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091720 Animal Services Advisory Board Meeting 6:00 pm, September 17, 2020 The Randolph County Animal Services Advisory Board met in regular session on September 17, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. in the Randolph County Office Building Meeting Room A, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC. Commissioner Darrell Frye, Lisa Sparks, Cynthia Grantham, Lou Wilson, Sgt. Lawrence Albright, and Jason Balder were in attendance. Commissioner Hope Haywood attended as a representative of Commissioner David Allen, who was absent. Also present were Ex-Officio member County Manager Hal Johnson, Clerk to the Board Sarah Pack, Animal Services Manager Heather Wood, Business Operations Manager Ashley Morris, and Animal Control Manager Jonathan Moody. April Wilburn and J.R. Beard were absent. The Veterinarian seat and one animal rescue/volunteer community seat are vacant at this time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temperature checks were performed by Emergency Services upon entrance into the building and social distancing was maintained throughout the meeting. Call to Order and Opening Comments Commissioner Frye called the meeting to order and welcomed the Board members. Jason Balder made a motion to adopt the minutes of the August 20, 2020, meeting and was seconded by Cynthia Grantham. The Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes. Hope Haywood entered at 6:01 p.m. Departmental Updates Ashley Morris, Business Operations Manager, discussed the Shelter’s paperless conversion, the Project Animal Care Fund, and the Suburu Grant. st . There is a Project Ms. Morris said there is an ongoing paperless conversion that began on July 1 Animal Care fund that was started in August when rescue dog Angel came to Animal Services. This fund also helped mascot Bruce with his eye removal surgery. The surgery was performed at Paws and Claws in Archdale and went well. Bruce is recovering with Heather Stewart. Ms. Grantham asked if the funding was covered for Bruce’s surgery. Ms. Morris said Animal Services is still accepting donations. She said that Mr. Beard had donated to the fund and thanked him in his absence. Ms. Morris is working with Suzanne Dale, Finance Director, to set up the fund. 09/17/2020 Animal Services has received the ASPCA/Suburu grant three years in a row. This year they were approved for $5,000. This money will go towards next month’s expenses. Commissioner Frye asked if the Suburu grant was national. Ms. Morris said she thinks so; they do a lot of work with shelters. Applicants submit their needs and can be awarded up to $5,000. The shelter is working on ways to use the grant to do what’s best for the animals. Ms. Morris thanked the Board for their support. County Manager Hal Johnson reviewed the Animal Services staff’s involvement in the National Association of Counties Leadership Academy and updated the Board on the Shelter’s State Inspection. Mr. Johnson said that he has been involved in creating several departments during his time with the County and Animal Services was probably one of the most difficult. When one department is ingrained in another, separation can prove difficult regardless of support. It’s a whole new world of administration, finance, and other intricacies specific to the department. He commended Ms. Morris on her work with the administrative side of Animal Services. A phased approach to an independent department has allowed Animal Services additional support in order to gain stability. Many County departments, including Human Resources/Risk Management, Finance, and Information Technology, are working with Animal Services in order to get the department well-established. The changing environment of animal care can create chaos; Mr. Johnson commended the staff on their work to improve the department. Training is key to the success of any department, particularly when a department is establishing itself as a standalone entity. Training at Animal Services has intensified in all divisions of the staff. The management team of Ms. Morris, Heather Wood, and Jonathan Moody has received extensive additional training. This team reports directly to the County Manager and works with other departments, such as Information Technology, Maintenance, Human Resources/Risk Management, Finance, and more. This team is the first group from Randolph County to attend the National Association of Counties High Performance Leadership online program. This program includes topics such as leadership mindset and positive engagement, leading effective change, communication and collaboration, and leading high performance teams. The training started in September and participants will graduate in December. They are participating in this training on top of performing their normal job duties. Mr. Johnson thanked the team for their commitment to improving their leadership. Mr. Johnson said when a new Department is established, protocols must be put in place to ensure that all employees are on the same page in performing their responsibilities. The Animal Services Department, on July 8, 2020, had received a “Notice of Warning” from the Animal Welfare Section of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Mr. Johnson met with Patricia Norris, Director of Animal Welfare, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences (NCDA&CS), to review the compliance issues outlined in the notice. Mr. Johnson said that the Notice of Warning indicated there had been specific inconsistencies in compliance with documentation and operating standards. Mr. Johnson said that Ms. 09/17/2020 Norris advised him that to avoid violations of provisions, there needed to be developed and fully implemented written protocols to address specific concerns addressed in the Notice of Warning. Mr. Johnson said he appreciated the time Director Norris took with him to explain some of the inconsistencies in records necessary for compliance, and also for recommending the need to establish written protocols that will help address these concerns. He used the opportunity to assure Director Norris that the County Commissioners have clearly indicated their support for improved animal welfare through their approval of much needed additional staff, facility improvements, and the allocation of funds necessary to purchase long needed animal care equipment. With the active support of County government support liaisons such as Human Resources/Risk Management, Finance, Information Technology, and increased coordination with County Maintenance, Mr. Johnson said the Animal Services staff are being empowered to perform their duties in the most efficient manner possible. Mr. Johnson said that later in the day, after his meeting with Director Norris, she emailed him to let him know that Ms. Wood had already reached out that very day to Christie Shore, District State Inspector, to let her know that the Animal Shelter was in the process of developing operating protocols necessary to address the concerns reflected in the Notice of Warning. Mr. Johnson said that in August he hosted a meeting between Inspector Shore and Animal Shelter representatives to ensure that progress was being made in the development of the necessary protocols and operating procedures to address the issues outlined in the Notice of Warning. Mr. Johnson said Inspector Shore was very impressed with the support being provided to the Animal Shelter. Inspector Shore expressed confidence in the process being following to bring the Shelter into protocol compliance outlined in the Notice of Warning. Mr. Johnson said that Ms. Wood had forwarded draft copies of new operating protocols to Inspector Shore on September 14. The Shelter will wait until they receive feedback comments from the State Animal Welfare Section and will then begin appropriate protocol implementation. Mr. Arthurs is completing the design work on the dangerous animal kennels. Bids will go out later this month. The Shelter has been working with Waste Management to transition the old weigh station back to County use. The Animal Control Officers will have a new office and storage area with room for training operations as well. Mr. Johnson thanked the staff and commended them on all of their work. He is very proud of the happenings at Animal Services. Commissioner Haywood asked if the facility compliance inspection was yearly. Mr. Johnson said that it was. 09/17/2020 Heather Wood, Animal Services Manager, introduced new hires and discussed an ongoing training and development project. She also gave updates and Bruce and Angel, two dogs under the care of Animal Services. Ms. Wood said they received the $5000 ASPCA Suburu grant. Last year, there were 30 adoption fees sponsored in full at an adoption event with ten pets returned within a week of the event. The 30 adoptions happened in 20 minutes; people did not have a chance to get to know the pet they were adopting. This year at the adoption event, half of the adoption fee will be sponsored instead of totally free. All adopters will have the option of microchipping on site for $10. This year, 60 animals or more will be sponsored through the whole month of October. This will be a virtual event. People will have the chance to make an appointment and do a meet and greet and make sure the pet is a good fit for the family in hopes that pets will not be returned after adoptions. Ms. Wood introduced Savanna Johnson and Rachel Beasley, the Shelter’s new Animal Care Attendants. They will be working with Mr. Balder to establish a curriculum to learn more about animal interactions and how to handle exotics that may come in. There was a very aggressive iguana picked up recently who had abrasions and was very cold. When he warmed up, he was defensive. Kernersville Reptile Zoo picked him up the next day as they were better equipped to handle the animal. Ms. Sparks asked if the NC Animal Federation curriculum and training programs had been looked into. They offer training classes for animal sheltering, care, infectious disease control, and more. Some classes are free and some have a tuition cost. Many are virtual right now. There is a free course coming up regarding gathering evidence at investigations regarding animal cases. These are high quality animal education courses. th . Mr. Beard invited him to a Liberty Town Council meeting to Bruce will get his stitches out on the 29 be held the following day. Angel, the rescue dog, has moved to her long term foster home. She will be th . The Janet Jones hoarding case that was ongoing for two years is wrapping up; many spayed on the 26 of the animals have already been adopted, rescued, or fostered. Mr. Balder and Ms. Sparks adopted several animals each. Mr. Johnson complimented County Attorney Ben Morgan for his work. This was a long case that cost the County a lot of money. Mr. Morgan was able to bring the case to a quick conclusion after a meeting with Animal Services staff and County Administration. Commissioner Frye took the letter about Angel home to his wife, who was very passionate about Angel’s situation. Ms. Grantham asked if the Wildlife Center at the Zoo is closed. Mr. Balder said that it is open but the pandemic has halted intakes. 09/17/2020 Animal Control Manager Jonathan Moody reviewed new standard operating guidelines, introduced new hires, and discussed law enforcement and municipal outreach contacts. Mr. Moody has worked to establish standard operating guidelines for Animal Services officers. He met with a representative from Johnston County to review their guidelines as a starting point and then collaborated with Cathryn Davis, Risk Manager, and the staff to determine what protocols would work and what needed to be changed. Previously, there were not specific guidelines. Kailey Parrish is a new Animal Control Officer in training. She was previously an Animal Care Attendant. This is a new position and she was an internal hire. The Humane Society of the United States is offering an online training course revolving around animal cruelty, dog fighting, and equine cruelty. The Animal Control Officer staff has been signed up for this online training. The relationship is strong with law enforcement. Call volume has increased because rapport has been established. There was recently a crimes against nature case that the Sheriff’s Office helped to investigate. The response was extremely quick and efficient by law enforcement. Leaps and bounds have been made in communication and call response. Commissioner Frye asked Mr. Moody if he had the authority to arrest someone. Mr. Moody said that the Animal Control Officers have no arrest power but can issue a criminal summons that is served by law enforcement. They can also issue civil citations and debt setoff. Commissioner Frye asked if backup was needed for the recent case. Mr. Moody said yes, and the response was very quick. A better relationship has been built with law enforcement and communication lines are open. Ms. Sparks asked if County Ordinances still reflect the Health Department. Mr. Moody said yes; there are updates in progress that will go before the Board of Commissioners for approval. Mr. Johnson said the collaboration between Animal Services, municipalities, and law enforcement has been invaluable. 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. Renee Bryant, 417 South Stout Road, Randleman, has been working with this group for quite a while. One of the things that’s lacking in all county shelters is a transport system; getting animals to the rescues is a challenge. Every entity that pulls these animals from the Shelter needs to be contacted in order to get the animals moved. Sometimes animals are going out of state and are flown or driven where they need to go. We need a method of transport. There is now a transport page on Facebook where Animal Services can coordinate with volunteers to move animals. She commended Ms. Wood who has been available 09/17/2020 24/7 to get animals placed. It’s a very different environment at the shelter. She appreciates the support of the Board. She thanked Board members for all of their work. She looks forward to getting updated ordinances in place. Up North the SPCA is involved, whereas here it is the county shelter. The public doesn’t understand a lot about the back end work; the animals involved in the hoarding case were housed by the County for 667 days. The public can be quick to jump before knowing facts. There were 33 animals that had to be housed during the case which took up space at the Shelter. Incoming strays don’t have a place to go and would be euthanized first since evidence in a case (the animals) can’t be destroyed. She commended Mr. Moody for his work in the case to get it wrapped up and the animals placed. To the public, it may look different than what really happened. Those who are actively doing rescue want to help. Commissioner Frye asked if the case was continued. Ms. Bryant said yes, multiple times. Adjournment Commissioner Frye thanked the Board and said their attendance shows dedication and commitment to this process. With no further business, Commissioner Frye adjourned the meeting at 6:47 p.m. 09/17/2020