PETITION TO: 

Improve Conditions at the City of Baytown, TX Shelter for the Benefit and Welfare of the Animals in City Custody

By: Concerned Citizens for Change at Baytown Animal Control (CCCBAC)

  As concerned citizens, taxpayers and animals advocates, we are demanding that the City implement changes that will directly improve the conditions and welfare of the animals while in the custody of the Shelter.  Many of these are standard codes and regulations which the shelter should have been in compliance with per Sec. 823.003 of the Health and Safety Code, STANDARDS FOR ANIMAL SHELTERS. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/HS/htm/HS.823.htm 

These include, but are not limited to; basic sanitation procedures to ensure the animals inside the shelter are not exposed to illnesses and will be adopted out to the public in good condition. It requires proper record keeping as outlined in above Code and implementation of a regulated governing body known as the Advisory Committee.

Other action items which we are asking to be implemented immediately are outlined below:

1 .Implementation of an on-staff experienced Rescue Coordinator to be       approved and appointed by the Advisory Committee.  The Coordinator’s  duties would include such things as building relationships and working with local rescue groups and groups from around the country to place animals from the shelter.  Coordinator would consult with the Advisory Committee to amend the current Rescue Agreement and simplify the process to approve groups with approved 501c documentation so that they can pull animals from the shelter at no charge.  Maintain a City of Baytown Website where pictures of available animals for adoption and also animals on stray hold can be posted for owners to easily and quickly identify and claim.  This will help reduce the current euthanasia rate of at the City of Baytown Shelter significantly.

2. City shall hire a licensed Veterinarian who can be available to assess animals as needed, provide basic vetting care as deemed feasible by standards set by Advisory Committee and perform the euthanasia procedures in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code Rule 169.84; Allowable Methods of Euthanasia. Ensuring that all animals are sedated properly and using a vein to inject the medicines as quickly as possible to limit any stress or harm to animals ensuring that the process is done as humanely as possible.

3.Hiring of Shelter Director who has a background in Animal Welfare and is properly trained and concerned with proper shelter procedures.  We request a compassionate Director who is willing to work with animal rescue groups and concerned citizens for the betterment of the animals of the City of Baytown. 

4. Implementation of a low cost spay/neuter and vaccination program for the animals adopted from the Shelter prior to them being adopted as part of the adoption fee.  This will not only promote more adoptions and revenue into the shelter, but also help to reduce unwanted animal population in Baytown.  Currently the cost to adopt an animal is $50.  For that $50 the adopter gets the animal and a $40 voucher for spaying and neutering.  Several cities offer a fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered dog or cat for adoption at a cost of $60-100 average. Studies show that the primary reason people don’t spay and neuter their animals are cost and the lack of access to the services.  The same is true for licensing.  The higher the cost, the lower the rate of compliance…. 

 A policy of vaccinating all animals immediately upon intake or sooner (e.g. on the truck) used in combination with a comprehensive disinfection policy and population management strategies are the key elements of an effective disease management program in an animal shelter. Recent studies have suggested that approximately 50% of all animals entering a shelter have never been vaccinated nor have they acquired immunity to the most common and deadly infectious diseases that are virtually ubiquitous in all shelters. Numerous studies have clearly shown that proper administration of the core vaccinations can provide these vulnerable animals with the vital protection they need within hours.
We have investigated countless "outbreaks" of disease in shelters across the country and in almost all cases the lack of proper vaccination has been found to be the root cause. Not vaccinating all animals upon arrival at a shelter guarantees that at best the shelter will occasionally experience a major outbreak and at worst will regularly experience them. Nothing undermines a shelter's efforts more than an adopter who selects a quickly beloved family pet from the shelter which in a short time develops a financially and emotionally devastating disease that could have been prevented by proper vaccination.

5. Ensure that all animals inside the shelter are scanned for microchips using the scanner. Pets can be overlooked and euthanized needlessly by not being scanned for microchips.

6. City shall enlarge or purchase a new animal shelter to accommodate the 86 kennels purchased that cannot be used in the current small shelter.  For a city this large, the shelter is too small and animals are being euthanized because there is no place to house them.

7.  Implementation of a rule that no animal should be euthanized before it is available for adoption. As it stands now, some animals are euthanized before they have a chance to be adopted because the stray hold is up on Sunday and to make more space available for incoming animals, these animals are euthanized.

8.  BAC is the only shelter that will NOT allow a rescue group to help an animal until 24 hours after that animal is made available to the public.

9.  Volunteer program shall be put in place immediately.  All cities in the State of Texas with a total population of 75,000 to 80,000 have a volunteer program in place for the city shelter.

10. City Ordinance to ban backyard breeding and making it mandatory for  all citizens to have their pets over 4 months old spayed and neutered. Pasadena has passed this ordinance and it is working.
 

 

We want to reach out to the City and the citizens of Baytown to be able to make changes to the current administration of BAC so that more animals are adopted and go out the front door into the loving arms of a new family instead of out the back door in a black plastic garbage bag into our city dump.  The citizens are demanding change and reform and we ask that the animals be treated fairly and be given a chance to be adopted and put into rescue groups by changing some of the old policies and procedures and thus allowing us a real ‘shelter’ that is in alignment with the 21st century.  In fact adoptions bring in revenue and killing COST money.  Success should be defined in how many animals go home alive!  We desperately need a partner to join us in our efforts to make BAC a better place for the animals.  We are reaching out to the community and leaders of the community who are able to help us in our fight to make BAC better for the animals.  Please help us make a difference.