Loading...
072122 Animal Services Advisory Board Meeting 6:00 p.m., July 21, 2022 The Randolph County Animal Services Advisory Board met in regular session on July 21, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. in the Randolph County Office Building Meeting Room A, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC. Cynthia Grantham, Lisa Sparks, Lou Wilson, and J.R. Beard were in attendance. Commissioner Darrell Frye, Commissioner David Allen, Jason Balder, and April Wilburn were absent. Also present were Ex-Officio member County Manager Hal Johnson, Clerk to the Board Sarah Pack, Animal Services Business Manager Ashley Morris, and Animal Services Director Jonathan Moody. Other members of Animal Services were present as well. The Veterinarian seat, law enforcement liaison seat, and one animal rescue/volunteer community seat are vacant at this time. Call to Order and Opening Comments County Manager Hal Johnson called the meeting to order and welcomed the Board members. A quorum was not present, so the minutes from the previous meeting were not voted on. Public Comments Mr. Johnson opened the floor for public comment and closed it after no one wished to speak. Animal Services Administration Update Mr. Johnson said Jonathan Moody has been promoted to Animal Services Director. His experience is well aligned with this position. There have been many positive changes to the Animal Shelter over the past several years. The Board of County Commissioners is dedicated to making the Shelter one of the best in the State. Additional space is one of the biggest needs at this point. The Board of Commissioners is aware of this. Mr. Johnson said the Animal Services staff have difficult jobs and commended them for their work. He has a tremendous amount of respect for the work that these employees do. At the August Board of Commissioners meeting, the Animal Services Ordinance will be presented including recommended changes. This ordinance gives guidance to the staff and provides enforceability to policies. The Commissioners will also consider updating the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) Bylaws. This will include a change in the regular meeting schedule from monthly to a quarterly or as- called basis. One of the two Commissioner seats will be removed from the ASAB in order to better align with normal recommended seats on County Boards. 7/21/22 Mr. Moody said there have been no changes to the ordinance since the previous meeting. This ordinance will be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval at the August regular meeting. The Animal Shelter recently hosted students who were interested in learning about careers in animal services. Fifty-five animals were seized in a recent animal cruelty case. Twenty-three of the animals were owner surrendered yesterday. This case involved collaboration between Animal Services and the Sheriff’s Office. In the next few months, Mr. Moody will be visiting neighboring counties to “job-shadow” other directors in order to update the protocols for Randolph County. The veterinarian (vet) that normally does spay and neuter surgeries for the Animal Shelter is away on medical leave. There has been great difficulty in finding another vet to complete these surgeries. When a citizen adopts an animal, Shelter staff will make a surgery appointment, transport the animal, and then the adopter can take the animal home. Mr. Beard asked if there are retired vets that may be willing to help out. Mr. Moody said he did reach out to a retired vet, but the distance was too great to justify the cost. There are not any retired vets in the area. The Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) does not have any additional availability. Ms. Morris said vet clinics are short on staff, need to put their own clients first, are worried about biosecurity along with other concerns, making it difficult to find a surgery partner. Ms. Sparks asked if the County’s current vet partner who is on leave is available if need be. Ms. Morris said there is an additional vet in training who can practice and provide medication but is uncomfortable providing surgical services. Ms. Sparks asked if the 55 seized animals are held at the Shelter. Mr. Moody said some are in foster care and some are at the Shelter. The State has approved outdoor housing facilities for this situation. Ms. Sparks inquired about the animals left at the property. Mr. Moody said there was livestock remaining on the property that a neighbor is helping to care for. Mr. Moody said he observed feed on the property during a recent visit, but the property owner will no longer allow Animal Services on the property. The animals remaining on the property were observed to be in good physical condition. Mr. Johnson asked how citations are issued. Mr. Moody said Animal Services can issue misdemeanor charges, but the Sheriff’s Office must issue felony charges. Mr. Moody introduced James Moore of the Sheriff’s Office. Either agency can execute a search warrant. Mr. Moody said all seized animals have been under veterinary care and all are in the custody of Animal Services. Departmental Updates 7/21/22 Ashley Morris, Business Manager, introduced two new staff members, Mathew Auman and Yessenia Reyes-Valdes, both of whom are Animal Care Attendants. They were hired two days before the large seizure. Ms. Morris is very pleased with the staff of Animal Services and each employee has a passion for animals. She thanked the staff members present for their work. Business is running as usual at the Shelter. There are administrative controls in place to monitor the processes at the Shelter. A veterinarian is sorely needed at the Shelter, along with additional space. Ms. Grantham asked if there were standard procedures for medication maintenance and administration and Ms. Morris said yes. There is a paper and electronic system. The State has requirements for the handling of medications and vaccines. Ms. Sparks asked about staff positions. Ms. Morris described the positions in Animal Services, all of st which are filled at this time including a part-time Shelter Attendant starting August 1 . Ms. Sparks asked how many zones are in the county and Mr. Moody said there are four. Ms. Sparks asked if there will be division into additional zones and hiring more Animal Control Officers in the future. Mr. Moody said the department as a whole is growing. The next anticipated position addition will be an Animal Control Officer position. Ms. Sparks asked how having a veterinarian on staff would change the issues Animal Services is facing now. Ms. Morris said there would be an improvement on day-to-day situations. There are a lot of times where having a vet on staff would mitigate challenging or expensive situations. Mr. Beard asked what the cost to the County would be to have a vet on staff. Ms. Morris said many nearby counties have a vet on staff. It’s important to find someone with a passion who may not be as concerned about a pay rate. Guilford County pays roughly $80,000 per year. Mr. Beard said it may be difficult to find a vet willing to work for a lower pay rate than they would receive at a private clinic. Ms. Sparks said the veterinarian position may be a “revolving door” of turnover due to the type of candidates it would attract. Mr. Beard said students fresh out of school may be viable possibilities. A location to house a vet is needed. He suggested researching a plan for what space, equipment, and costs would be involved in employing a veterinarian on staff. Mr. Moody said he is able to speak with neighboring counties about their startup processes when hiring veterinarians on staff. Ms. Sparks said many neighboring counties are moving to having veterinarians on staff. The State says veterinarian care must be provided, but they are not specific as to how it needs to be provided. Mr. Johnson suggested that Mr. Moody mention this proposal to the Board of Commissioners in August. 7/21/22 Mr. Johnson said in August, the Board of Commissioners will reappoint members to the ASAB. There are several vacancies on the Board and these seats will be filled as soon as possible. Mr. Johnson said he asked Chelsey Butler, Randolph County Media Communications Specialist, to work with Animal Services to promote their message to citizens. Adjournment Mr. Johnsonthanked Board members and Animal Services staff for their work. At 6:35 p.m. on motion of Ms. Grantham, seconded by Mr. Beard, the Board voted 4-0 to adjourn. 7/21/22