session for reception staff Order marketing items and begin marketing the program May 1, 2014 Start administering vouchers Conduct evaluation throughout (automated emails)June 1, 2015 Analyze the evaluation data and determine if adjustments need to be made Hold the second training session for reception staff Report the sterilization count and evaluation results to Tallahassee Animal Services and the grantor Begin administering the second round of 300 vouchers for year twoJune 1, 2016Request final program evaluations from Tallahassee Animal Services staff and partner veterinarian officesAnalyze the final evaluation dataReport the final sterilization count and evaluation results to Tallahassee Animal Services and the grantorReview the program for potential of grant renewal Evaluation plan This program will undergo and outcome evaluation at the one year point and after the conclusion (two years). Both objectives will be measured for success. To review, the objectives to be measured are (1) the total number of sterilizations completed through the voucher program and (2) the percentage of dog euthanasia at Tallahassee Animal Services. The first objective is easily measured by checking the records for total number of vouchers redeemed. This number will be crosschecked with the veterinary partners to ensure all vouchers that were distributed were used. At the end of year one, the number of vouchers will be compared to the goal of 300. At the end of year two, the number of vouchers will be compared to the total goal of 600.The second objective will be measured using statistics the City of Tallahassee collects monthly and annually (see 2013 sample in appendix). The city already requires Tallahassee Animal Services to report the data required to evaluate the program’s success. The number of euthanasias will be divided by the number of intakes to determine the euthanasia percentage. This percentage will be compared to the set goal of 10%. A process evaluation will also take place throughout the program. This will be done through online surveys. The surveys will be automatically sent to clients who request vouchers. Surveys will be sent to veterinary offices and Tallahassee Animal Services staff at the halfway point and at the end of the program.The survey will measure motivations for sterilization and satisfaction with the program. Questions will be built on a scale so that answers can be easily coded. A sample survey can be found in the appendix. The survey will be analyzed using SPSS, which Tallahassee Animal Services already owns. Results will be reported to both Tallahassee Animal Services and the grantor. BudgetThe cost of the voucher program is estimated to be $40,00 for the two-year active period. The justification of this budget follows. Expense Category Year One Year Two Total Personnel $3,976 $3,976 $7,952 Supplies $357 $- $357 Storage $87 $- $87 Contractual $15,000 $15,000 $30,000 Evaluation $204 $204 $408 Marketing $882 $- $882 Total: $20,506 $19,180 $39,686 PersonnelThe community director at Tallahassee Animal Services currently works 25 hours per week. They have agreed to add 5 hours per week for the next two years to their work schedule in order to manage the voucher program. The current pay rate for this position is $15 per hour with no benefits. To supplement the additional 5 hours per week, which equals 260 hours per year assuming 52 work weeks per year, $3,900 will need to be appropriated. This will total $7,800 for the entire two-year program. A training session will be held to train the current reception staff on the administration of the new voucher program. This will be a 1-hour training and will be on the clock for staff. There are on average 8 staff members that rotate working at the front desk. Their cumulative pay per hour is $76. This training will be repeated after the first year of the program. Evaluation of the program will also take place at the second training. Total pay supplementation for both trainings will be $152. SuppliesVoucher forms will be printed through Office Depot. The forms will be half page in size and consist of an original and two carbon copies. The forms will also be numbered. A total of 1000 vouchers will be printed to allow for errors. Office Depot has quoted $160 for the form production. See appendix for a sample of the voucher. Extra paper will also be needed to print the information sheets that contain instructions and the list of approved partner veterinarians. Two cases of copy paper from Office Depot will cost $92.Printer ink will need to be supplemented to account for the extra printing of the information sheets. One additional cartridge for the existing printer at Tallahassee Animal Services from Office Depot will cost $105. StorageFor the storage of the paper forms, a new file cabinet will be needed. A basic file cabinet with locking drawers will cost $87 from Office Depot. An Excel spreadsheet will store client data digitally. Tallahassee Animal Services computer servers have enough open space to store this data without additional need for space. ContractualThe three partner veterinary offices will sign contracts to provide sterilizations to clients in exchange for the vouchers. For each voucher redeemed, Tallahassee Animal Services will reimburse the partner office $50. No taxes or additional fees will be required from Tallahassee Animal Services for these reimbursements. Up to 300 vouchers will be allowed for each of the two years of the program. A total of 600 redeemed vouchers will total $30,000 for contract payments to the veterinary offices. A sample contract can be found in the appendix. EvaluationEvaluations will be conducted by digital surveys. Surveys will be distributed through email to clients, veterinary offices and Tallahassee Animal Services staff. Survey software will be purchased to allow efficient evaluation and data analysis. offers an annual subscription for $204. The subscription allows for free retention of data after the paid period has expired. Two years of subscription will cost $408. MarketingMarketing of the program will be important to attract clients. The Onyx Group, a local marketing firm, has offered quotes for marketing needs. Graphic design for posters, flyers and a Facebook ad banner will cost $350. Printing costs for these pieces will cost $532. Sustainability PlanThis program will take place over a two-year period. At the conclusion of the program, evaluation data will be analyzed to determine if the program is creating positive change in relation to pitbull homelessness and euthanasia. If the analysis shows positive results, additional funding will be sought to continue the program. Because Tallahassee Animal Services is a city office, it is not allowed to fundraise independently. The continuation of the program will depend on the ability to obtain another grant. Renewal of the same grant will be addressed first. If that is rejected, there are numerous other grants available for sterilization programs. For example, PETCO Charities, Maddie’s Fund, and ASPCA all offer these types of grants. The next grant will be requested with a larger amount to sustain the program for a longer period. All resources obtained during the program will remain with Tallahassee Animal Services and will be utilized again should the grant be renewed. Organizational Capacity The mission of Tallahassee Animal Services is as follows:“Tallahassee Animal Services ensures public safety and the welfare of animals by enforcing animal control regulations and by providing a secure, healthy environment for animals in its care.”The goals of Tallahassee Animal Services are as follows:Increase AdoptionsDecrease EuthanasiaIncrease Spay and Neutering Expand Educational OpportunitiesTallahassee Animal Services is a branch of the City of Tallahassee and was founded in 1996 after it took over the animal control contract from Leon Humane Society. Tallahassee Animal Services is funded by the city. A nonprofit also supplements their adoption and volunteer programs by fundraising for them. Tallahassee Animal Services currently runs out of their 12,500 sq ft facility that can accommodate 400 animals at any given time. The facility is located in eastern Tallahassee off of Capitol Circle. In 2011 Tallahassee Animal Services was named as an ASPCA partner agency and they collaborate regularly with Leon County Humane Society, Leon County Animal Control and Be The Solution, Inc. Human Subjects Protection There are no inherent risks to Tallahassee Animal Services with this program. Unforeseen risks are reduced through the use of contracts with partner veterinary offices. Risks to the client are limited to their pet’s health and safety. There are obviously risks that come with surgical procedures. These risks are absorbed by the partner veterinary offices. There is no risk to confidentiality, as no harmful personal data will be collected. No payment is collected from the client, so there is no risk of fraud.Risks to the partner offices are related to veterinary practices and are the responsibility of the partner office. Appendix 1: Sample Voucher FormPitbull Sterilization VoucherTallahassee Animal Services850-572-3940Owner Name:__________________________________ Pet Name:_______________________Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone:_____________________ Email:_____________________________________________Pet Sex: F M Pet Breed: Pitbull Pit-mixPet Age: __________Signature:__________________________________________ Date:______________________Voucher # 001Appendix 2: Sample Partner Office ContractPitbull Sterilization Voucher ProgramTallahassee Animal ServicesVeterinary Partner OfficeThis contract certifies that the veterinary office of Leon Animal Care Hospital agrees to enter a partnership with Tallahassee Animal Services as of May 1, 2014. The partnership will included the following services and agreements:Leon Animal Care Hospital will provide up to 200 spay or neuter procedures on pitbulls for a flat fee of $50 per pet.Vouchers will be redeemed in place of payment and no procedures will be completed without proof of voucher.All exams, medications and anesthesia will be included in the $50 flat fee. Leon Animal Care Hospital absorbs any risk in veterinary malpractice. Signatures:___________________________________Date:_________________Leon Animal Care Hospital ___________________________________Date:_________________Tallahassee Animal ServicesAppendix 3: Sample Client Evaluation Survey25400223520Appendix 4: City of Tallahassee Shelter StatisticsReferencesASPCA. (2012). Pet Statistics. ASPCA. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from , K. S., & Horowitz, J. (2008). Behavioral evaluation and demographic information in the assessment of aggressiveness in shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 112(1–2), 120–135. City of Tallahassee. (2014). Shelter Statistics: Animal Service Center. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from , M. (2011). Editorial: The shelter killing of pit bulls | Animal People. Retrieved from , S., & Knight, B. (2010). Pet Overpopulation: An Economic Analysis. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 10(1). Cornelissen, J. M. R., & Hopster, H. (2010). Dog bites in The Netherlands: A study of victims, injuries, circumstances and aggressors to support evaluation of breed specific legislation. The Veterinary Journal, 186(3), 292–298. Frank, J. M., & Carlisle-Frank, P. L. (2007). Analysis of programs to reduce overpopulation of companion animals: Do adoption and low-cost spay/neuter programs merely cause substitution of sources? Ecological Economics, 62(3–4), 740–746. IMOM. (2013). Spay/Neuter: 5 Indisputable Facts. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from , Posage, Thomas (1998). Determining factors for successful adoption of dogs from an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 213(4), 478–482.Salamanca, C. A., Polo, L. J., & Vargas, J. (2011). Canine and feline overpopulation: trends and new perspectives. Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, 58(1), 45–53.Spain, C. V., Scarlett, J. M., & Cully, S. M. (2002). When to Neuter Dogs and Cats: A Survey of New York State Veterinarians’ Practices and Beliefs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 38(5), 482–488. ................
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