Tell OC Supervisors to vote YES on animal shelter improvements

*** UPDATE: The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a number of reforms! The Trap-Neuter-Return for cats faced some resistance but will be studied further. Thank you to everyone who wrote Public Comment to the Board!

*** Please thank Supervisor Nguyen on her facebook post!
https://www.facebook.com/SenJanetNguyen/posts/pfbid02zudKzpxgAVeofmdtFfKqJ6REG1Rb61npbZf2FpSEdeuZfa2ebL3sc9711z9vCv5Dl

On Tuesday, March 11, the OC Board of Supervisors will discuss changes in the county animal shelter. Please submit Public Comment supporting a “YES” vote.

This is what the Board will be considering:

- Re-opening the shelter to visitors during normal hours, including one evening a week. This would end COVID-era restrictions.

- Posting shelter statistics monthly, not just quarterly. (A return to 2021 and pre-COVID practice.)

- Getting a report from County Counsel on Trap-Neuter-Return for cats and how it’s practiced in neighboring jurisdictions.

- Adding a community liaison position.

Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Vicente Sarmiento introduced this agenda item. The community is grateful to them. We are asking the rest of the Board to vote YES on these changes.

The full text is here. This is the Agenda Item summary:

S33H. Supervisor [Janet] Nguyen and Supervisor [Vicente] Sarmiento
- Direct Orange County Animal Care (OCAC) to prepare implementation plan to allow full public access to “ready for adoption” animals during operational hours and provide one day with evening hours until 7:00 pm, within four months; establish and hire a community liaison for community and rescue organizations engagement; direct County Counsel to revisit legal framework and current practices of Trap Neuter and Return (TNR) programs utilized by surrounding jurisdictions and return to the Board, within 30 days; and direct OCAC to provide monthly statistics on its website, within four months.

Other articles about the OC animal shelter can be found at OCShelter.com