[00:00:02]
[Animal Advisory Commission on August 24, 2023.]
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, MELISSA, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM WHEN YOU PRESENT.UH, WE HAVE SPEAKERS THIS MORNING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS NOW DONE BEFORE OUR BUSINESS BEGINS IN ACCORDANCE WITH TOMA.
THIS IS THE TIME INDIVIDUALS GET TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON ISSUES POSSIBLY BEING DISCUSSED TODAY OR NOT, BUT IT CAN HELP US INFORM, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS OR D A S OR THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON CERTAIN TOPICS DISCUSSED.
THE RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWED.
IF YOUR NAME WASN'T CALLED, IT'S BECAUSE YOU DID NOT SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY BY 5:00 PM ON TUESDAY.
IF YOUR NAME ISN'T CALLED AND YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT THE NEXT MEETING.
FEEL FREE TO COME FIND ME AFTERWARDS.
I'M SORRY TO CORRECT THE RECORD.
IT'S 10:00 AM SO IT'S 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THIS MEETING.
IT'S LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES AND BECAUSE OF OUR TIGHT SCHEDULE, YOU WILL BE CUT OFF AT THREE MINUTES 'CAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS TODAY.
IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND THE TOPIC YOU ARE ADDRESSING, UNDERSTAND THAT AFTER YOU SPEAK, THERE'S NO DIALOGUE.
YOU ARE DIRECTING YOUR COMMENTS DIRECTLY TO US AS COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN DECORUM, THERE ARE NO DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING BACK THERE AND IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO HEAR EACH OTHER.
SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU TAKE YOUR, UM, DISCUSSIONS OUTSIDE.
I'D LIKE TO READ A VERY, VERY BRIEF STATEMENT BEFORE THEY START.
THIS IS FROM MOLLY IVANS, WHO IS A VERY WISE WOMAN.
LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO FIX WHAT'S WRONG, NOT THE ONES WHO JUST WORK PEOPLE INTO A SNIT OVER THE PROBLEMS. LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO FIX THINGS, NOT THE ONES WHO JUST BLAME OTHERS.
IF SHE SHOWS UP BEFORE WE END, SHE CAN SPEAK NEXT SPEAKER.
GIMME ONE MOMENT TO PULL UP YOUR TIME, MR. BOLES.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR TIME NOW.
THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR HIM ONLINE NOW? CAN YOU TESTING 1, 2, 3.
CAN YOU TRY ONE MORE TIME FOR ME? TESTING 1, 2, 3.
I'LL TRY TO STOP, TALK SOFTER 'CAUSE I'M NOT VOICE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR TIME NOW.
SO THE FAILURE OF DALLAS SELMA SERVICE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA POINT OUT SOME SITUATIONS AND THEN I GOT SOME ANSWERS.
UH, I'M GONNA GET, I GUESS FOR THREE MINUTES, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUMP TO THESE ANSWERS.
WE USED TO HAVE GRANTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
FREE SPAY AND NEUTER FOR CERTAIN ZIP CODES FREE.
IT WORKED, IT CLEARED UP A LOT OF OUR ISSUES.
SLOWED DOWN THE INTAKE OF DOGS.
WHY AREN'T THEY THERE? WHERE DO THEY GO? WHY AREN'T THESE PEOPLE GIVING US THE CITY OF DALLAS, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES FUNDS ANYMORE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO REACH OUT TO THESE PEOPLE TO MAKE CHANGES AND GET THESE GRANTS THAT WE USED TO HAVE? WHERE ARE THEY? ALL, ALL SOUTHERN SECTOR.
AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS THE, UH, ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICERS, ACOS, I'M, I'M CONFUSED AS HELL.
I WENT FROM GETTING, BEING TOLD THERE WAS THREE OFFICERS ON DUTY AT ONE TIME TO NOW WE'RE ALMOST TO THE LAST MEETING.
WE WERE UP TO TWO BEFORE WE WERE FILLED.
NOW I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM A DOC, A PERSON THAT CONTACTED ME ABOUT A DOG.
[00:05:01]
ME WHEN D P D DOESN'T DO ANYTHING AND DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.IT'LL BE ON THIS, UH, RECORDING.
MOST OF Y'ALL CAN FIND ME JUST BY GOOGLING JEREMY BOSS DALLAS DOGS.
D S ACOS ARE, ARE FINALLY WRITING CITATIONS.
AGAIN, FOR SOME REASON DURING COVID, WE DIDN'T WRITE CITATIONS.
ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY'S PREACHING ABOUT, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF WHERE THESE DOGS ARE COMING FROM? STOP IT.
SOME OF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HERE AND YOU'VE SEEN ME SPEAK FOR EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS.
I KNOW WHAT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT.
18 POINT 18,000,001 POINT OR 5 MILLION MORE.
SO WHERE'S THE MARKETING AT? OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OUR NETWORKING.
LIKE HELL, I NETWORK AND I GET DOGS ADOPTED WITHIN 20 MINUTES.
SOMETIMES THERE'S MORE, THERE'S MORE MARKETING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA THAN THERE IS A $18 MILLION DOLLAR GROUP.
I MEAN, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLED.
I'M SORRY, I'M NOT A GREAT SPEAKER, BUT BY GOD, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, A LOT OF 'EM LEFT.
AND GUESS WHAT, I'VE WORKED WITH 'EM FOR YEARS OFF OF DOWDY FERRY ROAD AND THE CITY AND ALL THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WHY DID THEY LEAVE BAD REPORT IN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
I, NO, I'M GONNA SAY ONE MORE THING.
I I GOT SORRY, MR. BOSS, THAT'S YOUR TIME.
I'M GONNA SEND Y'ALL AN EMAIL.
SHE HERE? NO, UH, BRENT JACKSON? NO.
UH, EILEEN WITZ DON'T START MY TIME YET 'CAUSE I CAN'T TALK.
UM, SO EVERY DAY OKAY, I'M OUT.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU READY NOW? NO, I'M NEVER READY.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS GONNA SPEAK TODAY.
I DON'T NEED, OKAY, WE NEED TO START IT.
ANYWAY, UM, I WORK WITH, OKAY, MA'AM, I NEED YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I DO HAVE TO START YOUR TIMEM.
SO YOUR TIME'S GONNA START NOW.
I'M WITH, I'M WITH DALLAS CAT LADY AND I'VE DONE THIS FOR 17 YEARS.
AND, UM, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT REACH OUT TO ME AND ALL OF US, THE VOLUNTEERS, AND WE USE OUR OWN MONEY AND WE GET, UM, UH, SUPPORT WITH, UH, CHEWY AND OTHER ANIMAL, YOU KNOW, PLACES THAT DONATE TO US THAT WE NEED HELP WITH FOOD TO HELP THE CITIZENS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE STUFF.
BUT, UM, I'M GONNA GO ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT, UM, WE DO NEED, UM, THESE FREE SPAY NEUTER.
AND WE DON'T JUST NEED THE BAD NEIGHBORHOOD ZIP CODES.
OKAY? EVEN IN THE GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ZIP CODES, IT'S A PROBLEM.
UM, THERE'S HOARDERS EVERYWHERE AND WE CAN'T HELP AT ALL.
I CAN ONLY TAKE IN SO MANY, AND I'M ALLERGIC TO CATS AND I STILL DO IT.
AND I'M OUT TRAPPING EVERY NIGHT UNDER BUILDINGS, ON TOP OF BUILDINGS WITH MY DAUGHTER TRYING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT WILLING TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE LAZY.
AND SO I FEEL GUILTY AND IT'S ABOUT THE CATS.
SO I GO OUT AND I HELP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DIE ON US AND A LOT OF THEM WILL LIVE, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO FIND HOMES FOR THEM.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST VERY, VERY OVERWHELMING.
YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO EVERYTHING ON OUR, ON OURSELVES, AND WE DEPEND ON EACH OTHER.
AND I DEPEND ON ALL THE OTHER GROUPS TO HELP EACH OTHER.
AND WE TRY TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
WE NEED SPAY, NEUTER, PLACES TO GO.
I WENT TO A PLACE JUST THE OTHER DAY AND HE HAD THREE DOGS THAT HE WAS BREEDING IN HIS BACKYARD.
AND I SAID, CAN I PLEASE GET THEM FIXED? AND HE SAID, NO, WE SELL THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT SITUATION.
WHAT DO I DO? UM, I WANT TO REPORT HIM, BUT WILL THEY DO ANYTHING? I HAVE NO IDEA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CITY DOES OR DOESN'T DO.
I JUST KNOW THAT I'M OUT ON THE STREETS EVERY DAY RESCUING CATS THAT ARE ON, UM, I 30 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEDIAN.
I CALLED ANIMAL CONTROL ONE TIME AND THEY SHOWED UP AND THEY WATCHED ME RESCUE THE F*****G CAT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY NEEDED THE HELP.
AND I WAS LIKE, DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING? I HAD ALL THIS STUFF IN MY CAR THAT I BOUGHT WITH MY OWN MONEY.
WE JUST NEED HELP ON THE STREETS AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO MICROCHIP
[00:10:01]
AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO, UM, SPAY AND NEUTER.AND WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IN THE CITY.
WE, WE WORK WITH TCAP AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
THERE'S 12 AND THEY TURN AWAY EVERY DAY.
AND THEN WHAT DO THOSE PEOPLE DO WITH THE CATS AND THE TRAPS? THEY PROBABLY RELEASE THEM OR THEY'RE HOLDING 'EM OVER THE WEEKEND, WHICH YOU CAN'T DO.
IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT A GOOD SITUATION.
I GET TAGGED A TON EVERY DAY ON FACEBOOK AND REACHED OUT.
I CAN'T DO, I CAN ONLY DO WHAT I CAN DO.
AND IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY OVERWHELMING.
AND, UM, UH, WE NEED MORE, UM, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AND THAT ARE WILLING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, YOU KNOW, AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD DO.
JOSE MALDONADO IS JOSE MALDONADO HERE.
AND SHE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU START.
I'M HERE FOR THE SAME REASON AS HER.
UM, I'M HERE TO ASK MORE PARTICIPATION FROM DASS IN T N R EFFORTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S DONE BY VOLUNTEERS ALONE.
UM, WE TRAP THE CAT, UM, SOMETIMES HAVE TO HOLD IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL WE'RE ABLE, WE GET INTO, INTO A CLINIC.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET AT FOUR IN THE MORNING, FIVE IN THE MORNING TO STAND IN LINE UNTIL THE CLINIC OPENS AT SEVEN OR EIGHT.
OTHER PEOPLE THAT COME BEHIND, THEY GET, UM, THEY GET TURNED AWAY.
THEY EITHER HAVE TO RELEASE THE CAT OR THEY SOMETIMES HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP A FERAL CAT ON THEIR HOMES FOR SEVERAL DAYS, WHICH IS SOMETHING VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
UM, SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR THAT TO PARTICIPATE MORE HERE BY, UM, USING THEIR FACILITIES TO TEMPORARY HOUSE THESE CATS.
SO VOLUNTEERS SIMPLY DRIVE THEM TO DUST.
UM, THEY HAVE, UH, VETS ON STAFF, WHICH WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE SURGERIES.
UM, UH, NEUTERING SURGERIES, ESPECIALLY ON MALE CATS ARE, ARE EXTREMELY EASY.
UH, AND FOR FEMALES, A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED, BUT STILL NOT, NOT DIFFICULT.
UH, I'VE SEEN, UM, THE VETERINARIANS DO AT HOMES IN, IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
UM, SO THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, TO PARTICIPATE MORE HERE.
AND THEN THE VOLUNTEERS GO TO THAT, PICK UP THE CUT, RELEASE IT.
UM, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO, UM, INCREASE A LOT.
UH, THE NUMBER OF TNR EVERY T N R CUT IS, UM, SEVERAL LETTERS OF KITTENS LESS IN THE STREET.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, THE, THE, THE STREETS ARE FLOODED WITH, WITH STRAY CATS.
UM, AND NOW DUE TO BUDGET CUTS, UH, T NRSS HAVE COME DOWN.
SO A LOT OF FERALS IN THE STREET, UM, WITH THE HEAT ADDED, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DYING.
UM, VOLUNTEERS ARE TAKING THEM IN, BUT THEY'RE BASICALLY ALMOST HOARDING THE CUTS IN THEIR HOUSES.
I KNOW A PERSON THAT NOW HAS 30 CUTS IN HER HOUSE AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S INSANE.
BUT THEY DO IT BECAUSE CAT THAT THEY TURN AWAY IS A CAT THAT WILL END UP IN THE STREET, PROBABLY DYING FROM HEATSTROKE, RUN BY A CAR, EATEN BAR COYOTE, THUS HAS THE FACILITIES, HAS THE BUDGET, HAS THE VETERINARIANS AND STAFF THAT WOULD ALLOW, UM, TO CONTROL THE POPULATION OF, OF FERALS, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO I'M, I'M ASKING FOR, FOR THIS.
LET ME, UH, GO AHEAD AND OFFICIALLY START YOUR TIME.
OH, PUSH YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW.
UH, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS.
I'M 77 YEARS OLD, AND VERY HONESTLY, EXCEPT FOR A BIG SHINY BUILDING, I SEE NO IMPROVEMENT IN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES FROM WHEN I WAS A CHILD.
THERE WAS A TIME ONCE A MONTH, DON'T SHAKE YOUR HEAD AT ME.
I'M OUT THERE EVERY DAY TRAPPING AND NEUTERING IN NORTH DALLAS, BY THE WAY.
AND I HAVE DONE SO FOR 20 YEARS, MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, ONCE A MONTH WOULD DO A MASS SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT STOPPED BECAUSE YOU QUIT PARTNERING WITH PEOPLE THAT WERE PROVIDING THE MONEY FOR IT.
THERE WAS, UM, S P C A, WE USED TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE S P C A AND THEN COVID, THEY SHUT DOWN AND NOW THEY MAKE ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES THAT THEY CAN'T FIX.
SO WE HAVE TO DRIVE TO, TO ALLEN FIRST, DENTON AND GARLAND TO GET CATCH FIXED.
AND WHAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT, FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR, TCAP ONLY FIXES 12 FREE A A DAY.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THOSE FIRST 12, YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK.
[00:15:03]
WE NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND.WE NEED ENFORCEMENT OF THE SPAY NEUTER ORDINANCE, AND WE NEED OFFICERS OUT THERE WRITING CITATIONS.
AND THREE, FOR A CITY THIS SIZE IS RIDICULOUS.
WE DON'T NEED A BIG NEW SHINY BUILDING.
WE NEED SPAY NEUTER OF CATS AND DOGS THROUGHOUT DALLAS.
ONE AREA OF OF ISSUE A LOT OF TIMES, PARTICULARLY WITH CATS OR APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT APARTMENT MANAGERS BE REQUIRED.
WHEN A PERSON COMES TO PLACE THEIR PET DEPOSIT, THEY HAVE TO MAKE A PET DEPOSIT.
IF THEY HAVE AN ANIMAL IN THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, THEY BE REQUIRED TO SHOW THAT IT IS SPAYED OR NEUTER.
AS EILEEN SAID, WE SPEND OUR OWN MONEY, OUR OWN TIME WITH TRAPS, SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE CITY OF DALLAS NEEDS TO START PARTNERING WITH THESE RESCUE GROUPS, NOT JUST DOING THEIR OWN THING.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S, THERE'S NO COORDINATION, THERE'S NO REACH OUT, THERE'S NO PARTNERSHIP.
IN ADDITION, THE CITY OF DALLAS NEEDS TO START GETTING CREATED.
I'M EMBARRASSED THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BETTER ANIMAL PROGRAM.
ALRIGHT, YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW.
FIRST OFF, I WANNA SAY THAT I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MONEY FOR A NEW FACILITY WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN RUN THE FACILITY YOU HAVE.
AND INSTEAD OF PRACTICING INDISCRIMINATE KILLING, WHICH D A S IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A KILLED FACILITY, AND THEY SHOULD UTILIZE THAT $18 MILLION TO SAVE LIVES AND CAPTURE THE OTHER KENNELS THAT SEEMED TO HAVE DISAPPEARED THAT WERE ORIGINALLY IN THE BUILDING.
ALSO, WE DON'T NEED TO PAY A DIRECTOR A LOT OF MONEY FOR POOR PERFORMANCE.
THE, UM, HILL RATE HAS INCREASED SINCE MELISSA HAS BEEN AT THE HELM AND DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE GOING DOWNHILL.
AND I WAS TOLD LAST MEETING THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO KILL PUPPIES, BUT YET THEY'VE BEEN KILLING PUPPIES AS YOUNG AS SIX MONTHS OLD.
SPAIN OR KILLING FOR SPACE IS NOT A SHELTER.
NUMBER TWO IS THE DALLAS ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
NOW SEEMS WHEN YOU GOOGLE IT TO GO TO D A S'S WEBSITE, THAT'S A CLEAR CONFLICT.
D A SS THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN OVERSIGHT AND REPORT TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR, NOT TO RUBBER STAMP WHATEVER CONCOCTIONS, UH, D A S IS COMING UP WITH THAT ARE NOT LOWERING THE KILL RATE AND INCREASING THE FOSTER ROAD.
AND LASTLY IS A COMMISSIONER CASSANDRA, I THINK THAT'S HOW YOU SELL HER NAME ON HER WEBSITE, ADVERTISES LEVEL THREE PROTECTION DOG BITE WORK.
EVERY VETERINARIAN I'VE TALKED TO SAID THAT IS A DANGER, IT'S A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY, IT'S A LIABILITY AND IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH CERTAIN ANIMALS BY CERTAIN PEOPLE.
I'M SHOCKED THAT A COMMISSIONER IS ADVERTISING THAT THEY'RE TEACHING ANIMALS TO BE AGGRESSIVE, WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS ON D S'S WEBSITE AND ALSO ON THEIR NEW FACILITY.
THEY'RE TRYING TO INCREASE PT SAFETY.
BUT YET A COMMISSIONER IS TEACHING PE DOGS TO BITE.
ALSO, THE DOG BREEDING CERTIFICATE SEEMS TO BE THAT HER HUSBAND'S ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAS A DOG BREEDING ATE.
ALSO, I READ THAT THEY WANNA LOWER THE FEE FOR A CERTIFICATE.
WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT? YOU PUT PET LAND OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT YET YOU'RE ALLOWING ONE PERSON TO BREED DOGS, TO TEACH BITE DOGS AND TO BE ON THE COMMISSION THAT IS TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND RIDICULOUS AND A DANGER AND SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY.
AND Y'ALL HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE NOTICE, ESPECIALLY FROM ME ABOUT THIS BITE WORK AND YOU'RE JUST DISREGARDING IT.
SO, OTHER THAN THAT, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE.
OH, ON THE COMMISSION FOR THIS NEW BUILDING, IT'S, THANK YOU.
[00:20:03]
ELLEN.OKAY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR TIME NOW, IF YOU'RE READY.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME'S KAREN BROPHY STEVENSON.
I'M AN INDEPENDENT ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATE.
I WAS BORN IN DALLAS AND I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN DISTRICT 11, I MEAN AT A TRAILER PARK IN DISTRICT ONE.
SO SEE DAILY, THE CHALLENGE IS THE DOGS AND CATS OF OAK CLIFFORD EXPERIENCING.
MY HUSBAND AND I ARE ALSO LARGE DOG FOSTERS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, FORT WORTH ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL, AND OTHER RURAL SHELTERS IN TEXAS.
I ATTENDED MY FIRST ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST QUARTER.
I WAS SURPRISED AT THE END OF THE MEETING THAT ONLY THREE OR FOUR OF THE 13 COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THE MEETING ON BEHALF OF THE DOGS IN CATS OF DALLAS COUNTY.
I ASK THAT THE END OF TODAY'S MEETING, NONE OF YOU PASS ON YOUR TIME.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OF YOUR OWN, THEN I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU WHAT YOU'LL BE, GO, GO BACK AND CAN COMMUNICATE TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE ARE THE THREE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING DOGS AND CATS IN DALLAS.
IF YOU'RE IN DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH EIGHT, PLEASE LOOK AT MY HANDOUT.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON HOW MORE ANIMALS IN YOUR DISTRICT CAN COMPLY WITH CITY CODE TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
HOW YOU CAN ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS IN YOUR DISTRICTS TO STOP ALLOWING THEIR PETS TO ROAM.
IF YOU'RE IN DISTRICTS NINE THROUGH 14, I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW YOU CAN HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICTS THAT THE BREEDING AND CELL OF ANIMALS IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CITY CODE.
HOW CAN YOU ENCOURAGE MORE ADOPTIONS FROM DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND LESS DOGS BEING PURCHASED FROM BACKYARD BREEDERS? ONE PROPOSAL FROM DA LEADERSHIP FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 IS A REDUCTION OF THE COST OF A BREEDING PERMIT.
LOWERING THE BARRIERS TO BREEDING IN DALLAS IS TAKING YET ANOTHER STEP BACKWARDS.
INSTEAD, I ASK THIS GROUP TO CONSIDER A MORATORIUM ON BREEDING IN DALLAS COUNTY FOR AS MANY YEARS AS IT TAKES FOR US TO GET BACK TO A 90% LIVE RELEASE RATE AT DAS.
IN LAST QUARTER'S MEETING, THE ONLY TIME SPAY NEUTER WAS MENTIONED WAS WHEN COUNCIL DISTRICT 14, MS. SANDERS, THANK YOU, ASKED ABOUT A HEAT MAP OF WHERE ALL THE DOGS AND CATS ARE COMING FROM.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU EVER GOT THAT HEAT MAP FROM DAS, SO THAT'S WHY I GAVE OUT WHAT I DID.
IT'S A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF STRAYS COMING INTO DASS FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2022 THROUGH AUGUST 9TH, 2023 FROM THE DATA AVAILABLE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS OPEN DATA PORTAL.
AS YOU CAN SEE, DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH EIGHT, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
CHAIRWOMAN BOSKY DISTRICT FOUR IS THE WORST OFFENDER AS IT RELATES TO ANIMAL CODE COMPLIANCE.
YET THERE'S NOT BEEN A MEMBER FROM THE DISTRICT ON THIS COMMISSION IN YEARS.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HELP GET THAT SEAT.
THE PRELIMINARY FISCAL YEAR, 2024 DASH BUDGETS BEING CIRCULATED.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE THERE'S $250,000 IN PUBLIC FUNDING INCLUDED ANNUALLY SO THAT THE FREE SPAY AND NEUTER AVAILABILITY IS AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, THAT BEING SAID, IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
ALLOWING PRIVATE SPAY NEUTER FUNDING TO END IN 2020 WAS INTO 2021.
BUT NO PLAN IN PLACE WAS A HUGE MISS.
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, THAT WAS A HUGE MISS.
EVERY BOOTS ON THE GROUND PERSON FROM CAT TRAPPERS TO THE IN SHELTER VOLUNTEERS WILL TELL YOU IT'S LIKELY YOU'VE GONE BACK 10 YEARS.
THEY'RE NOT THE PEOPLE A LOT YOUNGER THAN ME WILL TELL YOU IT'S THE WORST IT'S EVER BEEN.
INTAKE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 FOR DOGS AND CATS, I THINK HAS INCREASED 20%.
IT'S NOT THE LAST TIME YOU'LL HEAR FROM THANK YOU.
SHE WAS, BUT I'M NOT SEEING HER NOW.
I'M NOT SEEING HER NOW, BUT, UM, THANK YOU.
UM, DELIA AGUILAR, WHO WAS SLATED TO SPEAK IN PERSON, I AM SEEING HER ONLINE, SO CAN YOU BRING HER UP PLEASE? YEAH.
MS. AGUILAR, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA, WE CAN HAVE YOU SPEAK VIRTUALLY.
MS. AGUILAR, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU, BUT IN ORDER TO SPEAK WE ALSO HAVE TO SEE YOU.
ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA? I'M NOT SURE HOW TO DO THAT.
SO IN ORDER TO MEET THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WE HAVE TO SEE YOUR VIDEO.
ARE YOU ABLE TO PUT ON YOUR VIDEO?
[00:25:06]
LET'S SEE.UM, OKAY, SO IF WE CAN'T HAVE THAT, I DID SEE TAMMY.
TAMMY, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN ON YOUR VIDEO? I'LL BE, IT'S STILL NOT WORKING.
ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO TURN ON YOUR VIDEO? YEAH, I'M TRYING AND THERE'S A BLOCKER ON THE COMPUTER THAT, SORRY, I'M AT MY PARENTS' HOUSE, SO THAT'S OKAY.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON FROM THIS PORTION.
AND JILLIAN EXPLAINED THAT, SO I'M SO SORRY.
JILLIAN, I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, UM, HAL LANDON CHIC, UH, JACKSON AND BANKSTON, THEY'RE NOT ONLINE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
IF THEY'RE NOT ONLINE, THEN WE'LL START THE MEETING.
LET'S NOT LOOK QUITE GOOD WITH THE DIRECTOR'S PRESENTATION.
UM, THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION.
I, UH, APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN STAY AND LISTEN TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND THE REST OF OUR MEETING.
MELISSA, IF YOU WANNA PROCEED.
GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BOTH, UM, COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC.
UH, MY UPDATE IS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
ANIMAL SERVICES ARE STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING.
UM, BEFORE WE START WITH, UH, MS. WEBER'S REPORT, UM, WE HAVE THE MEETING MINUTES IN FRONT OF US.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SAXON FOR, UM, EXPLAINING THAT.
UH, HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE MINUTES? THANK YOU.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE MINUTES? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I MAKE A MOTION.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
A AYE, I KNOW THAT WE'RE MISSING.
AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE RECORD, UM, COMMISSIONERS MOSS, UM, HANSSEN AND, UH, SED, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, MELISSA, THAT'S INCORRECT.
I'M MELISSA WEBER, DIRECTOR FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
UM, TODAY WE WILL BE COVERING NEXT SLIDE.
WE'LL BE COVERING QUARTER THREE DATA THAT COVERS FROM APRIL, 2023 TO JUNE, 2023.
WE'LL BE GOING OVER, UM, OUR VALUES OF SERVICE, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS, VALUES OF SERVICE, OUR EMPATHY, ETHICS, EXCELLENCE, ENGAGEMENT, AND EQUITY.
AND WE AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ARE EMBRACING THOSE AND, UM, COMMITTED TO THEM ALONG WITH OUR D A S PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SAFETY, COMPASSION AND NO SHORTCUTS.
SO ON THE SLIDE FIVE, UM, OUR DASHBOARD OF PERFORMANCE, OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE BY SPECIES, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR DOG, UH, LIVE RELEASE RATE IS THE SAME AS THE LAST TIME OUR CAT LIVE RELEASE RATE HAS DROPPED.
THAT IS DUE TO NEONATE KITTEN, UM, DROPPING.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR LIVE INTAKE ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE IS, IS GROWING.
UM, THE, ON THE OTHERS YOU'LL SEE THE 11% LIVE RELEASE RATE, AND THAT IS DUE TO A COCKFIGHTING ROOSTER GROUP THAT WE HAD THAT WAS JUST UNDER 3000 BIRDS.
AND WHILE WE DID TRY EVERY AVENUE TO FIND LIVE PLACEMENT FOR THOSE BIRDS, KNOWING THAT WE'LL FIND, HAVE MORE COCKFIGHTING BUSTS IN THE FUTURE, AND WANTING TO HAVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR THEM EVEN REACHING OUT TO ALL OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO.
NEXT SLIDE IS TOTAL INTAKE BY SPECIES, AND YOU CAN SEE DOGS, CATS, UM, WE ARE SEEING THE CLIMB AND THEN YOU, YOU SEE THOSE, THE ROOSTERS REPRESENTED AND THE OTHERS ALSO.
NEXT SLIDE IS OUTCOME COMPARISON BY SPECIES.
SO WE'RE COMPARING, SHOWING OUR LIVE OUTCOMES VERSUS THE NON-LIVE OUTCOMES.
[00:30:01]
22 IS WHEN WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH DISTEMPER.AND THEN, UM, THIS YEAR WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH CANINE INFLUENZA VIRUS.
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS LATER, THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A POSITIVE CASE OF CANINE INFLUENZA SINCE MAY 1ST, AND THAT WE'VE MOVED ON FROM THAT AND THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, MEASURES IN PLACE TO HOPEFULLY CATCH, UM, ILLNESS BEFORE WE HAVE AN OUTBREAK IN THE FUTURE.
UM, HERE ON THE NEONATAL KITTENS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE LIVE OUTCOMES FOR THEM DOES CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND THIS IS A CITY GOAL TO DECREASE NON-LIVE DOG AND CAT OUTCOMES.
AND WHILE WE HAVE THIS 44% HERE, THAT HAS ACTUALLY DROPPED 26%.
SO IN OUR LAST MEETING WE WERE, WE HAD A 70% INCREASE, AND NOW WE'RE AT A 44 IN INCREASE, WHICH I KNOW IS CONFUSING.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A DECREASE IN FIVE.
SO IN THE LAST QUARTER WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 70.
NOW WE'RE DOWN TO AN INCREASE OF 44 WORK.
SO WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT THAT AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPACT LIFESAVING, BECAUSE AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, WE DO CARE ABOUT EVERY LIFE THAT COMES TO US.
WE DO REALLY CARE ABOUT IMPACTING LIFESAVING AND MAXIMIZING LIFESAVING.
NOBODY AT D A S WANTS TO HAVE TO EUTHANIZE A PET FOR SPACE OR ANY OTHER REASON.
LIKE IT'S, IT'S VERY, UM, IT'S CHALLENGING FOR THE TEAM.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE UNHAPPY WITH IT, IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND IT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE GOAL OF TRYING TO GET 90% AGAIN.
AND SO AS WE BRING ON STAFF AND, AND THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIFESAVING IS A PRIORITY.
LIFESAVING AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE WHY WE ARE HERE.
AGAIN, NOBODY AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS WORKING BECAUSE THEY WANT THE CITY OF DALLAS TO BE UNSAFE OR BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO FIND POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR THESE PETS.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, I I DID MENTION THE SPOT CHECK FOR ILLNESS TO AVOID BREAKOUTS.
UM, WE HAD THOSE TWO BACK TO BACK SERIOUS, UM, ILLNESSES.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE ARE TESTING, WE JUST MOVED TO PHASE TWO OF OUR TESTING.
WE WERE TESTING EVERYBODY WHO BROKE WITH ILLNESS SO THAT WE COULD KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE BUILDING.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE SPOT TESTING ARE CONTAGIOUS ROOMS SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BUILDING.
AND ANIMALS ON INTAKE THAT COME IN ILL, SO IF THEY'RE WALKING AND WE HOPEFULLY CAN CATCH IT.
THAT SAID, A DOG CAN WALK IN WITH AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CATS CAN WALK IN WITH PAN LOOP.
DOGS CAN WALK IN WITH DISTEMPER OR PARVO AND OR INFLUENZA AND NOT BE SHEDDING THE VIRUS WHEN THEY WALK IN.
SO THEN WE DON'T KNOW TO TEST THEM OR NOT, NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS, BUT IF THEY COME IN SYMPTOMATIC, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THEM.
UM, WE ARE WORKING, OUR TEAM IS WORKING WITH DALLAS, UM, PETS ALIVE AND SPAY NEAR THEIR NETWORK ON RE REFINING THE PAST PROGRAM TO HELP KEEP PETS AND PEOPLE TOGETHER.
UM, WE ARE CALLING FINDERS, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE AHEAD WITH ANY EUTHANASIA DECISIONS.
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CALLING OWNERS IF THEY, THEY ALLOWED US TO, BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH FINDERS ALSO TO TRY AND FIND THOSE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR THE, UM, WE HAVE LIFESAVING PROGRAM GOALS AND ENHANCED R T O PRACTICES TO TRY AND GET THAT NUMBER BACK UP BECAUSE WE DO REALIZE THAT A DROP IN RTOS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPACTING LIFESAVING.
THIS IS OUR, UM, OUTCOME BY SPECIES FOR DOGS, OUTCOME OF DOGS, AND, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GOING ON THE TOP GRAPH.
AND THE BOTTOM GRAPH IS THE NON-LIVE OUTCOMES AND IT SHOWS, UM, WHAT THEIR EUTHANASIA REASONS WERE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR BIGGEST ON THE DOGS IS THE SPACE AND, AND IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
OUTCOME BY OUTCOME FOR CATS, YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THAT GROWTH IN LIVE OUTCOMES FOR THE CATS AND THE ACTUAL DECREASE IN NON-LIVE OUTCOMES FOR CATS.
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE ON OUR CATS IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, UM, WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF HEALTHY STRAY CATS.
THE CATS THAT WE GET ARE SICK OR INJURED AND OFTEN, UM, ARE EUTHANIZED FOR IRREMEDIABLE SUFFERING OR NEONATAL
[00:35:01]
KITTENS THAT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT AREN'T ARE BAITING.UH, ANOTHER CITY MOUNT MEASURE INCREASED DOGS AND CATS.
THAT'S ON TOP OF LAST YEAR'S GROWTH THAT WAS IN THE 50TH PERCENTILE.
AND THAT IS CURRENTLY WE HAVE 851 DOGS IN FOSTER, AND THAT IS THE CAPACITY OF TWO SHELTERS.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING TO, TO BE AFTER LIFE SAVING.
YOU KNOW, SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
THE FACT THAT WE, THOSE ARE TWO SHELTERS WORTH OF DOGS THAT ARE HAVING POSITIVE OUTCOMES BECAUSE OF OUR FOSTER PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS GREAT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FINDING THOSE OUTCOMES FOR THEM.
I KNOW IT INCREASES LIFE LIFESAVING, UM, PERFORMANCE MEASURE, ACHIEVE DOG, 40% RETURN TO HOME RATE.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE GOING AFTER THIS NUMBER.
AND I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KEEP TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS 40%, WE'RE AT 18%.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE'VE BEEN DOING LOST AND FOUND FLYERS IN THE FIELD WHEN WE IMPOUND A DOG.
WE'RE NOW DOING THE LOST AND FOUND FLYERS ALSO IN THE SHELTER.
SO IF SOMEBODY BRINGS US A DOG, WE'RE GIVING THEM A FLYER TO TAKE AND POST BACK.
WE HAVE CAMERAS FOR PICTURES ON THE FIELD FLYERS NOW WE'RE DOING ESCORTED LOST AND FOUND WALKTHROUGHS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING ALL OF THE AREAS WITHIN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS, UM, WE DO HAVE A NEW MICROCHIP, UM, VENDOR AGREEMENT.
AND AS PART OF THAT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT TRAINING FOR THE FIREHOUSES AND SCANNERS FOR THE FIREHOUSES TO BE ABLE TO SCAN LOST PETS AND CONTINUING MICROCHIP CLINICS BECAUSE MICROCHIPPING IN PET IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE LOOSEN THE ZONE DOG BITES.
THE GOAL WAS TO KEEP IT AT ZERO INCREASE.
WE ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO DECREASE BY 7%.
THOSE LOOSE AND LOOSE DOG BITES.
OUR INCREASED STAFFING HAS ALLOWED OUR AGGRESSIVE OPS TEAM TO STAY FOCUSED AND TEND TO THOSE ESCALATED DOG CALLS AND REFERRALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STILL AREN'T FULLY STAFFED, BUT WE ARE MAKING STRIDES FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR WITH OUR A S O STAFFING.
OUR NEXT SLIDE IS THE FIELD ACTIVITIES, AND THAT SHOWS YOU OUR SERVICE REQUEST.
TIMELY RESPONSE RATE IS AT 57%.
SO WE REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO GET AFTER THAT ARE LOOSE AND LOOSE ON SERVICE REQUESTS, 13,000.
AND TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAVING THOSE SERVICE REQUESTS, BUT WE'RE STILL ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS ON THE AGGRESSIVE OPS TEAM THAT I TALKED ABOUT ON THE LAST SLIDE SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE, THOSE LOOSE AND LOOSE ON DOG BITES DOWN.
AND THEN OUR SERVICE REQUEST TYPES, YOU'LL SEE THE EXTERNAL PROACTIVE AND FOLLOW UPS.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR A S O STAFFING ASSIGNMENTS VERSUS VACANCIES.
AND IT JUST GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE OFFICERS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICERS WE HAVE WHAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ IT ALL TO YOU, BUT, BUT YOU HAVE THAT SO THAT YOU CAN, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS.
NEXT SLIDE IS OUR MEDICAL TREATMENT, OUR SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES.
AND, AND 100% I WANT TO AGREE WITH MANY OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAY AND NEUTER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR BUDGET WE DID, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, WE HAD A LOT OF ASKS FOR OUR BUDGET.
WELL, I'LL GET TO THE BUDGET LATER.
AND WE REALIZED THAT THAT QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR SPAY AND NEUTER WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE OFFERING THAT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THE CITY OF DALLAS AND D A S TRADITIONALLY HASN'T FUNDED.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE GRANTS THAT WERE THERE AND, AND THAT WAS THE SURGE FUNDING, THE LET'S FIX THIS.
AND, AND IT WAS GOING AFTER DOG SURGERIES PRIMARILY.
AND, AND THAT COMPLETED 108,000 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES, WHICH IS AWESOME.
40,000 OF THOSE WERE DONE AT D A S.
AND D A S DOES CONTINUE TO DO SURGERIES FOR THE, FOR ALL THE PETS IN THEIR CARE.
UM, WE SPECIALTY SURGERIES, YOU'LL SEE OUR SPECIALTY SURGERIES ARE DOWN.
WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A NATIONWIDE VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE.
NOT JUST D A S I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE D F W METROPLEX THAT ARE AFFECTED
[00:40:01]
AND NATIONALLY, IT, IT TRULY IS A, A CRISIS.UM, AND SO D A S CURRENTLY HAS TWO, TWO FULL-TIME VETS AND THEN A, UM, A TEMPORARY CITY TEMPORARY VETERINARIAN THAT SAYS TELEHEALTH AND COMES IN ON FRIDAYS.
BUT WE USED TO HAVE A STAFF OF SIX VETERINARIANS.
AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THOSE SPAN NEUTER SURGERIES.
OUR SPECIALTY SURGERIES MAY BE DROPPING A BIT, BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE, LIKE WE KNOW THAT SPAY AND UTE IS IMPORTANT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS OUR HEARTWORM TREATMENT SHOWS YOU THE HEARTWORM TREATMENTS.
UM, JUST AS A LOOK AHEAD, WE ARE GONNA BE CHANGING OUR HEARTWORM TREATMENT PROTOCOL IN THE FUTURE.
UH, BUT BEFORE THAT, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH OUR RESCUES, OUR FOSTERS AND VOLUNTEERS AND, AND STAKEHOLDERS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING AND HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.
NEXT SLIDE IS OVERCOMING ILLNESS.
AND, AND THIS IS JUST, THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT WE HAD DONE DISMANTLING THE CLEAN BREAK.
UM, BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING TWO FULL OPERATIONS OUT OF ONE BUILDING.
SO WE LITERALLY HAD, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE COULDN'T STOP INTAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT MANY SHELTERS, NOT ONLY IN THE D F W AREA, BUT IN TEXAS AND NATIONALLY WHEN THEY GET C I V IS THEY SHUT DOWN INTAKE.
AND THAT'S NOT AN OPTION FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO SHUT INTAKE.
WE WANT TO BE HERE AS A RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO BE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT THE PETS THAT NEED TO COME TO US ARE COMING TO US.
AND SO ANYWAY, SO OUR ANSWER WAS DURING THAT CLEAN BREAK OPERATING TWO, UM, TWO FACILITIES AND ONE THAT'S TWO FULL STAFFS.
AND WHAT, FOR, FOR EACH FACILITY, I, I MENTIONED ALREADY THAT WE HAD NO POSITIVE TESTS SINCE MAY 1ST.
AND THAT'S A HUGE VICTORY FOR US.
AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR TEAM.
I WAS ON A CALL THIS MORNING BEFORE THIS MEETING AND OUR MEDICAL TEAM AS WE WERE DISCUSSING MOVING INTO PHASE TWO OF, OF TESTING OUR MEDICAL TEAM HAS SINCE, UM, LAST NOVEMBER, PERFORMED 4,000 P C R TESTS, UM, TO SUBMIT FOR TESTING ON, TO BE AWARE OF ILLNESS AND, AND JUST THE, THE LABOR THAT GOES INTO THAT.
UM, NEXT SLIDE IS OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
UM, OUR VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE, ARE ABOUT THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
VOLUNTEER INDIVIDUALS ARE CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND OUR VOLUNTEER RETENTION, I KEEP SAYING AT THE END OF NEXT, NEXT MEETING WE'LL HAVE THAT NUMBER 'CAUSE IT'S AN ANNUAL NUMBER THAT WE GET.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, VOLUNTEERS ARE AMAZING.
LIKE I, I DID WANNA GIVE THIS OPPORTUNITY LIKE OUR VOLUNTEERS, THEY SHOW UP FOR ALL OF THE THINGS AND WITHOUT THEM, I DON'T, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR VOLUNTEERS.
WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR RESCUES? OUR RESCUES ARE AMAZING.
RESCUE POOLS ARE UP APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND ANIMALS FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT 58%.
UM, I MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO GO AFTER, IS THAT WE RESCUE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE TOP 10 RESCUE GROUPS FOR DOGS AND CATS BY AGE GROUP HERE.
UM, OUR, OUR TOP FOUR ARE TRADITIONALLY OPERATION KINDNESS, ROCKWALL PETS, DALLAS PETS, ALIVE AND HEARTS AND BONES.
UM, SS P C A HAS HELPED US LAST YEAR ON SOME CATS AND IS, UM, IS CONTINUING TO TAKE SOME CATS FROM US TOO.
AND THIS SHOWS YOU, UM, WHO IS GOING TO RESCUE RESCUE GROUPS, DOGS AND CATS BY AGE GROUP.
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE CITY OF DALLAS BUDGET OF FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY@DALLASCITYHALL.COM.
IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, JUST GOOGLE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY, CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR BUDGET BOOK.
AND YOU'LL SEE OUR DEPARTMENT GOALS ARE LISTED HERE.
I, I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE READ TO ME OFF SLIDES.
Y'ALL CAN READ
BUT YOU'LL SEE OUR, OUR BUDGET, WE'RE FORECASTED TO, TO END THE YEAR AT 18 MILLION 149, 360 7.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY A LITTLE BIT OVER 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS, OR RIGHT AT ABOUT 80% OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO PEOPLE.
THAT'S PERSONNEL, THAT'S STAFF.
[00:45:01]
THAT'S WHERE TO GO, UM, FOR THE STAFF TO RUN THE SHELTER.AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY, APPROXIMATELY 200 FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND ABOUT 50 TEMP BEDS.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS SHOWING OUR BUDGET FOR EQUITY, UM, INFORMATION AND OUR MAJOR BUDGET ITEMS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE, ON OUR ENHANCEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE PUT A WHOLE LIST OF ENHANCEMENTS THAT, THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS, UM, BOTH HUMAN AND AND PET.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT SPAY NEUTER IS A PRIORITY.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WERE THE PRIORITIES.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LONGER LIST THAN THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT WE, THE SPAY NEUTER IS A PRIORITY, UM, INCREASING THAT FOSTER PROGRAM, YOU'LL SEE THE WE FIELD HIRING BONUS AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR RTOS AND THEIR BODY CAMERA MAINTENANCE.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS V NEUTER BECAUSE THE, THE, THE SURGE FUNDING WAS ACTUALLY FOR PRIVATE, IT WAS PRIVATE FUNDING FOR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS.
D A S DID NOT SEE ANY OF THAT MONEY, EVEN THOUGH WE DID 40,000 OF THE 40,000 OF THE SURGERIES.
UM, WE HAVE, WE DO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN BE HELPFUL WITH SPAY NEUTER.
WE ARE USING FUNDS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE FOUND FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES THROUGH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
THAT'S AN APPROVED VENDOR THAT WE HAVE WITH AN M O U.
UM, AND SO I, AND I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH ALL OF THE PLACES.
YOU KNOW, THEY ACCEPT THIS, THEY ONLY ACCEPT THIS MANY OR THEY'RE HERE, BUT LIKE, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SURGERIES ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT WE CAN, YOU CAN HAVE THEM SUBSIDIZED BY D A S AND UM, AND WITH, FOR CATS, WITH THE SSR NUMBER, THEY CAN BE, UM, SPAYED OR NEUTERED FOR FREE.
AND DOGS WITH A FIX-IT TICKET CAN BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED FOR FREE.
UM, SO THIS, THAT FUNDING WILL HELP THAT.
AND THIS, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS FINANCIALLY, THIS IS THE MOST THAT WE'VE DONE AS D A S IN THE CITY OF DALLAS PUTTING FUNDS INTO SPAY AND NEUTER.
SO AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, HOLD ONE ADDITIONAL FREE VACCINE CLINIC IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE HELD TWO FISCAL YEAR TO DATE.
WE'RE LOOKING TO HOLD ONE MORE.
PLUS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ONGOING, UM, SPAY NEUTER ONCE A MONTH AND FREE VACCINE CLINICS TWICE A MONTH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SPAY NEUTER FREE VACCINE AND PARTNERSHIP WITH TCAP.
ONCE A MONTH, WE ARE WORKING WITH TCAP TO, UM, TO DO MORE SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES.
SO AGAIN, HAVING THOSE SERVICES PROVIDED.
AND, AND I DO WANNA GO BACK ON THE SR NUMBERS, THOSE SSR NUMBERS.
AND THIS FUNDING IS FOR ANY ZIP CODE IN DALLAS.
IT'S NOT, NOT JUST SOUTHERN DALLAS.
NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A LIST OF OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY EVENTS WE DID.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT AND I HAVE A HARD TIME.
I'M, AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA READ 'EM ALL TO YOU.
I JUST DIDN'T, I COULDN'T, LIKE, THEY'RE ALL SO IMPORTANT AND SO MEANINGFUL TO THE PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THEM.
SO I, I DIDN'T WANNA PICK AND CHOOSE OF, OF WHAT MIGHT BE MORE IMPORTANT.
THE NEXT SLIDE, CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS IN OUR MARKETING.
UM, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, WE'RE WE ARE EXCITED.
WE'VE, UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ON DEVELOPING A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION PLAN.
YOU KNOW, IF WE FIND THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE TO GET, YOU KNOW, REALLY REFINED, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL DO.
I DID WANNA MENTION IN THIS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, ON DA S'S ADOPTION FACEBOOK PAGE, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO FIND ADOPTERS FOR AN ANIMAL, WHEN WE POST SOMEBODY WHO IS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
AND THEN THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS, YOU'RE NOT HELPING SAVE THAT DOG'S LIFE.
THAT IS ACTUALLY TURNING PEOPLE AWAY FROM D A S CREATING NEGATIVITY AND IT'S IMPACTING LIFESAVING IN A NEGATIVE WAY.
SO LIKE IT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO LIKE ME, THAT YOU HAVE TO LIKE D A S, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE, PLEASE HELP US FIND ADOPTERS.
[00:50:01]
NOT PUSH THEM AWAY.YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS GOT THIS FOR US, GOT THIS N B C CONTACT FOR US AND, AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING WITH IT.
WE'RE SUPER HAPPY ABOUT CLEAR THE SHELTERS.
IT RUNS THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
THE BIG CELEBRATION IS THIS SATURDAY WITH THE BIG PUSH.
UM, N B C AND TELEMUNDO WILL BE AT THE SHELTER.
WE'LL BE OPEN EXTENDED HOURS FROM EIGHT 30 TO SIX 30.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF IS PUMPED UP.
WE'RE GONNA BE THERE AT FOUR IN THE MORNING AND WE'RE HOPING TO FIND, WE'RE HOPING TO CLEAN THE SHELTERS.
NEXT SLIDE IS ABOUT OUR, OUR TASK FORCE UPDATES.
UM, OUR BOND PROPOSAL AND, YOU KNOW, A A NEW SHELTER WOULD BE HELPFUL.
OUR SHELTER WAS NOT MADE WITH LIFESAVING PROGRAMS IN MIND.
IT WAS NOT MADE TO MITIGATE ILLNESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE SEE SO MANY ILLNESSES.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN, IN THE WAY THAT THE ILLNESS IS ADDRESSED.
THE WAY THAT, UM, STRAY ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE WANT PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIFESAVING AND, UM, AND SO, UH, A NEW BUILDING WOULD REALLY IMPACT THAT.
AGAIN, I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN AMAZING IN HELPING MOVE THIS FORWARD.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS SOME CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS OF A NEW, THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ACTUALLY ARE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE INDOOR OUTDOOR WINGS THAT I WILL CALL THEM, UM, EVEN THOUGH A WING MIGHT CARE FOR.
SO EACH DOG WOULD HAVE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR KENNEL.
THE WINGS WOULD BE ROWS OF 30, DO 30 DOGS.
BUT IF ONE DOG BROKE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SHUT OFF COMPONENTS OF THE WINGS AT EVERY FIVE KENNELS.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE LOSING A WHOLE WING OR THE WHOLE SHELTER OR THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE SHELTER, WE'RE LOSING THAT SMALL PART.
SO THAT WOULD TRULY IMPACT LIFESAVING FOR US.
THERE'S A COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY, UM, CLINIC SO THAT WE COULD DO ALL THOSE SPAN SPANIARDS IN ADDITION TO OUR SHELTER CLINIC.
UM, THERE IS SEPARATE ENTRANCES FOR THE COMMUNITY CLINIC FOR INTAKE FOR ADOPTION.
THERE'S FLEX SPACE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'VE PARTNERED NOW WITH D P D ON, ON SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, HAVING FLEX SPACE TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR THE ANIMALS THAT COME IN FROM THOSE SEIZURES.
AND THEN ALSO, THIS IS NOT A LANDLOCKED, UM, SPACE.
THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, FEEL, HOWEVER YOU WANNA FEEL ABOUT ME AND CURRENT D A S, THIS IS A SHELTER THAT WOULD TAKE US INTO 2050 AND BEYOND, SO I WON'T BE AROUND THEN.
SO
SO, UM, SO THEN, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE LAND THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IT'S PARKS LAND.
WE WOULD BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARKS SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD BE A DOG PARK.
THERE WOULD BE OUTDOOR WALKING SPACES AND TRAILS THAT WOULD CONNECT TO, TO PARK AND RECS, UM, TRAILS.
WE COULD HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WE COULD HAVE SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR KIDS FOR HUMANE EDUCATION AND WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTNER ON THOSE RECREATION SPACES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR YOUR TIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, START THE TIMING FOR OUR COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS.
AND WE USUALLY DO THREE, TWO, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE FIVE TODAY.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE WE CAN GET THROUGH EVERYBODY.
OH, ALSO, I TRULY APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T SEE THAT STEPHANIE HANSSEN WAS ON, UM, THE CALL, SO I APOLOGIZE.
COMMISSIONER HANSSEN, WE SEE YOU THERE AND WE KNOW, UH, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME.
UH, COMMISSIONER SANDERS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF? THANK YOU.
UM, CAN YOU TURN UP YOUR, HOW'S THE VOLUME GUYS? OKAY, IT'S MAX.
IF YOU COULD JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE LOUDER.
I'M, I'M, UH, OUT OF TOWN AT A WEDDING, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I'M IN A YARD AND IT'S LOUD AROUND HERE.
COMMISSIONER SANDERS, YOU'RE STILL VERY LOW.
I MAY NOT, UM, LET ME, I CAN TRY NOT, I CAN TRY TO TAKE OFF MY AIRPODS MAYBE AND JUST DO THE SPEAKERS.
[00:55:01]
IF THAT'LL HELP.YEAH, YOU WANT ME TO TRY THAT? WE CAN, WE CAN BARELY HEAR YOU.
DO YOU MIND IF, UM, WE MOVE ON TO ANOTHER COMMISSIONER AND MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE CAN SORT SOMETHING OUT WITH YOUR AUDIO'S? COME RIGHT BACK.
COMMISSIONER REPP, DO YOU WANNA CALL ME? ARE YOU AVAILABLE? OKAY, I'LL UNMUTE.
COMMISSIONER REPP, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? SAME THING.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE US A MOMENT.
'CAUSE I COULD HEAR, UM, MS. SANDERS VERY WELL FROM THE COMPUTER.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE'LL DO, UM, GUYS, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME HELP FOR YOU, UH, ON THE VIRTUAL SIDE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SACKER, DO YOU MIND IF I START WITH YOU? YEAH, NOT AT ALL.
LET ME KNOW WHEN MY TIME STARTS.
WANT ME TO DIVE, DIVE? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
UH, TODAY, UH, THIS IS A WONDERFUL, UH, MEETING.
WANNA THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS, JEREMY, EILEEN, JOSE, TRUMAN, DINA, UH, AND KAREN.
NEIGHBORS LIKE YOU THAT BRING AWARENESS TO US, UM, REPRESENTING EACH DISTRICT THAT Y'ALL ARE IN.
UH, THE BIG TAKEAWAYS THAT I HEARD WERE CITATIONS, MARKETING, SPAY AND NEUTER BREEDING REDUCTIONS.
WE HEAR YOU, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
UM, WE'RE TRYING OUR HARDEST ALL OF US HERE.
UM, I WANNA ALSO THANK THE DAS FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING THROUGH OVER 3000, UM, DEATHS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAD THE, THE WHOLE ROOSTER ISSUE.
UM, THAT'S GOTTA BE HARD ON ANYBODY.
UM, WE THANK ALL OF OUR, UH, DASS ASSOCIATES, UH, AND TEAMMATES.
AND I WANTED TO JUST REAL QUICK TAKE SOME TIME TO READ THROUGH THE PURPOSE OF THE AMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, SO WE ARE A COMMISSION AND WE ACT AS AN ADVISORY BOT TO THE CITY MANAGER, RIGHT? AND THEN TO ALSO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE ASSIST THEM IN COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LAW AND CITY ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO THE OPERATIONS OF AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR MANDATE, THAT'S OUR PURPOSE.
BUT AS VOLUNTEERS, ALL OF US, WE, WE GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT? WE, WE VOLUNTEER, UH, WITH THE SHELTER.
WE VOLUNTEER IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP THE ANIMALS IN NEED.
UM, WE TAKE FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL.
OUR DISTRICT MEMBERS COME TO ME, EMAIL ME AND TELL ME ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THEIR MINDS.
AND I TRY TO BRING THAT TO AWARENESS HERE.
TOMA ACTUALLY PREVENTS A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS OUTSIDE OF THESE MEETINGS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AS A TEAM AND REALLY GO THROUGH SOME, SOME BIG HIT ITEMS. UH, PERSONALLY, I, I MEET WITH MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, HANDING OUT FLYERS THAT WE CREATE HERE ON OUR TASK FORCES.
AND THEN ALSO JUST PERSONALLY, I I, I, CATS' OUR HUGE THING IN OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU TO, UM, KAREN, FOR THE GRAPH.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, LIKE WE HAVE A TON, BUT WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING OUR HARDEST, UM, TO BRING THESE ISSUES, UH, TO BEAR.
I WANNA ALSO, UH, CALL OUT A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS, UM, ON PAGE SIX.
MY, MY FIRST QUESTION, UM, WAS GOING TO, UH, LOOK AT THE INCREASE IN OUR, UM, SHELTER FOR, FOR DOGS AND CATS, IF I'M CORRECT.
IS, IS THIS ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT WE HAVE THAT AMOUNT THAT ARE BEING SURRENDERED TO THE SHELTER, UM, SURRENDERED OR STRAYS? GOTCHA.
SO THESE ARE, IT'S A 46 OR, OR SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY.
SO, SO I JUST DID A QUICK MATH, 46% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S GOOD TO CALL OUT THAT WHEN WE SEE INCREASES LIKE THIS, WE SEE OTHER AREAS ALSO INCREASE.
SO LIVE OUTCOMES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, UM, AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DATA.
UH, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS, UM, WITH, UH, UH, SORRY.
UH, I WANTED TO CALL OUT ONE MORE THANKS RATHER, UH, TO COMMISSIONER UHS FOR, UH, ALL OF THE MARKETING WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
I'VE BEEN SEEING IT ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE FROM OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MARKETING, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE AWARENESS.
UM, AND IF YOU, IF YOU ALL LOOK BACK IN FISCAL YEAR IN 2019, YOU KNOW, OUR ADOPTIONS WERE THROUGH THE ROOF, BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING PEOPLE IN TO ADOPT.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO FIND OTHER WAYS, WHETHER IT'S FOSTERING OR THE PROGRAMS. SO I THINK, UM,
[01:00:01]
WHAT'S A GOOD TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY IS LOOKING AT THESE DATA, UH, AND THEN UNDERSTANDING WHAT PATHS WE CAN TAKE FROM HERE.BUT ULTIMATELY, IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS FOR THE COMMISSION, I THINK WE'RE IN LINE.
UH, I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AND I YOU'LL BACK MY TIME.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE 54 SECONDS LEFT.
AND WE'RE ALSO, UM, TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF OUR TECHNICIAN TO SEE WHAT THE AUDIO IS.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE IN THE ROOM, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR ONLINE COMMISSIONERS.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, UM, I'M GETTING TEXTS THAT EVERYBODY ONLINE CAN HEAR 'EM ONLINE.
UM, I, I WOULD, ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER SAXA HERE, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW I SPEAK FOR MOST OF MY COMMISSIONERS, ALL OF MY COMMISSIONERS I'M SURE.
I ALSO TRAP CATS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M, I'M VERY LUCKY THAT I HAVE, UH, NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE STANDING IN LINE AT FOUR AND FIVE IN THE MORNING.
AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU DOING THAT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT YOU'RE TAKING TIME TO COME HERE AND SHARE THAT AND SPEAK UP.
AND THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, BROADCASTED MEETINGS.
AND I, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, I HAVE LIKE 400 POUNDS OF DOGS IN MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
MY HUSBAND'S GONNA LEAVE ME AT SOME POINT.
BUT, UM, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE DOING IT IN THE COMMUNITIES, AND YOU'RE, YOU ARE ALSO TRYING TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN, UM, CITY OFFICIALS AND YOUR COMMUNITIES, AND THAT THAT'S NOT A SMALL TASK.
AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO SAY.
FIRST, I WAS GOING TO, UM, ASK MELISSA A QUESTION.
I SEE, AND I KNOW YOU BRIEFLY TOUCHED ON IT IN THE BUDGET YOU HAVE ALLOCATED, UM, MY, NOW I'VE LOST MY PAGE, BUT THE MONEY FOR SPAY AND NEU, SORRY, ADDING TO REPLACE LOSS GRANT FUNDING FOR SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES, $250,000.
I KNOW THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, AND I KNOW THAT'S A BIG INITIATIVE.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME TIME AFTER I, AFTER I'M DONE SPEAKING TO EXPAND ON WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND, UM, TELL EVERYONE AGAIN, NO, THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM.
WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT IN THE PAST, AND THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY.
UM, SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND HOW THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE USED.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE BOND.
I KNOW SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE MENTIONED THAT WE DON'T REALLY NEED A SHINY NEW FACILITY.
UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
AND I'M HERE TO SAY I'VE, UH, LIKE MANY OF YOU, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND NOT JUST IN THE KENNELS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT DOGS AND, AND CATS, BUT ALSO BEHIND THE SCENES WHERE D A S EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING.
AND I MEAN, THERE ARE ROOMS WHERE THEY'RE LITERALLY ELBOW TO ELBOW AND THEY'RE STILL DOING IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND THAT WOULD GIVE ME SO MUCH ANXIETY SITTING IN A ROOM THAT CLOSE TO THAT MANY PEOPLE.
THEY'VE INCREASED HIRING, UM, FIELD OFFICERS.
I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT FIELD OFFICERS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED.
AND I DO THINK SOMETIMES THESE TAKE A WHILE TO, TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF THIS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALL GROWING A LITTLE IMPATIENT.
BUT I, I DO KNOW THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED.
UM, BUT BACK TO THE BOND, THE FACILITY THAT THE PROPOSED FACILITY, AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HERE HAS HAD THE ABILITY OR HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS OF WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
WHEN THIS CURRENT FACILITY WAS DESIGNED 20 PLUS YEARS AGO, IT WAS DESIGNED AS A HOLDING FACILITY FOR STRAY ANIMALS.
IT DOES NOT HAVE LIKE ANY OF THE OTHER STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES THAT CITIES OUR SIZE, COMPARABLE CITIES WITH THE INCOME AND SIZE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
OTHER CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE BETTER FACILITIES, MORE PROGRESSIVE FACILITIES.
WE'RE TALKING AREAS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'RE TALKING PLACES FOR SCHOOLS TO COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
I AM VERY PASSIONATE, AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE, UM, ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT LEARNING AND TEACHING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HUMANE, THE HUMANE WAY TO OWN AND LOVE ANIMALS.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES SPAY AND NEUTER.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT A YOUNG AGE.
AND I THINK THIS NEW FACILITY IS GOING TO HAVE, UM, SPACE FOR THAT.
IT'S ALSO GONNA HAVE A MUCH LARGER CLINIC.
YES, WE ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY IS OF, OF THE VET SHORTAGE.
I'VE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER CITIES THAT ARE FACING THE SAME ISSUES.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VETS.
UM, MY OWN VET AND, AND EAST DALLAS IS HAVING THAT ISSUE AS WELL.
BUT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A BIGGER CLINIC.
WE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO MORE SPAY NEUTER.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE A FORWARD FACING, UM, CLINIC FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT IS JUST, I MEAN, IT'S JUST GONNA BE SUCH AN IMMENSE HELP.
AND I, AS MUCH AS I KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS,
[01:05:01]
I THINK I, I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND REQUEST THAT THEY SUPPORT THIS BOND MONEY FOR, UH, THE NEW FACILITY.I'M TELLING YOU, IT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
THEY ARE WORKING WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.
UM, BUT A NEW FACILITY, I MEAN, IF WE ALL LOVE ANIMALS, WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT A NEW FACILITY? WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT MORE SPACE? WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT MORE KENNELS? WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT AN AREA FOR THE PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT HOW TO, UM, SAFELY AND PROPERLY LOVE AND RAISE ANIMALS? SO I WILL GIVE MY TIME BACK TO MELISSA TO TALK ABOUT THE $250,000 SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, ALLOCATION IN THE BUDGET.
AND I JUST, AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND THE 250, SO THAT WOULD GO TO OUTSOURCE SPAY NEUTER.
THAT'S NOT MONEY THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD CONTINUE DOING THE SPAY NEUTER THAT WE'RE DOING INTERNALLY.
UM, THAT GOES, LIKE CURRENTLY WE HAVE, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
UM, UH, IT WOULD BE MY HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP OTHER SPAY NEUTER CLINICS.
WE COULD DO THOSE SPAY DAYS THAT, THAT WERE MENTIONED WERE FOR, UM, CATS.
AND AS WE WERE ABLE TO ENTER MOUS THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT WITH OTHER VENDORS, THAT'S HOW WE WOULD USE THOSE FUNDS.
SO IT WOULD BE ALL FOR SPAY AND NEUTER.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE AS WE RAMP UP, BECAUSE WITH THAT SURGE FUNDING GOING AWAY, SO WITH THE SURGE FUNDING, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S CALLED DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THE, THE, THE GRANTS FOR THE SPAY NEUTER THAT WERE FOR THE DOGS, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT A CITATION FOR, FOR LACK OF SPAY NEUTER ON YOUR DOG, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE YOUR DOG ALTERED WITHOUT A COST TO YOU.
SO THERE WEREN'T ANY BARRIERS.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, BEING ABLE TO GIVE CITATIONS, AND FOLKS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR PETS ALTERED, UM, WITHOUT ANY BURDEN OR BARRIER TO THEM.
I WANNA SAY IT IS A KILL SHELTER.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE A KILL SHELTER.
IT'S A PUBLIC SHELTER THAT HAS TO ACCEPT EVERY ANIMAL THAT COMES IN.
THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND THAT.
YOU CANNOT COMPARE THAT TO A PRIVATE SHELTER.
UH, MEDICAL AND BEHAVIOR ARE BIG REASONS FOR, UH, EUTHANIZATIONS AND SPACE HAS TO BE TWO.
YOU CANNOT PUT 50 ANIMALS IN ONE KENNEL.
I WANNA ALSO SAY THE DAS STAFF ARE SUCH, KAREN, KAREN, I'M SORRY.
WE CAN HEAR YOU UP HERE AND WE CAN'T HEAR, HEAR HER.
SO PLEASE STOP TALKING IN THE AUDIENCE.
D A S STAFF ARE ALL DEDICATED ANIMAL LOVERS.
I'VE MET SO MANY OF THEM REGARDING THE BOND.
UH, ADOPTION STAFF IS WORKING OUT OF A CLOSET.
I WAS AT FOSTER YESTERDAY WHERE WERE SEVEN PEOPLE WORKING IN ONE SMALL ROOM.
AND THERE'S ALSO THE PARKING ISSUES THERE.
I HAVE SOMETIMES DRIVEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE, WAITING FOR A SPACE TO OPEN THERE.
UM, OF COURSE WE NEED MORE SPAY NEUTER.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SO MANY ANIMALS OUT THERE.
UM, AND OF COURSE, AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE RUN, LETTING ANIMALS RUN LOOSE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE STRAYS.
UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGES AT D A S IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING.
I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED SINCE 2012, AND THERE HAVE BEEN HUGE CHANGES.
WHEN I STARTED, THERE WAS A 32% LIVE, UH, RELEASE, RELEASE RATE.
AND THE OPERATION MANAGER USED TO GO INTO HER OFFICE AT CRY EVERY DAY.
REGARDING THE, UH, THANK YOU FOR KAREN'S, UH, HANDOUT.
DISTRICT FOUR HAS NOT HAD A REPRESENTATIVE ON HERE IN THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE.
WELL, AND THE, UH, COUNCILMAN, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA COMMENT ON THEM.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON INCREASING THE ACOS.
UM, ALSO, I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THERE IS GONNA BE A DECREASE IN THE BREEDERS FEE FEE.
IS THAT TRUE? AND IF SO, WHY? IT, IT WASN'T, UM, AS MUCH AS A DECREASE.
IT WAS KEEPING THE, THE FEES AT THEIR CURRENT LEVELS.
UH, THE, THE REASON FOR SOME OF THOSE IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SERVICES AND THOSE PERMITTING PROCESSES.
IT WASN'T THE FACT THAT WE WERE DOING A DECREASE.
IT SAID THE FACT THAT, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP THEM AT THE SAME LEVEL.
'CAUSE I KNOW A QUESTION CAME UP REGARDING, UH, UH, THE AGGRESSIVE AND DANGEROUS DOG.
IF WE INCREASE THAT FEE TO THE SPECIFIC AMOUNT THAT'S REQUIRED ON THERE,
[01:10:01]
WE WILL SEE EVEN MORE EUTHANASIA.AND IF YOU'RE GONNA CRITICIZE THE SHELTER, SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE SHELTER INSTEAD, THAT'S PRODUCTIVE.
CRITICISM IS NOT, AND AS, UH, MELISSA SAID, YOU'RE DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM COMING TO THE SHELTER.
THAT IS NOT A GOOD, UH, THING TO BE DOING.
ALSO, DESPERATE NEED RIGHT NOW OF NEONATAL KITTEN FOSTERS, IF YOU HAD CAN DO THAT, PLEASE GO THROUGH THE FOSTER, UH, VIDEOS.
THEY'RE NOT HARD AND DO IT BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, AFFECTS THE LIVE RELEASE RATE TREMENDOUSLY.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, ONE MINUTE AND 52 SECONDS LEFT.
UM, COMMISSIONER LUHRING, YOU'RE NEXT.
FIRST OFF, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE ONES THAT ARE, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY HELP A LOT BECAUSE THAT HELPS OUR NUMBERS.
UH, SPAY AND KNITTER, YOU TRY TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE CLINICS AND IT'S MONTHS AHEAD.
THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO FIX THAT.
AND NOW WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S JUST, IT'S BOGGED DOWN.
UH, WE SAY WE'VE GOT LESS VETS AND ALL THAT, BUT WE GOTTA FIND A RE A WAY TO FIX THAT.
MAKE IT EASIER WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE TRAPPING IT.
THEY CAN GO IN THERE AND GET THESE APPOINTMENTS.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, BUT IT'S, IT NEEDS TO BE, WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THESE PEOPLE AND WORK WITH THEM.
IF WE'RE GONNA GET THE NUMBERS DOWN, YOU GOTTA WORK WITH THE ONES THAT ARE OUT THERE FIGHTING TO EVERY DAY TO RISK IN THEIR LIVES, JUST IN THE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND DANGERS AND ALL THAT.
WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK WITH THEM.
THERE'LL BE, UH, THREE MINUTES AND 54 SECONDS FOR COMMISSIONER L.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND YOUR INPUT.
UM, THANK YOU MELISSA, AND YOUR TEAM FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
I DEFINITELY CONCUR WITH THE, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR THOUGHTS.
UH, THE, THE ONLY QUESTION I DID HAVE ABOUT THE $250,000 FOR SPING MOTOR, UH, ALLOTMENT OR GRANT, IS THAT GOING TO BE PROPORTION ACCORDING TO LIKE THE PER DISTRICT OR THE, LIKE HIGH NEEDS OR, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE WHERE THERE'S LIKE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS VIOLATIONS OR CITATIONS HAS BEEN GIVEN AT THIS POINT.
IT'S, IT'S FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, AND THAT IS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, NOT THE COUNTY OF DALLAS.
BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE CITY OR COUNTY AND, AND SO WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, BUT NO, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET A TICKET FOR AN UNALTERED DOG IN DISTRICT 12 OR REPORT, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER.
I'M GONNA HAVE YOU PAUSE FOR JUST A SECOND.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE THREE MINUTES AND 57 SECONDS REMAINING FOR COMMISSIONER LASTER.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, IF YOU ARE READY, HOLD ON.
YES, I'LL START YOUR TIME NOW.
I WANT TO THANK ALL YOU PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD TODAY.
WE HEAR YOU AS COMMISSIONERS AND LIKE COMMISSIONER, UM, SACKER SAYS, AND WE ALL SAY WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE A VOICE FOR EVERY DISTRICT OF DALLAS.
AND WE'RE NOT HERE TO CALL EACH OTHER OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE.
WE'RE VERY AWARE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN DALLAS.
WE'RE A BIG CITY, BUT WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND NOT CALL EACH OTHER OUT AND BE STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO OUR COMMISSION, TO OUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE AND MAKE THIS A BETTER CITY.
WE WENT TO THIS FACILITY ALMOST A YEAR AGO IN DECEMBER BECAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK.
AND IT WAS ONE MEETING, AND THE NEXT MEETING IT WAS, THEY HAD TO BREAK THE BUILDING IN TWO TO SEPARATE THE ILLNESS THAT WAS TAKING OVER THE FACILITY.
YOU GUYS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT EVERYBODY IS THERE AS A LEVER OF ANIMALS, AS WE ALL ARE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T, YOU'RE JUST HERE AND YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT WASTING MY TIME.
[01:15:03]
THANK YOU.COMMISSIONER GONZALES, YOU ARE GONNA HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES AND 37 SECONDS LEFT.
UH, CHAIR BROSKI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? SURE.
UM, MELISSA, JUST BEFORE I START, UM, WITH SOME GENERAL STATEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE C**K FIGHTING, DIDN'T ONE OF THE BIRDS, WHEN A BIRD TEST POSITIVE FOR SOME KIND OF BIRD FLU OR INFLUENZA, THEN THE WHOLE FLOCK HAS TO BE EUTHANIZED, RIGHT? AND DID THAT HAPPEN HERE? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.
WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T GET TO THE POINT OF TESTING THAT BLOCK BECAUSE EVEN IF, EVEN IF WE HAD, EVEN IF SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED THAT ALL 2,951 BIRDS TESTED NEGATIVE FOR THE TWO MAIN ILLNESSES, DISEASES, AND THE BACTERIA, WHICH WAS UNLIKELY, I STILL WOULDN'T HAVE HAD SOMEBODY TO OUTCOME THEM TO.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE LOOKED HIGH AND LOW, ALL THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT.
AND I'M PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS WITH A FLOCK THAT LARGE, YOU DON'T WANNA BE MOVING AROUND ILLNESSES.
UM, BURGLAR IT, IT AFFECTS OTHER INDUSTRIES, NOT JUST ANIMAL WELFARE.
AND I THINK THAT LEADS TO A BIGGER QUESTION THAT I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM UNDERSTANDS.
RECENTLY, D A S NOW IS IN CHARGE OF ALL ANIMALS RELATING TO ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES.
SO IF THERE'S A DOG FIGHTING CASE, IF THERE'S A C**K FIGHTING CASE, MELISSA OR D A S GETS A CALL AT FOUR IN THE MORNING, HEY, 2000 BIRDS ARE COMING TO YOU.
SO THAT WASN'T HAPPENING BEFORE.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THESE CHANGES, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
IT USED TO BE HANDLED BY A LOCAL S P C A AND NOW THEY'RE NO LONGER HANDLING IT.
THEY'RE ALSO HANDLING THE EXOTIC TIGER THAT GOT, UM, TAKEN I THINK A YEAR AGO.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH COYOTE ISSUES.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH T N R IN, IN THE SENSE THAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD.
BUT SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE OF ALL THE OTHER ANIMALS THAT THEY ARE ENTRUSTED WITH.
UM, I DID WANNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT BREEDING PERMITS.
BECAUSE I CAN LET YOU KNOW, UM, FROM THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT HOUSE BILL 2127.
AND I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THAT A LOT OF LOCAL CONTROL HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY, AND THAT INCLUDES THE BREEDING OF ANIMALS.
SO I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS THAT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN CERTAIN CITIES DON'T GET WATER BREAKS ANYMORE.
THIS ALSO AFFECTED, UM, D A SS AND WHAT HAPPENED? SO HOUSE BILL 2127 AMENDS THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE BY PROHIBITING MUNICIPALITIES FROM ADOPTING OR ENFORCING REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE BREEDING CARE AND TREATMENT OR SALE OF ANIMALS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE ROADSIDE SALES BILL.
SO IN, IN TEXAS, IN DALLAS, IF YOU SEE PEOPLE SELLING PUPPIES AND WALMART, PARKING LOTS AND SO FORTH, THAT IS ILLEGAL STILL.
AND YES, WE
THERE WERE, THOSE WERE NOT LOCAL BREEDERS, AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
1,300 AND SOME ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT IN.
THEY WERE UNALTERED DOGS, PUPPIES THAT WERE BEING SOLD.
BUT NOW THE BREEDING PERMIT UNTIL WE HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION, IS COMPLETELY WIPED OUT BECAUSE OF YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE.
SO AGAIN, THEY ARE JUST ENFORCING THE LAWS THAT ARE BEFORE THEM.
SO I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.
UM, MELISSA AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING VERY HARD ON SPAY NEUTER OPTIONS.
I'VE SAT ON CALLS WITH HER, WITH SHELTER MANAGERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND SAN ANTONIO, THEY COULDN'T FIND A SHELTER VET FOR 18 MONTHS.
SO I, I KNOW, I DON'T MEAN TO BE LIKE MISERY LOVES COMPANY, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TEAM IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN IN TERMS OF SPAY NEUTER.
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AND IT IS IT, WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK FOR A LEGISLATIVE FIX AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE UP VETS AND BRING THEM HERE.
YOU CAN'T BRING IN VETS FROM OTHER STATES.
'CAUSE THERE'S BUREAUCRACY AND RED TAPE INVOLVED.
I KNOW THAT SOME CITIES HAVE TRIED TO BRING IN SOME, UM, VETERINARIANS FROM MEXICO.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY WORKING ON IT.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A LEGISLATIVE FIX AROUND IT.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING UP DISTRICT FOUR.
I HAVE PERSONALLY TRIED TO FIND SOMEONE FOR TWO YEARS FROM THAT DISTRICT.
I'VE GONE ON FACEBOOK, I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO THEIR OFFICE, HELP ME FIND SOMEONE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I CAN'T FIND A VETERINARIAN.
[01:20:01]
TO GET THEM ON HERE, AND THEY'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND THEY SAID, NO, I, I DON'T WANNA BE A PART OF THAT.AND IN ADDITION TO THE VET SHORTAGE, AND THEY DON'T WANNA BE A PART OF IT BECAUSE IT CAN BE HOSTILE, RIGHT? AND SO HELP US GET MORE COMMISSIONERS ON BOARD.
I WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP IN THAT.
I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANNA GET INVOLVED IN THAT WAY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MELISSA REALLY QUICKLY, HOW MANY VETS DO WE HAVE AND HOW MANY VETS DO WE NEED? WE HAVE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO AND A HALF.
AND I CALL THE HALF IS OUR, OUR, SHE'S A CITY TEMP, WHICH MEANS SHE'S LIKE A PERMANENT TEMPT.
IT'S, UM, AND, BUT WE HAVE SPACE FOR TWO ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY VETS AND TWO FULL-TIME VETS.
SO WE ULTIMATELY HAVE FOUR VACANCIES FOR VETERINARIANS.
AND, AND DOES THAT SLOW DOWN YOUR SPAY NEUTER AS WELL? WHAT IT'S SLOWING DOWN IS OUR SURGERY, OUR SPECIALTY SURGERIES.
BUT YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR SURGERY, OUR SPAY NEUTER SURGERY NUMBERS, WE'RE KEEPING UP.
SO, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
AND, AND MAY I ADD ONE THING THAT'S LOOSELY RELATED? I, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY ON THE ASSOS, AND, AND FORGIVE ME, I SHOULD HAVE SAID ON THE ASSO SLIDE, AND, AND I REALIZE THAT IT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
WHAT IS AS O FOR PEOPLE THAT CALL ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER? SORRY,
WE'VE, WE'VE REALLOCATED TWO OF OUR ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICERS, UM, TO COMMUNITY CATS.
I REALIZED TWO PEOPLE TO HELP SUCH A HUGE NEED IS NOT, YOU KNOW, I TOO HAVE TWO KITTENS THAT ARE, WELL, THEY'RE CATS NOW.
THEY'RE BIG FAT CATS THAT, BUT THEY CAME IN AS KITTENS FROM, YOU KNOW, T AND R.
UM, THE, BUT THE, BUT, SO ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS, WE ALREADY HAVE THE PERSON, HE, HE CAME STRAIGHT OVER FROM FIELD.
HE'S WORKING WITH SHELTER ON COMMUNITY CAT, AND THEN WE'RE HIRING FOR THE OTHER PERSON.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT NEED TOO.
AND FORGIVE ME FOR NOT MENTIONING IT WHEN I, ON THE A S O SLIDE, ASK SOMETHING OR BRING SOMETHING UP REGARDING SPAY NEUTER.
I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF THEM DONE.
SO, SORRY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ACTUALLY TABLE THAT UNTIL AFTER EVERYBODY HAS THEIR TIME.
I KNOW THAT SOMEONE BROUGHT UP GRANTS BEFORE, UM, THAT GRANTS WERE ALWAYS BEING APPLIED TO BY D A S.
THE GRANTS HAVE NEVER BEEN THROUGH D A S.
THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY COMES INTO.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT THAT D A S STOPS GETTING THE MONEY.
UM, THEY'RE GETTING THE MONEY FROM DIFFERENT PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, 5 0 1 C THREE RESCUES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE ALSO GETTING THAT.
BUT NONE OF THAT MONEY WENT TO D A S, THE SURGE COUNTED THE $40,000 FROM THE 23 ZIP CODES THAT WERE ALREADY IN THOSE TARGETED AREAS.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I ECHO WHAT, WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GO ONLINE TO OUR COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
WE DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE FROM OUR TECHNICIAN.
WE TRIED TO MAKE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS HERE.
I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR EVERYBODY ONLINE, SO WE KNOW IT'S ON OUR END.
COMMISSIONER SANDERS, YOU'RE STILL MUTED.
UM, CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME? SORRY, IT'S STILL REALLY LOW HERE FOR US.
ELIZABETH AND STEPHANIE CAN HEAR ME TESTING, TESTING
IT'S, IT'S, SO, IT'S DEFINITELY US.
YOU WANT ME TO KEEP
COMMISSIONER SANDERS, YOU'RE STILL MUTED.
CAN YOU TRY TALKING FOR ME? WELL, I, WE'VE GOT CLOSED CAPTIONS ON, SO THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY HELP US.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW? I'M TALKING HELLO?
ELIZABETH CAN HEAR ME? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO I JUST WANNA JOIN IN EVERYBODY ELSE AND THANKING THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY.
UM, I WISH THAT THE OTHER ONES WOULD'VE BEEN THERE 'CAUSE I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE HEAR, HEARD WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY AS WELL.
AND I HOPE THEY'LL COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING AND, UM, GIVE US, UM, THEIR TIME AND ATTENTION.
[01:25:01]
'CAUSE I, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU.UM, I ALSO WANNA REALLY CALL OUT AND SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE T AND R PEOPLE WHO CAME TO TODAY.
BECAUSE THEM COMING HERE TODAY MEANS THERE'S A LITTLE, FEW LESS CATS THAT WENT AND GOT SPAYED AND NEUTER BECAUSE THEY SPEND EVERY DAY IN LINE.
AND I HAVE BEEN IN LINE WITH SOME OF THEM AT THREE IN THE MORNING, AT FOUR, IN THE MORNING AT FIVE.
UM, AND I KNOW HOW HARD THEY WORK AND HOW PASSIONATE THEY ARE.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO AND FOR COMING IN.
UM, AND, UM, FOR ON THE SPAN NEUTER SUBJECT, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THANKS TO MELISSA FOR PUSHING SO HARD.
I KEEP
AND I KNOW WE ALL SAY, OH, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
AND I THINK NO MATTER WHAT, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA SAY IT'S NEVER ENOUGH.
AND, UM, I, FOR ONE, I'M NOT GONNA DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT AND OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT TO LEARN ABOUT THOSE RESOURCES AND TO USE THEM.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS, UM, TO MELISSA AND THE REST OF THE STAFF, UM, FOR PUSHING FOR THAT.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, UM, LET'S SEE, I WROTE SOME
NOBODY, AS MELISSA SAID, OR DIRECTOR WEBER I SHOULD SAY, UM, WANTS TO SEE ANIMALS SUFFER OR BE EUTHANIZED, ESPECIALLY FOR SPACE.
UM, BUT, UM, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOT OF THOSE NUMBERS AND CONTEXT.
AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO REALIZE THAT DALLAS IS THE FIFTH LARGEST GROWING METROPLEX IN THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE PROJECTED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY THAN
AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE BRING THEIR ANIMALS WITH US.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE NOT JUST BIGGER BECAUSE WE THINK D A S IS NOT DOING ENOUGH.
THEY'RE BECAUSE THE CITY IS GROWING AND WE HAVE TO GROW AS D A S WITH THEM.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS NEW SHELTER IN SO MANY WAYS.
WE NEED IT FOR SPACE, BUT WE ALSO NEED IT TO BE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, TO BE TECH, TO TECHNOLOGICAL, TO BE STATE OF THE ART, TO BE ABLE TO OUT DO THAT OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, WE DESPERATELY NEED IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO SPAY AND NEUTER THEIR ANIMALS.
I'M NOT CURRENTLY A FOSTER RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I HAVE A, UM, F I V POSITIVE CAT THAT GOT DUMPED IN MY
OTHERWISE, I'D BE TAKING KITTENS IN ALL THE TIME.
BUT, UM, OH, I GOT OFF TRACK, SORRY.
BUT I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT WE DON'T NEED A SHELTER BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T RUN THE ONE WE HAVE, WE NEED AN UPDATED STATE-OF-THE-ART SHELTER BECAUSE THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANNA DO THOSE JOBS.
UM, AND WE NEED THE, UM, WE NEED OUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS UPDATED, WE NEED THE FACILITY UPDATED.
AND, UM, I THINK WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT A NEW SHELTER.
AND A NEW SHELTER WITH ALL THOSE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES WILL ALLOW THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS THAT WE DO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND TO BE ABLE TO JUST SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE ANIMALS AND NOT PRINTING OFF PIECES OF PAPER AND NOT GOING TO OLD COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRYING TO FIND INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, THAT MAYBE IS NOT AS EASY TO COME BY.
UM, SO I THINK ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE HUGE PLUSES, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I WILL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO HELP GET THAT PASSED.
UM, I HAVE A, A DALLAS ANIMAL COMMISSION GMAIL, SO IF ANYBODY IN MY DISTRICT WANTS TO REACH OUT TO ME, UM, DALLAS ANIMAL COMMISSION D 14 GMAIL.COM.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO HELP, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA BE ON THE, YOU KNOW, HELP WRITE HELP, UH, TALK TO OUR COMMISSIONER PAUL RIDLEY, UM, TO TRY TO GET THIS BOND PACKAGE, UM, PASSED.
PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME OR IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, SPECIFIC NEEDS, UM, OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, AND I WANT TO BE PROACTIVE.
SO, UM, I GUESS WITH THAT, I WILL YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME AND, UM, YEAH, MOVE ON.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER SANDERS, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW, THANKFULLY.
AND YOU HAVE 33 SECONDS LEFT, SO THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, WE WILL GO NOW TO COMMISSIONER SHR AND YOU'RE UNMUTED ALREADY, SO THAT'S GREAT.
ARE YOU READY? YEAH, I'M READY.
I WANNA, I BASICALLY WANNA REITERATE WHAT EVERYONE SAID.
UM, I THINK WE'VE PRETTY MUCH COVERED IT.
I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE COMING IN AND SHARING WITH US WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW WE CAN HOPEFULLY WORK TOGETHER.
[01:30:01]
UM, I'M ALSO, I'M, I'M FOR THE BOND BILL, THE PACKAGE FOR THE NEW SHELTER COMPLETELY.UM, I THINK NOT ONLY IS IT A NECESSARY TO KEEP US, AS KAREN SAID, WHEN THE TOP FIFTH METROPLEXES, I MEAN, WE'VE FALLEN WAY, WAY BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT WE GET OUR ACT TOGETHER.
AND I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT BUSINESS DECISION AS WELL, BEING A C P A MYSELF.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO SPEND OUR MONEY AND HELP THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR, OUR DOGS AND CATS THAT END UP AT THE SHELTER.
COMMISSIONER REPP, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES LEFT OVER.
COMMISSIONER HANSSEN, ARE YOU, UM, I JUST NEED YOU TO COME THE LIGHT.
LIKE, CAN YOU SEE ME BETTER? YES.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME.
SO JUST IN CASE, UH, I'LL REINTRODUCE MYSELF.
SO I AM, UH, STEPHANIE HANSSEN WITH DISTRICT EIGHT UNDER ELLE ATKINS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY HE IS AN AMAZING, UH, ADVOCATE FOR ANIMALS.
AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY PRESENTED WITH TO MELISSA TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SHE FIRST CAME ON, UH, ASKING FOR A NEW SHELTER.
I, I GAVE HER A WHOLE PRESENTATION, UM, ON, IN A, I KNOW SHELBY CHAIR.
SHELBY, UH, BROSKY KNOWS ABOUT IT 'CAUSE SHE ALSO CAME TO A, UH, PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE TWO YEARS AGO, AND I KNOW CASSANDRA LASSER KNOWS ABOUT IT.
UM, SO I'M DEFINITELY FOR A NEW SHELTER, I THINK WE'VE NEEDED ONE FOR A LONG TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING IT.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M ALSO A PROPONENT OF, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE PARKS THAT WAS IN OUR WHOLE PRESENTATION OF GIVING AND HAVING THE TRAILS AND EDUCATIONAL STUFF.
I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO KNOW I PAUSED YOUR TIME.
I HAVE TO HAVE YOU IN THE LIGHT.
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR FACE JUST A LITTLE CLOSER.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO KNOW, SO THIS CLINIC THAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, IS THIS GONNA BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION THAT I HAVE, BUT AT THE END WE CAN ANSWER.
AND ALSO, AS FAR AS THE, THE $250,000, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A $250,000 BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR COMMUNITY.
AND I HAD ASKED MELISSA ABOUT THAT, UM, TWO YEARS AGO AS WELL.
LIKE, WHERE WAS THAT? WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? BECAUSE EVERY TIME I ASK FOR ASSISTANCE FOR LIKE, UM, PEOPLE OR SO FORTH, I'M ALWAYS TOLD THAT LIKE, YOU GUYS CAN'T PROVIDE SERVICES FOR, UH, PETS THAT ARE OWNED.
SO THEY HAVE TO EITHER BE SURRENDERED TO YOU GUYS FOR YOU GUYS TO OFFER ANY KIND OF SERVICES.
UM, SO THOSE ARE QUESTIONS KIND OF THAT I HAVE THAT I'D LIKE TO GO OVER.
UM, HOW, SO THE, THE $250,000, IS THAT FOR JUST THE TICKET? SO IF PEOPLE GET A TICKET THAT THEIR ANIMAL'S NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, IS THAT ALL THAT'S FOR, OR HOW'S THAT GONNA BE ALLOCATED? SO THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
OR QUESTION NUMBER TWO AFTER THE SHELTER.
UM, I REALLY WANNA THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME AND SPOKE TODAY.
I AM ALSO A RESCUE, AND OUR, OUR RESCUE IS ON THE TOP 10 FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF PULLING DOG.
UM, SO WE'RE, IF BY ENERGY IS THE RESCUE THAT I HAVE, AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS, IT IS SO HARD, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW CAN WE ASSIST THE RESCUES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
LIKE KAREN WAS SAYING, LIKE STANDING IN LINE AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN FOR THE T N R.
I MEAN, IT IS SO EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, TIME DRAINING, FINANCIALLY DRAINING.
AND IF WE'RE, IF 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO STAFF AND WE NORMALLY HAVE SIX VETERINARIANS ON STAFF, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG BUDGET FOR THAT.
BUT WE'RE DOWN TO TWO AND A HALF.
IS THERE A WAY WE CAN TAKE THOSE FUNDS AND ALLOCATE IT AND HELP THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND DOING THE WORK? CAN WE PROVIDE SOME, YOU KNOW, VOUCHERS FOR THEM TO GET SPAN NEU AND, YOU KNOW, FOOD AND DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, THAT WOULD ASSIST THEM IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING? YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE PULLING THE LOAD, HOW CAN WE ASSIST THEM MORE WITH THE EXTRA RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE SHORT STAFFED, YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO? UM, SO ANYWAY, STAFF IS ALLOWED TO ANSWER DURING HER TIME IF THEY WISH.
I, I WAS JUST WAITING FOR HER TO BE DONE.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THREE QUESTIONS THAT I'LL, I'LL RESPOND TO.
THE FIRST ONE WAS HOW I'LL, I'LL SAVE MY, THE REST OF MY TIME FOR LATER.
SO I'LL STOP THERE AND LET YOU GUYS
[01:35:01]
SORRY.YES, YOU HAVE, UH, 37 SECONDS LEFT.
UM, ON THE FIRST QUESTION, IT'S HOW THE 250,000 WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR CLARITY.
THAT WOULD BE NEW FUNDING THAT IS NOT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD.
WHAT THE FUNDING, I THINK THAT COMMISSIONER HANSSEN MIGHT BE REFERRING TO IS, WE HAD AN ANIMAL WELFARE FUND THAT WAS FUNDED BY, UM, CITATION FEES.
AND WHAT WE USE THOSE FUNDS TO HELP PEOPLE COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO WHEN THEY GET TICKETS, WHAT DO THEY NEED? AND SO THAT'S ONE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN USING THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND WE JUST STARTED DOING THAT THIS FISCAL YEAR TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SURGERIES.
AND, UM, SO IF, IF WE, IF THIS $250,000, WE GET IT FOR OUR FUND, UM, FOR OUR BUDGET, UH, IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UH, AS I PREVIOUSLY STATED, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS WHO GET SPAY NEUTER CITATIONS OR VIOLATIONS TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
WE WOULD CONTINUE TO SUBSIDIZE SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES THROUGH FOR BOTH CATS AND DOGS THROUGH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
UM, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES AT SPAY NEUTER SURGERYS SPAY NETWORK WITH AN SR NUMBER.
SO YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A PHYSICAL VOUCHER.
ALL YOU NEED IS THAT SSR NUMBER, UM, AS FAR, SO THAT'S THE 250.
AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SPAY DAYS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE BIG SPAY DAYS WHERE, WHERE YOU, YOU TAKE THE MOBILE UNIT INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK I HAD TOUCHED ON THIS PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, HAVING VENDORS LIKE SPAY OR NETWORK OPERATION KINDNESS, WHOEVER WOULD BE ABLE TO STAND THAT UP AND, AND WE COULD DO THAT WOULD BE FOCUSED ON, UM, COMMUNITY CATS.
ON THE SECOND QUESTION ABOUT OWN CUTS AND VET SERV SERVICES.
SO IN THE NEW BUILDING, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE A MEDICAL DEPARTMENT WITHIN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND THEN ALSO HAVING A COMMUNITY CLINIC.
THAT COMMUNITY CLINIC WOULD PROBABLY BE LEASED TO SOMEBODY, TO A ANOTHER VENDOR TO PROVIDE LOW COST SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
AND IT WOULD BE LICENSED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT WITHIN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS NOT LICENSED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE VETERINARY CARE TO OWN PETS.
UM, OUR VETERINARIANS CAN LOSE THEIR LICENSE PROVIDING, UM, PROVIDING CARE TO OWN PETS IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE LICENSED.
UM, AS FAR AS REALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS, UM, THE, THE THING IS, IS ONCE WE REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS, THEN WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BRING A VETERINARIAN ON BOARD.
AND I HAVEN'T LOST HOPE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO HAVING A FULL VETERINARIAN STAFF.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY IS AND WE ARE USING IT.
THAT MONEY ALSO GOES TO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE, UM, WE RAMP UP THE CURRENT PART-TIME STAFF THAT ARE PART-TIME VETERINARIANS.
SO, SO THAT FUNDING IS, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S NOT BEING USED.
UH, I'LL SPEAK ON THE NEW FACILITY.
UH, IN DOING THE RESEARCH, WE TRIED TO MITIGATE THE COSTS IN THE PROPOSAL FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS CURRENT CITY PROPERTIES, AND ONE OF THEM IS, UH, AN EXIT AWAY FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW ON COCHRANE HILL DAVIS.
HOWEVER, WE COULD WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT, WHICH MYSELF AND MELISSA ARE MEETING WITH THE, THE DIRECTOR, UH, SOON, UH, TO TALK ABOUT LOGISTICS.
IF WE CAN GO IN AND PUT IN SPECIFIC THINGS TO MEET, UH, OR ATTACH TO THEIR REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS TRAILS AND SO FORTH, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO MITIGATE THAT COST AND TO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO WHAT THEY HAVE AND ALLOW THEM TO PARTNER WITH US FOR PARKS, UH, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, ALLOW THEM TO USE OUR EDUCATIONAL, UH, UH, UH, SPACE MEETING SPACE FOR ENGAGEMENT.
AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE VISITING THE PARKS WITH THEIR PETS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTREACH EVENTS AND SO FORTH.
THE COMMUNITY SPACE FOR THE, UH, UH, CLINIC.
IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE CITY A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME REVENUE GENERATION, BUT IT WILL ALSO HAVE THAT FACILITY THERE WITH US TO BE ABLE
[01:40:01]
TO LOOK AT THOSE SUBSIDIZED, UH, SERVICES AS WELL.I HOPE THAT ANSWERED BOTH TOO.
QUESTIONS? CAN I, UM, REALLY QUICKLY, I, I'M GONNA ASK FOR A MOTION, UM, FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FROM MY COMMISSIONERS.
UM, IF I CAN MOVE FOR THAT, I, I WANNA MAKE ONE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BECAUSE OF SO MANY PEOPLE HERE REGARDING T N R, UM, AND, AND SPAIN AND NEUTERING.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU.
I I'M JUST, I AM OVER MY FIVE MINUTES AND SOMETHING CAME UP EARLIER AND I THINK THERE'S CONFUSION.
ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? SO I HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION.
SO MELISSA, I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY HERE ON T N R TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY IS NOT ALLOWED TO DO PUBLIC SERVICES FOR ANIMALS NOT IMPOUNDED.
SO THERE WAS A BILL THIS SESSION THAT WOULD'VE CHANGED THAT IT WAS BROUGHT BY TEXAS PETS ALIVE AND IT WAS KILLED.
SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
IF YOU'RE SAYING, WHY ISN'T THE CITY OF DALLAS DOING THIS? THEY HA THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT IMPOUNDED ANIMALS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF SOMEBODY COMES TO YOUR SHELTER AND SAYS, MY CAT NEEDS A $3,600 SURGERY, I CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
I'M GONNA RELINQUISH MY CAT, AND YOU HAVE A VETERINARIAN THERE ON OCCASION, YOU CAN DO AN ADOPTION SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN TAKE IT IN.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU, I'M SAYING OTHER SHELTERS HAVE DONE THIS TO TRY TO REMEDY THAT, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
THEY, THEY CANNOT, BY LAW, THEIR VETERINARIANS WILL LOSE THEIR LICENSE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU WHO KILLED THAT BILL BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, A NONPROFIT IN NORTH TEXAS THAT STOPPED THAT BILL FROM PASSING.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT'S IT.
THAT'S, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONERS WITH EXTRA TIME IF YOU WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR TO EXTRA ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION.
UM, COMMISSIONER SAXON, I THINK YOU HAVE A MINUTE.
I THINK I HAVE EIGHT SECONDS, BUT I'M GOOD.
OH, YOU WANNA YIELD YOUR TIME? COMMISSIONER GARRIN, SHE HAS EIGHT SECONDS.
UM, COMMISSIONER KENNEDY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE IN 52 SECONDS IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE IT.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING WHILE WE WERE TALKING HERE.
THIS MIGHT REQUIRE, I'M READY IF YOU'RE READY.
THIS MIGHT REQUIRE A LAW CERTIFIED VET TEXT TO NEUTER.
I SAW HUNDREDS OF NEUTERING AND I FELT LIKE I COULD DO ONE.
IS THERE A WAY TO GET THAT DONE SO THAT TO FREE UP THE VETS FOR MORE TIME FOR OTHER SERVICES? CAN I, YEAH.
UM, THE T V M A, WE WOULD LOVE THAT, BUT THE TEXAS VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IS VERY STRONG.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A BILL THAT CAME UP THIS SESSION AND IT, THEY COULDN'T EVEN FIND AN AUTHOR BECAUSE OF T V M A.
THE VETS WANNA PROTECT THEIR PROFESSION, BUT EXCELLENT.
THAT'S NOT PROTECTING YOUR PROFESSION.
ALSO, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE SPEAKERS TODAY.
THEY WERE OUTSTANDING, MORE PRODUCTIVE AND MORE THOUGHTFUL THAN EVER.
COMMISSIONER SANDERS, YOU HAVE 33 SECONDS IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE IT.
UM, I GUESS I JUST WANNA DO A SHOUT OUT TO THE FOSTER TEAM.
THEY'VE REALLY TAKEN ON A LOT MORE ANIMALS AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
SO THANK YOU FOR INCREASING THAT SUPPORT FOR THAT TEAM AND FOR THEM DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB.
UM, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF MAL UH, DIRECTOR WES ABLE TO TELL US ANY OF THIS, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE CHANGE IN THE HEARTWORM TREATMENT WAS GONNA BE.
UM, AND YOU, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT READY TO GIVE US DETAILS
[01:45:01]
YET, BUT I JUST THOUGHT IF YOU DID, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE GREAT.UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
I'M NOT PREPARED TO GIVE THE DETAILS BECAUSE I'M NOT A VETERINARIAN, SO I REALLY WANT THEM TO.
BUT, UM, BECAUSE YOU ARE A FOSTER AND A VOLUNTEER, YOU, THERE WILL BE THE MESSAGING, UM, FOR YOU'RE ONE OF THE FIRST STAKEHOLDERS THAT WILL BE REACHED OUT TO I, I, I WILL SAY I DO THINK EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE VERY HAPPY WITH IT.
UM, COMMISSIONER REPP, YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE IT, YOU WANNA YIELD THEM? OKAY.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER HANSSEN, YOU HAVE 37 SECONDS IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE THEM.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UH, MARY MARTIN AND PAUL.
THEY HAVE BEEN A DELIGHT TO WORK WITH.
UH, I KNOW MARY MARTIN'S NEW, BUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT LATELY AND WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION YESTERDAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO ANSWER, UH, KAREN KENNEDY THAT WE'RE DOING IN DISTRICT EIGHT, I AM PERSONALLY GIVING THE POLICE STATIONS, UH, MICROCHIP SCANNERS SO THAT THEY CAN START SCANNING DOGS WHEN THEY COME IN, CONTACT WITH THEM OUT IN THE FIELD, UM, TO KIND OF HELP TAKE SOME LOAD OFF THE A C O OFFICERS AT D A S SO THAT THE POLICE OFFICERS WHEN THEY'RE OUT, IF THEY CAN HELP GET THE DOGS HOME, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER STEP.
A WHOLE NOTHER CALLS THAT AREN'T, THAT D A S ISN'T HAVING TO ATTEND TO.
SO THEY CAN TEND TO OTHER CRITICAL NEEDS.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING THINGS AND WE'RE ALSO HOSTING A FREE VACCINATION CLINIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SPAN NEUTER NETWORK.
UM, MELISSA, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND INTRODUCING YOUR TEAM 'CAUSE WE FORGOT TO DO THAT IN THE BEGINNING AND I APOLOGIZE.
YES, I HAVE AT THE END MARY MARTIN, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UM, SARAH SHEIK, OUR ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, AND PAUL RAMON, ALSO AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
AND BECAUSE MARY'S NEW, UM, CAN YOU JUST GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UM, WHERE SHE CAME FROM? SO, MARY, MOST RECENTLY, UM, CAME FROM A SHELTER IN FLO.
I'M JUST GONNA GO CHRONOLOGICAL,
MOST RECENTLY FROM A SHELTER IN FLORIDA.
BEFORE THAT, SHE WAS WITH BEST FRIENDS AT THE SANCTUARY.
BEFORE THAT SHE WAS IN MARICOPA COUNTY.
BEFORE THAT SHE WAS AT SANTA FE.
BEFORE THAT SHE WAS AT ANIMAL CARE CENTER, THE KENNER CARE CENTERS OF NEW YORK CITY.
BEFORE THAT, WHICH I THINK MIGHT BE REALLY EXCITING TO, TO OUR CROWD, SHE STARTED N LA WHICH IS A SUCCESSFUL L SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC IN LOS ANGELES THAT IS STILL GOING STRONG.
UM, AND IN ALL OF THOSE PLACES,
IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED TODAY? ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, I'M GONNA ADJOURN THE MEETING.