This year, the Cat Cottages and outdoor \u201ccatio\u201d will receive a major refurbishment, with air conditioning, energy-efficient windows and new flooring. Shelter felines will have a clean new place to shed stress and fur and to show themselves off to potential adopters.<\/p>\n
The staff will also be hiring a full-time veterinary technician and a new marketing director, which will be changed to a full-time position.<\/p>\n
Volunteers Lend a Hand and Save Some Paws<\/h2>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t do anything this real without the volunteers,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cWe just don\u2019t have the resources.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shelter volunteers and benefactors were recognized for service over and above the usual. Award certificates, provided by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia\u2019s office, were presented for daily attendance, devotion to dogs or cats, being \u201cmatchmakers,\u201d transporting animals, walking and bottle feeding, training, and sitting with a sick, suffering animal when it passes from life.<\/p>\n
\u201cVolunteers show up open-hearted, giving one of the greatest gifts they can give in their lives\u2014their time,\u201d said Adoption Coordinator Jill Prout, who presented the awards.<\/p>\n
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From left, front: Fifth District Councilmember Stacy Mungo (One Too Many Award, accepting for FOLBA), Diane Tankard (Helping Hand honoree), Wendy Steelhammer (half of Dynamic Duo honoree), Julie Somers (Spirit of Dr. Loren Eslinger Volunteer of the Year honoree), Colleen Shackley (Rookie of the Year honoree), Wendy Williams (Cats\u2019 Best Friend honoree), ACS Adoption Coordinator Jill Prout, ACS Manager Ted Stevens. From left, rear: Bill Steelhammer (other half of Dynamic Duo honoree), Mary Agugliaro (Dogs\u2019 Best Friend honoree).<\/em><\/p>\n The Spirit of Dr. Loren Eslinger Award, named in memory of a Long Beach veterinarian who volunteered her time and skills to the shelter and was dedicated to spay\/neuter, was awarded to Julie Somers, who heads the Cat Adoption Center at Pet Food Express<\/a> (see \u201cJulie of the Wolves\u201d<\/a> in the February 23 Long Beach Post<\/em>). The Center is ACS\u2019s satellite adoption center. Cats with issues such as stress or who may be overlooked because of their age or condition can be viewed in a more cat-friendly environment, making them more attractive to potential adopters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to create a real \u2018humane society,\u201d Somers said. \u201cThese cats are here through no fault of their own, and we want to get them into homes as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Somers said that volunteers are needed at the Center and asked anyone interested to email her at pfevolunteers@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a> (FOLBA) won the One Too Many Award, given to the volunteer or organization that has helped alleviate the effects of irresponsibility and cruelty regarding animals.<\/p>\n \u201cFOLBA is one of our longest-supporting groups,\u201d Stevens said of the venerable organization, which was founded in January, 1990. \u201cThey’ve provided spay\/neuter vouchers, Kuranda beds, and a medical clinic with state-of-the art equipment and a recovery area, where surgery and procedures can be done to save a lot of pets. So many things, over the last few decades.\u201d<\/p>\n FOLBA President Stacy Couch accepted the award for the group.<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel privileged to be able to help the shelter as we do,\u201d Couch said. \u201cBut I feel that our biggest contribution is SNIP [FOLBA\u2019s Spay\/Neuter Incentive Program], in which we hand out vouchers to people who can\u2019t afford to get their animals spayed or neutered.\u201d<\/p>\n Couch added that stopping euthanasia begins with stopping cats and dogs from having more kittens and puppies than the population can support. ACS actively supports the efforts of FOLBA and Fix Long Beach to fix the pets of Long Beach residents who cannot afford the procedures and, in Fix Long Beach\u2019s instance, provide free microchips. Last year, nearly 2,700 vouchers were given out, making a total of over 17,000 since 1990, Stevens said.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s contribution from FOLBA was specialized training from Dogs Playing for Life<\/a>. This time, the training was for the volunteers and not the dogs, and it is now implemented in the brand-new Dog Play Yard. The Play Yard was constructed with funds provided by Kay Reed and has been named Reed\u2019s Corner in memory of Kay\u2019s husband, Harold Reed. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place after the Open House, and the public was able to get a one-time glance at the dogs enjoying the yard and the training in action\u2014the space isn\u2019t open to the public.<\/p>\n OK, Boy! Go play! Kay Reed cut the ribbon at the ceremony for the new Dog Play Yard, for which she donated funds. Photo on right, from left, FOLBA Vice President Nona Daly, Reed, Fifth District Councilmember Stacy Mungo, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and FOLBA President Stacy Couch. Photos by Kate Karp.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0 Ubervolunteer Gary has a quiet moment with Mona in the new Dog Play Yard. Photo courtesy of Dogs Playing for Life.<\/em><\/p>\n The gravel floor in the Play Yard was provided by the Conservation Corps, an ACS Strategic Partner. The Conservation Corps recently formed a shelter internship program that provides job training and work experience as kennel attendants.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shelter partners, courtesy of ACS.<\/em><\/p>\n Other shelter partnerships include the Community Cat Shelter\/Neuter\/Return (SNR) Program<\/a>, which facilitates trapping, spaying or neutering, and releasing cats back to their stomping grounds. Kittens born of the parents are adopted out or, when possible, given to bottle feeders. The program has resulted in reduced intake and fewer neighborhood complaints.<\/p>\n The biggest partner, Stevens said, is spcaLA, which holds the lease to the P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village. ACS shares the venue with the private rescue spcaLA\u2014this is often a cause for confusion for Village visitors looking for either entity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason we have this new shelter is because of spcaLA, otherwise we\u2019d still be somewhere on Willow Street,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cThey care, feed, and house animals every year, and they help adopt thousands of animals. They share donations, flea medicine, food with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Stevens also went over the duties of the Veterinary Medical Team, the Rehoming Team, the Animal Care Team and the other departments.<\/p>\n Stevens reviewed the responsibilities of Field Services, which includes the Special Investigations Unit, breeding enforcement, citation appeals and barking complaints, and dealing with everything from stray animals to untangling an owl hanging by its talon in a fishing line under a bridge. The animal-control officers (ACOs) are sporting new casual uniforms.<\/p>\n ACOs in their new casual uniforms.\u00a0\u201cWe wanted to make them more comfortable and not look like \u2018county sheriffs,\u2019\u201d Stevens said. Photo courtesy of ACS.<\/em><\/p>\n ACS is closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays, but there\u2019s still an officer on duty 24 hours.<\/p>\n Stevens said that the shelter has always been designed to be animal control, and branching out to rescue and adoption in the past few years has led to a need to shift and stretch resources. Now, ACS is facing the challenge of an intensive audit requested by Mayor Garcia. The audit is conducted by the City Auditor\u2019s Office in tandem with JVR, a team of shelter experts that specializes in consultations and reviews of open shelters nationwide. Phase 1, completed in December 2017, lays out how much ACS has stretched its resources to the snapping point in an effort to go beyond animal control. Findings have elicited much discourse and debate from the animal-advocacy community, who are not always in mutual agreement but who are steadfast in a resolve to effect change (entire text of Phase I of the audit can be accessed here<\/a>).<\/p>\n JVR members praised ACS and its staff for its dedication to saving lives. However, they also stressed that best outcomes for pets may be hampered by the shelter extending itself beyond its resources and limitations to implement programs and provide service. Standard operating procedures will also need definition.<\/p>\n \u201cThe audit was very important,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThe numbers are absolutely going in the right direction\u2014my commitment is that every year we should improve.\u201d Garcia was referring to the 2017 statistics (see \u201cShelter Statistics for 2017 Show a Continuing Upward Trend\u201d<\/a>), which since 2012 have shown a continuous decline in euthanasia numbers and impounds and growth in live release of pets.<\/p>\n Stevens said that he was more than happy to receive praise for his staff and also that the shelter is performing above average with respect to other public shelters in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s cool to hear that\u2014it\u2019s amazing how much everyone cares,\u201d he said. \u201cObviously, above average<\/em> is great, and we want to keep moving to go even higher.\u201d<\/p>\n Stevens said that the team recognized how limited the shelter\u2019s resources are and that the staff does \u201ca little too much.\u201d The staff is stretched beyond its abilities; the second part of the audit will address staffing levels.<\/p>\n \u201cMy staff is working on their own time,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t given a box of Legos and told, you can make this or you can make that. We made what we made with our existing Lego pieces. And we\u2019re not satisfied\u2014if you know our staff, you know we\u2019re not satisfied. Looking toward our future vision, we need to figure out what are we going to do with our Lego pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n Stevens also thanked the attendees who regularly volunteer and appealed to the ones who haven\u2019t yet.<\/p>\n \u201cShare animals online. And volunteer\u2014not just at the shelter but for the other organizations,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout the volunteers and the community, we\u2019d only be half finished.\u201d<\/p>\nNew Play Yard: Unique Combination of Free Play and Safety Training<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nShelter Audit\u2014New Challenge<\/h2>\n
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