Images courtesy of Animal Care Services.

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Animal Care Services Bureau (ACS)’s year-end statistics show increasing progress being made at the shelter, with the best numbers ever reported for 2016, it was announced Friday.

“I am proud of the Long Beach community for stepping up to support our local shelter,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “Through community engagement and partnerships with nonprofit groups, we’ve been able to reduce animal overpopulation and give more pets homes.”

According to ACS, more than 1,100 fewer cats and dogs were impounded at the shelter in 2016, a 15 percent reduction compared to the year before. Since 2011, the number of cats and dogs impounded has been reduced by nearly 38 percent.

717 fewer dogs and cats were euthanized in 2016, compared to 2015, marking a 27 percent reduction for dogs and a 31 percent reduction for cats. Compared to 2011, euthanasia for dogs and cats is down 70 percent, with 3,850 fewer euthanized.

The 2016 live release rate, the percentage of shelter animals that leave with a positive outcome such as being returned to their owner, adopted or sent to a rescue organization, was over 85 percent for dogs and 54 percent for cats.

The 2015 rates were 83 percent for dogs and 54 percent for cats, while in 2011, the rate was only 72 percent for dogs and 20 percent for cats.

“ACS achieved its best year thanks to all the hard work of staff, volunteers, partner groups, local rescues and the entire Long Beach community,” stated the release.

Some of ACS’s notable improvements in 2016 include:

• The construction of a new outdoor “Catio” play area for adoptable cats, made possible thanks to a generous donation by the Florence Jones Trust.
• A new mobile adoption vehicle was also made possible thanks to a very generous anonymous donation.
• A new medical suite was installed and constructed, thanks to the Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA).
• Continued with the third year of our community cat program with the Stray Cat Alliance, saving the lives of hundreds of community cats.
• Offered bottle feeding kits for residents wanting to assist with kittens found in their community, thanks to donations from Helen Sanders Cat Paws.

“We continue to look for new partnerships, programs and innovative ways to help save 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,” said Ted Stevens, manager of Animal Care Services, in a statement.

To help, or for more information visit the ACS website here, follow ACS on Twitter @lbanimalcare and visit the ACS Facebook page here.