05/05/2024
❤️ Request for Update of Leash Law Regarding Cats and initiate TNVR in Apple Valley City
In 2023, 3469 cats were taken to Apple Valley shelter,
-- 2560 were euthanized
-- 533 dead (including DOA)
-- 7% were adopted,
-- 0.003% rescued
❤️ Please reach out to Apple Valley City Council members and request for the change of community and shelter cat management policy, stop trap and kill, update the leash law and initiate TNVR.
You are welcome to be there in person in the city council meeting sharing your insights or email them:
Mayor Scott Nassif : [email protected]
Mayor Pro Tem Art Bishop: [email protected]
Council Member Larry Cusack: [email protected]
Council Member Kari Leon: [email protected]
Council Member Curt Emick: [email protected]
[email protected] ( please sent beforeTuesday noon to this email address)
❤️ Draft for your reference
Title: Urgent Requests to Apple Valley City Council: Request for Update of Leash Law to Exempt Cats and Initiation of TNVR
Dear Apple Valley City Council,
I'm writing to address urgent concerns about the animal care services provided in Apple Valley City that resonates deeply with many members of our community.
Despite the shelter's state-of-the-art facility and larger capacity for cats, cats outside the adoption room face euthanasia either on the same day or within a day of becoming available, which is concerning to the residents who care deeply about animal welfare.
The current trap-and-kill approach the city adopted to control community cats population is neither effective nor economically efficient
1 economically efficiency: Sterilizing rather than killing community cats, is simply less expensive in the long-term, with exponential savings in terms of reducing births.
-- 1.1 The annual budget of AVAS is 2.4M in 2023 with around 8k animal intake, the cost for each animal is around $300 with around 7% live release rate for cats in 2023 in the shelter.
-- 1.2 The cost of TNVR is around $100 per cat on average (please inquire nearby city/county for details) with cats released back to the community they come from.
2 effectiveness: The approach of impounding and euthanizing feral cats has proven ineffective in reducing cat populations, with cats continuously trapped and impounded from the same areas.
-- 2.1 The same trap and kill repeat year after year and is proved to be just a waste of money. Trapping and killing has been going on for over more than 10 years and the intake amount of community cats has not decreased.
-- 2.2 TNVR, on the other hand, returns the existing cats to their territory which they will occupy without reproducing, and they prevent other unfixed cats from coming in and breeding.
-- 2.3 Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has been proven to be effective and adopted by counties nationwide and nearby counties including Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego.
3 Community preference: Surveys investigating the public's preference for managing free-roaming cats consistently indicate much stronger support for TNVR in the U.S. than trap and kill.
-- 3.1 Three(3) out of four(4) people say it should be illegal to kill animals if the animals are healthy or treatable.
-- 3.2 81% consider their animal companions "surrogate children."
-- 3.3 The number of communities saving over 95% of the animals in their tax-funded shelters is growing.
-- 3.4 96% of Americans say we have a moral duty to protect animals and should have strong laws to do so.
Proposed Solutions:
1. Update the law to allow cats free roaming:
You mentioned that cats are exempt from leash laws, but according to Apple Valley's Code of Ordinances 15.01.070 - Control of animals, it appears that the same regulations apply to cats:
(a)No person in Apple Valley, owning or having control of any animal, shall permit such animal to stray or run at large upon any public street, sidewalk, school ground, public park, playground, place of public assembly or any other public place, or any un-enclosed private lot or other un-enclosed private place, or upon any private place or property without the consent of the owner or person in control thereof. Parkways comprising the area between the street and sidewalk shall be included as private property for purposes of this Chapter.
(b)Any person who finds any animal which has strayed or is running at large upon his or her own property or any other place contrary to the provisions of this Chapter, may take possession of and hold same; provided, however, that he or she shall notify the Animal Control Office that he or she has such animal in his or her possession within 24 hours after securing possession thereof, and give such Officer full information in regard to the animal, including a complete description of such animal and license number, if any, and surrender the same to the Animal Control Officer or Department upon demand.
-- Historically, the inclusion of cats in the Leash Law may have had its reasons, two decades passed and the historical relevance may no longer serve its intended purpose.
-- The approach of impounding and euthanizing has proven ineffective, with cats continuously trapped and impounded from the same areas.
-- The adjustment aligns with the national trend and the success seen in neighboring counties.
2. improve transparency,
-- A daily euth lists of both cats and dogs to be sent out to the community , including those pending euthanasia ones.
-- Volunteer Access: Granting volunteers access to the shelter to capture photos and videos of the animals will greatly enhance the visibility of these animals and provide rescuers with valuable information about their personalities and current status.
3. TNVR and low- cost spay and neuter services to be provided to the caregivers and pet owners.
3.1 Expanding Current Voucher Program to Include Community Cats. Currently there are vouchers for dogs, however no vouchers for cats are available.
The current voucher program should include community cats, and invite reputable organizations and veterinary clinics that offer low cost S&N to participate.
3.2 Utilize the Mobile clinic to provide low cost S&N
The city can utilize Paw Mission, Animal Action League and Stray Paws to provide mobile clinic services while try to nail down a vet to operate the mobile clinic truck
3.3 Implement the TNVR programs in Apple Valley City.
Through the TNVR program friendly cats will be taken to the shelter for adoption and others will be released back to the community where they come from.
In light of these concerns, I urge you to prioritize the welfare of these animals and take immediate action to improve the rescue process at the Apple Valley City Shelter. By doing so, you not only uphold the values of compassion and responsibility but also demonstrate your commitment to serving the needs of our residents.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that you will listen to the voices of our community and take decisive steps to address these pressing issues.
Sincerely,
