011620
Randolph County
Office of the County Manager
725 McDowell Road
Asheboro, North Carolina 27205
www.randolphcountync.gov
Animal Services Advisory Board Minutes
January 16, 2020
The Randolph County Animal Services Advisory Board met in regular session on January 16, 2020, at
6:00 p.m. in the Randolph County Office Building Meeting Room A, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC.
Commissioner Darrell Frye, Commissioner David Allen, Lisa Sparks, Cynthia Grantham, April Wilburn,
Misty Hinshaw, Lou Wilson, and Jason Balder were in attendance. J.R. Beard entered where noted. Also
present were Ex-Officio member County Manager Hal Johnson, Clerk to the Board Sarah Pack, Animal
Services Director Elma Rae Greene, Information Technology Director Michael Rowland, Public Safety
Specialist Sheri Martin, and Web Developer Joy Coggins. Members of Animal Services staff were present
and are named later in these minutes. Sgt. Lawrence Albright was absent. The Veterinarian seat is vacant
at this time.
Call to Order and Opening Comments
Commissioner Frye called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. and welcomed the Board members. Lou
Wilson made a motion to adopt the minutes of the November 25, 2019, meeting and was seconded by
Jason Balder. The Board unanimously approved the minutes.
Mr. Johnson said that one of the first things the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) did was to
appoint a sub-committee to explore the capabilities of the Animal Services website and social media in
order to best promote the new department. The Sub-committee appointees were Commissioner Allen,
Ms. Sparks, Ms. Wilburn, Ms. Hinshaw, and Ms. Wilson.
J.R. Beard entered at 6:04 p.m.
Mr. Johnson introduced the Information Technology (IT) staff in attendance and complimented the
ASAB Sub-committee on their valuable input during the website development. Mr. Rowland agreed and
thanked the Sub-committee for their input.
Animal Services Website Update
Mr. Rowland introduced his staff members and said that IT appreciated input from the Sub-committee.
He said that the website landing page gives an overview of the “web presence” for Animal Services. It is
a tool to engage directly with citizens and can be leveraged effectively to reach a broad audience. He
commended Ms. Greene for being a “force of nature” in the development of the site. The Animal Services
website is still a work in progress and is not viewable by the public yet. Although there has been a County
Animal Services website online for citizens, the ShelterPro software has replaced the legacy site,
RCASpets.org, and a portal function has been added. Capabilities include not only a shelter management
module, but an interactive portal module with personalized account functions.
Telephone: 336-318-6300
With the help of the ASAB Sub-committee, the portal software has been simplified to focus on pets and
slightly redesigned to be more user-friendly for citizens. The main Animal Services website provides
information regarding the department and the ASAB. The portal site focuses on marketing. The case
management side of the software is linked to the portal, which allows for automatic update on data
entries regarding pets.
Mr. Rowland gave a demonstration of how to view pets and complete the online adoption process. He
also showed how to search the stray pet database. The site has an “account” function as well that allows
users to login and create pet profiles of their individual pets. In the incident a pet becomes lost, the owner
can toggle that function on the pet profile which will send them an automatic notification if an animal
matching the lost pet’s description is taken to the shelter.
Mr. Rowland described the portal module as a marketing tool that allows citizens to search adoptable
pets from the comfort of their own home. It also offers the option of searching for a lost pet without
having to take time off of work to visit the shelter in person.
The RCASpets.org legacy website was set up by Friends of the Shelter. Due to the existing County
website and the new portal, the RCASpets.org site has become redundant. Because the old site
establishes a “brand”, it will not be eliminated. Instead, traffic will be directed back to the County website.
The new site is expected to go live within the next week. Ms. Greene reminded the Board that in the
interim period before the new website goes live, Animal Services will use Facebook in order to market
animals. After the new site has gone live, the use of Facebook will be more limited to events and other
specialized opportunities while the website will be devoted to marketing stray and adoptable animals.
Ms. Wilson asked what constitutes an animal as being labelled a stray. Ms. Greene said that any animal
found roaming at large is labeled a stray upon intake. Commissioner Frye said that someone could
recognize their animal if it is listed as a stray on the website. Ms. Greene confirmed and said the location
the animal was picked up is also listed on the stray description. Commissioner Allen asked how quickly
strays move through the system. Ms. Greene said that strays are held for three business days to allow
the owner to reclaim them. Within five to seven days of intake and after the hold period is up, strays are
evaluated, vetted, and made available to the public if they are deemed adoptable. All animals are
assessed during stray hold. If the animal is a danger to the public, it is not adoptable. If an animal is
surrendered to the shelter, but the person who surrenders it does not provide proof of ownership, the
animal is listed and treated as a stray.
Commissioner Frye asked if audience member Pamela Voncannon had a comment. Ms. Voncannon
asked if there was option to list animals as “rescue only.” Ms. Greene reiterated that all strays are listed
on the site. Most “rescue only” animals are marketed to rescues through an internal process, but listing
that status on the website could be beneficial. Mr. Rowland said that at this time, the software only allows
for two statuses, which currently are “adoptable” and “stray.” There may be an option to add a third
status in the future.
Mr. Johnson asked for a motion to authorize Information Technology to proceed with activating the
site as soon as possible. Mr. Beard made the motion and was seconded by Ms. Hinshaw. The motion
passed 9-0.
Animal Services Departmental Update
Animal Services DirectorGreene introduced the following staff members from Animal Services who
were in attendance:
Ashley Morris, front desk and administration
Naomi Moore, animal management and front desk
Tiara Smith, animal management and front desk
Heather Stewart, adoption center and event coordination
Heather Wood, operations management and animal husbandry
Tammy Walker, lead Animal Services Officer
Ms. Greene thanked her staff for their support and said her team is excited about the new changes to
Animal Services. Mr. Johnson thanked the staff and said that Randolph County is proud to have such hard
working and supportive employees. He said they have been nothing but professional in the face of
criticism and change. Commissioner Frye said “thank you for not leaving” when times were tough. He
said that the Animal Services staff has made the transition easier and offered thanks on behalf of
taxpayers and pet owners. Commissioner Allen said the staff was much appreciated and he understands
that their job is not easy. He said we are all looking forward to the opportunities for Animal Services in
the future.
Ms. Greene said that in the past month, she has worked to become familiar with the staff, the building,
the community, and the established Animal Services processes. There have been many staff meetings
regarding processes and what changes may need to be made. Animal Services is continuing to work with
Public Health on rabies. The staff is working to reduce the stress of the animals in the shelter and provide
them with enrichment opportunities. She is also working to learn the personality strengths and traits of
staff members so that each employee can use their individual strengths in their work. She had just
undergone her first State inspection since her employment with the County. She thanked IT for their help
and said she is looking forward to a positive future for Animal Services. She said uniforms have just been
ordered for her staff so that they may improve their presence to the public.
Mr. Johnson said that at the February 3, 2020, Commissioners meeting, the budget transition will be
complete and Animal Services will officially be a separate department from Public Health.
Ms. Greene handed out a new organizational chart dividing her staff into three divisions: field services,
administration, and adoption (Attachment A).
Board Discussion
Ms. Hinshaw asked if the stray and rescue only statuses could be combined. Ms. Greene agreed that
three statuses were needed, but the third status would have to be separate from ShelterPro as the
software only allows for two statuses.
Commissioner Frye asked if there was a way to add notes or comments to animal descriptions on the
website. Ms. Greene said the site is still a work in progress but there will be an option for notes once
animal biographies are standardized.
Mr. Beard suggested taking Animal Services out into the County to reach people who otherwise may
be unaware of what the department has to offer. Ms. Hinshaw suggested an open house event. Ms.
Greene said that she and Ms. Pack had been discussing an open house before the start of the meeting.
Commissioner Frye suggested working with Fox8 News and said the Board is balanced with representation
from all over the County. He asked Board members to promote Animal Services in their respective areas.
Ms. Greene said that her staff is searching for ways to improve and sophisticate their services. Ms.
Sparks suggested a separate open house event geared toward rescue organizations in the community.
Ms. Greene said the department is working on contracts with approved rescue organizations.
Commissioner Frye suggested holding a future ASAB meeting at the shelter.
Public Comment Period
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 153A-52.1, Commissioner Frye opened the floor for public comment and closed
it after everyone wishing to speak had done so. Pamela Voncannon had not signed up to speak, but was
invited to do so by Commissioner Frye.
Pamela Voncannon said that she understands that everyone is excited to move forward, but asked that
Board members remember that Ms. Greene will need time to become acclimated and establish new
processes. She said that spring time will bring an influx of animals and it is easy for staff to become
overwhelmed, so time is needed to get protocols into place. Ms. Voncannon expressed appreciation to
the staff and said she was optimistic about the positive changes being made at the shelter.
Ms. Wilson asked a follow up question of who to call for animal pickup after 5:00 p.m. and who to call
for deceased animal removal. Ms. Greene said that the website landing page will have a phone number
to call for deceased animal removal, and citizens will likely need to call 911 after hours. Ms. Grantham
gave a positive testimony of services after a 911 call she made on behalf of a concerned citizen.
Adjournment
Having no further business, Commissioner Frye adjourned the meeting at 7:11 p.m.
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