The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Animal Care Services Bureau (ACS) reported that 2017 counts as another record year with numbers showing increased positive outcomes for animals in the community, the City of Long Beach announced today.
“Over the past couple of years, strong community engagement and partnerships with nonprofit groups and animal advocates have contributed to the reduction of animal overpopulation,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “I am proud that our city is continually making progress each year and finding more permanent homes for dogs and cats. I am also looking forward to implementing the recent recommendation of our City Auditor to save even more animal lives.”
The year-end statistics below are compared to the previous year, 2017 to 2016, show increasing progress at the animal shelter and are some of the best numbers ever reported, according to the city:
Total dogs and cats combined
- Impounds were down 6.8 percent (record low).
- The number of animals euthanized was down 36 percent (record low).
- Live release rate was up 8 percent in 2017, reaching an all-time high of 77 percent.
Dogs only
- Impounds were down 18.5 percent (record low).
- The number of dogs euthanized was down 63 percent (record low).
- Live release rate was up 8 percent in 2017, reaching an all-time high of 93 percent.
Cats only
- Impounds were up by 3.5 percent.
- The number of cats euthanized was down 26 percent (record low).
- Live release rate was up 11 percent in 2017, reaching an all-time high of 73 percent.
The Live Release Rate is the percentage of animals that come to the shelter and leave with a positive outcome such as return to owner, adoption or transfer to a rescue organization.
“We continue to look for new partnerships, programs and innovative ways to help save animal lives, such as the mobile adoption vehicle to help increase adoptions, and the recently launched Twitter feed, #LBLostFoundPets, to help reunite lost pets with their owners,” ACS Manager Ted Stevens said in a statement.
Some of the most notable improvements for ACS in 2017 included increasing its presence in the community and offsite adoptions with its new mobile adoption vehicle, made possible by a generous donation. Supporters also helped ACS open a new 800-square-foot medical suite to treat shelter animals, as well as a new 230-square-foot open-air cattery.
For the first time, ACS, along with the Loyola Marymount Center for Urban Resilience, participated in the first year of a potential three-year study of urban coyotes in Long Beach with the aim of improving the city’s coyote management plan.
ACS continued supporting spay and neuter programs and the Mandatory Spay/Neuter law by helping fund over 2,500 spay or neuter surgeries for the community’s cats and dogs, which resulted in a significant drop in live impounds at the shelter, according to the announcement.
The community can get more involved or find more information by visiting the ACS website here , following ACS on Twitter @lbanimalcare and liking the Facebook page here.