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DO YOU WANT COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? ARE YOU ABLE
[Animal Advisory Commission on October 24, 2024.]
TO HEAR THE BRIEFING ROOM? WE CAN HEAR YOU, JILLIAN.WE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, THE CHAIR IS ASKING FOR OUR ONLINE COMMISSIONERS TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, PROCEED WITH ROLL CALL AND THEIR DISTRICT.
SO SINCE YOU ARE DISTRICT ONE, COMMISSIONER SACKER, WE COULD START WITH YOU.
MY NAME'S JONATHAN SACKER, COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTING CHAD WEST.
UM, I ALWAYS SAY YOUR LAST NAME WRONG.
COMMISSIONER, HOW DO, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? AARON ES ES I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE IT SOUND A LITTLE MORE BOURGEOISIE THAN IT'S
GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONER AARON ES REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN KING ARNOLD.
BODY MC REPRESENTING COMMISSIONER, I MEAN ZEN DISTRICT FIVE.
UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER HILL, BONNIE HILL, DISTRICT 10, REPRESENTING KATHY STEWARTS.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROPP, ELIZABETH ROPP REPRESENTING JANIE SCHULTZ AND DISTRICT 11.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S EVERYBODY ONLINE.
WE ARE ALSO JUST JOINED BY COMMISSIONER SIA, UH, DISTRICT 15.
SO JUST WANNA READ THAT INTO THE RECORD AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE GOOD FROM THERE.
SO COMMISSIONERS, YOU CANNOT HEAR ME? NO, I CAN HEAR YOU NOW, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BESIDES JILLIAN SAYING.
OKAY, SO NOW YOU CAN HEAR ME WELL.
THE MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED TO ORDER.
NOW WE GO ON TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS SECTION OF THE MEETING.
SO THIS MORNING I WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAVE A ROBUST LINEUP OF SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SOME OF OUR NEWER COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS THE, AND FOR OUR INDIVIDUALS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, THIS IS THE TIME FOR DALLAS CITIZENS TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON ISSUES POSSIBLY DISCUSS TODAY.
AND IT WILL HELP INFORM COMMISSIONERS, ADVISE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE CERTAIN TOPIC, UH, TOPICS ADDRESSED.
SO HERE ARE SOME QUICK RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
IN ORDER TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO EMAIL THE CITY SECRETARY BY 5:00 PM ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
IF YOUR NAME WAS NOT CALLED, YOU WILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, OBVIOUSLY TO SPEAK AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ALSO, THIS IS NOT A BACK AND FORTH, UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS CAN RESPOND TO YOU AT THIS TIME, UM, IN QUESTIONS OR WORDS.
SO YOU'LL BE GIVING THAT AND YOU HAVE THE TIME ALLOTTED, AND WHEN IT ENDS, JILLIAN WILL GO AHEAD AND LET YOU KNOW.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL THE SPEAKERS.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO IN ORDER OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO CALL 'EM JILLIAN? UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO IN ORDER, BUT TO CORRECT THE RECORD, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE FORM CLOSED, 9:00 AM 20, OR EXCUSE ME, 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
UM, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS BRITTANY MOGENSEN.
UM, I BELIEVE SHE WAS GOING TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY, BUT I'M NOT SEEING HER ONLINE.
ARE YOU HERE IN PERSON BY ANY CHANCE? BRITTANY? I'M NOT SEEING HER ONLINE, SO IF IT SUITS THE CHAIR, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
WE HAVE CHRIS LUNA WITH THE SST CA.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME.
AND I MAY NEED AN EXTRA MINUTE IF I COULD SQUEEZE THAT OUT.
UM, AS I CELEBRATE MY 11TH MONTH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE SPC OF TEXAS.
I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR, UM, REACTIVATION OF WORKING WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
BUT I BECAME PRESIDENT, UH, 11 MONTHS AGO.
OUR, OUR TOUCHSTONES WERE TO DO, COLLABORATE, COMMUNICATE, AND COORDINATE.
AND SO PART OF THAT, UH, I WORKED WITH AND MET, UH, ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION LEADERS HERE IN DALLAS, IN TEXAS, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, MY MEETINGS WITH DAS WENT SO WELL, UM, THAT I ENDED UP RECRUITING, UH, MELISSA WEBER TO JOIN US AS OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
UM, WHEN I WAS HIRED, I'D HEARD THAT THAT, UH, THE SPC OF TEXAS MAY HAVE DRIFTED AWAY FROM WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING DAS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO RECOMMIT OUR WORK TO.
AND THERE'S A KIND OF A, A FAMOUS QUOTE THAT SAYS, IN GOD, WE TRUST ALL OTHERS MUST BRING DATA.
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SO I WANT TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF DATA TO SHOW YOU OUR PROGRESS IN THE, IN THE LAST 11 MONTHS, UH, IN THE RESCUE FRONT.UH, WE ARE IN THIRD PLACE FOR RESCUE POOLS IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024 WITH A HUNDRED NINETY, A HUNDRED NINETY NINE POOLS THAT 60 DOGS, 139 CATS.
FOURTH PLACE FOR RESCUE POOLS IN DS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THAT'S 84 DOGS AND 153 CATS.
A 342% INCREASE IN POOLS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR YEAR TO YEAR POOL WENT FROM 45 ANIMALS TO 199 AND A 64% INCREASE IN RESCUE POOLS IN THE LAST QUARTER, UH, OF THIS YEAR.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE, UM, UH, WIDE DECISIONS AND HELP OUT BAS.
UM, ON THE PARTNERSHIP FRONT, UH, WE PARTICIPATED IN THE LAST PETR FAMILY EVENTS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT 1ST OF NOVEMBER 16TH.
WE ATTEND DSS PANTRY PLANNING MEETINGS.
WE ATTENDED DOG PLANNING FOR LIFE THIS WEEK AT DAS, UH, WITH US HOSTING DOG PLANNING FOR LIFE IN JANUARY, OPEN FOR DES AND OTHER RESCUE PARTNERS TO ATTEND.
WE PARTICIPATE IN THE DALLAS RESCUE PARTNER COALITION, AND WE PROVIDED OUR SPAY AND NEW TO BUSES IN APRIL AND MAY.
AND THAT WAS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE DES GAVE US THE SPACE AND THE LOGISTICS OPERATION KINDNESS PROVIDED TO VETS.
WE PROVIDED THE, UH, MOBILE, UH, CLINICS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PARTNERSHIP MOVING FORWARD.
ON MEDICAL, WE PROVIDED DES PETS HOUSE CERTIFICATES FOR ANIMALS BEING TRANSPORT OUT OF TEXAS.
WE PROVIDED DES PETS WITH MULTIPLE ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES, AND WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, DEVELOPING A SEAMLESS PLAN TO HELP SPAY AND NEUTER ANIMALS AT DAS.
SO THIS IS JUST A, A QUICK SNAPSHOT, UH, OF OUR WORK, UH, TO KEEP DAS AT THE TOP OF OUR MIND, MAKING PROMATIC CHANGES TO CONTINUALLY INCREASE SUPPORT FOR DES AND RESCUE PLACEMENT MEDICAL SUPPORT AND SPAY NEUROSURGERIES.
I'M EXCITED AS WE MOVE INTO Q4 OF THAT PARTNERSHIP AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER IN 2025.
AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY HE, UM, YOU HAD A LOT OF STATISTICS IN THERE AND I THINK THEY'RE EXCELLENT.
IF THERE'S ANY WAY YOU COULD PUT THAT IN WRITING AND GET THAT TO JILLIAN SO THE COMMISSIONERS COULD LOOK OVER THAT, WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
IN THE SAME HANDOUT, I'LL HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION, UH, AS WELL.
I DID BRING SOME BUSINESS CARDS INSTEAD OF HANDING 'EM OUT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBORAH BRANDES WITH DALLAS CAT LADY.
LET ME START YOUR TIME OFFICIALLY.
UM, DEBRA BRANDES, DALLAS CAT LADY, I'VE BEEN DOING RESCUE FOR, LET ME LOOK AT MY HAIR A LONG TIME.
AND, UM, DALLAS CAT LADIES, FIRST AND FOREMOST GOAL, I MEAN, IS HELPING CATS AND THEIR PEOPLE IN THE AREA.
BUT TNR SPAY NEUTER IS OUR BIG THING.
WE CANNOT ADOPT OURSELF OUT OF THIS.
UH, I AM SO HAPPY THAT THE SBCA HAS KIND OF, SORT OF SEEMED TO GETTING BACK WITH THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH OBK AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF TO DO, DO DIFFERENT THINGS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT YEARS AGO, THE SBCA DID A LOT OF SPAY NEUTER FOR US, AND THEN SOLD OFF CLINICS AND CLOSED CLINICS AND, AND TCAP AND SPAIN UTER NETWORK CANNOT DO IT ALL.
WE USED TO HAVE DAS CLINICS AND THE PUBLIC WAS LINED UP.
NOW THEY ALSO DID THE THING DS, IT WAS VERY SMART THAT THEY WOULD DISMISS YOUR TICKET IF YOU WOULD GET YOUR, YOUR DOG FIXED.
BIG DOGS, MILLIONS OF BIG DOGS, CATS.
OF COURSE, YOU DID HAVE TO PAY SOME, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE.
I USED TO GO TO SBCA ALL THE TIME.
THE REASON TCAP AND SPAY NEUTER NETWORK ARE ON THE OUTSKIRTS IS TO HELP ALL THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT THE, I, I BELIEVE THAT DAS AND SBCA HAVE AB ADVOCATED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO EVERYBODY IS LIKE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE ANYTHING IN DALLAS? AND I SAID, WELL, WE USED TO, BUT SPAY NEUTER, IF WITHOUT SPAY NEUTER, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
I'VE GOT A TRAILER PARK WHERE WE HAVE FIXED 150 CATS.
AND YOU GO DRIVE DOWN AND YOU SEE EAR TIPS EVERYWHERE THERE.
AND, AND I SEE IT IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE WERE 13 CATS LIVING IN MY BACKYARD.
I STILL SEE SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM MOVED AWAY FROM THE PARTY HOUSE ONCE WE MOVED IN, BUT THEY'RE ALL FIXED.
MY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS NO LONGER OVERRUN WITH CATS.
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I JUST, WE MISS THOSE DAS CLINICS.UM, IF I CAN GET CHRISTIE TO GET OVER HER STAGE FRIGHT AND AND SPEAK, SHE CAN TELL YOU SOME REAL STORIES.
UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT ON THE FIELD.
WE, BUT OUR VOLUNTEERS CANNOT DO IT AND WE CERTAINLY CANNOT DO IT.
AND WE HEAR THAT DALLAS IS GONNA CUT THE SPAY NTER BUDGET OUT OF NEXT YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW, HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THE SR NUMBERS WORK? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ONCE THE MONEY RUNS OUT? UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME TELLING US THAT, THAT DA THEY'LL CALL IN DALLAS AND THEY SAY, WELL, JUST DON'T FEED THEM.
WELL, THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER TO JUST NOT FEED THEM.
THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE BABIES.
WHETHER YOU FEED THEM OR NOT, THEY WILL FIND SOMEWHERE.
UH, WE DON'T AGREE WITH A MILLION PEOPLE FILLING THE CATS.
WE WANT TO FIX 'EM AND WE NEED YOUR HELP.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE CHRISTIE GILES, ALSO WITH DALLAS CAT LADY.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME FOR THE RECORD.
WELL, I'M CHRISTY GILES AND I DO WORK THE STREETS A LOT.
UM, WHAT DEBORAH WAS REFERRING TO IS THAT I RECENT HAD SOME, I RECENTLY HAD SOME EXPERIENCES WHERE I MADE A WRONG TURN AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO HELP QUITE A FEW KITTIES IN THAT AREA.
IT WAS OFF OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
SOME OF YOU 7 5 2 2 0 7 5 2 2 9 7 5 2.
I FEEL LIKE I'LL NEVER GET OUT OF THAT AREA BECAUSE IT'S SO TRANSIENT.
AND, UM, I RUN INTO A LOT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO HELP ME WITH THE KITTIES.
IN FACT, THEY SOCIALIZE SO MANY KITTIES, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE HELPED ME, UM, DO THE TRAP SPAY NEUTER AND, UM, HELP ME GO INTO THE AREAS THAT ARE MOST NEEDED.
BUT OF, OF RECENT, I WAS, UM, ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, I WAS RUNNING AN ERRAND TO TAKE SOME MEDICATION TO A MAN THAT I HELPED.
AND I CAME DOWN NORTH HAVEN AND I, I SAW SOMETHING IN THE ROAD AND IT CONFIRMED MY WORST FEARS.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE DEAD KITTEN IN THE ROAD AND IT'S LITTER MATES WERE SURROUNDED IT.
AND I SAID, OH, I TURNED AROUND AND GOT THE KITTEN OUTTA THE ROAD AND SAW THAT THERE WERE OTHER KITTENS UP ON THE, THE LAWN OF THIS HOUSE.
AND ANYWAY, I CAME TO THE RESCUE, WE ENDED UP GETTING THE LITTLE FAMILY TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, I BROUGHT THEM TO MY HOME AND GOT THEM INTO A RESCUE.
BUT THE NEXT DAY, THE WOMAN OF THE HOME CALLED ME AND THEY SAID, WE REACHED OUT TO DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES SEVERAL TIMES ASKING THEM TO HELP ME, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT JUST STOP FEEDING THEM AND THEY'LL MOVE ON.
IT KIND OF REMIND YOU OF THE SCHOOL TEACHER THAT KEEPS PASSING THE KID TO GET THE PROBLEM OFF OF THEIR, THEIR PLATE AND ONTO THE NETS.
I HELPED FRANK, WHO HAS A BUSINESS OFF OF INDIAN STREET IN SATSUMA.
WE TRAPPED, WE STOPPED COUNTING AFTER 60 CATS AND FIVE SIX LITTERS OF KITTENS.
AND HE SAID, CHRISTY, THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS CAME AND THEY WERE GONNA FIND ME BECAUSE I WAS FEEDING THE CATS.
I SAID, FRANK, DID YOU TELL THEM WHAT WE'RE DOING? WE'RE WE'RE, THIS IS WHAT A, UH, ALL CAT ALLIES PROPOSES.
WE TRAP, WE FIX, WE VACCINATE, WE MANAGE THESE, THESE COLONIES.
HE SAID, WELL, THEY'RE GONNA FIND ME.
TWO WEEKS LATER THEY SHOWED UP AGAIN.
I SAID, YOU GIVE THEM MY PHONE NUMBER.
AND THAT IS TRAP SPAY, NEEDER AND THEN MANAGING THE COLONIES.
WE GET THE SICK ONES OUT, WE GET THEM SOCIALIZED ONES OUT.
ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IF ANYTHING COMES OUT THAT WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE, UH, HELP IN THE SPAY NEEDER EFFORTS, UH, MARCIA HERE, SHE GETS UP AT THREE FOUR IN THE MORNING AND GOES AND STANDS IN LINE AT TCAPS TO BE ONE OF THE 12 THAT CAN GET IN WITH OUR FERAL CATS.
DO YOU THINK WORKING PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO THEIR LITTLE KIDS ALONG AND BRING THEIR LITTLE CAT CATS TO GET FIXED? IT'S NOT EVER GONNA HAPPEN UNLESS WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PEOPLE AND THAT WE COMMUNICATE THESE PROGRAMS. I HEARD ABOUT AN SR NUMBER IN SEPTEMBER.
I THANK, WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT THAT EARLIER THAT TIME? OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE LISA DENNIS WITH KAZ IN THE CLIFF INC.
LISA, ARE YOU PRESENT? LEMME DOUBLE CHECK ONLINE.
IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT SHE'S ONLINE.
SO WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE DEBBIE RYAN INDEPENDENT AFFILIATION.
LEMME CHECK TO SEE IF SHE IS ON ONLINE.
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WE NEXT HAVE ALI ANO INDEPENDENT AFFILIATION AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.I AM A METEOROLOGIST HERE AT KDFW FOX FOUR ONE DALLAS.
I HAVE LIVED IN EAST DALLAS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
I LOVE BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT TNR TRAP NEW TO RETURN AND WHY IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR ANIMAL COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M A SCIENCE PERSON, SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS.
IN SEPTEMBER, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES TOOK IN MORE THAN 600 CATS THAT IS JUST IN THE SHELTER.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE NUMBERS IN THE FIELD.
JUST THIS MONTH ALONE, SO FAR OVER 300 CATS AND KITTENS, THERE IS A PROVEN WAY TO LOWER THE CAT AND KITTEN POPULATION AND RELIEVE THE INUNDATION THAT DAS CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT IS TNR TRAP NEUTER RETURN IS THE ONLY HUMANE AND EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO COMMUNITY AND FERAL CATS.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SHOW THAT TNR EFFECTIVELY MANAGES THE COMMUNITY.
CAT POPULATION PREVENTS OVERPOPULATION AND REDUCES THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS ANIMALS.
TNR LEADS TO FEWER UNWANTED LITTERS AND LESS SUFFERING OF ANIMALS.
SO WE HAD SOME FELLOW FOLKS, DALLAS CAT LADY.
I'VE GOTTEN TO A FOSTER WITH THEM.
UH, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TCAP AND SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
SO, ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT TCAP.
AS MENTIONED, THESE ARE KIND OF ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF DALLAS.
I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORKS A FULL-TIME JOB.
YET I AM TRAPPING IN AND AROUND MY COMMUNITY AND GETTING TO TCAP AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING IN HOPES THAT I'M ONE OF THE 12 PEOPLE THAT CAN, OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE 12 FERAL OR COMMUNITY CATS THAT CAN BE FIXED EACH DAY.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB 'CAUSE THIS IS A FULL-TIME JOB.
THE PEOPLE THAT DO THIS ON A DAILY BASIS, THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER.
AND SO FAR THIS YEAR, TCAP HAS FIXED MORE THAN 8,500 CATS WHILE SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
SO FAR ABOUT 3,300, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE STILL THOUSANDS ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THAT CONTINUE TO BREED IN NORTH TEXAS.
IT'S QUITE WARM MOST OF THE YEAR.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS ON EXACTLY WHAT ONE UNALTERED FEMALE CAN PRODUCE.
THEY TYPICALLY HAVE ABOUT THREE TO FOUR LITTERS A YEAR.
MATHEMATICAL, THERE IS AN EQUATION BASED ON ONE UNALTERED FEMALE AND ALL OF HER OFFSPRING.
HAVING ABOUT FOUR KITTENS, EACH LITTER OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD CAN RESULT IN MORE THAN 1 MILLION CATS.
I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THESE DEDICATED PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO TO TNR.
AND IT IS BEYOND IMPORTANT THAT THEY NEED HELP FROM YOU TO GET THE POPULATION UNDER CONTROL.
AS MENTIONED, NOT FEEDING THE CATS IS NOT GOING TO WORK.
I ASK IN YOUR SPARE TIME TO HEAD ON FACEBOOK.
I WANT YOU TO GO TO THE DFW FERAL CAREGIVERS GROUP ON FACEBOOK.
YOU WILL SEE DOZENS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION ASKING FOR HELP EACH AND EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ONE FERAL TO FIX.
AND THESE ARE JUST, THANK YOU IF THAT'S YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANUARY VAUGHN WITH BE THEIR VOICE RESCUE.
JANUARY, ARE YOU PRESENT IN THE ROOM OR ONLINE? DO DOUBLE CHECK ONLINE.
UH, NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER RUTHERFORD.
INDEPENDENT AFFILIATION APPEARS NOT PRESENT ON LINE EITHER.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE KELLY FURNACE WITH OPERATION KINDNESS.
AND JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY AND I'LL START YOUR TIME.
I AM THE COO FOR OPERATION KINDNESS BASED IN CARROLLTON, TEXAS.
UH, WE HAVE A MISSION OF WORKING TO CREATE A KINDER WORLD FOR PETS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM BY PROVIDING LIFESAVING CARE, INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN HELP INCREASE THE LIFESAVING EFFORTS AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS OF DALLAS COUNTY.
OUR FISCAL YEAR ENDED IN JUNE AND OUR SHELTER OPERATIONS TEAM HAS HAD A RECORD BREAKING YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE BROUGHT IN OVER 6,000 ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER ITSELF.
OVER 5,500 ADOPTIONS AND OVER 4,400 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES, ALL RECORD
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BREAKING IN OUR ALMOST 50 YEAR HISTORY.UM, OVER 80% OF THE ANIMALS THAT WE BRING INTO OUR SHELTER COME FROM PARTNERS LIKE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
UH, WE TOOK IN 1200 ANIMALS FROM DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IN OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND THAT WAS A 109% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS FISCAL.
900 OF THOSE ANIMALS WERE DOGS, WHICH IS A 242% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS FISCAL AS WELL.
WE REALLY WORKED TO MAKE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES A PRIORITY FOR US AT OPERATION KINDNESS.
NOT LONG AGO, MY COLLEAGUE MEREDITH JONES WAS HERE, OUR CHIEF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES OFFICER, WHO WAS SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR NEW LIFE-SAVING PARTNERSHIPS HUB THAT WE OPENED JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM DAS IN JUNE.
UH, FROM THAT POINT UNTIL NOW, UM, WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO EXPAND OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS AND, UH, FIND WAYS TO CREATE NEW ONES THAT HELP TO FILL THE GAPS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SINCE JULY 750 ANIMALS HAVE COME THROUGH THE HUB FOR MEDICAL BOARDING AND TRANSPORT, 303 DOGS HAVE BEEN TRANSPORTED TO SHELTERS IN NEED IN OTHER STATES.
WITH 80% OF THOSE COMING FROM DALLAS COUNTY SHELTERS THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, UH, THE HUB WILL ACTUALLY START IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY CAT SURGERY DAYS.
UH, WE'LL WORK TO SPAY NEUTER UP TO 75 CATS FOR ANY PERSON OR GROUP THAT'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE HUB SERVICES CAN REACH OUT TO CI@OPERATIONKINDNESS.ORG.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE JUST WANNA THANK, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS.
WE WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO SUPPORT DALLAS ANIMALS.
UH, AND OPERATION KINDNESS IS REALLY PROUD TO WORK ALONGSIDE OF YOU DAS AND ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS OR RESCUE GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING TO MAKE DALLAS A SAFER AND KINDER PLACE FOR PETS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM.
SO OUR LAST SPEAKER, WE HAVE TAMMY KUKLA WITH DALLAS URGENT DOGS.
OH, THAT'S THE TIME FROM OUR LAST SPEAKER.
UM, AND TAMMY, WHEN YOU ARE READY, LET ME KNOW AND I WILL START YOUR TIME.
UM, ONE I WANNA TALK ABOUT AND HOPING AS A COMMISSION AND A COMMUNITY, WE KNOW ABOUT THE VET SHORTAGE.
WE KNOW THE CHALLENGE TO GET VETS TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF IT.
I KNOW ONE OF OUR OPEN SEATS SHOULD BE A VET EVEN ON THE COMMISSION.
SO I WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW, EVEN IF WE CAN WORK WITH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS TAKING IT ON, I WILL GO TALK TO EVERY SINGLE VET IN THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST THINK WE NEED A FOCUS GROUP OR SOMETHING ON IT TO TRY TO, IN ORDER FOR US TO GET AHEAD OF SPAY NEUTER, I THINK WE NEED THE PARTNERSHIP FROM THE INDEPENDENT VETS IN THE COMMUNITY GIVING US THAT.
BUT GETTING THEM IS GONNA BE HARD.
SO THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, A SECOND QUESTION I HAD IS ON ACTUALLY ON FUNDRAISING.
AND I KNOW LISA IS ONE OF THE BEST AT THAT IN THE WORLD.
UM, IS THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT AS A COMMUNITY, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
I KNOW WHAT MOKA DID BACK WITH DCAP WAS WITH THE LUCY FUND AND EVERYTHING WAS GROUNDBREAKING AND REALLY MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
IT CAME OUTTA THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP.
SO I DON'T KNOW AS WELL HOW TO WORK WITH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR GET ONE OF THE DISTRICTS TO HELP KIND OF SPEARHEAD THAT.
HAVING MOLES GET INVOLVED WAS REALLY LIFE CHANGING.
AND I KNOW SHE'D STILL LIKE TO BE INVOLVED, BUT HOW CAN WE DO THAT? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FOCUS GROUP OR ANYTHING.
THE THIRD QUESTION I HAD WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF DAS MARKETING RELATED.
I KNOW IT'S MINUTIA, UM, ON, I KNOW IT'S PITBULL AWARENESS MONTH.
MONDAY IS NATIONAL PIT BULL AWARENESS DAY, AND IT'S ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO HELP EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, KIND OF SHOW THE SOFTER SIDE.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE CAMPAIGNS BEFORE.
AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD TO, UM, NOVEMBER, WHICH IS ADOPT A SENIOR DOG MONTH.
AND I THINK HELPING THE COMMUNITY IN SOME OF THE STUFF THAT HUMANE SOCIETY NORTH TEXAS AND SECOND CHANCES DOING WITH SENIORS AND SENIOR PETS IS, IS GOOD FOR ALL OF US.
AND THEN, UM, MY FINAL THING WAS, I TRIPPED ON IT BY MAKING A WELLNESS CHECK CALL.
UM, THAT OFFICER WILLIAMS GOES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, IT GOES IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND ACTUALLY, UM, HELPS EDUCATE PEOPLE, FAMILIES ABOUT, AND SEE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHICH JURISDICTION HE'S GONNA BE IN EACH WEDNESDAY, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN SOME MATERIALS DONATED AND WE WANNA GET MORE.
BUT I'D LOVE IN THE JURISDICTION HE'S GONNA BE IN WITH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR WHATEVER, TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF SUPPORT WHAT HE'S
[00:25:01]
DOING.'CAUSE IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND MAKES IT, AND IF WE CAN PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TOO, OF THIS IS WHERE YOUR CLOSEST FOOD BANK IS, THIS IS WHERE YOUR, YOU KNOW, WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK PAUL AND MARY FOR DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING AT OUR CALLING.
IT REALLY IS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO SPAY NEUTER THERE AS LIKE IN A PARKLAND MODEL.
WE'RE A LITTLE CLOSER, SO THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKER PORTION OF THE MEETING.
AND SO ALL THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, JUST HUGE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TODAY AND COMING IN AND, UM, CANNOT WAIT TO ADDRESS SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SEEK, UM, DOES, HAS EVERYBODY LOOKED OVER THE MINUTES? AWESOME.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES PLEASE? OR THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES, IF NOT, MOTION TO APPROVE? DO I HAVE A SECOND? AWESOME.
UM, NEXT WE ARE GONNA GO TO THE MARKETING Q AND A.
AND, AND IN HEARING FROM THE COMMISSION, I ASKED ELIZABETH AND SHE GRACIOUSLY, UH, UH, AGREED TO COME HERE TO LISTEN TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID AT THIS COMMISSION MEETING SO THAT WE KNOW BEST HOW TO SERVE DAS.
I KNOW ELIZABETH IS WORKING ON SOMETHING IN THE BACKGROUND THAT SHE CAN'T REALLY DISCUSS BECAUSE IT HASN'T GONE FORWARD.
UH, BUT, UH, SHE'S HERE TODAY TO, TO DO HER BEST TO TRY AND PUT FORTH SOME TYPE OF MESSAGE, UH, RELATIVE TO OUR PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING BACK AND FORTH DIALOGUE AS I'VE TOLD YOU ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO SEE.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET ELIZABETH SPEAK.
UH, MADAM COMMISSIONER AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR RATHER.
I AM THE, UM, CHIEF OF STRATEGY, ENGAGEMENT AND ALIGNMENT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED, UH, FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, I LEFT TO GO INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND CAME BACK.
MY BACKGROUND IS IN, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
AND SO I DO PROVIDE EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT, UH, TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS, UM, TEAM.
AND AS PAUL MENTIONED, WE ARE UNDERGOING A CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS RESTRUCTURING.
UM, AS THOUGH PREVIOUSLY THE CITY, UM, HAD BEEN IN A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DEPARTMENTS WERE KIND OF DOING THEIR OWN THING, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT IF YOU THINK OF A BRAND LIKE APPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEY HAVE THEIR PRODUCTS, AIRPODS, IPADS, ET CETERA.
AND SO BECAUSE THERE IS A CITYWIDE BRANDING, UM, STRATEGY AND CITYWIDE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY, UH, I'M SORRY, COMPANY-WIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT APPLE, THEY'RE BETTER ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, THOSE BRANDS THAT DO FALL UNDER THAT BRAND.
AND SO WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CITY, I RECOGNIZED, UH, THROUGH INTERIM CITY, UH, MANAGER BERT'S CONVERSATIONS AND I THAT WE HAD, UH, WAS THAT COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT SHOULD BE ONE OF HER TOP, UH, PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS.
IT DURING HER A HUNDRED DAY TRANSITION.
AND SO SHE CHARGED ME, UH, WITH, WITH THAT.
AND SO OVER THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS OF HER TRANSITION, UM, WE MADE THE DECISION TO NOT ONLY MOVE 3 1 1 UNDER MY EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT, BUT ALSO PUT IT INTO COMMUNICATION.
SO NOW WE HAVE REBRANDED AS COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE 3 1 1, BECAUSE WE FEEL AS THOUGH THERE SHOULD BE ONE FRONT DOOR, UM, AT THE CITY, ONE COHESIVE MESSAGE, BUT THAT IT'S ALSO TAILORED TO OUR DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT THEY ARE, UM, FOCUSING ON.
AND I KNOW WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, UM, THEIR BRAND AWARENESS IS AROUND SAVING LIVES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR ANIMALS ARE PROTECTED AND THAT THEY ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY, UM, AND INTEGRITY.
AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALIZED, AGAIN, I'LL JUST USE THE WORD OPPORTUNITY, IS THAT, UH, UM, THERE WAS A, A TRUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENHANCE THE ABILITY TO KIM, UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
TOVER LIKES TO SAY CONNECT, UH, COLLABORATE AND COMMUNICATE.
AND WE JUST WEREN'T DOING THAT WELL AS A CITY.
AND SO WE WERE GETTING PIECEMEALED INFORMATION, AND I'LL JUST USE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO REAL GUIDANCE, UM, FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS.
WE SORT OF LEFT OUR DEPARTMENTS UP TO THEIR OWN DEVICES TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AND I, I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER SED AND I SHARE A DEEP PASSION FOR COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR
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BACKGROUNDS, UH, OUR MUTUAL REPORTING BACKGROUNDS AND COMMUNICATIONS BACKGROUNDS.AND I THINK THAT IF YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF BACKGROUND, YOU SHOULD LET THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS DO WHAT THEY'RE BEST AT BEING THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, AND IN THIS CASE SAVING LIVES.
AND WE JUST WEREN'T PROVIDING THE NECESSARY SUPPORT THAT WE NEEDED TO SU TO PROVIDE FOR DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO CURRENTLY THE CITY IS GOING UNDER A A BRAND IDENTITY REFRESH.
WE ARE ROLLING OUT A NEW COMMUNICATIONS CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY.
I WILL, I WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH YOU ALL.
WE ARE MEETING WITH COUNCIL ONE-ON-ONE, AND WE'LL BE BRIEFING COUNCIL.
SO I DON'T WANNA REALLY GET AHEAD OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WHILE WE'RE ROLLING THAT OUT, WE ARE PROACTIVELY WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT WE KNOW ARE MORE PUBLIC FACING TO PROVIDE GREATER SUPPORT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, I'LL JUST USE IT BECAUSE WE'RE IN THIS, UM, MEETING, THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE CAMPAIGNS THAT THEY WANT TO ROLL OUT AROUND SAVING LIVES, RIGHT? WELL, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT MARKETING VERSUS BRAND AWARENESS, RIGHT? BRAND AWARENESS IS RAISING A PROFILE OF A BRAND, MARKETING IS TAKING AN INITIATIVE, AND HOW DO WE TAKE THAT INITIATIVE AND AMPLIFY THE INITIATIVE TO ACTUALLY GET TANGIBLE RESULTS? AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS UNDERGOING, UM, A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE NEEDING MORE MARKETING SUPPORT, SUCH AS DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, AND ACTUALLY ASKING THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW NEED TO BE ASKED BEFORE THEY ROLL OUT SOMETHING, RIGHT? LIKE, WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? I HAVE FOUND, AND I AGAIN, TRANSPARENCY, UM, IS IS MY NUMBER ONE THING.
AND IT'S, UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER'S NUMBER ONE THING.
UM, WE REALLY DON'T DO THE BEST JOB OF TRACKING OUR SUCCESS.
WE DON'T DO THE BEST JOB OF SETTING THE RIGHT METRICS.
I'LL, I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
WE LOOK AT HOW MANY, UM, ENGAGEMENTS HAVE WE GONE TO AND HOW MANY PAMPHLETS HAVE WE SET SENT OUT? THAT'S NOT AN EFFECTIVE METRIC FOR SUCCESS, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN OUR CITYWIDE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IS REALLY HELPING OUR DEPARTMENTS UNDERSTAND HOW DO WE DEFINE SUCCESS? IF SAVING LIVES IS YOUR GOAL, WHAT ARE WE DOING THROUGH YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT TO HELP CREATE AN, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEFINE THOSE METRICS AND ACTUALLY MEASURE THEM, RIGHT? SO RIGHT NOW, JUST AGAIN, TO BE TRANSPARENT, WE ARE IN TRIAGE MODE AS A CITY.
WE ARE, WE ARE BEING RESPONSIVE, BUT NOT PROACTIVE NECESSARILY.
NOW, AS A COMMUNICATIONS, UM, FROM A COMMUNICATIONS STANDPOINT, UM, OUR MANDATE IN, FROM ME AND FROM THE CITY MANAGER IS THAT ANYTIME WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE THAT COULD BE CONTROVERSIAL, EVEN IF IT'S NOT OR NOT GOING TO MAKE THE, THE NEWS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE PROACTIVELY, UM, WE PROACTIVELY ALERT COUNCIL.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO NOT BE TRANSPARENT.
WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE WHAT IS, UM, ACTUALLY FUELING THIS ORGANIZATION OUR TAX BASE.
AND SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT ELEVATE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY, UM, THAT, UH, THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
RIGHT? AND SO WE ACTUALLY, PAUL AND I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME SHARING THIS ABOUT A RECENT, UM, ISSUE THAT IT REALLY WASN'T AN ANIMAL SERVICES ISSUE, AND IT'S BEING INVESTIGATED BY ONE OF OUR, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
AND SO HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT? DO WE JUST GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND START HAVING THESE BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATIONS? OR DO WE LOOK AT THIS IN A LARGER PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE'RE MARKETING THE ORGANIZATION? I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE GETTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BACK AND FORTH THING WITH PEOPLE.
IT'S ABOUT RAISING THE BRAND AWARENESS AND HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS ONE MESSAGE FOR THIS PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT THAT IS A CITY OF DALLAS SUB-BRAND, WHICH IS THEIR GOAL IS TO SAVE LIVES.
JUST LIKE THE DALLAS WATER UTILITIES, THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THE WATER IS TURNED ON AND THAT THE WATER IS CLEAN.
THAT BEING SAID, WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, AND NOT EVERYBODY LOVES IT, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS, UM, HAVE SORT OF FELT LIKE, WELL, WE GET TO DO OUR OWN THING.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT COMING BACK UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.
WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS THEY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY
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ONE OF OUR CHAMPIONS SAYING, YES, WE DO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, UM, STRATEGY SO THAT WE HAVE ONE FRONT DOOR.AND OUR MESSAGING IS SUCCINCT BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY TALKING ON BEHALF OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, WHICH THEY CAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE AMBASSADORS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SHARING THE, WE'RE SAVING LIVES MESSAGE VERSUS WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT TEAMS ACROSS THE CITY THAT GO OUT AND THEY SHARE INFORMATION, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND A LOT OF OUR DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATE, BUT WHERE WE'RE GETTING TO AND WE WANT TO GET TO IS A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVE ONE MESSAGE.
WE ARE HERE TO BE PROACTIVE, RESPONSIVE, TRANSPARENT, AND ACCOUNTABLE SO THAT WE CAN BUILD TRUST.
AND I WISH THAT I COULD PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH SOME REALLY GRANULAR INFORMATION, BUT LIKE I SAID, I JUST DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF COUNCIL BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO BRIEF THEM.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANNA MEET WITH ME INDIVIDUALLY, UM, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO DO, AND I WANNA SAY THIS ON THE RECORD, UM, SOME STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK WITH YOU ALL AS WE ARE ROLLING IT OUT.
WE'RE DOING THAT WITH OUR SENIORS, WE'VE DONE IT WITH OUR YOUTH.
WE'VE UNDERGONE A NUMBER OF SURVEYS.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BUILDING OUT EVEN AN INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK AT THE CITY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HELP OUR CITY OF DALLAS TEAM MEMBERS BE OUR AMBASSADORS.
BUT I WOULD WELCOME, UM, YOU ALL TO REACH OUT, UM, THROUGH PAUL AND HAPPY TO COORDINATE, UM, POST THIS MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT, I, I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE COULD DO IT, YOU KNOW, IN PIECES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU GUYS, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS IT, AS IT RELATES TO OUR MAP, UM, AND, AND HOW WE'RE DOING THIS.
BUT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY ROLLING THIS OUT LIKE ON MONDAY.
AND SO I WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO MY OWN COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, UM, AND OUR 3 1 1, UM, AND NOT GET AHEAD OF THEM EITHER BECAUSE THEY ARE MY PRIMARY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MY FOLKS AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THIS STRATEGICALLY AND METHODICALLY AND NOT JUST SHOOTING FROM THE HIP, IF YOU WILL.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND PLE, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T GO INTO DETAILS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS, UM, AS YOU WANT.
AND IF I CAN'T ANSWER THEM, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT, UM, OFFLINE.
SO, BECAUSE OF QUORUM ISSUES, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS WHILE WE'RE HERE AND JUST DO THE REGULAR FIVE MINUTES.
DO I NEED TO DO A MOTION OR ANYTHING? UH, NO, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THAT.
YOU'LL JUST RECOGNIZE ANY, UM, COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO.
UM, THIS INITIAL ROUND WILL BE FIVE MINUTES, AND THEN IF WE WANT A SECOND ROUND, WE CAN PROCEED FOR A SECOND ROUND OF THREE MINUTES.
AND IF, UM, IF IT'S OKAY, I USUALLY GO LAST, BUT TODAY I'M GONNA GO FIRST.
SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, MS. SAB, I'M GONNA START YOUR TIME.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
I KNOW SO MANY OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE SO EXCITED YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES, A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING PR WILL ALWAYS FALL ON PAUL AND MARY, AND THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB, RIGHT? SO THIS IS SO EXCITING.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS.
I WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOU WITHOUT BREAKING QUORUM, BUT ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS REALLY WERE IN UNISON ON THE B DALLAS 90.
AND HOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST ISN'T HITTING ITS MARK.
WE THINK IT'S DATED AND IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHAT DAS IS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT DALLAS CANNOT TURN AWAY AN ANIMAL, RIGHT? WE ARE THE ONLY OPEN FACILITY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, ALSO WITH RESPECT TO 3 1 1 COMING UNDER YOU, I I CANNOT STRESS HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION, RIGHT? NOT EVERYTHING ON FACEBOOK IS TRUE.
AND SO PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, I CALLED AND I SAID THIS AND THIS, AND I THINK THERE'S SOMETIMES CONFUSION WITHIN 3 1 1 THAT LEADS TO NEGATIVITY ON DAS WHEN IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DAS.
SO AGAIN, UM, I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER SIDE, I'M SO GLAD YOU REQUESTED THAT COMMS COME TO THE MEETING AND WE'RE SO EXCITED YOU'RE HERE.
AND, UM, LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPLEMENT THEM.
UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE A TON OF CELEBRITIES IN DALLAS THAT WE'D LOVE TO COME TO THE SHELTER AND GET THE WORD OUT THERE.
UM, AND SO WE, WE WANNA HELP WITH ALL THOSE ASPECTS.
THAT'S WHAT I FEEL LIKE OUR COMMISSIONERS CAN DO TO SUPPORT THIS AMAZING SHELTER.
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MUCH.I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU.
DOES ANYBODY, UM, LET'S START IN THE HORSESHOE.
WHY DON'T WE START WITH COMMISSIONER SAYED? LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY, COMMISSIONER.
COULD YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SUPPORT THE CITY HAS POTENTIALLY PROVIDED DAS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS EVEN? YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AROUND THEIR COMMUNICATIONS.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE GOING THROUGH A CITYWIDE REORG, AND I'VE JUST BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE END OF MAY.
AND SO NEED TO KIND OF GET SOME WRAPAROUND MY HEAD AROUND, UM, WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE COMMUNICATIONS, WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ON RESPONDING TO, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE STILL IN SORT OF A REORG MODE.
SO WE'RE NOT BEING, WE'RE NOT ABLE YET TO GET OUT AHEAD OF ACTUAL CREATING MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, ET CETERA.
BUT WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM.
AND WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES, UM, WE STEP IN.
I MEAN, I WILL TELL YOU ON A WEEKEND, THERE WAS A, SORRY, I'M LIMITED ON TIME.
UM, WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA SHARE AN EXAMPLE.
UM, ON THAT POINT, BECAUSE THERE'S A RESTRUCTURE GOING ON FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, MY CONCERN IS THAT DIS WILL BE LOST IN THE MIX.
UM, BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS NOW THAT HAVE GONE BY.
WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT, WE HAVE LOST, UM, ANOTHER MARKETING PERSON TO THE SPCA.
AND SO FOR ME PERSONALLY, LIVES ARE ON THE LINE AND WE ARE NOT MARKETING OR COMMUNICATING ENOUGH.
AND SO I RESPECT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A STRATEGY GOING ON FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
HOWEVER, IS THERE NOT ANY LOW HANGING FRUIT FOR THE CONS DEPARTMENT TO START A MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO HELP DAS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO HELP WITH RESPONDING, TO HELP WITH TAKING PHOTOS, GETTING VIDEOS DONE.
WE HAVE ONE PART-TIME EMPLOYEE WHO IS SUPPORTING COMMS EFFORTS, POTENTIALLY MORE, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND IT'S A LOT, IT'S A HEAVY LIFT.
AND WE HAVE NOW ALLOCATED OUR FUNDS TO THE CITY'S COMMS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO FOR ME AS A COMMISSIONER, I WANT TO SEE RESULTS FROM THAT.
I WANT TO SEE SOMEONE, IT'S DEDICATED TO DAS WHO'S NOT WAITING FOR A CITY PLAN TO BE COMPLETED, AND GOD KNOWS WHAT TIME AND LIKE, THINGS NEED TO START MOVING.
SO I THINK FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR EVEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE CONS DEPARTMENT WHO HAS THE TIME TO EITHER MEET WITH US OR EVEN LOOK AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE'S SO MANY NOTES THAT CAN BE TAKEN FROM THAT.
BUT CAT SPECIALISTS, CAT ADVOCATES, WE HAVE DOG ADVOCATES.
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE SO PASSIONATE.
AND, UM, FOR US, TIME IS JUST OF THE ESSENCE.
AND IT'S, FOR US, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'M NOT SEEING A SENSE OF URGENCY FROM THE CITY.
AND SO WITH THOSE REALLOCATION OF FUNDS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING COMING OUT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT THAT IS IN SOME WAY SUPPORTING DAS.
AND I DON'T CARE IF THAT'S EVEN JUST TAKING PHOTOS, BUT SOMETHING WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
SO IF THAT CAN BE DONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, THERE'S A MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE, UM, FOR DAS AND I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME SUPPORT ON THAT.
UM, THE INFLUENCER MARKETING PIECE, THAT'S HUGE.
I THINK THAT SOME OF THE BIGGEST PIECES FOR, FOR US, UM, ARE THE FOSTERING PROGRAM, VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, ADOPTING PROGRAM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS NEEDS TO BE IN A CONCERTED EFFORT WHERE THERE'S STRATEGY BEHIND IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, STEPHANIE'S DOING SO MUCH AMAZING STUFF AND LIKE WE HAVE, WE'RE REALLY AMAZING CHAMPIONS.
I JUST WANNA SEE MORE, UM, I THINK I'M GONNA WAIT UNTIL SECOND ROUND TO CONTINUE.
MADAM CHAIR, MAY I RESPOND TO THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND? UM, AM I ALLOWED TO DO THAT? IF THAT'S OKAY? 'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE POINTS THAT SHE MADE.
WE ACTUALLY ARE PROACTIVELY WORKING, UH, WITH THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, UM, TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.
THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO US AND EVERY TIME THEY REACH OUT TO US, UM, AND WANT TO WORK THROUGH SOMETHING, UM, AND DEVELOP A MARKETING PLAN, WE ARE MORE THAN RESPONSIVE.
AND AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE'RE ALLOCATING RESOURCES AT THE CITY, WE ARE CREATING A CITYWIDE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.
BUT EACH OF, AND THIS IS, I I'M JUST GONNA GO ON THE RECORD.
OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT I DO FEEL IT'S NECESSARY TO GO ON THE RECORD TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS.
SO WE AS THE CITY HAVE REORGANIZED OUR ENTIRE, OUR ENTIRE, UM, STRUCTURE TO DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE RELATED TO SYNERGY
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WITH NATURAL ATTRIBUTES.SO THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES FALLS UNDER THE LIVABLE PORTFOLIO, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES, UM, SANITATION, ET CETERA.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST THAT ACTUALLY HAS COMMUNICATIONS BACKGROUND IN, UM, OVER THAT PORTFOLIO THAT IS GOING TO WORK WITH EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA GO ON THE RECORD TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS.
UM, WE ARE CREATING A STANDARDIZED CITYWIDE TOOLKIT THAT CAN BE TAILORED FOR EACH DEPARTMENT AS IT RELATES TO THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDERGOING THIS RIGHT NOW, CREATING A FULL TOOLKIT, DEVELOPING ASSETS, AN ASSET LIBRARY WHERE EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT IS PAYING FOR A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST HAS ACCESS TO THAT.
WE AS A CITY, ARE ALSO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE CITYWIDE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE TAILORED TO FORWARD FACING DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM CURRENTLY.
I CAN PERSONALLY TELL YOU MYSELF, AND I'M NOT IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, I OVERSEE IT.
I'VE WORKED WITH MARY ON THE WEEKENDS TO GET SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS OUT ABOUT THE FIRE THAT HAPPENED AT THE DALLAS, NEAR THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICE.
SO, SO I'M ACTUALLY PERSONALLY INVESTED IN THIS MYSELF AND, AND SPENDING MY WEEKENDS, UH, WORKING WITH HIS TEAM WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARISE.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN A REACTIVE MODE.
WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME AND WE'VE BEEN IN A REACTIVE MODE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVELY AND PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATING, UM, WITH THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND PAUL DIRECTLY, AND MARY, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND WE ARE PROVIDING THEM THE SUPPORT.
CURRENTLY, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO ROLL OUT A MARKETING CAMPAIGN? NO, WE HAVE NOT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO UNDERGOING SORT OF THE EVALUATION AROUND, UM, YOU GUYS MENTIONED V DALLAS 90, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
WE'RE, WE'RE UNDERGOING MEETING WITH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS AROUND WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TO MARKET? BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY AT THE CITY, WE HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
WE HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB OF ACTUALLY KNOWING WHAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING.
AND IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, THEN THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN HELP THEM.
AND SO I AM PERSONALLY MEETING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT, AND WE MET WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AGAIN, UM, A, A MONTH AGO.
AND SO I AM DOING THIS MYSELF.
I AM NOT THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS.
I AM THE CHIEF OF STRATEGY, ENGAGEMENT AND ALIGNMENT, RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND EXECUTING ON CITYWIDE STRATEGIES.
AND I AM PERSONALLY UNDERTAKING THIS, UM, AS MY INITIATIVE BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS IS ABLE TO ELEVATE FORWARD FACING, UM, FORWARD FACING INITIATIVES.
I DON'T, MY, MY SISTER PASSED AWAY LATE LAST SUMMER.
SO I UNIQUELY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, AND I CAN APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS AND I AM, UH, HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
I'M, I'M COMING TODAY AND SAYING, HEY, LOOK, I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MY COUNSEL AND READY TO COME HERE AND GET IN GRANULAR DETAIL WITH YOU ALL ON THE RECORD.
AND I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
I DIDN'T SEND MY DIRECTOR, I CAME.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS AND I'VE TAKEN, UM, NOTES ON THE FOSTERING PROGRAM AND, UM, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, THE DIRECTOR ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT IMMEDIATELY NEEDS TO BE, UH, ELEVATED IN A MARKETING, UH, PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO WE CAN GET THAT OUT THERE NOW.
I'M HAPPY TO DO IT EVEN BEFORE WE ROLL OUT OUR COMM STRATEGY.
YEAH, AND COMMISSIONER SANDERS, I'M GONNA START YOUR TIME.
UM, MY HEART IS GREAT IN YOUR BACK,
AND, UM, I KNOW WE ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA FIRST SAY IS, UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING BECAUSE IT'S, UH, HARD TO FACE.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MARKETING FOR A LONG TIME AND, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT TO UNPACK ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID THERE SPECIFICALLY.
SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I
[00:50:01]
WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY.UM, I HAVE A MARKETING BACKGROUND AND, UM,
UM, THE, THE STRATEGY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE OVERALL STRATEGY IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
BUT THIS AGENCY WORKS 24 7, NOT JUST ON THE WEEKENDS, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP SINGULARLY, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE NEED THAN THAT.
UM, WE NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DALLAS'S NORMAL SERVICES DOES EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEKEND, EVERY, AND, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A FIRE.
I MEAN, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, BUT WE NEED WAY MORE THAN THAT.
WE NEED MORE THAN A STRATEGIC THING.
THERE'S A CRISIS CONSTANTLY, AND WE NEED THE STRATEGY, BUT WE ALSO NEED THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE THE CITY OF DALLAS TO STEP UP AND HELP DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES BECAUSE IT
UM, AND GOSH, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE A DOG, BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE SAVING CATS AT FOUR IN THE MORNING, NOT THEIR OWN CATS, OTHER PEOPLE'S CATS, BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO HELP THEM.
UM, OUR MANAGEMENT, OUR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OF DAS HAS DOG THAT THEY'RE WELLBEING MOMS WITH HOMELESS DOGS IN THEIR, IN THEIR HOUSE.
THEY BUILT SPECIAL ROOMS. SO THE FACT THAT YOU HELP US ON THE WEEKENDS, I MEAN, I, SO, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA GET LIKE ANGRY OR MAD, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS DESERVES MORE ALS AND THE PEOPLE AND THE PET OF DALLAS
UM, AND I WELCOME YOUR HELP AND, UM, ANYBODY ELSE'S EYE WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO SAY SORRY.
AND WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR HELP.
I MEAN, WE ARE ALL ABOUT COLLABORATING AND WHEN I SAID I WORKED ON THE WEEKENDS, I DON'T MEAN, HEY, I'M SO GREAT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT WE ARE UNDERGOING A CITYWIDE RESTRUCTURING AND WE NEED MORE STAFF AND WE'VE ALLOCATED FOR THAT AND WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO DOING THIS.
I MEAN, I'M COMING HERE BEFORE I WENT TO MY COUNCIL.
SO IT, I HOPE THAT IT SHOWS HOW DEDICATED WE ARE AS A CITY TO ELEVATE THAT.
I DON'T, I-I-I-I-I GENUINELY MEAN THAT I UNDERSTAND UNIQUELY, UM, BECAUSE I'VE SPENT TIME WITH, UM, THE DIRECTOR AND I HAVE NOT SPENT TIME AT THE ACTUAL BUILDING, BUT I CAN, I I JUST MADE A NOTE THAT I WANNA DO A DROP-IN, SPEND A COUPLE OF DAYS THERE BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE.
SO I, I I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONVEY THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS AND YOUR COMMENTS.
AGAIN, I, I'LL I CAN ONLY SAY HOLD.
CHAIR, CAN YOU RECOGNIZE FOR THE RECORD YEAH.
COMMISSIONER
UM, I GUESS WE HAD A LOT OF MARKETING AND PR PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS LIKE, NOT PROBABLY
SO I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET THINGS DONE IN THE CITY, AND I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE BIG STRATEGY, BUT I AGREE 100% WITH KAREN.
THIS IS SO MUCH I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME TO DO.
I MEAN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO STRATEGY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE JUMPING IN THERE.
I MEAN, ARE WE GONNA HAVE, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER THERE DOING THE PHOTOGRAPHY? UM, AND THERE'S GONNA BE AN ASSIGNED PERSON, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
SO YOU ARE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S ASSIGNED TO DIS ARE THEY GONNA BE OVER THERE ONE DAY A WEEK? 'CAUSE YOU'VE GOTTA GET A FEEL FOR THAT PLACE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IF YOU ARE OVER HERE IN CITY HALL, LIKE I SAID, I WORKED AT CITY HALL, YOU'RE OVER HERE.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OUT IN THE FIELD.
THEN I, I THINK YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO GO DOWN THERE AND YOU'VE GOTTA WALK THROUGH ALL THOSE KENNELS AND YOU'VE GOTTA SEE THOSE DOGS AND KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'VE GOTTA BE TAKING CARE OF WHAT THE, THE LIVES YOU'VE GOTTA BE SAVING.
WE NEED PHOTOGRAPHERS, WE NEED VIDEOGRAPHERS, WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE HANDS ON AND HEAR THESE STORIES.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA BE THERE TO HEAR THE STORIES BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE JUST HEARING ABOUT SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC AND YOU PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE.
I'VE DONE THIS, I'VE DONE IT FOR CORPORATE, I'VE DONE IT FOR NONPROFITS.
I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE GOT TO BE OVER THERE.
AND I REALLY RECOMMEND THAT THE PERSON, WHOEVER IS ASSIGNED TO DAS, THEY WILL NOT HAVE, IT WON'T BE ONLY DASI UNDERSTAND.
SO THEY MIGHT ALSO HAVE LIKE, IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GONNA BE ROLLED UNDER THIS TOO? WELL, UM, MAY I ASK A MAY POINT, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
I'M SURE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION.
DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES HAS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING SOMEONE IN THEIR STAFF ALREADY PART-TIME EMPLOYEE THAT'S DOING THAT.
THAT, THAT IS NOT WHAT WAS COMMUNICATED
[00:55:01]
TO ME, THAT THEY WERE PART-TIME.SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT INTERNALLY.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE VIDEO AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, WE ARE BUILDING A VIDEO ASSET LIBRARY.
SO WE WILL BE DEPLOYING PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY GO INTO OUR DEPARTMENTS AND GO IN THERE AND, AND CREATE THOSE ASSETS FOR OUR TEAMS TO BE ABLE TO USE AND MARKET.
AND SO YOU TALK ABOUT STRATEGY, LIKE I SAID, WE THE QUOTE SAVE LIVES, THAT'S BRAND AWARENESS, RIGHT? SO WE ARE WORKING ON THE ACTUAL BRAND AWARENESS, BUT IN TERMS OF AN ACTUAL MARKETING STRATEGY, WHICH I HOPE YOU ALL CAN APPRECIATE WITH YOUR BACKGROUND.
IF, IF WE HAVE A SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANNA QUOTE MARKET, WE CAN DO THAT NOW.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT, AND THAT WOULD BE A REQUEST FROM PAUL.
IS THAT HOW THAT GOES? THAT HOW, I MEAN, THAT'S AN INTERNAL, THAT'S INTERNAL.
SO IF THERE'S A CAMPAIGN THAT YOU ALL ARE WANTING TO CREATE OR ELEVATE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S WAITING UNTIL, OH, WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT THIS STRATEGY.
THAT'S A, WHAT IS IT? WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EMAILS TRYING TO KIND OF GET OUR TEAM TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE GOAL? WHO IS THE AUDIENCE? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH A QUOTE MARKETING CAMPAIGN? THE BRAND AWARENESS, WHICH IS THE, WE SAVE LIVES FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS PART OF THEIR QUOTE, SUB-BRANDING OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A BRAND REFRESH RIGHT NOW.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE IDEAS FOR, I MEAN, WE CAN'T DO A HUNDRED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS IN A WEEK BECAUSE WE DO HAVE 32 OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ALSO HAVE INITIATIVES THAT NEED TO BE ELEVATED TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH, UM, WE'RE ABOUT TO START WORKING WITH, UM, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY TO DO A YEAR LONG CITYWIDE, UM, CLEANUP, DALLAS LITTER CAMPAIGN BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE TOUCH IT.
SO WE'RE UN THAT'S UNDERWAY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SAVE LIVES, BY ALL MEANS, WE ARE READY AND WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP.
SO THAT'S NOT A, BUT CAN I JUST ASK ONE MORE? YES, MA'AM.
SO DAS IS ONE PART-TIME EMPLOYEE WILL STILL WILL BE, AND STEPHANIE, WHO WORKS PRETTY MUCH FULL-TIME AS A VOLUNTEER AT THE SHELTER, TAKING VIDEOS AND, AND PHOTOS, THEY'LL BE THE ONES THAT ARE BASICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY.
LET'S GET OUT THESE DOGS BECAUSE THE, THE THE, YOU GUYS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPLY SOMEBODY.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA BE DOING ALL THE BIG PICTURE, BUT NOT LIKE, OH, IS THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED IN DAY TO DAY OF LIKE, LET'S GET OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THESE DOGS.
SO LET ME JUST BE REAL QUICK, COMMISSIONER, LET ME JUST BECAUSE THERE IS, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IS UNTRUE.
IT, I'M GONNA LET MARY SPEAK OR PAUL ON THAT.
WE, WE LOST OUR FULL-TIME PERSON RECENTLY, BUT WE ARE, IT'S NOW POSTED IN, WE ALL WILL BE FILLING IT.
SO IT'S ONE KIND OF ONE IN THREE QUARTERS PEOPLE.
WHICH DOESN'T MEAN WE STILL DON'T NEED HELP.
SO THERE IS SOMEBODY COMING ON.
I WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT UNDER THE CITYWIDE RE-IMAGINING THE CITY.
WE'RE NOT TAKING AWAY COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR DEPARTMENTS, DEPARTMENTS ARE OVER THEIR OWN BUDGET.
I HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHO CUT WHAT OR WHO DID WHAT WE, WE ARE DOING THIS SORT OF OVERALL, BUT EACH DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN BUDGET.
SO THEY HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS COMING, AS MARY MENTIONED, NOT COME SOMEONE, BUT THEY'RE POSTING, UM, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LOSE ALL OF THEIR COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE.
SO WE ARE PROVIDING THE SUPPORT, BUT THERE IS SOMEBODY DEDICATED TO DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND JUST TO ELEVATE THAT BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHOOTING VIDEO, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
WE ARE CREATING THOSE ASSETS THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS.
SO THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE ASSETS.
THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS TO A TOOLKIT, THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THE SUPPORT, UM, FOR OVERALL MARKETING.
BUT THEY DO STILL HAVE A FULL-TIME POSITION FOR THAT.
AND THAT WAS YOUR TIME, COMMISSIONER FAULKNER, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO A SECOND ROUND.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER CASEY.
UH, COMMISSIONER CASEY, IF YOU'RE READY, I'LL START YOUR TIME.
SO, UM, WE DID LOSE OUR PIO POSITION.
THAT IS THE ONE THAT WAS ASSUMED BY THE CITY.
UM, PIO FOR ANYONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW IS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.
THIS WAS THE HEAD PR PERSON AT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND THAT POSITION IS NOW IN THIS DEPARTMENT HERE.
AND WHAT THAT PERSON DID WAS, UM, I THINK THAT WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHEN YOU SAY URINE TRIAGE, DAS IS IN TRIAGE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
[01:00:01]
SO IF YOU GUYS COME AND FILM A VIDEO TO PROMOTE LIFESAVING AND THREE WEEKS, YOU MIGHT BE SHOWING A VIDEO WITH ANIMALS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD OUTCOMES BY ADOPTION OR EUTHANASIA OR GONE TO A RESCUE, ET CETERA.WHAT THE PIO OFFICER DID TRADITIONALLY, EDAS IS THEY ARE ON THE GROUND.
SO JUST BY NOT HAVING A PIO OFFICER OR THIS NEW DEPARTMENT BEING THE PIO, SO OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MISSED, UM, JUST PRESS RELEASES, FOR EXAMPLE.
PAUL'S OFFICIAL APPOINTMENT WAS NEVER ANNOUNCED.
UM, VACATIONS ARE A HUGE DEAL AND REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
THAT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A, A PRESS RELEASE.
THERE'S A HUGE CAMPAIGN STARTING AN ASSOCIATION WITH, UH, HUMANE SOCIETY OF NORTH TEXAS, SPCA, SOME OF THE OTHER ORGS ABOUT FIXING BULLY BREEDS THAT STARTS NOVEMBER AND GOES THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER.
UM, ALL OF THE SUPPORT, THERE'S THE, THE, THAT'S JUST A TINY MINOR BIT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON CONSTANTLY AND PEOPLE ARE WORKING 24 7, UM, TO HELP PLACE ANIMALS.
SO WITHOUT HAVING SOMEONE ON THE GROUND, UH, WE DID LOSE THAT.
THE PO PIO OFFICER WOULD'VE BEEN THE PERSON TO BE THE FACE ON THE NEWS TO ISSUE THESE PRESS RELEASES, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO THAT IT WAS THAT DAILY JUST CAPTURING INFORMATION, RESPONDING TO THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, THINGS ARE SO TIMELY THAT OFTEN GOING THROUGH EVEN THE CITY DEPARTMENT, IF YOU GUYS ARE JUST DONE HERE AND THERE ISN'T SOMEONE ON SITE THAT NEED IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT.
NO PRESS RELEASES AND CAMPAIGNS.
SO I, I THINK THAT WHAT EVERYONE EX EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION WITH IS NOW THAT THAT POSITION IS GONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UM, DOING LONG-TERM THOUGHT OUT CAMPAIGNS IS NOT GONNA BE MUCH OF THE HELP THAT WE NEED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY KIND OF WANTS TO HEAR OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ON THE GROUND, SUPPORT PEOPLE THAT REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, OR ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH LEADERSHIP ON AN EXTREMELY REGULAR BASIS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DAY TO DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UH, 24 HOURS A DAY, IF THEY SAID THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT DAS AND THE SUPPORT, WE NEED TO, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHAT TO DO, TO KNOW HOW DAS CAN HELP 'EM.
I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING TOO THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET INVOLVED, PEOPLE THINK A LOT OF TIMES THE SBCA IS THE DALLAS SHELTER 'CAUSE THAT'S A KNOWN NAME OF AN ORGANIZATION.
SO THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS THE CITY ANIMAL SHELTER AND IT'S SERVICES THAT IT PROVIDES.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT, WE HAVE LOST A SIGNIFICANT POSITION BY THE PIO GOING INTO THE CITY FOLD AND BEING COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE FACILITY.
AND, UH, EVERYBODY WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE MORE HELP THERE, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE POSTING, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PART OF SUPPORTING WHO THEY HIRE BECAUSE THE PERSON THAT IS THE COMMUNICATIONS PERSON FOR THEM SHOULD BE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL.
AND SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT THEY ABSORB THAT WE ABSORBED THE PIO POSITION, WE DID NOT, WE DID NOT TAKE THEIR MONEY.
WE DID NOT TAKE THEIR MONEY TO HIRE A POSITION FOR US.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, WERE, WOULD HIRE CROSS TRAINING, WHICH IS WHY WE WANNA SUPPORT OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE VACANCIES TO HELP THEM HIRE COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO FUNCTION IN THAT ROLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? YEAH.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE ARE NOT ON THE GROUND EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, AND, BUT WE ARE ACTIVELY GOING TO CREATE THAT ASSET LIBRARY WHERE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE THREE WEEKS LATER, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE ASSET LIBRARY IS GONNA BE.
WE ARE ACTUALLY RESTRUCTURING THE ENTIRE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO CREATE MORE ASSETS THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE, MORE STANDARDIZED TOOLKITS, ET CETERA.
SO THAT FOR THE MARKETING STUFF THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE FOLKS IN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ARE NOT FOCUSING ON, WELL, HOW DO I DO GRAPHICS? HOW DO I DO THIS? HOW DO I DO THIS? AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE ON THE GROUND DAY TO DAY DOING THAT CRISIS RESPONSE THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF THE PIO, ET CETERA.
SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT OUR NEW STRUCTURE, UM, IS ACTUALLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN COMMUNICATIONS.
AND SO NOW WE ARE ACTUALLY BREAKING IT UP.
AND MY TEAM DOES NOT KNOW THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M TELLING YOU ALL SOMETHING THAT I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MY TEAM, UH, BUT YOU ALL ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY CREATING FUNCTIONS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO ASSET DEVELOPMENT, TO INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, TO EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE BUILDING A ROBUST TEAM OF PIOS WHO ARE GOING TO SUPPORT EACH OF THOSE PORTFOLIOS, BUT WE'RE NOT TAKING AWAY THAT FUNCTION
[01:05:01]
FROM THAT DEPARTMENT.THAT WAS A ACROSS THE BOARD CUT.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THE PERSON THEY'RE HIRING IS CROSS-FUNCTIONAL.
IF THAT'S, IF, IF THAT'S OKAY THAT I SHARED, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE, UM, PAUL, SO IF YOU CAN CLARIFY SOMETHING.
IF I COULD ADD A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, UH, THE POSITION WAS ELIMINATED.
THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THE HEAD OR SPOKESPERSON FOR DAS IN CERTAIN ASPECTS WOULD BE REPRESENTED THROUGH OUR NEW TEAM.
UH, DAS DOES HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S ACTUALLY ONLINE NOW, MARLO, WHO DOES TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF OUR MARKETING AND OUTREACH.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER POSITION THAT IS, HAS NOT BEEN POSTED YET, BUT IT IS BEING POSTED.
AND WE HAVE A PART-TIMER WHO HELPS OUT AS WELL.
SO IN MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH ELIZABETH, IT WAS, WHAT DOES OUR TEAM NEED TO LOOK LIKE? SO WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS NOW ON, DO WE NEED TO RECLASSIFY A POSITION? WHAT, WHAT DO THOSE POSITIONS NEED TO LOOK LIKE INTERNALLY IN DS SO THAT WE CAN COHES WORK TOGETHER TO GET THE MARKETING AND OUTREACH OUT THERE? SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
AND TO, TO ALSO SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THIS SEAT SINCE APRIL AND ELIZABETH SINCE MAY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
AND I DIDN'T WANT HER TO GET AHEAD OF THE SKIS AND, AND WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO GET OUT BEFORE COUNCIL.
UH, SO IF WE DO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER, WE, WE HAVE OUR ONE-ON-ONES WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE REST OF YOU ALL FOR, FOR UPDATE.
UH, MADAM CHAIR OR SHELBY? UM, MATT? YEAH, SHELBY.
JILLIAN, I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR PAUL ON CLARIFICATION FOR WHAT HE JUST SAID.
JUST UNDERSTANDING, YOU SAID THE POSITION WAS ELIMINATED, OR THE BUDGET WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT.
WHICH OF THE TWO HAPPENED? THE, THE POSITION, I BELIEVE WAS ELIMINATED, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS TRANSFERRED.
SO THE POSITION AND ITS FUNDS WERE COMPLETELY DISSOLVED, I BELIEVE.
I, I CAN CLARIFY FOR BE POSITIVE AND GET A RESPONSE BACK TO YOU.
I CAN TELL YOU UNEQUIVOCALLY, WE DID NOT RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS.
AND THE, THE PURPOSE IS BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS CROSS TRAINING, UM, MOVING TOWARDS IF DEPARTMENTS WANT TO HAVE THAT DIRECT COMMUNICATION SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDE IN THEIR BUDGET, BECAUSE WE AS A COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT DO NOT HAVE THE BUDGET TO SUPPORT A, A, UM, COMMUNICATIONS PERSON FOR EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TANGLED IN A WEB, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A COHESIVE CITYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY, FORGET MARKETING, THERE'S JUST BEEN NO SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, WHO CAN BLAME THEM TO BUILD INTO THEIR OWN BUDGET COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST.
THAT BEING SAID, THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN HELPING TO HIRE THOSE PEOPLE.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE WORKING TO DO IS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE MAINTAINED THE FUNDING IN THEIR BUDGET FOR THEM, THEIR OWN DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UM, TO HELP THEM IDENTIFY THE RIGHT CANDIDATES THAT ARE CROSS-TRAINED THAT CAN SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY.
WE, AS A CITY IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ARE REORGANIZING SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE OUR BUDGET TO SUPPORT BETTER.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT HASN'T BEEN COHESIVE.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE A COHESIVE MECHANISM BY WHICH WE CAN SUPPORT NOT ONLY THE CITYWIDE MESSAGING, BUT SUPPORT EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND JUST BECAUSE PAUL HAS A PERSON AND IS HIRING ANOTHER PERSON, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE LEAVING THEM TO THEIR OWN DEVICES, BUT THEY WILL HAVE SOMEBODY THERE DAY TO DAY.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEM THE OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO CREATE THEIR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING AND SHOOTING THEIR OWN VIDEO, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING AND THINKING, HOW ARE WE GONNA MARKET THIS? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA MARKET THAT? BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM ELEVATE THEIR LONGER TERM GOALS, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF THE MINUTIA OF WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING ON THEIR OWN FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS CREATING THEIR OWN GRAPHICS AND SENDING IN SERVICE REQUESTS FOR US TO CREATE INDIVIDUAL GRAPHICS.
SO WE'RE STANDARDIZING ALL OF THAT AND CREATING TOOLKITS SO THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO ACTUALLY DO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY.
COMMISSIONER, ARE YOU CLEAR NOW? THANK YOU.
WE'LL NEED TO GO TO OUR ONLINE COMMISSIONERS.
[01:10:01]
ALARM GOES OFF, I'M JUST GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO CURTAIL THEIR COMMENTS SO THAT WE CAN DO A SECOND ROUND IF NEED BE, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE TO THE DIRECTOR'S PRESENTATION.CAN I CALL COMMISSIONER HILL? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, NO.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, ELIZABETH, FOR COMING TODAY, UM, AND BEING WILLING TO SHARE WITH US THE INFORMATION AND WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT'S DOING.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I REALLY THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT, THE PROJECT THAT YOU'RE DOING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE MESSAGES THAT PEOPLE ARE RELEASING ARE THE SAME MESSAGE, TO STOP THE CONFUSION THAT'S GOING ON OUT IN THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS AND WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
AND THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE BLUEPRINT.
AND ONCE WE SEE THE BLUEPRINT, THEN I THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER, UM, MORE OPINIONS ON OUR FEELINGS ON THAT.
I'M GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER NEXT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, FIRST THANK ALL OF OUR, UH, SPEAKERS AS WELL.
IT'S ALWAYS FANTASTIC THAT WE GET, UM, ALL THE INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR FROM SOME, UH, FAMILIAR FACES AND FAMILIAR VOICES.
UM, AND I THINK THE DISCUSSION ON PIO IS PRETTY WELL FUNDED, SO I AM GOING TO PASS MY TIME BACK.
UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIAS? YES, MA'AM.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY TO GIVE US THIS INFORMATION.
IT'S REALLY, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF EYE-OPENING.
UM, WE HAVE, WE REALLY HAVE TO HAVE A FULL-TIME SOCIAL MEDIA SLASH UH, MARKETING PERSON THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
I KNOW YOU THAT THERE'S 32 DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE, BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY DEAL WITH SANCTION SEEDS LIKE DS DOES? UH, THE SPAY NEUTER GOT TO GET THE SPAY NEUTER MARKETING BACK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA GET FUNDS IF WE, UH, IF WE HAVE TO JUST GET MORE GRANTS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF GRANTS ARE OUT THERE, WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, DAS SHOULD BE FEATURED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE DALLAS WEBSITES, UH, YOU KNOW, TELLING PEOPLE, THIS IS WHAT WE OFFER, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE, COME HELP US.
UH, PLEASE DON'T EVER MENTION PUTTING A FLYER IN THE WATER BILL, BECAUSE THAT IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.
I HAVEN'T HAD A WATER BILL IN 20 YEARS BECAUSE I PAY EVERYTHING ONLINE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST NOT AN OPTION.
UH, BUT I DO APPRECIATE WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR MORE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
DISTRICT FIVE, WE HAVE, EVERYTHING SOUTH OF DALLAS HAS GOT, ARE IN THE SOUTHERN AREA OF DALLAS, HAS, UH, STRAY ANIMALS.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S NEVER ENDING, UH, ALL.
I HAVE THREE FROM THE STREET AND ONE FROM THE SHELTER, AND I ADOPTED HER ABOUT 14 YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, WE, I TELL MY NEIGHBORS, IF YOU WANT A DOG, GO TO THE SHELTER OR YOU COULD JUST WAIT HERE AND ONE WILL COME.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US GOING FORWARD AND GETTING A FULL-TIME, PIO AT THE SHELTER, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY HAVE A ROBUST, UH, MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE.
UM, COMMISSIONER UMRA, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
HI, I, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING, UM, AS WELL, ELIZABETH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.
AND I, I'VE HEARD ENOUGH, I'M NOT GONNA ASK ANYMORE.
I THINK I'LL BE REPEATING SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, I HAVE NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, OR YOU OKAY.
SO, UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON BECAUSE OF TIME, BUT IT'S CLEAR THAT ALL OF US WANNA MEET WITH YOU.
WE'RE EXCITED TO DO SO WITHOUT, UM, BREAKING TOMA RULES AND WHATNOT.
[01:15:01]
INFORMATION ON HOW WE CONTACT YOU TO PAUL AND THEM, AND THEN YOU, UM, WE CAN GIVE THAT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.UM, PAUL CAN SHARE IT WITH ME, I MEAN, WITH YOU ALL.
AND MY EMAIL IS ELIZABETH DOT S AAB@DALLAS.GOV.
UH, PAUL HAS A DIRECT LINE TO ME.
HE, WE CUT GET TOGETHER AT COUNCIL.
ANYBODY WITH ANY QUESTIONS? UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA JUST CLOSE THIS BY SAYING WE DID NOT ABSORB DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES FUNDING.
THEY HAVE A FULL-TIME, UH, POSITION THAT THEY'RE POSTING.
UH, WE ARE GONNA WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY, UH, WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HIRING SOMEONE THAT CAN BE ON THE GROUND.
AND I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS, AND AGAIN, ALL I CAN ASK OF YOU IS TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRUST ME RIGHT NOW.
I'VE, I'VE GIVEN YOU NO REASON TO TRUST ME, BUT I AM ASKING YOU TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE SO THAT WE CAN BUILD TRUST.
AND WE'D LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS GONNA BE IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
MAY I JUST SAY ONE LAST THING? UM, WHO, I'M SORRY.
I'M GONNA, DO WE HAVE TO START A NEW ROUND? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UM, WHEN I HAD ASKED FOR, UM, COMMS TO COME TO OUR MEETING, I WAS HOPING THAT IT WAS WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WILL BE SUPPORTING US MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF ELIZABETH DOES RETURN TO FUTURE MEETING, I JUST, UM, WOULD LOVE FOR JUST MORE RESEARCH TO BE DONE BEFORE COMING IN.
BECAUSE THE DALLAS 90 IS THE WEBSITE.
IT'S ON EVERY UNIFORM, AND NOT KNOWING WHAT THAT IS, UM, NOT KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN SAFE AND LIVES, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT THEY DO.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE MORE RESEARCH PUT INTO THAT PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, WE DON'T MEET VERY OFTEN.
AND SO IT'LL BE IN A FEW MONTHS.
AND JUST KINDA UNDERSTANDING BY THAT POINT, HOW, UM, THE CITY'S COMMS DEPARTMENT CAN SUPPORT THE ONE AND A HALF POSITIONS, UM, THAT ARE DOING ALL OF THE IMMENSE WORK THAT IS REQUIRED FOR DAS AND ALL THE COMMUNICATIONS WORK.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND VERY INSIGHTFUL.
UM, AND THEN FOR US TO LEARN HOW, HOW WE CAN PLUG IN AND AMPLIFY THAT, UH, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL SINCE WE HAVE SO MUCH TIME UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I DO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PREPARATION AND JUST MORE, UM, PREPARA MORE PREPARATION AND JUST MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEING DONE BY THAT POINT.
'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT'S BEEN GOING ON RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY THE CITY.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE'VE CLARIFIED TODAY THE POSITIONS, THE MONEY, WHERE IT WENT, HOW IT'S WORKING, SO WE HAVE ALL THAT ESTABLISHED.
UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW TO THEIR ROLES.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THEIR CONTROL.
BUT I'D LOVE, I MEAN, IN THE MEANTIME, I ASSUME, AND I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD WANNA MEET WITH HER AS WELL AND GET SOMETHING READY, UM, AND MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE IN AN ACTUAL PLAN.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE DONE, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF HIS, UM, UH, SORRY, PART OF, PART OF PAUL'S AND THE DDAS LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS THEY MOVE IN.
AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE DONE, AND THAT WILL INCLUDE COMMS. THANK YOU.
WHAT IS IT A CLARIFICATION? JUST WANNA SAY, ELIZABETH, THANK YOU FOR
THANK YOU FOR COMING, AND I DID NOT MEAN TO JUMP ON YOU.
AND, AND IT WAS JUST, I WANNA SAY THANKS TO STEPHANIE CASEY FOR SO ELOQUENTLY SAYING WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY, BUT BECAUSE I WAS VERY EMOTIONAL, I DIDN'T SAY IT VERY WELL.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THERE IS A STRATEGY THAT MAYBE THERE CAN BE SOME INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, MARKETING THAT CAN BE DONE, AND MAYBE THAT THERE'S SOME, UH, DATA THAT YOU WILL COME UP WITH CITYWIDE THAT WILL HELP US, UM, AND DAS THROUGH OUR JOB.
SO I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU, AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE IT PERSONAL.
AND, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND THANK YOU.
WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE REALLY PASSIONATE, AND AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE.
AND, AND I WANT YOU GUYS TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, AND THANK YOU, SAANA.
UM, AND YOU AND I, YOU KNOW, HAVE A DIRECT LINE, SO I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND GO OVER IT AND, AND WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK.
I'D LOVE EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, TO COLLABORATE MORE.
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE PAUL REAL QUICK.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, ELIZABETH.
I KNOW THIS WAS A PREMATURE MEETING FOR YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN FLUX, UH, WITH THE, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE ANSWERED.
AND I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE, UH, MISUNDERSTOOD.
UH, AND I HOPE WE CLEARED THOSE
[01:20:01]
UP TODAY.UH, AND I DID, UH, VALIDATE THOSE FUNDS WERE ELIMINATED.
FISCAL YEAR 25, THE ROLE WAS GOING TO BE ABSORBED THROUGH THAT DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY WHAT TYPES OF ROLES WE NEED TO HAVE IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS WELL AND GETTING ALL THIS STUFF OUT.
BUT I COULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE, MARLO'S WORKING VERY HARD.
UH, WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL COMMUNICATE TOO ON THAT POSITION THAT WE DO NEED A VOTE.
DIRECTOR'S PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION IS NEXT.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, IF I COULD BRING A COUPLE OF FOLKS UP TO THE TABLE.
UH, NATHAN, KIRSTEN, LAUREN, YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN, TO COME BEFORE YOU ALL TO GIVE YOU THE UPDATE ON DAS, UH, THE DIRECTOR'S UPDATE FOR Q4 AND THE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE WRAP UP.
UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM AT THE TABLE.
UH, OF COURSE, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE DO IT AS A GROUP.
IT'S NOT JUST MYSELF AND MARY.
WE, WE LISTEN TO OUR FOLKS, AND I HOPE THEY WOULD AGREE.
UH, WE HAVE DANIEL ALVARADO, WHO IS OUR A GM OVER FIELD OPERATIONS, SUMMER DAHER, WHO'S OUR A GM OVER SHELTER, PET SUPPORT, AND COMMUNITY, ALL THINGS COMMUNITY CAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE ERICA BENNETT, WHO'S OVER OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, WHICH INCLUDES KIRSTEN TOURVILLE AND NATHAN, UH, THRASH.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, LAUREN, UH, WILSON, WHO IS OUR, UH, ADMIN AND BUDGET MANAGER.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE MYSELF, THE DIRECTOR, MARY, UH, MARTIN, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
AND IN THE BACKGROUND YOU HAVE, UH, JILLIAN AND AJ WHO ARE RUNNING THE SHOW.
SO, WITH THAT, OH, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE MARLO, WHO'S DOING A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ONLINE, WHO IS ONLINE WITH US TODAY.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, THE FIRST SLIDE, WE ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE Q4 RESULTS FROM JANUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2024, UH, WHICH, UH, UH, IS AS WELL OUR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2324, UH, YEAR TO DATE WRAP UP.
WE, UH, THESE ARE OUR CORE, UH, SERVICE VALUES, AND THEN AS WELL OUR DAS GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, COMPASSION, AND NO SHORTCUTS.
THIS SLIDE, UH, UH, SHOWS OUR DALLAS 365 CITY MANAGERS AND GOALS, UH, THAT, I'M SORRY, THE NUMBER OF FULLY FREE ANNUAL VACCINE CLINICS IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
UH, WE ACTUALLY COMPLETED 12 THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THE COMBINED FIELD IN SHELTER DOG RETURN TO OWNER, THE GOAL WAS 40%.
WE, UH, GOT TO 18.7, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
UH, A PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS TRANSFERRED TO FOSTER RESCUE PARTNERS.
UH, 53.3%, UH, WAS THE OUTCOME, BUT THE GOAL WAS 5%.
UH, PERCENTAGE DECREASED IN YEAR OVER YEAR, LOOSE AND LOOSE ON DOG BITES.
THE GOAL WAS TO BE 2% LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, WE MISSED THAT GOAL BY 20.6%, AND WE WILL DISCUSS IT A LITTLE FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION.
UH, PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS FOSTERED THE GOAL WAS TO INCREASE 2%.
[01:25:01]
NEXT SLIDE.THIS SLIDE DENOTES THE TOTAL INTAKES BY SPECIES FOR DOGS.
WE SHOW A 20% INCREASE IN INTAKES, UH, THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR IN CATS.
A 46% INCREASE THIS, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
AND IT, IT APPEARS OUR CAT SEASON.
KITTEN SEASON HAS, UH, BEEN A LITTLE PROLONGED THIS YEAR.
UH, AND THE NUMBERS SURELY REFLECT THAT.
UH, COMBINED DOGS AND CATS TOTAL WITH A 26% INCREASE.
AND THE OTHER, YOU SEE A DECREASE OF 28%.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR CRUELTY, THE BIRDS.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY THIS YEAR AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, UH, THANKFULLY, BUT, UH, THAT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DEALT WITH.
OUR LIVE RELEASE BY, UH, RATE BY SPECIES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR DOGS WAS UP BY 12%.
NEONATE KITTENS WAS DOWN BY 19%.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN THE KITTEN SEASON.
AND AS WELL, US TAKING IN THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
UH, AS WELL, YOU SEE A DECREASE IN 3% FOR CATS.
AS, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, OUR, OUR CAT SEASON SEEMS TO BE PROLONGED THIS YEAR AND EXTENDED.
SO WE'VE TAKEN IN THE NUMBER OF CATS, AND THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT INTAKE.
UH, OTHERS, WE SEE, UH, AN AN INCREASE OF 46% IN LIVE RELEASE RATE.
AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE AS MANY, UH, CRUELTY BIRDS IN THIS YEAR.
OUR LIVE OUTCOMES BY SPECIES DOGS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR LIVE OUTCOMES HAVE INCREASED BY 36% WITH AN INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE GUIDE AT THE BOTTOM, OUR ADOPTIONS ARE UP, RTOS ARE UP, SHELTER RTOS ARE UP, AND RESCUES ARE UP.
OUR NINE NON-LIVE OUTCOME REASONS BY SPECIES FOR DOGS IS DOWN BY 23%, WITH THE BIGGEST DECREASE BEING IN THE SPACE USE IN SPACE EUTHANASIA CALL.
OUR LIVE OUTCOMES BY SPECIES FOR CATS.
UH, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF 44%, UH, WITH ADOPTIONS BEING UP.
RTOS AND RESCUES ARE NON-LIVE OUTCOMES, UH, REASONS BY CATS.
YOU SEE, THERE'S A 54% INCREASE WITH, UH, THOSE THAT, UH, DIED WHILE IN OUR CARE AND THE HUMANE DECISIONS THAT HAD TO BE MADE ON THESE ANIMALS.
UH, AS KITTEN SEASON HAS INCREASED, OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION HAS INCREASED.
THEREFORE, THOSE DECISIONS HAD TO BE MADE, UH, RELATIVE TO THOSE ANIMALS AND THEIR HERE.
RESCUE GROUPS, UH, DOGS AND CATS BY AGE GROUP, AS YOU CAN SEE, ARE, UH, RESCUES FOR DOGS FOR THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR HAS BEEN UP BY 68%, UH, WITH THE, UH, LARGEST INCREASE IN ADULT DOGS.
AND FOR CATS, UH, WE HAVE A NINE, UH, 9% INCREASE, UH, WITH THE, UH, BIGGEST INCREASE BEING KITTENS.
AND THEN OUR, WE, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT THIS FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU SEE LISTED OF HERE AND, AND THOSE GROUPS WHO STEPPED UP AND REALLY DID THEIR PART IN HELPING DAS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS FOR DOING SO AND HELPING DAS UH, SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THIS SLIDE DENOTES OUR FIELD ACTIVITIES.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD A 7% INCREASE IN OUR TIMELY RESPONSE.
UH, LOOSE AND AND LOOSE ON SERVICE REQUESTS ARE DOWN BY 10%.
ALTHOUGH WE HEAR THE COMMISSION AND OUR CITIZENS THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE ARE, UH, STILL NOT ANIMALS OUT THERE THAT NEED TO BE, UH, ADDRESSED, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
UH, SERVICE REQUESTS, TYPES, THEY PRETTY MUCH STAYED THE SAME.
BUT YOU SEE A DAA DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL AND THE FOLLOW UP.
THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN EXTERNAL SERVICE REQUEST TYPES, BUT ACTUALLY AN INCREASE IN FOLLOW UPS.
THAT MEANS OUR OFFICERS HAD MORE TIME IN THE ABILITY TO GO BACK AND, AND, AND RESPOND AND FOLLOW UP TO THESE CALLS LOOSE AND LOOSE ON DOG BITES.
UH, IT'S A CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO, UH, WORK TO EDUCATE, UH, THE PUBLIC.
UH, IT APPEARS THAT THE LOOSE ON DOG BITES ARE A, A BIG CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS, UH, METRIC, UH, IT BEING UP BY 21%.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO DO THOSE WEDNESDAY ENGAGEMENTS, UH, OUT IN THE PUBLIC
[01:30:01]
BY USING THIS DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE NEED TO GO TO EDUCATE, UH, THE PUBLIC ON PROPER PET OWNERSHIP, AND BEING ABLE TO SECURE THEIR ANIMALS AND, AND, UH, NOT BEING A PART OF THIS ISSUE.MEDICAL TREATMENT ARE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES.
AND MARY, I BELIEVE THIS IS IN-HOUSE, CORRECT? YES, IT IS UP BY 36%.
UH, OUR SPECIALTY SURGERIES HAVE DECREASED BY 21%, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF REFERRALS OUT OF HOUSE FOR THOSE SURGERIES TO, UH, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE.
AND IN OUR HEARTWORM TREATMENT, UH, IS UP BY 271%.
AND MARY, I WANTED YOU TO GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AS TO WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
I THINK ONE COULD PERHAPS MISUNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE SEEING 271% MORE CASES OF HEARTWORM, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
IT'S JUST THAT WE ARE NOW TREATING BECAUSE OF OUR NEW PROTOCOL, WE'RE TREATING ANIMALS IN-HOUSE BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE BUILDING.
HORN'S SUGGESTION TO REVAMP OUR HEARTWORM PROTOCOL IS WORKING.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST ON THIS SLIDE, OUR SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN, A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UH, REDUCTIONS IN BUDGET FOR SPAY NEUTER.
UH, THERE WAS A MINOR REDUCTION AS WE LOOKED AT WHAT OUR EXPENDITURE WOULD BE VERSUS OUR GOAL OF 2000 SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES.
UH, THE, THE GOAL WAS 2000, BUT FOR SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES, WE ACTUALLY DID 2,660.
UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF, UH, DOLLARS THAT WAS REDUCED FOR SPAY AND NEUTER WAS MADE UP THROUGH GRANTS.
WE HAVE YEAR OVER YEAR GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT $250,000 AVAILABLE FOR SPAN SURGERIES.
AND IF WE FEEL THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE INCREASE FOR THAT, WE WILL DO SO.
UH, BUT WE CONTINUE TO SEEK OUT NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND NEW, UH, VENDORS TO ASSIST WITH THAT PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN BEST UTILIZE THAT MONEY AND GET AS MANY, 'CAUSE WE HEAR THE PUBLIC GET AS MANY CATS SPAY NEUTERED DOGS AS POSSIBLE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR HAS INCREASED BY 54% WITH THE VOLUNTEER INDIVIDUALS INCREASING BY 51%.
AND THEN THE VOLUNTEER RETENTION HAS INCREASED BY 46%.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE ORGANIZATION WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS, BOTH IN MARKETING AND ENRICHMENT, AND JUST DOING ALL THAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT DES.
AND THEN FURTHER ON IN THIS, IN PRESENTATION, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF MONETARY VALUE THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ONE BEFORE I ACTUALLY WENT INTO THIS SLIDE.
UH, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT DS DOES NOT MAKE SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY DECISIONS.
THAT IS SOLELY THE PURVIEW OF DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
DAS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORT, HOUSING, CARE, FEEDING, SECURITY, AND ANY POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP VETERINARY SERVICE THAT IS REQUIRED ONCE OUR OPK PARTNERS HAVE DONE THEIR FORENSICS ON THESE ANIMALS.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ON THAT, UH, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, ABOUT D S'S ROLE IN SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY.
UH, WE DO NOT MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
WE DO COMMUNICATE AND WORK CLOSELY WITH DPD ON CASES, BUT THEY ARE THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY FOR SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY.
SO IN SEEING THAT, UH, WE DID SEE A DECREASE IN THE BIRDS, UH, IN THE TOTAL COUNT FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.
UH, BUT WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS WITH A DECREASE IN LIVESTOCK AND AN INCREASE IN OTHERS.
OUR, WE DID ALSO SEE AN INCREASE IN EXTENDED STAY.
AS THESE, UH, CASES GO THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO, UH, MAINTAIN THEM UNTIL THAT DECISION HAS BEEN MADE BY THE COURTS AND IT, WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY DPD.
SO, PAUL, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, PLEASE.
WE'RE ON THE SLIDE, AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE SO THAT EVERY SINGLE, IF SOMEONE CALLS IN AND SAYS, SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, IT GOES DIRECTLY OR SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO DAS.
'CAUSE THAT'S, I THINK, WHERE THE CONFUSION IS COMING IN.
IF, IF THEY, IF, IF SU, IF CRUELTY IS SUSPECTED, THEY SHOULD CALL NINE ONE ONE, THEY SHOULD CALL PD THAT THAT'S A PD CALL.
UH, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, WE WILL GO OUT TO A CALL.
IT MAY COME IN AS A LACK OF CARE CASE.
[01:35:01]
BEEN TRAINED ON TO POSSIBLY BE CRUELTY, WE WILL REACH OUT TO THE DETECTIVES, GIVE THEM THE INFO, AND THEY WILL GUIDE US ON WHAT TO DO, AND THEN THEY WILL TAKE OVER FROM THERE.AND JUST ONE MORE POINT OF CLARIFICATION, IT IS NOT THAT DAS DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANIMAL CRUELTY, OR THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ANIMAL CRUELTY.
YOU GUYS AREN'T EVEN INVOLVED IN IT.
NO, WE, WE, WE ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT DAS WAS GOING TO, TO ULTIMATELY ABSORB THIS, UH, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH DPD, UH, WE DID LOOK OUT TO THE A-S-P-C-A WHO CAME IN AND DONE SOME, UH, ONSITE TRAINING, NOT ONLY FOR DES, BUT FOR DPD, FOR, UH, SOME OF OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL PARTNERS.
DES HOSTED IT, THE CITY OF DALLAS HOSTED IT.
AND, UH, WE HAD QUITE A BIG TURNOUT.
AND WE HAD SOME LOCAL, UH, UH, PROSECUTORS THAT WERE THERE.
SO, UH, WE WERE MADE AWARE OF, BE SUSPICIOUS OF CERTAIN THINGS, AND WE DO COMMUNICATE, BUT HOWEVER, YOU'RE RIGHT, THOSE DECISIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS ARE SOLELY DONE BY THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT CRUELTY DETECTIVES.
UH, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE EDUCATION AND INSIGHT INTO OUR COYOTE, UH, UH, REPORTING AND SIGHTINGS.
UH, BECAUSE WE MAY SEE, AND YOU MAY HEAR, UH, INCREASED SIGHTINGS.
UH, AND THAT MAY BE BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.
BUT COYOTES ARE RECLUSIVE AND PREFER TO AVOID HUMANS.
THEY'RE CLEVER AND HIGHLY ADAPTABLE, THRIVING IN BOTH WILDERNESS AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
COYOTES ARE MORE ACTIVE, UH, DURING THE DAY IN COLDER MONTHS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING INTO.
UH, DUE TO INCREASED PRE ACTIVITY.
URBAN COYOTES MAY BECOME HABITUATED TO HUMANS BECAUSE THEY ASSOCIATE THEM WITH A FOOD SOURCE.
THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT THAT ATTRACTING COYOTES IS SECURING TRASH, PET FOOD, AND ELIMINATING OVER, UH, SUPPLYING YOUR BIRD FEEDER WITH FEED.
UH, IT FALLS ON THE GROUND, IT BECOMES AN ATTRACTANT AND SO FORTH.
UH, THEY, THEY WILL ASSOCIATE ASSOCIATE YOU WITH A, AS A FREE MEAL SOURCE.
IF WE ARE WANTING TO TAKE PICTURES WITH THE COYOTE, PROVIDE THE COYOTE SOME FOOD, BECAUSE WE WANT THE COYOTE TO EAT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE THE, UH, UH, DOMINANT AUTHORITY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND I BROUGHT OUR, UH, WILDLIFE, UH, A SO, JACKIE SUTHERLAND HERE, WHO'S OUR EXPERT, UH, ON HAZING TECHNIQUES.
UH, BUT WHAT SHE TAUGHT ME WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED IS, THE BEST ONE THAT I LIKED WAS THE CAN FULL OF ROCKS, OR THE BOTTLE FULL OF ROCKS.
'CAUSE ANY NOISE, THEIR SKIT IS, THEY'LL RUN AND, AND THEY JUST NEED TO BE HAZED IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEIR TERRITORY IS AND WHERE OUR TERRITORY IS SO THAT WE CAN COEXIST.
BUT, UH, DURING FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 24, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 1,241 REPORTED SIGHTINGS AT 658 PROPERTIES.
SO IF YOU WERE TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT OUR COYOTE, UH, MAPPING SYSTEM, YOU'LL SEE IT SAYS 658 PROPERTIES.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE 1,241 SIGHTINGS.
UH, AND TO REPORT A COYOTE SIGHTING, WE PROVIDED THE PHONE NUMBER AND IN THE LINK TO THE MAP, UH, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE A LOOK IF THEY CARE TO DO SO.
IN CONTINUING WITH OUR COYOTE EDUCATION, UH, WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, AS YOU SAID THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NORMALLY SKITTISH, THEY'RE BY NATURE.
UH, WE RELOCATING THEM THROUGH A TRAP AND RELEASE PROGRAM HAS PROVEN TO BE INEFFECTIVE.
UH, THAT'S WHY WE SUGGEST HAZING.
HOWEVER, IF YOU A COYOTE APPEARS TO BE SICK OR INJURED, IT MAY RESULT IN UNPRECEDENTED BEHAVIOR AND A THREAT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND WE NEED TO BE NOTIFIED, OR THE CITY NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY THROUGH 3 1 1.
WE'VE PROVIDED SOME LINKS TO SOME COYOTE EDUCATION, AS WELL AS, UH, A GRAPHIC OF OUR ONE PAGER THAT WE, UH, HAND OUT OR POST PERIODICALLY.
SOME OF OUR PET SUPPORT SERVICE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, OUR PET SUPPORT TEAM, UH, WORKS WITH, UH, DALLAS PETS ALIVE, DPA AND DUCK TEAM SIX.
UH, RECENTLY IN SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH, THEY WENT OUT TO BUILD A DOG RUN.
UH, WE HAVE SOME ANIMALS WHO ARE MAGICIANS AND LOVE TO ESCAPE AND GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THE OWNER WOULD PREFER THE ANIMALS REMAIN OUTSIDE BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.
SO THE TEAM WENT OUT AND BUILT A DOG RUN SO THAT ANIMAL COULD ACTUALLY STAY WITH ITS OWNER THAN THE OWNER CHOOSING TO SURRENDER THAT ANIMAL BECAUSE OF ITS
[01:40:01]
ACTIVITY.SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THIS TEAM DOES WITH OUR, UH, PARTNER.
IN ORDER TO TRY AND DIVERT ANIMALS FROM COMING INTO THE SHELTER TO THESE RESOURCES, WE HAVE OUR SPAY AND NEUTER FIX IT TICKET PROGRAM WHERE WE, IF SOMEBODY RECEIVED A CITATION OR, UH, THEIR ANIMAL NOT BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED, WE, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK ON, UH, PROVIDING THOSE APPOINTMENTS AND RESOURCES TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF AND POSSIBLY ELIMINATE THAT TICKET.
OUR COMMUNITY CAT SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAMS, WE, UH, YOU WILL SEE FURTHER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION WHERE, UH, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
AND WE HEARD, WHEN I FIRST GOT ARRIVED TWO YEARS AGO, UH, THE FIRST FEW BRIEFINGS, I I, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CAD ISSUES.
AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT AND THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, AND THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PROGRESS AND THE TEAM'S EFFORTS, UH, IN GETTING THOSE, UH, CATS TAKEN CARE OF TO REDUCE THE POPULATION, OUR FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND OUR SURRENDER PREVENTION REFERRALS, WHERE THE ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR SHELTER, OUR TEAM IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM TO TRY AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO KEEP THEIR ANIMALS THROUGH SURRENDER PREVENTION THROUGH WORKING WITH EPA AND, UH, SPAY NEUTER NETWORK, OR LISTENING TO WHATEVER ISSUES THAT THEY'RE HAVING AND POSSIBLE RESOURCES THAT WE COULD PROVIDE FROM DAS TO KEEP THEM, UH, WITH THEIR PETS.
UH, SERVICE REQUESTS NOW BEING TAKEN AT, UH, SPAY NEUTER NETWORK, TCAP, AND THEN SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY.
I KNOW SUMMER HAS, UH, WORKED VERY HARD.
UH, SHE'S OUR INTERNAL CAT LADY.
UH, SO SHE'S
UH, TEAM TABBY IS MADE UP OF D UH, TCAP, UH, SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
UH, TCAP IS NOW TAKING, UH, 60 TO 80 CATS PER MONTH.
SPAY NEUTER NETWORK IS TAKING 40 TO 50 CATS PER MONTH.
UH, SPAY NEUTER NETWORK IS DOING A MONTHLY TRANSPORT OF 60 CATS, UH, TO THEIR CRANDALL LOCATION FROM OUR DAS PARKING LOT.
AND IN OCTOBER, AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, CLINICS AT THE OPERATION KINDNESS HUB, UH, RIGHT UP THE ROAD FROM US WILL RESUME WITH 75 CATS, UH, SERVICED PER THE CLINIC.
THERE IS NO SR REQUIRED FOR THAT SERVICE.
UH, THE TEAM IS COMPLETED THREE TARGETED TNVR, UH, UH, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMUNITY CATS SPAYED AND NEUTERED IN FISCAL YEAR 24 HAS, IT WAS 2,968, UH, WHICH IS A, A DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS 789.
SO THE PROGRAM IS GROWING, AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ITS CONTINUED SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, IMPROVING THE PROGRAM.
AS I STATED EARLIER, WE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF WHAT WE DO WITHOUT OUR DAS VOLUNTEERS.
AND, UH, WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF, FOR THIS QUARTER, FOR THIS LAST QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR, 829 TOTAL VOLUNTEERS VERSUS 751 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS.
UH, WE A, THE AVERAGE VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE 8.8 HOURS.
UH, OVER 6,000 TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED.
AND IF YOU PUT A MONETARY VALUE TO THAT VOLUNTEER SERVICE, IT'S ALMOST A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS FOR Q4.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT IN ITSELF IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
BUT THE OVERALL APPRECIATION FOR THE ENRICHMENT AND THE, THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND MARKETING THESE ANIMALS THAT ARE VULNERABLE HAS, HAS, IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
UH, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON VACATIONS IN THE LAST BRIEFING.
UH, OUR VACATIONS, UH, BEGAN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, WE CALCULATED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH THAT 367 DOGS PARTICIPATED IN VACATIONS WITH 295 OUTCOMES, 96% PERCENT POSITIVE OUTCOMES IF THEY WENT ON A VACATION.
SO THE PROGRAM IS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, AND I THINK NATHAN AND THE TEAM FOR ALL THAT THEY DO IN GETTING THAT DONE.
88 DOGS WENT TO FOSTER, 39 OF THOSE WERE ADOPTED BY THE FOSTER.
AND IN 17, ADOPTED IN FOSTER, 75 TAGGED BY RESCUE.
SO, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK OF THE TEAM AND THEIR DILIGENCE
[01:45:01]
TO TRY AND GET THIS PROGRAM OUT.AND THIS IS ONE, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE WILL TRY TO, UH, HEAVILY MARKET AS MUCH AS WE CAN BECAUSE OF ITS, ITS SUCCESS.
OUR DAS FOSTER PROGRAM CONTINUED.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF, UH, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 7,268 DOGS AND CATS FOSTERED, UH, OF THAT BREAKDOWN.
YOU SEE, 4,600 WERE DOGS AND 2,600 WERE CATS.
UH, 1,752 DOGS AND CATS WENT TO GENERAL FOSTER, UH, SOMEONE WHO PREVIOUSLY FOSTERED, UH, FOSTERED, UH, AGAIN, UH, 1,626 DOGS AND CATS WENT TO SAME DAY.
FOSTERS, THESE ARE NEW FOSTERS.
AND THEN 2,500 DOGS AND CATS WENT TO FOSTER TO ADOPT, UH, THE OUTCOME DATA FROM FOSTER.
TWENTY THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT PETS ADOPTED BY A FOSTER.
1066 PETS TAGGED BY RESCUE FROM FOSTER.
626 DOGS WENT TO FOSTER FOR TRANSPORT, AND 907 PETS ADOPTED IN THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
SO, AGAIN, OUR, OUR OUT OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM THAT ARE WORKING IN THE VOLUNTEER FOSTER RESCUE PROGRAM, THEY'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING AND AMAZING JOB, AND IT'S EVIDENT FROM THE DATA, AND I, I'M GLAD THAT DATA WAS ASKED FOR SO THAT WE COULD HIGHLIGHT THAT PROGRAM.
THERE WERE, UH, SOME NEW FOSTER PROGRAMS CREATED.
ONE IS THE FOSTER HERO PROGRAM.
UH, THAT PROGRAM IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FINDER OF A STRAY PET TO FOSTER THEM FOR A FEW WEEKS.
THIS CAN HELP ALLEVIATE INTAKE CONCERNS, HELP US GATHER MUCH NEEDED INFORMATION ON THE PET BEFORE THEY COME INTO THE SHELTER, SUCH AS PHOTOS, HOME NOTES, ET CETERA, AND GIVES THE TIME FOR CORE VACCINES TO START TO BUILD IMMUNITY IN THE PET.
UH, 56 PETS LEFT AS A FOSTER HERO IN Q4 21 WERE DOGS, AND 35 WERE CATS WITH MOST LIKELY BEING KITTENS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE GRAPHIC, UH, TO THE RIGHT.
ANOTHER NEW PROGRAM, UH, IS THE CHIPS FUND PROGRAM.
IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL FOSTERS, AND I LIKE TO THANK SUMMER FOR, FOR, FOR WORKING HARD ON THAT PROGRAM.
FIVE CATS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN INTERNSHIPS FUND PROGRAM.
TO DATE, MEDICAL CARE IS FUNDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TIS AND CUDDLY, THAT'S OUR FRIENDS OF DALLAS'S ANIMAL SERVICES GROUP, 46,000 IN MONETARY DONATIONS, RAISED FOR MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL FIVE CATS, AND IN 5,000 IN PRODUCT DONATIONS FOR THOSE FOSTER CATS.
SO A LOT OF SUCCESS, AND I, I KNOW SUMMER'S WORKING TO BUILD ON THAT PROGRAM AND, AND REACHING OUT AND MAKING THOSE COMMUNICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 Q4 EVENTS, UH, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 85 TOTAL DOGHOUSES DISTRIBUTED THROUGH DELOITTE SPONSORSHIP.
UH, WE HAD A DOG RUN BUILD WITH, UH, DALLAS PETS ALIVE, DPA AND DUCK TEAM SIX, WHICH WE SPOKE OF EARLIER.
UH, REOCCURRING PET FOOD EVENTS.
WE HELD FOUR, UH, MICROCHIP AND VACCINE CLINICS.
WE HELD FOUR EDUCATION AND TOWN HALL HIRING EVENTS.
WE HELD SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
WE ATTENDED SIX IN Q4 AND IN ADOPTION EVENTS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 31 EVENTS, UH, SHELTER.
OUT OF THE, THOSE EVENTS, SHELTER DOGS, UH, 29 WERE ADOPTED, TWO WERE FOSTERED TO ADOPT AND THEN FOSTER DOGS, 37 WERE ADOPTED DUE TO THOSE EVENTS, AND SIX FOSTERED TO ADOPT.
SO A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THAT PROGRAM.
TRANSPORT AND RESCUE HIGHLIGHTS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW ERICA AND KRISTEN WORK VERY HARD IN, IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS TO TRY AND SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS POSSIBLE.
OUR FISCAL YEAR, Q4, UH, WINS AND GOALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 TRANSPORT.
WE HAVE A CURRENT, UH, OUT-OF-STATE TRANSPORT PARTNERS ARE 48.
WE HAVE 44 NEW PARTNERS IN FISCAL YEAR 25 WITH 25 NEW PARTNERS OF, OF THOSE BEING IN Q4 ALONE, TOTAL RESCUE TRANSPORTS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN OVER A THOUSAND TOTAL, 1200 TOTAL RESCUE TRANSPORTS WITH 498 TRANSPORTS.
BOARDING ASSISTANCE TAKING PLACE IN Q4, 195 PETS FOUND A POSITIVE OUTCOME UTILIZING DES, TRANSPORT AND OR BOARDING ASSISTANCE IN Q4
[01:50:01]
WITH 56 TAKEN PLACE IN JULY 45, IN AUGUST IN 94 AND SEPTEMBER.UH, ADOPTION TRANSPORT PROGRAMMING, UH, ASSISTED IN 97 OUT-OF-STATE ADOPTIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 24, NOT INCLUDING GENERAL OUT-OF-STATE ADOPTIONS, WHERE INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THE ANIMALS FROM THE SHELTER.
THE GOALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, BUILDING A SPEC, A PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRANSPORT AND MOUNTAIN WEST TRANSPORT RELATIONSHIP, CONTINUE TO ADD PARTNERS TO, ON EXISTING MIDWEST AND NORTHEAST TRANSPORT ROUTES, INCREASING LIFESAVING TRANSPORT BY 200% AND INCREASE OUTSTATE ADOPTIONS BY 100%.
AND YOU SEE TO THE RIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE SUCCESS STORIES FROM THIS EFFORTS.
UH, JUST TO GIVE SOME BRIEF INSIGHT INTO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, UH, BETWEEN, UH, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE SPENT ABOUT $500 TO BOOST, UH, POSTS IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, UH, WORKING TO INCREASE OUR REACH WITH INCREASED CONTENT IN BOTH REDDIT AND X REGULAR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL POSTS SHARED TO NEXTDOOR, UH, WITH A COMBINED FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, UH, VIEW OF, UH, OVER 900,000.
I KNOW THOSE, THAT DATA WAS REQUESTED, AND IT IS HERE FOR YOUR REVIEW, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE TEAM'S EFFORT IN THAT CAMPAIGN.
HERE WE HAVE THE PROPOSED MEETINGS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25 FOR THE COMMISSION.
I WILL SAY THAT THE ONE FOR JANUARY IS BEING PUSHED TO THE 20TH.
IF YOU AGREE AND VOTE TO AGREE, UH, ONLY BECAUSE MY RIGHT HAND JILLIAN WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE, AND I CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT JILLIAN.
SO PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR VOTE.
OF COURSE, WE DISCUSSED OUR DASHBOARD.
UH, WE DID DO A SOFT, UH, LAUNCH.
IT IS OUT THERE, IT'S IN THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE DID UPDATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THIS PAST WEEK.
UH, THEY WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE EFFORT AND, UH, WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE WERE GONNA MARKET THIS.
AND WE WERE, WE, WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, OUR, UH, DATA, DATA BUSINESS ANALYTICS TEAM THAT PRESENTED, UH, WE DID A VIDEO SHORTLY AFTER THE, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE BRIEFING, UH, TO PUT TOGETHER SOME, UH, SOME STATIC MATERIALS ON HOW, UH, THIS PRODUCT WORKS.
THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS POSED TO ME, AND I JUST REALIZED IN THE OUTCOME TYPE BREAKOUT, IT LISTS FOSTER AS AN OUTCOME.
AND WHEN WE DUG DEEPER, IT WAS FOSTERS THAT LED TO AN OUTCOME, NOT THE ACTUAL FOSTERING OF AN ANIMAL, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT AN OUTCOME.
SO WE'RE GONNA DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND TRY TO LABEL THAT APPROPRIATELY SO PEOPLE AREN'T CONFUSED.
AND BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS BROUGHT TO ME AS, WAIT A MINUTE, FOSTER'S NOT AN OUTCOME.
AND IT WAS THE OUTCOME BASED ON THE FOSTER PROGRAM THAT IS CALCULATED INTO THIS BREAKDOWN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
OF COURSE, WE PROVIDE OUR LINKS TO ALL OF OUR SOURCES HERE IN THIS SLIDE.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO OR YOU WANT ACCESS TO, THOSE LINKS ARE HERE AND PROVIDE IT FOR YOUR, UH, REVIEW.
AND THEN WE ALWAYS PROVIDE OUR DEPARTMENTAL CONTACTS.
AS YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY CHANGE AND THEY HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FACES AT THE TABLE BEFORE YOU.
UH, SO WE LIKE TO KEEP YOU ABREAST OF WHO IT IS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO OR NEED TO CONTACT.
BUT OF COURSE, MYSELF, MARY, AND SHELBY, ARE, ARE, ARE YOUR PRIMARY POINTS OF CONTACT.
HOWEVER, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST HAVE A QUESTION ON, YOU WANNA ASK A PARTICULAR PERSON, YOU HAVE THOSE CONTACT NUMBERS AND INFORMATION.
AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE FISCAL YEAR, 20, UH, 3 24, UH, DAS UPDATE WITH Q4 INCLUDED.
AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK, UM, WE GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND COMMISSIONER, UM, SED START, BUT BEFORE THAT I UNDERSTAND, I'M NOT SURE IF STEPHANIE HANSON, ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS IS IN THE COMMENTS, BUT SHE'S NOT ONLINE.
SO STEPHANIE, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUMP ON WITH US, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
YOU JUST HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WEBEX.
SO NOT SURE WHY YOU'RE NOT, UM, JOINING US IN YOUR OFFICIAL ROLE, BUT SOMEONE'S TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE MAKING COMMENTS, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE INVITED AND YOU'RE, UM, WELCOME TO COME ON.
[01:55:01]
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED HERE BEFORE, BEFORE WE MOVE, UH, WE DO NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE PROPOSED MEETING DATES.JILLIAN, LET ME, FIRST OF ALL, SORRY, LET ME PULL UP YOUR TIME, BUT YOU'RE CORRECT.
NO, I'M GONNA START TALKING RIGHT NOW.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT DATA IN HERE AND, UM, TESTAMENT TO YOUR WORK, UM, TO THE WORK OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON SITTING AT THIS TABLE.
AND, UM, I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH PAGE BY PAGE AND TELL YOU WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN GET TO IT TODAY, GREAT.
AND IF YOU NEED TO FOLLOW UP VIA EMAIL, THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.
UM, CURIOUS ABOUT, I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH MY QUESTIONS FIRST.
UM, SO CURIOUS ABOUT, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE PARTNERS, AND THEN THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS FOSTERED AMAZING.
LIKE, THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT, UM, INCREASES.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE WITH THE, UM, REDUCTION IN DOGS RETURN TO OWNER SUCCESS RATE, UH, ON PAGE FIVE.
UM, I THINK I FEEL THAT FROM THE SPEAKERS WHO WERE WONDERFUL AND TOOK THE TIME TO COME IN TODAY, I FEEL WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLANATION ON, UM, REALLY ALL THE PARTICULARS ABOUT WHY WE ARE STILL SEEING THIS INCREASE IN CA AND WHAT, UM, IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THAT.
ON PAGE SEVEN, THE LIVE OUTCOMES, THE INCREASE, UH, NUMBER OF DOGS.
UM, AND THE SECOND CHART IN THE NON-LIVE OUTCOMES, IF WE COULD JUST CHANGE THE COLOR FOR SPACE.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING I, I SPECIFICALLY REALLY ALWAYS LIKE TO KEEP AN EYE ON AND I CAN'T REALLY TELL BECAUSE OF THE COLORS.
UM, SO IF WE COULD JUST CHANGE THAT COLOR MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I LOVE TO SEE THE INCREASE IN HEARTWORM TREATMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S HUGE AND THE TESTAMENT TO THE FACT THAT IT IS, TO YOUR POINT THAT IT'S WORKING.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, PRIORITIZING THAT.
UM, THIS INCREASE IN SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES, UH, WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THIS MARKETING AND COMMS LENS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, NEEDS MORE EFFORT, NEED? YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE MORE PARTNERSHIPS AROUND THAT BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S CLEARLY A BIG WIN FOR US RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
UM, THE PA ON PAGE 12, UM, THIS WHOLE VOLUNTEER SIDE, I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW JUST, WHAT DID WE DO RIGHT? WHAT DID WE DO RIGHT HERE? UM, I'D LOVE TO JUST GET SOME CONTEXT AROUND THAT BECAUSE WHATEVER WE'RE DOING RIGHT, UM, WE JUST NEED TO BE DOING MORE OF THAT.
AND THEN ON PAGE 19, WE HAVE, UM, SO THIS OUTCOME OF 16, UM, 26, 6 1000, 626 DOGS AND CATS THAT WENT TO SAME DAY FOSTER.
I MEAN, I LOVE, LIKE, THESE NUMBERS ARE GREAT AND REALLY INCREDIBLE TO SEE JUST THE MAGNITUDE, UM, OF THIS FOSTER PROGRAM AND WHAT IT IS DOING TO HELP, UM, THE ANIMALS WHO ARE AT DAS.
UM, THERE WAS A NUMBER, I GUESS I, I, I WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION ON.
UM, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, FROM IN THE, UNDER THE OUTCOME DATA FROM FOSTER, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PETS ADOPTED BY FOSTER AND THE PETS ADOPTED IN FOSTER? I FEEL LIKE I UNDERSTAND THE NUANCE THERE, BUT IF I COULD JUST GET CLARIFICATION ON, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO, UH, PAGE 22, THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM.
I LOVE THE IDEA THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPANDING THAT.
UM, AND WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW ARE, HOW ARE THE ANIMALS CARED FOR DURING THE TRANSPORT? BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE REALLY LONG ROUTES, UM, AND WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE, WHAT THE CARE IS FOR THE ANIMALS DURING THAT, BUT LOVE TO SEE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE WHOLE THING IS THE MORE PARTNERSHIPS AND THE MORE RESCUE GROUPS WE CAN CONNECT WITH.
PAGE 23, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO THAT DIGITAL SPEND.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, LITTLE BIT OF MONEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA GOES A LONG WAY, ESPECIALLY ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
UH, TWITTER, I, I FEEL LIKE THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THEIR AD STUFF REALLY AS WELL AS META HAS.
BUT, UM, BUT THAT GOES A LONG WAY.
AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE STATS ON THIS, EVEN JUST SEEING LIKE THE NUMBER OF ENGAGEMENTS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE ADS, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE VIEWS, BECAUSE VIEWS ARE LIKE EYEBALLS,
[02:00:01]
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY TELLING US HOW MANY PEOPLE MAYBE ARE INTERACTING WITH THE CONTENT.AND SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT MARKER BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE HOW, HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE INTER INTERACTING WITH THE CONTENT THAT WE'RE PRODUCING.
UM, YOU ALREADY ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE PLAN TO MARKET THE DASHBOARD.
AND THEN MY FINAL FEW QUESTIONS, UM, ARE, UH, IF WE COULD IN A FUTURE PRESENTATION, JUST UNDERSTAND HOW FRIENDS OF DIS SUPPORTS DIS, UM, END OF YOUR, UH, THANK YOU FOR STAFF AND POTENTIAL SERVICE PROJECT BY THE COMMISSION.
UM, THAT WAS YOUR TIME, BUT WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR A ROUND OF THREE MINUTES IF CHAIR RECOGNIZES AFTERWARDS.
SO, UM, I'LL RECOGNIZE TO ANSWER THOSE, I'LL PREPARE A WRITTEN RESPONSE.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THAT WAS QUITE A BIT OF INFO.
UH, AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO LEAN ON YOU FOR SOME OF THEM.
BUT, UH, WE WILL GET A RESPONSE BACK TO YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ALL, YOU ALL HAVE ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE COMMISSIONER, AND PROVIDE YOU SOME WRITTEN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND I HOPE WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING ENOUGH TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER, UM, EXCUSE ME, SANDERS, YOU RECOGNIZE I'M GONNA START YOUR TIME NOW, IF YOU'RE READY.
UM, I GUESS THE FIRST THING I WANNA DO IS JUST THANK OUR SPEAKERS.
NUMBER ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CHRIS LUNA AND, UH, FROM THE SCCA AND, UH, CHRISTY GILES FROM OPERATION KINDNESS FOR COMING IN TO SPEAK TO US.
UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON A LITTLE HOW IMPORTANT THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE
UM, I WENT TO AN AMAZING MEETING THIS WEEK AND THAT PAUL GA PAUL WAS UP ON A PANEL WITH, UH, MELISSA WEBBER, WHO IS OUR FORMER FORMER DIRECTOR.
AND ED JAMESON, WHO WAS OUR FORMER DIRECTOR.
THEY'RE BOTH WITH OPERATION KINDNESS AND SPCA.
AND THE TOPIC OF IT WAS HOW TO, UH, SPEAK TO SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THIS VIDEO OF DALLAS.
AND I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UH, DAS NOT HAVING A LOT OF MARKETING, BUT GUESS WHAT OUR PARTNERS DO, SPCA AND OPERATION KINDNESS DO HAVE MORE COMMUNITY OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES THAN WE DO.
AND THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, DEVELOPING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE TWO PAST DIRECTORS OF DAS AT THOSE POSITIONS.
UM, I, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN LEAN ON THOSE PARTNERSHIPS MORE.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, PAUL, YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB IN REPRESENTING GAS AND I WAS SO PROUD, UM, AND I THINK YOU HAD A REALLY GREAT IMPACT THAT NIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR GOING, THANK YOU FOR THEM FOR COMING.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANNA THANK IS OUR CAT SPEAKERS WHO CAME TODAY.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA, UH, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, ALL THE IMMENSE HOURS AND TIME AND ENERGY PUT IN THERE.
SO I WANNA GO BACK TO A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASKED AND GIVE, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE MARIAN, MAYBE SUMMER, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELABORATE ON A FEW OF THOSE THINGS.
ONE, UM, THE, UM, PROGRESS IN THE COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAMS IS REALLY JUST THANKS TO YOUR DEDICATION, UH, ESPECIALLY LAST YEAR COMING EVERY MEETING AND REMINDING US WHAT IT TAKES, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND, AND WE KNOW THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO DO.
AND, UM, I KNOW DAS IS WORKING EVERY DAY TO TRY TO MAKE, UM, INROADS IN THAT, UM, TECHNOLOGICALLY AND ALSO JUST COMMUNITY WISE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, JUST ONE OTHER THING.
I THINK SOMEBODY HAD ASKED ABOUT THE RUMOR THAT'S GOING AROUND THAT SR NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE, UM, THAT THE BUDGET'S BEING CUT AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO USE SR NUMBERS.
SO I'D HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THAT MAYBE I MISREPRESENTED WHAT YOU SAID.
BUT THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, BUDGET HAS BEEN CUT FROM FOR NEXT YEAR FROM DALLAS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THOSE.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TOO, I VALUE THEIR, UH, CONVERSATION AND I WELCOME THE ENGAGEMENT, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE SO DEDICATED AND COME TO THESE MEETINGS TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S FROM THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THOSE PAST FEW YEARS THAT HAS BUILT THIS PROGRAM TO WHERE IT'S AT.
TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT SRS, THE SRS ARE STILL THERE.
THEY'RE, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ELIMINATED TO MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND THE FUNDING WAS REDUCED TO ITS EXPECTED EXPENDITURE.
SO THE GOAL WAS 2000, THE EXPECTED EXPENDITURE WAS CLOSE TO ABOUT 180,000.
SO WE REDUCED IT FROM TWO 50 TO 184.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE YEAR OVER YEAR GRANT FUNDS THAT ALSO ASSIST WITH SPAY NEUTER.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE THOSE, YOU KNOW, REALIGN THOSE FUNDS.
WE, WE HAVE TWO 50 AND BEYOND.
UH, AND I, AND I'M SORRY IF THAT WASN'T COMMUNICATED APPROPRIATELY, BUT THE, THE PROGRAM IS, IS GONNA CONTINUE AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO
[02:05:01]
GROW THE PROGRAM AND UTILIZE WHATEVER RESOURCES WE HAVE.AND IF WE NEED TO GO OUT AND REACH FOR MORE GRANTS, WHICH MARY IS GOOD AT DOING, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, UH, THROUGH FOS AND THROUGH THE CITY.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM.
I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT.
BUT, UH, AS TO THE OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL LET MARY AND SUMMER GIVE SOME INFORMATION OR HIGHLIGHTS.
AND I AM GONNA GIVE THE FLOOR TO SUMMER, NOT ONLY BECAUSE SHE IS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT, BUT BECAUSE SHE HAS WORKED, HER, JUST WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD ON THIS AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
TALK ABOUT WALKING, CHEWING GUM AT THE SAME TIME.
THERE ARE SO MANY PROJECTS THAT SHE WORKS ON, AND I JUST WANNA THANK HER FOR ALL OF THAT.
AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SO WE CAN'T HEAR ONLINE.
IS IT WORKING? OKAY, THERE WE GO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT.
BUT I, I DO WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S STILL NOT BUILT TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS ARE.
UM, THERE, DALLAS IS A HUGE CITY AND WE HAVE A LARGE FREE ROAMING CAP POPULATION.
AND WHAT I DO THINK IS VERY UNIQUE ABOUT OUR CITY THOUGH, IS THAT THERE IS CITY FUNDING TO PAY FOR SPAY NEUTER FOR THESE CATS.
I'VE WORKED IN A LOT OF LARGE CITIES AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
SO WE'RE ALREADY WINNING THERE.
UM, THE SR PROGRAM IS STILL IN EFFECT.
AND, UM, PLEASE DO CONTINUE TO REQUEST THOSE SR NUMBERS.
IT IS WHERE WE PULL DATA FROM WHEN WE'RE PICKING TARGETED PROJECTS, WHEN WE'RE DETERMINING, UM, WHAT TO DO NEXT.
AND THEN, UM, THE SUBSIDIZED SURGERY INCREASE REALLY IS FROM, UH, THE EFFORTS OF ADDING NEW PARTNERS.
SO I HEARD THAT THERE'S BEEN CHALLENGES WITH GETTING APPOINTMENTS THROUGH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO GET THERE SO EARLY IN THE MORNING, ONLY SO MANY CATS CAN BE SEEN.
THAT IS WHY WE ADDED TCAP THIS SUMMER.
WHO SPAY NEUTER NETWORK HAS TWO CLINICS.
UH, SO THAT ALREADY CREATED A ROBUST INCREASE IN OUR SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES FOR CATS.
WE THEN ADDED ANOTHER NEW PARTNER, UH, SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY, WHICH AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IS ONE CLINIC, AND IT IS NOT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS PROPER.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, THE REALLY GREAT THING ABOUT THEM IS IT IS NOT JUST WALK-IN.
YOU CAN MAKE APPOINTMENTS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC, UH, FOR THOSE THAT CANNOT WAIT IN LINE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING TURNED AWAY.
UM, AND THEN OPERATION KINDNESS.
OBVIOUSLY WITH, UH, THE 75 CAT SURGERY DAYS THAT WE ARE STARTING THIS OCTOBER, THAT WILL BE MONTHLY AT THE HUB.
UM, ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, UH, WE ALSO HAVE A 60 CAP PICKUP THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH, UH, FROM DAS GOING UP TO THE CRANDALL CLINIC FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T DRIVE THAT FAR.
UM, SO REALIZING TRANSPORTATION IS ALSO AN ISSUE.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO ADD A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THOSE SRS.
UM, SO TO SOLVE FOR THOSE PROBLEMS WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE TRANSPORTATION, TIMING, NEEDING AN APPOINTMENT, PREFERRING WALK-IN.
SO NOW THERE'S A HUGE VARIETY OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN ACCESS, UM, THE FREE SPAY NEUTER SERVICES.
UH, ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE OUR TEAM, TABBY, AS I LIKE TO REFER TO THEM, WHICH IS MADE UP OF A WHOLE TWO HUMANS, UM, FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF DALLAS THAT ALSO ARE WORKING ON TARGETED TNR PROJECTS, UH, BASED ON WHERE WE'RE SEEING INTAKE, UH, COMING INTO THE SHELTER, WHERE THOSE SR REQUESTS ARE COMING FROM.
THEY ALSO DO RUNS TO TCAP AND SPAY NEUTER NETWORK FOR, UH, CATS THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY TRAPPING THROUGH, WHETHER IT BE A SERVICE REQUEST COMPLAINT OR, UM, THROUGH THOSE TARGETED PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE REFLECTED.
SO THAT HUGE INCREASE FROM ABOUT 800 CATS LAST YEAR TO 3000 THIS YEAR IS THOSE SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES ARE ALL OF THAT BANDWIDTH WE'VE BUILT IN FOR SURGERY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, THROUGH OUR VARIOUS PARTNERS.
AND I HOPE THAT KIND OF CLARIFIES THAT.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT I HIT EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE MORE.
TIME'S UP TIME RAN, BUT WE COULD, WE COULD DO A ROUND OF THREE.
I WAS GONNA SAY COMMISSIONER, UH, TIM FAULKNER.
UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK THE SPEAKERS FOR COMING AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S NOT
[02:10:01]
FUN TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN.I KNOW A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE WAY OUT AND COME DOWN HERE AND SIT FOR THREE HOURS AND YOU PRO AND YOU MAY FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT HEARD, BUT YOU ARE.
AND YOU, THE CITY OF DALLAS IS SUCH A BIG SHIP THAT, OKAY, SO WE GOT 60 MORE CATS.
AND IT MAY SEEM LIKE NOT MUCH, BUT IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY, IT REALLY IS HELPFUL.
AND I, I KNOW THE STAFF APPRECIATES TOO, KNOWING WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE AND THEY'RE WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF TO TRY TO MAKE, OH, AND THAT WAS LIKE, NOT REALLY A CAFFEINE, BUT SO THEY, THEY REALLY ARE TO MAKE
SO, AND IT REALLY, REALLY HELPS.
AND WHEN PEOPLE COME WITH INNOVATIVE IDEAS, AS TAMMY DID ABOUT THE VETS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT VETS BEFORE AND WE KNOW THAT'S AN ISSUE AND TRYING TO GET COMMUNITY VETS.
AND SO, BUT WE APPRECIATE PEOPLE COMING TO GIVE THOSE IDEAS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY GET PICKED UP AND, AND SOMEBODY RUNS WITH IT.
UM, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT THIS, THIS REPORT IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE EVERYTHING YOU LOOK AT, YOU'RE GOING LIKE, OH MY GOD, VOLUNTEERS ARE UP.
THE FOSTER PROGRAM IS INCREDIBLE.
UH, THE VACATIONS, EVERYTHING IS JUST, YOU GUYS ARE DOING SO MANY WONDERFUL, INNOVATIVE, POSITIVE THINGS.
MAYBE THAT'S WHY WE GOT A LITTLE BIT DEFENSIVE ABOUT NOT HAVING OUR OWN PERSON TO TALK ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE SO WONDERFUL.
AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE DOESN'T KNOW ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS ARE GOING ON.
AND WE KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIKE 14 PEOPLE THAT KNOW, AND THERE, THERE'S JUST SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT.
SO THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY REASON I THOUGHT THEY DIDN'T BE THAT WRONG.
THE, I FEEL BAD, BUT IT REALLY IS JUST THAT WE WANT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT DIS IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR PEOPLE, FOR SOME, FOR SOMEBODY, FOR A, FOR THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PERSON WHO'S GOING UP.
AND THIS, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION OF CLARIFICATION BACK TO COMMUNICATION.
UM, SO THE PERSON THAT WE'RE WITH THIS PERSON THAT'S GONNA BE FIRED, WILL THEY BE IN-HOUSE AT DIS? OKAY.
SO THEY WILL BE IN-HOUSE AT DIS AND THEN, AND BECAUSE THEN I THINK SHE'S TUCK IT UP IN BEING CROSS-TRAINED, WILL THEY ALSO BE DOING HEALTH WATER UTILITIES OR, OKAY.
NO, THAT, THAT PERSON WILL BE HIRED IN-HOUSE BY DS OKAY.
WITH THEIR COOPERATED EFFORTS.
AND THEN THEY WILL BE CROSS-TRAINED ON HOW TO POSSIBLY ASSIST IN THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DAS AND THE, THE CITY.
BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DOING THE WATER UTILS, NOTHING MATTERS.
UM, AND THEN ONE MORE SUGGESTION, UM, UNDER THE, THE RESCUE NUMBERS, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME 10, AND THAT'S FABULOUS THAT THOSE, THAT THOSE 10 ARE PULLING BIG NUMBERS, UM, SOMETIMES CAN YOU JUST PUT LIKE THAT THERE'S 122 OTHER RESCUES THAT PULL ONE OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR, BECAUSE THE RESCUE DESK DOES FABULOUS JOB OF REACHING OUT TO INDIVIDUAL RESCUES THAT THEY KNOW HAVE A SPECIFIC AREA.
UM, I KNOW THEY SEEM TO THINK I LIKE FIVE DOGS, WHICH I DON'T REALLY, BUT ONE TIME I SAID THAT, AND NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, BUT UM, WE, UM, SO THEY, THEY'RE, THEY ARE SO GOOD.
JASMINE AND DANIELLE ARE SO GOOD AT REACHING OUT AND SAYING, HEY, WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS ONE.
YOU KNOW, A DIRECT ASK IS SUCH A STRONG, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY NO, WHICH IS WHY I GOT ANOTHER BODY DOG THAT NEEDS AN FHL IF YOU NEED TO KNOW, BUT IT, THERE, IT'S REALLY EFFECTIVE.
SO TELL HIM TO KEEP DOING THAT BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES WORK.
BUT THE, THE, THE ANNUAL REPORT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.
YOU GUYS ARE DOING SO MANY GREAT THINGS.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE LEADERSHIP OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE HERE TODAY SO THEY COULD HEAR AND GO BACK AND LET THEM FOLKS KNOW HOW GOOD OF A JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UH, COMMISSIONER CASEY, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
UM, I'LL JUST BACK UP TO, UH, THE LIFESAVING IS INCREDIBLE.
UM, I, YOU STILL GET, YOU KNOW, FACEBOOK COMMENTS AND STUFF OF PEOPLE SAYING, OH, IT'S A HIGH KILL SHELTER.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF THIS LEADERSHIP HERE.
UH, VOLUNTEERS FOSTERS COMMUNITY GETTING INVOLVED.
AND YES, THE WORD SHOULD GET OUT ABOUT THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE A FEW OF THE OTHER RESCUES THAT ARE NEVER MENTIONED.
UM, THESE ARE THE SMALLER RESCUES THAT TAKE THE DOGS THAT ARE HARDER TO PLACE.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE TAKING PHOS DOGS THAT WILL NEVER GO TO A HOME.
THEY'RE GONNA SEE THEM THROUGH THE END OF THEIR LIFE.
THEY'RE GOING TO REHAB BEHAVIOR CASES, ET CETERA.
AND I JUST WANNA THROW OUT A FEW NAMES SO THEY, THEY KNOW THAT WE SEE THEM AND WE HEAR THEM.
LISA'S THE DOG PROJECT, STREET DOG PROJECT, THE LOVE PIT, MIRANDA'S MEN MENDED SOULS CODE, RED ANIMAL PROJECT, THE POWERFUL RESCUE DALLAS CAT LADY, OF COURSE, BACK THERE, DALLAS DOGGER, AND THERE'S MANY, MANY OTHERS.
UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THESE RESCUES AS WELL THAT ARE, UH, VERY OFTEN TAKING ON THE HARDER TO ADOPT DOGS, UM, OR TOTALLY UNADOPTABLE.
[02:15:01]
ALSO REITERATE WITH RP AND MISSING THE PIO, THE ONSITE PR PEOPLE ARE COORDINATORS, SO THEY'RE DOING THAT VIDEO, THE SOCIAL MEDIA, THE DAY TO DAY.BUT, UM, THIS SORT OF BIGGER PRESS RELEASE STUFF HAS JUST BEEN TOTALLY MISSING SINCE THAT POSITION LEFT.
SO WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SR NUMBERS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THAT SORT OF INFO IS OUT THERE, THESE BIG EVENTS, THE APPOINTMENTS OF A NEW DIRECTOR, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, I GUESS WE WAIT FOR THE CITY TO HELP US WITH THAT.
BUT I, THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE BIGGER PRESS RELEASE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO GET OUT THERE.
AND THEN I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.
SO EVERYTHING'S LOOKING GREAT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING.
AND I'LL, I'LL ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SPEAKERS AND ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK.
IT'S REALLY GREAT FOR EVERYBODY TO HEAR.
AND, UH, IF YOU EVER GO TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WITH YOUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE, WE ALSO NEED CITIZENS TO BE INVOLVED AT THAT LEVEL.
SO IF ANYONE OUT THERE IS WATCHING OR REWATCHING THIS VIDEO, IT IS VITAL TO SHOW UP FOR CITY COUNCIL.
PUTTING A COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
DOES NOTHING TO ACTUALLY GET THE CITY TO BE INVESTED IN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
YOU NEED TO SHOW UP, YOU NEED TO EMAIL.
IDEALLY GO TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS THAT ARE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WITH CITY COUNCIL, BUDGET MEETINGS WITH CITY COUNCIL, ET CETERA, AND VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AT ANY AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER HILL, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I'M AMAZED AT THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU CAN GET DONE WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE EMPLOYED AT THE SHELTER.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL THE NEW PROGRAMS AND THE GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, UM, ABOUT THE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS, THE CLINICS, THE RESCUE GROUPS, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE VOLUNTEER RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE TNR GROUPS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET FOR DAS, EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE GETTING PAID SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DO SERVICES, IT'S NOT NEARLY WHAT IT COSTS FOR THEM TO DO THOSE SERVICES.
AND LOOKING AT HOW MUCH MONEY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE HAVING TO RAISE TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY.
UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL PEOPLE AND THE CITY UNDERSTANDS THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE THIS WORK.
UM, THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF BRING UP REALLY QUICK ON THE T AND R IS THAT I DO BELIEVE THAT T AND R WORKS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IN TEXAS, EXCUSE ME, IS THAT THESE CATS BREED ALL YEAR LONG.
SO THE PROBLEM WITH TNR IS IF YOU'RE NOT FIXING ALL OF THE CATS AT ONCE, THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY'S DOING A TARGETED PROGRAM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE KIND OF SOME DATA ON THAT.
AND IS IT WORKING IN THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE TARGETING? AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE CAT GROUPS ALSO TARGET, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR 20 YEARS AND WE'RE ALWAYS FIXING CATS,
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF LET THE NAR GROUPS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE EVERY SURGERY EVERY DAY WHEN YOU TRAP A CAT.
UM, UNLESS WE HAVE AN ORGANIZATION WHO'S WILLING TO DO ALL CATS AND SOMEONE'S WILLING TO RAISE THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IT TAKES TO DO THAT.
BUT STILL, EVEN IF YOU DO A HUNDRED CATS A DAY, IT'S NOT GONNA FIX OUR PROBLEM.
SO I, I'M ALL FOR LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER KIND OF SOLUTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, UM, WITH CATS.
UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD WAS, IS THAT ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION AND SOME ANSWERS, AND YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE GONNA RESPOND BACK IN WRITING.
UM, I'VE NEVER GOTTEN ANY EMAILS WITH ANY RESPONSES BACK IN WRITING, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESPONSES GET BACK TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS AGAIN.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD ON MY LIST, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK.
OH, I THINK, I'M SORRY, LET ME, ONE MORE THING.
SOMEONE ALSO MENTIONED THE FRIENDS OF GROUP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ARE DOING FOR THE SHELTER, WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, IF THERE ARE ANY, AND, UM, HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING.
I'M SORRY I WASN'T PREPARED THERE.
UM, I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYTHING.
I THINK IT'S, PAUL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB,
[02:20:01]
PAUL, AND THE STAFF, AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE TO RE, MOST OF MY QUESTIONS ARE ALREADY ANSWERED, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIAS? YES, MA'AM.
IT REALLY DOES MY HEART GOOD TO SEE THOSE KIND OF NUMBERS COMING THROUGH.
UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ADDRESS OFFLINE ABOUT THE, UH, CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS, SUCH AS HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED FOR THAT.
UH, 3 1, 1 FOR LACK OF CARE, 9 1 1 FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY.
UM, WHEN DOES THE INVESTIGATION BRING BEGIN? UH, ALL THAT TYPE OF THINGS.
UH, BUT I, I THINK THAT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AT THE, THE SHELTER ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.
AND I PROMISE AFTER THIS ELECTION, I WILL COME OVER AND SEE YOU
AS FAR AS THE CRUELTY INFORMATION GOES, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT DPD WOULD NEED TO RESPOND TO.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TRUE NUMBERS ARE THAT WOULD BE FOR THEM TO RESPOND.
UM, THE, AND I AGREE, THE CRUELTY VERSUS LACK OF CARE.
I AM WORKING ON A ONE PAGER FOR THAT TO EXPLAIN THAT PROCESS.
AND YOU, YOU, YOU'VE CAUGHT ME WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
SO
UH, AND THEN NOTIFYING US IF IT'S AN ACTUAL JUST LACK OF CARE, UH, THEY'RE NOT BEING PROPERLY HOUSED.
WATER, UH, UH, CARED FOR, UH, HOUSING AND SO FORTH, UH, WE WILL ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
BUT ANYTHING RELATED TO CRUELTY WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM DPU, BUT WE WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THOSE COMMUNICATIONS CAN HAPPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
AND JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, IN THE PAST WE'VE INVITED, UM, THE DPD ANIMAL CRUELTY TEAM TO OUR COMMISSION, UH, MEETINGS COMMISSIONER.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, PLEASE REACH OUT TO PAUL AND I AND THEY CAN GIVE A QUICK SUMMARY.
UM, COMMISSIONER SAXON, THANK YOU.
UH, JUST WANTED TO REITERATE ALL THE COMMENTS.
UM, THE NUMBERS ARE LOOKING GOOD.
UM, THANK YOU TO CHAIR BOSKY AS WELL FOR, UM, ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS FROM OUR LAST QUARTER YET LESS THAN A MONTH AGO CALL.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, RAMON AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER GORES, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
UH, YEAH, TO ECHO THE COMMENTS, THANK YOU TO THE SPEAKERS AND ALSO TO THE TEAM.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, EXCITING NEXT YEAR AND LOOKING TO BE MORE INVOLVED.
UM, HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS GONE ONLINE? YES.
I FIRST OF ALL WANNA THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS.
UM, IT'S SO NICE TO MEET OUR DALLAS CAT LADY.
UM, SHE IS A LEGEND IN EAST DALLAS.
I'VE SENT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO YOU, SO THANK YOU FOR COMING.
IT'S, WE'LL GIVE HER OUR REGARDS.
WE JUST APPRECIATE YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR COMING.
UM, I'M GONNA BE AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
SO I REITERATE THE FRIENDS OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ALONG WITH THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT SYSTEM WORKS.
ARE YOU GUYS, SISTER ORGANIZATIONS, DO THEY JUST RAISE MONEY AND GIVE IT TO YOU? UM, BECAUSE ON NOR TEXAS GIVING DAY, THEY RAISED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN BEHIND THAT MONEY? UM, AND SO ANYWAYS, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM WENDY IF POSSIBLE, IF SHE CAN COME.
NUMBER TWO, UM, I AM VERY SORRY COMMISSIONER HILL BECAUSE PAUL JILLIAN AND I MET ONE-ON-ONE AND WE EMAILED EVERYONE WITH QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU DID NOT GET AN EMAIL FROM ME, AND I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK,
[02:25:01]
THAT'S ON US.YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE IT, BUT I KNOW WE EMAILED YOU, SO I'LL DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT.
UM, I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND THIS IS MY ONLY QUESTION THEN I'LL MAKE COMMENTS.
THE 250,000, UM, THAT GOES INTO SPAY NEUTER, IF YOU CAN JUST DUMB IT DOWN FOR ME IN EXPLAINING WHAT WE DO WITH SPAY NEUTER.
I'M GONNA SPEAK FIRST AND LIKE THAT TWO 50, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DOGS AND CATS THAT ARE GETTING ADOPTED OUTSIDE, EXCUSE ME.
WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE THINGS GOING ON HERE.
WE DO OUR IN-HOUSE SPAY AND NEUTER THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH OUR STAFF FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING ADOPTED.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR OUTSIDE SPAY NEUTER, WHICH THIS FUND WAS FOR WITH THE GOAL OF REACHING 2000 SPAY NEU IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'VE ACTUALLY FAR EXCEEDED THAT.
UH, BUT WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET, WE REALLY HAD TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS TO SEE WHERE WE WERE ACTUALLY PROJECTING TO SPEND VERSUS WHAT WE HAD.
'CAUSE THE GOAL WAS NOT TO RE REDUCE ACTUAL BODIES THAT ARE WORKING AT DAS.
WE, WE, WE MADE SURE THAT WE LOOKED AT OUR TEAM AND, AND WE SAVED AND WE DID NOT ELIMINATE ACTIVE POSITIONS, BUT WE DID LOOK AT THOSE CONTRACTS AND THOSE FUNDS.
SO WE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO THE PROJECTED SPENDING LEVEL, BUT WE ALSO HAD EXISTING FUNDS THAT ARE YEAR OVER YEAR THAT COULD MORE THAN COMPENSATE TO MAKE UP TO GET TO THAT TWO 50.
SO, SO EVEN IF WE GOT TO TWO 50, WHICH WE HAVE NOT, OR IF WE EXCEEDED THAT TWO 50 DS STILL HAS ADDITIONAL FUNDS THROUGH GRANTS TO MAKE UP FOR ANY NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT YOU'RE PAYING OUTSIDE VETERINARIANS.
SO THAT YOU'RE PAYING WHAT COMMISSIONER HILL WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU'RE PAYING SPAY N YOU'RE PAYING OPERATION KINDNESS, YOU'RE PAYING THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THAT TWO 50.
WE SUBSIDIZE OUR VENDORS FOR THEIR SERVICE.
I THINK, I THINK THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE CONFUSING TO THE PUBLIC.
SO I'M GLAD I'M, BECAUSE IT WAS CONFUSING TO ME.
AND THEN DO WE HAVE A ONE PAGER SOMEWHERE WHERE I KNOW THAT THESE AMAZING TNR KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY CAN GET THEIR, UM, CATS SPAYED AND NEUTERED.
BUT IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT SAYS, SO OPERATION KINDNESS IS DOING ONCE A MONTH, 75 CATS, THEN YOU'VE GOT TCAP AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THAT OTHERS.
WE'RE DOING OUR BEST, BUT THERE'S JUST SO MANY CATS AS YOU SAID.
AND, AND SUMMER, I'LL LET YOU CHIME IN, BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN COMMUNITY CAT PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE, RIGHT? YES.
SO IF YOU GO TO OUR COMMUNITY CAT PAGE, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT VENDORS, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THESE SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES, ALL OF THEM ARE LISTED WITH THE, UM, NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS TO LIKE, TIMES, DAYS, ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A ONE PAGER THAT IS AVAILABLE AT THE SHELTER THAT I CAN PRINT FOR ANYONE.
NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH SUMMER, AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
UM, AS YOU HEARD, UM, UH, MS. SAB SAY LIKE DALLAS CITY, DALLAS IS IN TRIAGE RIGHT NOW, AND IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS FIGHTING FOR MONEY.
AND I SAW THAT FIRSTHAND WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ON THE BOND.
UM, SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT COMMISSIONER GARING AND I WENT TO EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE MEETING WE COULD.
THERE WERE 40 PEOPLE THERE FOR THE LIBRARY.
THERE WERE 50 PEOPLE THERE FOR THE ARTS.
THERE WERE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THERE FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND TRYING TO GET THAT BOND.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMMISSIONER CASEY IS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
YOU, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THIS GROUP.
YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL IS THE PLACE YOU GO.
YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, AND YOUR STATE SENATOR.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT SPAY NEUTER LIFESAVING, IT'S TOO LATE.
'CAUSE THE ANIMAL'S ALREADY BEEN BORN.
SO, SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I AM GOING TO ASK ONE LAST QUESTION.
DID WE GET A DATE ON THE, UM, ON THE OPEN HOUSE? IS THAT STILL? 'CAUSE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
AND WE HAVE HAD WHAT, A HUNDRED EMAILS IT FEELS LIKE.
AND I'M STILL WAITING ON THE RESPONSE, BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP.
UH, WE DO HAVE A, AN EXECUTIVE, UH, MEETING TOMORROW AND I HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT I'LL BE COMMUNICATING WITH ON VARIOUS TOPICS.
SO I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT ONE.
AND BEFORE I END, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, EXCEPT MAYBE TWO SAID, I'M INTERESTED.
I WANNA BE THERE AND I WANNA TALK TO THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING WE'RE SEEING.
YOU CAN RELAY THAT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
SO WE NEED TO DO A VOTE AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE IT TO DETERMINATION IF YOU'D LIKE.
CAN WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THE DATES? DOES ANYBODY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THESE? CAN I
[02:30:01]
HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO PASS THE DATES? THANK YOU.DOES ANYBODY, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO DO A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS? ANYONE? OKAY.
UM, I AM TAKING NOMINATIONS TO BE VICE CHAIR FOR THIS COMMISSION.
IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED, I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU.
UM, I, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE DAS AND I TRY TO MAKE AT LEAST 82%.
I THINK THAT'S MY ATTENDANCE RATE AT ALL THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS, CONVERSATIONS AND WHATNOT.
SO IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED, PLEASE REACH OUT AND WE WILL, UM, GO AHEAD AND APPOINT THAT VICE CHAIR AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND WITH THAT, UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN.
OH, MOTION I MOTION TO ADJOURN? YEAH.
SORRY, JUST UNILATERALLY WANTED TO SHUT IT OFF.