[00:01:19]
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE INDIVIDUALS ONLINE CAN HEAR US.
COMMISSIONER CHER, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND, UM, JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND GIVE US YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT? UM, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH REPP AND I'M FROM DISTRICT 11.
UM, COMMISSIONER HILL, WE SEE YOU AND YOU'RE MUTED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ONLINE, UM, THAT WE HAVE NOT INTRODUCED YET? COMMISSIONER HANSEN? YES.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INTRODUCTIONS.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING, UM, I'VE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND HAVE OUR PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT SECTION.
SO, I WAS INFORMED THIS MORNING THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL, UM, PUBLIC, UH, COMMENTS THIS MORNING FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON ANY OF THE ISSUES DISCUSSED TODAY.
WE DO IT IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE IT HELPS THE COMMISSIONERS AND DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES INFORM, UM, IT INFORMS US ON WHAT YOU ALL ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY HERE AS WELL, HELPING US OUT TODAY.
SO IN ORDER TO SPEAK, UM, YOU OBVIOUSLY SIGNED UP BY 5:00 PM ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
IF YOUR NAME IS NOT CALLED, THEN YOU CAN SPEAK AT THE NEXT SHELTER COMMISSION OR COME SEE JILLIAN OR MYSELF.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND I WILL BE READING YOUR NAMES HERE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME SPEAKERS, UM, TODAY THAT ARE VIRTUAL.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, OH, WENDY REINER, FRIENDS OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES SLASH OPERATION KINDNESS.
HI THERE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? HI, WENDY.
COULD YOU GIMME JUST ONE SECOND.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN OFFICIAL TIMER.
UM, I'M READY FOR YOUR THREE MINUTES IF YOU ARE.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, I'M WENDY REINER.
I'M ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF FRIENDS OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH US THIS YEAR.
UH, AS A QUICK BACKGROUND, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T AWARE, UH, FRIENDS OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES WAS FORMED IN 2019 AS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT BACK WHEN ED JAMESON WAS THE DIRECTOR AT DAS.
WE HAVE AN OFFICIAL MOU WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO BE THE PRIMARY FUNDRAISING PARTNER FOR THE SHELTER.
WE HAVE GROWN FROM PROVIDING DAS WITH $20,000 IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN OUR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS TO BEING ON TRACK TO PROVIDE OVER $900,000 IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT THIS FISCAL YEAR.
ALTOGETHER, WE HAVE PROVIDED OVER $1.8 MILLION IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO DAS TO HELP FUND THE LIFESAVING INITIATIVES THAT PAUL AND HIS TEAM PRIORITIZE DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
EACH YEAR, WE ALSO MEET BIWEEKLY TO DISCUSS WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS.
SO IF ANY OF YOU EVER HAVE THOUGHTS ON HOW FRIENDS SHOULD BE ASSISTING DAS GOING FORWARD, PLEASE SPEAK TO PAUL OR TEAM AS ULTIMATELY THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
[00:05:01]
AS DAS FUNDING CONTINUES TO GROW YEAR OVER YEAR, UM, WE NEED, WE ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO THINK BIG WHILE BUILDING OPERATIONAL SCALE AS A SMALL VOLUNTEER NONPROFIT.FRIENDS WAS LIMITED IN MANY WAYS, BUT THROUGH THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED MERGER WITH OPERATION KINDNESS, OUR CAPACITY WILL GREATLY EXPAND.
FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T AWARE, OPERATION KINDNESS HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1976.
AND UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ED JAMESON, THE CEO IS OPERATION KINDNESS IS CURRENTLY THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DAS FROM ITS $5 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE LIFESAVING PARTNERSHIPS HUB, WHICH IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THE
OUR GOAL IN HAVING D S'S NUMBER ONE FUNDRAISING PARTNER, WHICH IS FRIENDS AND THE NUMBER ONE OPERATIONAL PARTNER, OPERATION KINDNESS JOIN FORCES IS TO INCREASE ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND PROVIDE EVEN MORE LIFE SAVING HELP TO DAS.
IMPORTANTLY, ALL GIFTS TO FRIENDS, WHETHER PAST OR CURRENT OR FUTURE, WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SHELTER AND WE MAINTAIN A DEDICATED BANK ACCOUNT FOR THIS PURPOSE.
UH, I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THIS UPDATE WITH YOU, AND IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK WE'RE DOING, PLEASE EMAIL US AT FRIENDS@OPERATIONKINDNESS.ORG.
UH, THANK YOU ALL ON THE COMMISSION FOR SHARING YOUR TIME AND TALENTS TO SUPPORT OUR SHELTER, AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A TERRIFIC DAY.
UH, TAMMY KUKLA IS NEXT, AND SHE IS WITH PET SUPPORT CENTER AND SHE SHOULD BE VIRTUAL.
UM, TAMMY, IF WE COULD GET YOU TO TURN YOUR SCREEN ON.
I SEE YOU ONLINE, BUT WE CAN'T PROCEED WITHOUT A VIDEO CONNECTION.
CAN YOU TRY TO TURN ON YOUR VIDEO FOR ME, PLEASE? CAN YOU HEAR ME, TAMMY? I CAN.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING.
DEBORAH, BRANDIS, DELL'S CAT LADY.
UM, SORRY, I HAD TO FIX ONLINE.
IF YOU ARE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR THREE MINUTES NOW.
YOU MAY START
SO ON THE MICROPHONE, DO YOU SEE A SPEAKER BUTTON OR IT'S A SPEAK? IT SAYS PUSH.
WITH, UH, DALLAS CAT LADY, UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THEM SINCE THEY FORMED AS A 5 0 1 C3, BUT WE WERE DOING THINGS MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT.
UM, WE FORMED AS A TNR STARTING, AND THEN WE ALSO DO ADOPTIONS.
A LOT OF MEDICAL, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, THE MAIN REASON I'M HERE IS THERE'S A PLACE CALLED SPAY.
NEITHER SOCIETY, NOT SPAY NETWORK SPAY NEITHER SOCIETY IN FLOWER MOUND.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET IT ALL STARTED.
EVERYTHING'S BEEN GOING GREAT.
THEY'VE DONE 117 UNTIL THEY WERE CUT OFF AND THEN, UM, 208 NON SR NUMBERS.
UM, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN DALLAS JUST SAID, WELL, WE'RE NOT TAKING SR NUMBERS FROM YOU.
NOBODY WOULD ANSWER MY EMAILS, MY PHONE CALLS, THEIR EMAILS.
UH, WHY, WHY OR WERE THEY NOT TAKING SR NUMBERS? IT'S ON YOUR WEBSITE.
THEY STILL TAKE SR NUMBERS FOR THOSE OF US WHO TRAP OVER BY, UH, AND BRING 'EM IN FROM HARRY HINES, BROCKBANK ROYAL, UH, WALNUT HILL.
IT IS MUCH, MUCH FARTHER FOR ME TO DRIVE OFF.
UM, I'M HAVING TO GO TO TCAP TO USE SR NUMBERS, WHICH IS GREAT, EXCEPT NOW THE SR NUMBERS ARE KNOCKING OUT.
YOU CAN ONLY TAKE A, A, YOU KNOW, AS, YOU KNOW, FOUR PER PERSON AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY GO SO MANY TIMES.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE ONES I'M FIXING FROM CARROLLTON, LEWISVILLE,
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE SR NUMBERS TO TA EVEN THOUGH THEY TAKE
[00:10:01]
THEM.I WANT TO TAKE 'EM TO SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY SO THAT I CAN TAKE THE NON DALLAS ONES TO TAP.
WHY DID THEY CUT 'EM OFF? THEY WON'T ANSWER MY PHONES.
I HAVE, I HAVE TRIED AND TRIED TO FIND OUT THE GIRL WHO CUT IT OFF WAS CHRISTIE STEVENS.
UM, SO I'M JUST BEGGING YOU TO GET IT BACK.
UM, WHAT, WHO KNOWS IS ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOW WHY, WHY THEY STOPPED TAKING HIM FROM A, IT'S ON OUR SIDE OF TOWN AND IT'S KEEPING US FROM USING ALL OF OUR TCAP SLOTS FOR DALLAS, UH, FOR DALLAS CATS.
SO I'M, THAT'S THE MAIN THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT.
UM, I HAVE HEARD THAT DALLAS WAS ADOPTING OUT ANIMALS WITHOUT FIXING THEM.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO, ON THEIR HONOR, COME BACK AND FIX 'EM.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HEARD, UH, WELL, WE KNOW FOR SURE THERE'S A HIGH DEATH RATE IN THE NEONATAL UNIT THAT THEY ARE, SOMEBODY IS WEANING THE KITTENS WAY TOO EARLY, AND IT'S, YOU CAN'T BE WEANING STARTING TO WEAN KITTEN AT THREE WEEKS OLD.
UM, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THEM.
I THINK THEY'VE PROBABLY GOT A, I WE'VE HEARD THEY HAVE UP TO A 40% OR MORE DEATH RATE IN THE NEONATAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DIE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JOSE MALDONADO, AND, UM, WE SHOW HIM AS IN PERSON.
REAL QUICK, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SAYING THIS EARLIER.
I KNOW IT'S SUPER AWKWARD SPEAKERS, BUT WE CANNOT RESPOND TO YOU.
UM, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TALK FOR THREE MINUTES, BUT WE WILL BE ADDRESSING, UM, THE SHELTER WILL BE ADDRESSING MANY OF THESE, THESE, UH, DISCUSSION POINTS IN JUST A BIT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ASK A QUESTION AND WE DON'T SAY ANYTHING, IT'S 'CAUSE WE CAN'T SAY ANYTHING.
BACK NEXT IS IL CAES OAKCLIFF RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER? IS SHE HERE? UM, SHE SIGNED UP AS VIRTUAL, BUT I'M NOT SEEING HER ON THE LIST.
UM, OKAY, WE'LL GIVE IT JUST THREE SECONDS.
IF YOU COULD, UH, MAKE SURE THE SPEAKER BUTTON IS PRESSED.
AND IF YOU'RE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TO SPEAK ON THESE THINGS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY FIRST OF ALL, THAT, UM, EACH OF YOU REPRESENT A DISTRICT, RIGHT? BUT EACH OF US REPRESENT MULTIPLE DISTRICTS IN THE RESCUE WORLD.
THAT MEANS THAT, UM, WE CAN BE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CITY TO THE NEXT, AND IT, IT JUST NEVER GETS DONE.
SO AS MUCH HELP AS DAS AND THE CITY OF DALLAS CAN OFFER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED A, WE NEED EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN GET FROM YOU GUYS.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF US HAVE JOBS.
SO WE, WE DO THIS RESCUE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO WORK.
WE HAVE FAMILIES, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST LIKE YOU.
LIKE I'M A RESCUE AND I, I'M COMPLETELY FUNDED BY VOLUNTEERS AND, UM, PEOPLE THAT DONATE.
I DON'T GET PAID A SALARY FOR DOING WHAT I DO.
UM, BUT I GET CALLS BECAUSE DAS WON'T COME OUT AND PICK UP AN ANIMAL THAT'S BEEN HIT BY A CAR OR, UM, YOU KNOW, DAS WON'T HELP WITH THE, UH, A KITTEN THAT HAS, UH, ITS EYES FALLING OUT OF ITS HEAD OR ANY NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE THE ONE THAT GET, WE'RE THE ONES THAT GET THE CALLS.
SO, UM, MAYBE PUT US ON YOUR PAYROLL.
I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO BECAUSE IT COMES OUT OF OUR POCKETS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE RUSH THE CAT.
I MEAN, I'VE GOT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT BECAUSE I HELP THESE ANIMALS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING I LOVE TO DO.
I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, BUT IT, IT'S NOT COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE AT THE RATE THAT IT'S GOING.
UM, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME ISSUES GOING ON IN SOUTH DALLAS AND THERE ARE CATS THAT ARE BEING, UM, TORTURED SOMEHOW.
SO I BROUGHT ONE OF THE CATS THAT HAD PASSED AWAY.
THEY ALL HAD VERY SIMILAR INJURIES TO THEIR LOWER TORSOS AND, UH, BROUGHT IT TO BAS TO GET AN CROY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M CHARGED $500 TO GET AN NECROPSY DONE, WHICH I DID REQUEST IT.
UM, BUT IT'S TO SEE IF THERE'S ANIMAL CRUELTY GOING ON, WHICH IS WHAT OUR CITY SHOULD BE DOING.
WHY DIDN'T BAS OFFERED TO DO THAT? YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO PAY A HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK, WHICH IS WHAT I'M DOING, THEY WON'T GET ME THE FINAL RESULTS UNTIL I GET THAT LAST $500 PAID OFF.
[00:15:01]
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT IF YOU ASK ME, BUT I MEAN, AND I DO THIS BECAUSE I LOVE ANIMALS SO, SO DEARLY AND, AND I WON'T STOP.I MEAN, IT'S NEVER GONNA STOP ME IF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY, YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE A WAY IF YOU'RE DETERMINED TO DO SOMETHING.
AND I KNOW THAT EVERY ONE OF US HERE ARE DETERMINED.
UH, AND THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THAT DO A LOT MORE THAN I DO.
UM, UH, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED DAS CITY OF DALLAS, THE PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF POWER THAT MAKE GOOD MONEY.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I CAME FROM WORK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK THIS MORNING TO BE HERE AFTER I WENT HOME AND TOOK A CAT TO, UH, HAVE A SURGERY.
ANA SAHA Z HAYEK, IS SHE HERE? NO.
D UH, VI, UH, DIANE RANDOLPH, SNYP.
SORRY, ONE MOMENT WHILE I START YOUR TIME.
FOR THE PAST 29 YEARS, I'VE RUN A GROUP CALLED SPAY NEUTER YOUR PET.
IT'S A SMALL NONPROFIT ANIMAL GROUP, AND MY PASSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION CRISIS THAT'S GOING ON BEFORE COVI HAD HOPE.
I THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING REAL PROGRESS.
WE HAD SOME GREAT LOW COST SPAY NEUTER CLINICS, BUT NOW IT'S A REAL MESS OUT THERE.
I LIVE IN FAR, FAR NORTH DALLAS, AND WHAT I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION IN DAS IS TO OPEN UP THE SR NUMBERS AT SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY BECAUSE WE CAN'T DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN.
WE CAN'T DRIVE TO EAST DALLAS AND THEN COME BACK AND PICK 'EM UP AGAIN.
IT HELPS US BRING DOWN THOSE NUMBERS.
AND THERE'S SUCH A HUGE NEED FOR SPAY NEUTER.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SPEND YOUR LIFE TRYING TO ADOPT, BUT THAT'S THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHY I'VE SPENT THIS MUCH TIME RUNNING THIS GROUP, BECAUSE IF I CAN PREVENT ONE LITTER INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIND HOMES, WHICH TAKES FOREVER, THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD GO.
IF YOU CAN OPEN THAT DOOR FOR US AND JUST WORK WITH DAS AND JUST ALLOW US TO GO UP THERE.
SO WE DON'T, WE CAN'T GO DOWNTOWN.
I LIVE ON THE FARTHEST NORTH BLOCK OF NORTH DALLAS, OKAY? THERE IS NO, NO THIS WAY UP THERE.
WE HAVE APARTMENTS FULL OF FERAL CATS.
AND THE THING IS, WITH DOGS, YOU SEE 'EM, THEY'RE RUNNING AROUND ACROSS THE STREET.
CATS HIDE AND WE GOT THOUSANDS OF 'EM, MILLIONS OF THEM PROBABLY IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES, YOU KNOW, FAST FOOD, PARKING LOTS, SEWERS, PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS.
AND THESE PEOPLE, WE DON'T GET PAID, YOU KNOW, OUR TIME, OUR MONEY, OUR GAS, I GET CALLS EVERY HOUR ALL THE TIME, ANYTIME.
BUT MY GOAL IS TO NOT ONLY, WE HELP PEOPLE GET THEIR ANIMALS SPAYED AND NEUTERED WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT, BUT ALSO THE PHARAOHS OUT THERE, THEY'RE BREEDING AND BREEDING LIKE CRAZY.
YOU DON'T SEE HOW BAD THE PROBLEM IS.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, COVID, I WAS LIKE, WOW, WE'RE DOING GREAT.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, AS TIME HAS GONE BY VETERINARIANS AND MANY OF 'EM ARE UNAFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HAVE JOBS.
SO THIS WOULD HELP US IF YOU COULD JUST OPEN THAT DOOR, GET THE SM NUMBERS TURNED BACK ON.
LOU, UM, LOUISE MARIE WAGON AU MY APOLOGIES.
UM, DALLAS CAT LADY IN PERSON.
UH, THE NEXT FOUR ARE VIRTUALLY APRIL VAN CLEEF.
CAN YOU UNMUTE YOURSELF PLEASE? I'M NOT SEEING APRIL ONLINE.
UH, WE JUST HAVE, I THINK A FIRST NAME PRADEEP, VIRTUALLY IS PRADEEP HERE.
ALSO LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, SED IS HERE.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE CARTER GRAHAM.
IS CARTER GRAHAM HERE VIRTUALLY.
NEXT WE HAVE STEVEN BRODER, VIRTUALLY.
[00:20:01]
DALLAS CAT LADY TRAPPER GROUP.AND IF YOU'RE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIMER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD AND START IT NOW.
UM, WELL, I JUST WANNA, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE SR NUMBER AND WHAT A BLESSING THIS COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM HAS BEEN TO MY EFFORTS.
UM, I'M THE GIRL THAT MADE THE WRONG TURN ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO,
AND THANKFULLY FOR THE ANIMALS THAT I WAS ABLE TO TRAP AND ALTER, IT CHANGED OUR LIVES.
I GOT INVOLVED WITH THIS COMMUNITY AND I NOTICED THAT THE PEOPLE WERE VERY RECEPTIVE AND, UH, I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO TRAP AND THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE BACK WITH ME WHEN NEW KITTIES WOULD COME INTO THE AREA.
AND SO WE, WE SET UP THIS RELATIONSHIP AND I WAS OUT TRAPPED IN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WALKING BY SAID, HEY, I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THERE'S SOME CATS OVER ON ALIS, BUT, AND SO I WENT OVER THERE AND GOT INVOLVED WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THE THE NEED CAT PROGRAM AND HOW WE HADN'T HAD THIS PROGRAM NOT INVOLVED WITH THEM.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE LANGUAGE BARRIERS, THEY HAVE WORK RESTRICTIONS THEY COULD HAVE NEVER DONE.
I TRAPPED 50 CATS IN ONE ALLEY BETWEEN SILVERTON AND SATSUMA.
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE COULD NOT HAVE AFFORDED THE VET JUST OVER ONE CAT AND WE TRAPPED 50 PLUS.
AND THEN THAT'S GOING OVER TO THE NEIGHBOR SAYING, HEY, AROUND THE CORNER, THERE'S A BUNCH MORE OVER THERE.
I TRAPPED NINE CATS AND KITTENS IN TWO DAYS.
AND TWO OF THE, THE LITTLE KITTENS WENT ON TO ANOTHER RESCUE GROUP AND THE OTHERS WERE, YOU KNOW.
BUT ANYWAY, THE POINT IS, IS THAT THIS IS SUCH A VALUABLE PROGRAM AND I'VE STAYED GOING FORWARD.
LET'S, LET'S CONTINUE THE PROGRAM AND LET'S THINK OF WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE THAT.
LIKE FELICIA, I'VE SPOKEN WITH HER SEVERAL TIMES.
I THINK THAT SHE'S STILL INVOLVED.
BUT, UM, SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TRAPS ALONE OUT, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS SO SIMPLE BY SHOWING THE PEOPLE THAT I GOT INVOLVED WITH, HERE'S HOW YOU SET THE TRAP.
AND THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE BACK WITH ME WHEN THERE WAS A GIVING, YOU KNOW, GIMME NEED A PICKUP OR WHATEVER.
SO I WOULD SAY, GOING FORWARD, LET'S GET SOME TRAPS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO USE.
YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DEPOSIT OR WHATEVER.
THEY NEED THINGS LIKE IF THEY SOCIETY, UH, WE'VE HAD NOAH'S ART CLOTHES, WE
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THE CONVENIENCE TO MAKE IT WORK.
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE, LET'S JUST MAKE IT WORK AND MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED, THEY WERE INVOLVED AND THEY WERE INVESTED.
AND WHEN THEY ARE, THEY CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE PROGRAM, THEY COMMUNICATE WITH US.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO AND HIGHLIGHT THAT, THOSE THOUGHTS.
MARSHA GOMEZ IS OKAY, MS. GOMEZ, IF YOU ARE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME NOW.
I MOSTLY DO TNR STARTED OUT DOING IT FOR DALLAS CAT LADY, BUT I'M OPEN TO
UM, WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT, I AGREE WITH THE SPAY NEUTER, UH, SOCIETY THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE SR NUMBER.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SPEAK ON THE FACT THAT THOSE SR NUMBERS ARE A BLESSING.
BECAUSE BEFORE THAT, WE COULD GO, MOST OF US WENT TO TCAP AND THEY WOULD DO A FREE FIX, $5 FOR RABIES, $5 FOR A PAIN SHOT.
YOU'D HAVE TO DO THE F-V-R-C-P, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT ON YOUR OWN.
AND GOD FORBID YOU GOT A $40 PREGNANT CAT FEE.
ON TOP OF THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A BLESSING THAT SR NUMBER HAS BEEN THIS WEEK ALONE.
EVERY FEMALE CAT I HAVE TAKEN IN HAS BEEN PREGNANT.
WE'RE LIKE ROUND TWO OF THIS YEAR'S KITTEN SEASON.
UM, BUT ALL THAT LEADS ME TO WANT TO SAY WE NEED MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY WAS MENTIONING COMING TOWARDS DOWNTOWN, THERE IS NO SPAY NEUTER CLINICS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE HAVE OPERATION KINDNESS THAT HAS QUIT.
THE SPCA QUIT BACK AT COVID, WE HAVE THESE MILLION DOLLAR 5 0 1 3 CS THAT GET, GET THE BIG BUCKS, AND THEY DON'T HELP WITH P AND R.
I WANT THERE TO BE OTHER OPTIONS.
PEOPLE CALL ME FROM OAK CLIFF AND SAY, WHERE CAN I GO? I SAID, WELL, THE CLOSEST T CAP TO YOU IS PROBABLY GONNA BE
[00:25:01]
ARLINGTON.SO WE NEED MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO NEED MORE COORDINATION WHERE, WHEN OPERATION KINDNESS WAS DOING FOR A SHORT TIME, A ONCE A MONTH FIX, THEY, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT THEY WERE AWFUL.
IT'S LIKE PEOPLE THAT HAD NEVER DONE TNR IN THEIR LIFE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE PAPERWORK.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE AS TRAPPERS NEEDED TO KNOW.
LIKE WHEN WE PICK UP A CAT THAT'S PREGNANT, THAT WAS PREGNANT, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
SOMETIMES THEY WOULDN'T EVEN TELL US, WELL, WAS THAT CAT MALE OR FEMALE? WHO KNOWS? BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T TELL US.
SO WE NEED MORE COORDINATION WHERE THE SYSTEM IS THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, I TOOK A RECENT UNOFFICIAL POLL ON A DFW BARREL CAREGIVER FACEBOOK GROUP, WHICH I SUGGESTED YOU'RE IN INVOLVED IN TNR AT ALL.
MAYA UNOFFICIAL POLL SAID THAT THE PREFERRED DAY OF THE TNR WOULD BE SUNDAY, SECOND SATURDAY.
YOU HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT WORK DURING THE WEEK.
WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO? IF THEY WANNA HELP IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE IS NOWHERE THAT THEY CAN GO DROP OFF THE CAT AND PICK UP WHEN THEY'RE AT WORK.
AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING BACK TO WORK IN THE OFFICE.
UM, I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO WORK ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, BUT IF WE COULD JUST DO IT ONCE A MONTH, THAT, THANK YOU.
NO, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, MARCIA.
IF YOU'RE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME.
I WANNA SPEAK ON ANIMAL CRUELTY ON SEVERAL TOPICS.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UM, ADD TO LISA'S STORY ABOUT THE CAT THAT SHE BROUGHT IN FOR THE AUTOPSY AND CROP SINK THAT CAT WAS BROUGHT IN, UH, IN ASSESSING VETERINARIAN OF THE CAT, THEY RAPED.
SEXUAL ASSAULT BY EITHER A HUMAN, A BLOOD TRAGIC OBJECT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE AN WAS BROUGHT TO DAS AND MEDICAL RECORDS FOR TWO OTHER CATS IN
CATS WHO ARE INTENT HIT BY BARS INTENTIONALLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY.
ANIMAL RESCUERS PICK THE DOGS AND CATS UP, RUSH 'EM OFF TO PET NARRATIVE SERVICES IN
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY HAVE TO BE EUTHANIZED.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE CATCH LICENSE PLATES, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
IT SHOULD BE A FINE OF AT LEAST $500.
IT SHOULD BE A MEANINGFUL PROBLEM.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE IDEA OF RELEASING ANIMALS FROM D'S CARE AND, UM, ON ALTER.
AND THE REASON IT'S INSANE IS BECAUSE IF THE TRUST FACTOR, YOU SHOULD BE, HAVE A SITUATION ANYWHERE, CAN DROP THE CONTRACT WHERE BOTTOM THAT PERSON HAS TO BRING THAT ANIMAL BACK IN 30 DAYS, THE ANIMAL'S NOT BROUGHT BACK IN 30 DAYS.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASSESS AGAINST THEIR CITY GUARD BILL A FINE, A MATERIAL HARM FOR THAT PERSON TO BRING THAT ANIMAL BACK.
IF THEY DON'T BRING IT BACK, THEY CAN GET TO GO TO JP COOK WITH THE HA CORPUS TO BRING THE ANNUAL IN.
I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS MAINTAIN LISTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MULTIPLE ADOPTERS WHO TAKE ANIMALS WHEN THE ANIMALS DISAPPEAR.
ALSO, THEY SHOULD ALL BE CHIPPED WHERE THEY WENT, THE EGGS, BECAUSE IF ONE OF US FINDS THEM, WE WANNA KNOW WHO THEY WERE, WHERE THEY BELONG, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE IS AN ANIMAL CRUEL CASE, MAYBE THEY LOST THEIR DOG A CAT.
BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW IF SOMEONE IS ENDING UP WITH ANIMAL AFTER ANIMAL AFTER ANIMAL BECOMES TO BED, THEN YOU NEED TO SPLIT THEM ON LIST.
I KNOW FLIGHT LIST, THEY CAN'T DOCK AND THEY SHOULD BE.
[00:30:03]
IS IT ON? YES.IF YOU'RE READY, MS. RYAN, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME NOW.
IS IT ON THE TIMER? GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
UH, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THESE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, EITHER VIRTUALLY OR ONLINE.
SHE SEES MY FACE ALL THE TIME, SO I SEE SOME NEW FACES AROUND HERE.
SO I JUST WANNA LET THE ONES THAT ARE NEW, THE NEW REPS KNOW THAT A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN COMING AND COMING AND COMING.
AND TODAY I WANNA START ON A POSITIVE NOTE.
I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TWO OF YOUR BEST VOLUNTEERS, LORI CANALS FERGUSON AND FLORENCE DE JANERO.
THEY ANSWER ALL OUR QUESTIONS, HONESTLY, TACTFULLY.
THEY TAKE GREAT VIDEOS AND THEY NETWORK.
SO SHOUT OUT TO THEM ON, ON A POSITIVE NOTE.
NOW, I'VE BEEN COMING ABOUT CATS ALL THIS YEAR AND A HALF, AND ALL THE LADIES HERE HAVE SAID EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID.
PRETTY MUCH SO, I'M, I'M HERE TO REPRESENT MY DOG RESCUE COMMUNITY FAMILY, OKAY? 'CAUSE THEY GOT QUESTIONS AND I, I KNOW YOU CAN'T ANSWER TODAY, BUT I'M EXPECTING SOMEONE TO WRITE THESE DOWN AND SOMEONE GET BACK TO ME IN MY EMAIL SO I CAN GIVE THE ANSWERS TO PEOPLE.
NUMBER ONE, SEEN A FEW POSTS ABOUT MISSING DOGS AT THE SHELTER.
THE FOSTER BRINGS THE DOG BACK.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHERE, HOW DID THE DOGS GO MISSING WITHIN THE SHELTER? THAT'S PROBABLY A REALLY GOOD REASON, BUT WE AS THE PUBLIC WANNA KNOW, WHEN YOU POST THAT IT WAS LOST IN THE SHELTER WHEN THE FOSTER BROUGHT IT BACK, DID, DID YOU FIND THE DOG WERE CAMERAS ON? DO PEOPLE DO MORNING CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THE CAMERAS WORK EVERY MORNING? THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE PUBLIC PORTAL RECORDS SHOW.
UH, AND AGAIN, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY A CAR.
I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY, BUT THERE'S A LOT IN FIVE DISTRICT FIVE AND EIGHT THAT DIE ON ROUTE IN THE VAN.
IS IT OVERHEATING? ARE THE ANIMAL SICK? THERE'S NEVER AN EXPLANATION WE'RE TOLD.
YOU CAN'T TELL US WHY YOUR DOG DIES IN THE VAN ON THE WAY TO BED.
NO, I'VE BEEN TOLD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, THERE'S NO SCANNING OF DEAD DOGS.
WHEN WE REPORT A DEAD DOG ON THE HIGHWAY, DO THE GARBAGE PEOPLE PICK IT UP? NOBODY SCANS THE DOG.
I HOPE SOMEBODY SCANS A DEAD DOG ON A HIGHWAY WITH A COLLAR TO SEE IF THE OWNER CAN FIND OUT HIS DOG.
YOU TOLD, YOU TOLD US YOU HAVE A TAG.
WELL, I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY WHO'S BUSY AT DAS HAS TIME TO CHECK TAGS EVERY TIME YOU'RE BUSY IN ADOPTION.
SO WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A DO NOT ADOPT DATABASE THAT WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO ADOPT AND WE SEE MULTIPLE REPEAT OFFENDERS, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A DO NOT ADOPT LIST? UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D SAY WOULD A LITTLE BIT BETTER COMMUNICATION.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE LACKING A FEW ROLES IN PEOPLE, BUT SUMMER, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER HAPPENED IN SUMMER.
SHE RAN THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? DID SHE GET REPLACED? WAS THERE AN ANNOUNCEMENT? OKAY, WELL, CAN Y'ALL COMMUNICATE BETTER TO US WHEN WE, WE MAKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH REALLY GOOD PEOPLE AT DAS AND WE, WE LOVE THEM AND THEY DID GREAT THINGS FOR US, AND THEN THEY DISAPPEAR AND NOBODY TELLS US, OH, HEY, YOU KNOW, SHE'S MOVED ON TO SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU CAN SAY IT TACTFULLY, BUT IS THERE A REPLACEMENT? DO YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY CAT PERSON? HAVE YOU PUBLICIZED IT? HAVE YOU TOLD US? BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE POSITIVE ADOPTIONS LATELY.
UH, PAT RODRIGUEZ, FORMER COMMISSIONER.
IF YOU'RE READY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, LETTING US SAY, UM, WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE HERE.
AND I'M GONNA READ FROM A LIST.
SO I HOPE I DON'T APPEAR WOODEN, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET TO ON MY STUFF.
UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP AT THE STEP AT, AT THE SHELTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, WHO'S MARY? VERSION NUMBER TWO? I THINK WE NEED A STRONG NUMBER ONE IN THE NUMBER TWO WITH ANIMAL SHELTERING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
SOMEBODY WHO'S PASSIONATE ABOUT INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SAVE LIVES, AS WELL AS HELPING ENFORCING THE SPAY NEUTER LAWS AND THE CRUELTY LAWS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
THE CITY OF DALLAS, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE DOING AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FOR SOMEBODY LIKE THEY DID AFTER ANTOINETTE BROWN WAS KILLED BY THE PACK OF DOGS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND I'M SORRY BONNIE, BUT, UH, I SAY BRING JORDAN CRAIG BACK.
UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE FACILITY, ESPECIALLY THE HVAC BECAUSE DAS MISSED THE BOND CYCLE IN 20, UH, 2024.
I THINK THIS IS THE BUILDING WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS.
AND IT'S FALLING APART AT THE SEA.
THE HVAC, UH, ISSUES ARE UNACCEPTABLE IN MY OPINION.
THE CITY OF DALLAS BUILDING SERVICES NEEDS TO PROVIDE BETTER SUPPORT FASTER TO DAS.
WE NEED TO HAVE A REAL HVAC SOLUTION, NOT JUST THE TEMPORARY FIXES THAT GO ON EVERY YEAR.
THE WASHER AND DRYER MAINTENANCE, I KNOW IT SOUNDS REALLY STUPID, NEEDS TO BE DONE WITHIN THREE DAYS, NOT LIKE FIVE WEEKS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
[00:35:01]
ARE BARS ON THE KENNELS THAT ARE COMING APART AND, YOU KNOW, AN ANIMAL IS GONNA GET HURT BECAUSE IT'S GONNA STICK ITS HEAD THROUGH A BAR AND GET STRANGLED.AND TO THAT END, I THINK THE CITY OF DALLAS SHOULD HIRE SOMEBODY OR A FEW SOMEBODIES TO MAKE SURE THE NEW SHELTER IS ON THE BOND BECAUSE WE CAN'T, THIS BUILDING CAN'T STAND ANOTHER 15 YEARS.
I THINK THE CITY OF DALLAS INFORMATION SERVICES SHOULD PROVIDE BETTER IT SUPPORT TO DAS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF REPETITIVE TASKS THAT SHOULD BE AUTOMATED AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF INTERNET CONNECTIVITY ISSUES AT THE SHELTER.
I HEAR THE, THE EMPLOYEES GRUMBLING ABOUT THAT.
THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
THE DAS SHOULD ALSO HAVE MORE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE LATELY, I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY DROPPED.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT SHELTER CAPACITY.
IT APPEARS THAT 130 TO 150% IS THE NEW NORMAL.
I THINK WE NEED MORE KENNEL ATTENDANCE BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR TO ASK THE SAME STEP, TAKE CARE OF 30 TO 40% MORE ANIMALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I WASN'T ASKED TO DO MORE WORK WITHOUT, WITHOUT GETTING PAID MORE OR WHATEVER THE ANIMALS ARE FORCED TO BE IN OR NEAR THEIR POOP OR THEIR URINE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S OKAY.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE DELAY IN GETTING DOGS AND CATS STERILIZED.
UH, IT USED TO BE THEY WOULD STERILIZE ANIMALS IN ADVANCE.
AND NOW I FEEL LIKE I SEE, UH, DOGS THAT GET ADOPTED.
THEY DON'T LEAVE THE SHELTER FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND I THINK I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT THEY ARE LEAVING THE SHELTER WITHOUT BEING STERILIZED.
THAT CONCLUDES YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR THIS SESSION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE THAT I'VE MISSED? OR IF NOT, WE'LL A COUPLE SECONDS TO LOOK THAT UP.
UM, TO ALL OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING, UM, A LOT OF THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM.
WHAT'S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE JOINING US FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, MR. BARON ELLISON.
HE'LL BE PRESENTING ON CHAPTER 12 OF DALLAS CITY CODE ETHICS.
UM, HE IS HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT ALSO WE'LL BE PRESENTING THROUGH OUR WEBEX.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE HIM A PRESENTER.
I'M NO LONGER WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, WHEN THE VOTERS VOTED IN NOVEMBER, THEY MADE US AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE.
SO NOW THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL IS, IS, UH, OUTSIDE.
I'M SURE TAMMY WOULD LOVE, WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I SAID I'M NOT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS.
I'M JUST KIDDING AROUND WITH THE GUN.
UM, I DON'T MEAN THAT IN A WAY IT MIGHT SOUND, I JUST MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE INDEPENDENT.
THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF ALL THAT.
LET ME, UH, PULL UP MY WEBEX AND SHARE MY SCREENING WITH YOU AND WE'LL GET STARTED.
UM, LET ME ASK A QUICK QUESTION.
SO THE PRESENTATION THAT I HAVE, I CAN SPEED IT UP IF WE NEED TO.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT YOUR EXPECTATION.
THIS IS ABOUT A 30 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
WELL THIS IS THE PRESENTATION, SO, UH, I'LL CUT THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT FASTER, BUT, UH, ANY OF YOU CAN CALL ME ANYTIME.
I'LL HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION IN THERE.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? YEAH.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS DURING YOUR ABSOLUTELY.
I AM LOGGING IN HERE THROUGH WEBEX.
SO, UM, LET'S SEE IF IT POPS UP.
AND IT'S NOT SHOWING WHAT IT NEEDS TO SHOW.
WELL, I'LL JUST USE THIS AS A GUIDE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ETHICS TODAY.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU ASKED ME ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO, IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT ETHICS.
'CAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS FOR YOU TO, UH, TO BE, THINK OF WHAT I MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT I TELL PEOPLE MOST OF THE TIME IS I THINK ABOUT IT LIKE, UH, TRAFFIC IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN IT'S WORKING.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN IT'S NOT WORKING.
ETHICS IS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE DRIVING, UH, RULES AND LAWS, UH, AROUND
[00:40:01]
THE CITY.IF YOU LEARN 'EM AND YOU FOLLOW 'EM AND YOU SUPPORT 'EM, IT WORKS.
IF YOU DON'T, IT DOESN'T WORK.
ETHICS IS A TEAM SPORT AND THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.
I NEED YOU TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ETHICS.
YOU NEED ME TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ETHICS.
AND TO THE EXTENT WE DON'T DO THAT AS A GROUP, TO THE EXTENT WE DON'T FOLLOW AND STAND FOR THE CODE AND SUPPORT THOSE THAT DO STAND FOR THE CODE, UH, WE'RE FAILING IN THIS.
AND WHEN WE FAIL IN THIS IT, WHAT HAPPENS IS RETENTION DROPS.
THEY SPEND TIME AT WORK OR IN THE SHELTERS, UH, BEING FRUSTRATED AND NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
ALL THE, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF RAMIFICATIONS TO, UH, EPICS THAT WE'VE GOT TO WATCH OUT FOR.
AND SO WHAT THAT SLIDE WOULD SAY IS, IF WE JUST LEARNED, FOLLOW AND SUPPORT THE RULES, UH, WE'D ALL BE IN A LOT BETTER SHAPE.
SO, UH, I, I INCLUDED THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IT'S, UH, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND, UH, YOU ALL LOVE ANIMALS.
YOU PLAY A GAME IN THE CITY, IT'S CALLED CATCH THE CANARY.
UH, I CAN GET YOU TO PUT INTO THAT IF YOU WANT.
THE POINT OF THE SLIDE IS, UH, IF I COULD GET THIS TO WORK, BUT I'D RATHER NOT SPEND TIME TRYING TO DO THAT FOR YOU.
JUST, HE'S GOT BIG QUALITY GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER.
THERE'S A GARDENER IN THE BACK.
AS SOON AS WE MOVED INTO THE HOUSE, GUESS WHAT? GOT DUG UP? THE GARDEN IN THE BACK.
WHAT DID WE ASSUME? WE ASSUMED IT WAS SPRITZ.
WELL GUESS, GUESS WHAT? WE PUT A FENCE AROUND THAT GARDEN.
WHY DID WE DO THAT? TO PROTECT THE GARDEN.
SO IT'S A PICTURE THAT I, I LIKE TO PROMOTE.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ETHICS, THE CODE OF ETHICS IS LIKE THAT FENCE.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING TODAY, IT'S NOT LIKELY TO BE WHEN I GO OVER THESE INDIVIDUAL RULES, BUT IT JUST NEEDS TO BE THIS EMPHASIS.
AND, AND TO THE EXTENT WE JUST CHOOSE NOT TO BE, THERE ARE GAPS IN THE FENCE.
AND THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF GREAT ANALOGIES IN THE SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FENCES AREN'T WORKING AROUND THE CITY.
UH, SEE IF I CAN GET THIS THING TO ADVANCE.
I WANT TO INCREASE YOUR SPIDER SENSE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT A SPIDER SENSE IS.
SO I'M GONNA DO THAT BY INTRODUCING YOU TO SOME RULES, INTRODUCING YOU TO SOME PATTERNS THAT WE SEE IN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S DIVISION ALL THE TIME, UH, THAT ARE COMMON TO FAILURES IN DEFENSE.
THEN I WANNA SHOW YOU THE STEPS THAT YOU CAN TAKE, AND THEN I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ALL THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR GOALS WE'RE GONNA GET TO.
AND AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL GO A LITTLE BIT QUICKER, BUT, UM, THE FIRST PATTERNS THAT WE HAVE, UH, IS JUST THIS ONE.
I CALL IT THE HUMPTY DUMPTY PATTERN.
UH, OR THE HUMPTY DUMPTY PRINCIPLE.
AND YOU ALL KNOW IT, YOU'RE ALL ADULTS.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY THE RULE OF THUMB THAT LITTLE THINGS ADD UP.
LITTLE DECISIONS, LITTLE CHOICES.
HUMPTY DUMPTY GOT ON THE FENCE BECAUSE HE CROSSED THE GARDEN.
HUMPTY DUMPTY GOT UP THERE 'CAUSE HE CLIMBED A TRESTLE THAT'S NOT FOR CLIMB.
HUMPTY DUMPTY FELL OFF THE WALL 'CAUSE HE IS NOT HANGING ON.
AND YOU COULDN'T PUT HUMPTY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
AND YOU SEE THAT IN, IN EVERY, UH, INSTITUTION THAT WE CALL A GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL.
IT'S FAMOUS IN THE WORLD OF ETHICS.
BRIGGS BANK DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY CUT LITTLE CORNERS THAT NOBODY THOUGHT MATTERED.
BUT THAT TAKES YOU SOMEWHERE WHEN YOU DO THAT, WHEN YOU DON'T STAND FOR THE CODE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE DOING ARE CALLED SAW REPORTS.
LONG STORY SHORT, WHAT THAT RESULTED IN IS $3,000 A MONTH STIPENDS GOING TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT HIJACKED THE PLANES THAT FLEW TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
DID ANYBODY AT RIGS BANK THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT CUTTING CORNERS ARE GONNA LEAD TO? OF COURSE NOT, BUT THAT'S THE BIG POINT.
UH, THIS IS WHY IT'S CALLED THE BAD DOG.
I PUT PEANUT BUTTER ON THE COUNTER.
WHY? BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, HE THOUGHT HE NEEDED IT.
NUMBER TWO, I WASN'T THERE WATCHING.
I GUARANTEE YOU, LIKE THIS MORNING WHEN I MADE MY BREAKFAST SANDWICH, UH, AND HE SAW ME STANDING THERE, AS SOON AS I WALKED OUT, I, I DIDN'T LEAVE THE KITCHEN.
WHY? BECAUSE AS SOON AS I LEFT, I WOULD'VE LOST MY BREAKFAST SANDWICH AND I'D BE HANGRY RIGHT NOW.
BUT, BUT THE THIRD ONE IS RATIONALIZATION.
AND THIS IS HOW MOST OF THE TIME YOU ARE GOING TO PICK OUT, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT
[00:45:01]
CORNERS ARE BEING CUT.HE IS PLAYING WITH A, WITH A REALLY, A REAL CAT.
HE'S NOT A REAL CAT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
IT'S LIKE, HEY, THIS IS NO BIG DEAL UNTIL ONE DAY THAT CAT DECIDES THAT IT WANTS TO BE A LION.
AND NOT JUST THIS GUY'S PET CAT.
WHAT HE'S DOING THERE IS CALLED RATIONALIZATION.
AND WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE TO YOU IS GOING TO BE, HEY, IT'S NO BIG DEAL.
UH, WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE.
UM, LET'S JUST, WE'RE IN A HURRY.
THAT'S WHAT CUTTING CORNERS SOUNDS LIKE.
AND WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ON THE HUMPTY DUMPTY TRAIL.
AND IF YOU DON'T JUMP IN AT THAT POINT WITH THE TWO OF THEM ABOUT TO SHOW YOU, UH, BAD THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, TWO LESSONS ARE LEARNED.
THE FIRST LESSON THAT'S LEARNED IS THAT IN ANIMAL SERVICES, IT'S NOT OKAY TO BEND THE RULES.
THE OTHER LESSON THAT'S LEARNED IF YOU'RE THE PERSON THAT IS STANDING, IS THAT IF OTHER PEOPLE HOLD THE LINE WITH YOU, YOU LEARN THAT IT'S OKAY HERE FOR ME TO STAND WHEN I STAND MY COMMISSION.
THIS DEPARTMENT IS NOT GONNA LEAVE ME SWINGING IN THE, IN THE WIN.
SO ENOUGH OF THAT, CONGRATULATIONS.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE PATTERNS.
UH, VERY QUICKLY, I'M GONNA STICK WITH THE ANALOGY OF OFFENSE.
YOU WANNA BUILD A FENCE? WHAT'S YOUR FIRST QUESTION? WHERE ARE WE GONNA PUT IT? IN OTHER WORDS, TO WHOM DOES THE CODE APPLIES? WELL, IT APPLIES TO EMPLOYEES, CITY OFFICIALS.
THAT'S YOU AND PEOPLE DOING OR TRYING TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
THEY KINDA SHOW YOU THE OUTLINE OF THE DEFENSE.
THERE ARE, WELL FIRST THE BAD NEWS.
THERE ARE 11 CHAPTERS OR ARTICLES IN THE CODE, AND IT'S ABOUT 90 PAGES LONG.
THERE'S ONLY 25 RULES IN THERE.
AND THEY'RE ALL IN THE FIRST THREE ARTICLES, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT.
SO READ ONE RULE A NIGHT, IT'S BETTER THAN RELAXING SLEEP.
YOU'LL GET THE CODE IN YOUR HEAD AND YOU'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
NOW, FOR YOU ALL, 'CAUSE YOU'RE CITY OFFICIALS, YOU LIKELY, UH, ALSO ARE GONNA WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S IN ARTICLE SIX THAT HAS TO DO WITH GIFTS AND PARTICULARLY FOR AN ANIMAL SERVICES DONATIONS AND HOW YOU DEAL WITH THOSE IN AN ETHICAL WAY.
SO FOR YOU, THERE'S A FEW MORE RULES, BUT YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF RESOURCES.
YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL 'EM WELL, OKAY? UH, NEXT WE HAVE BACKERS.
BACKERS OF OFFENSE, GIVE OFFENSE, STRENGTH AND SUPPORT.
TO ME, THESE ARE THE KIND OF RULES IN THE CODE THAT ARE ALL THE CRIME RULE.
AND THE FIRST ONE THAT SOME OF YOU THAT ARE ARE NEWER, THIS SURPRISED ME WHEN I STARTED HERE AT THE CITY, IS YOUR DUTY.
YOUR DUTY IS A FIDUCIARY DUTY.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, IT'S THE HIGHEST DUTY UNDER THE LAW.
THAT'S WHAT A DOCTOR OWES A CLIENT.
THAT'S WHAT A LAWYER OWES A CLIENT.
YOU OWE THAT AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY, TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY.
UH, THIS GUY RIGHT HERE, I CALL HIM NARCISSIST NICK.
YOU JUST SAY NICK, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
THEN YOU UNDERSTAND FIDUCIARY DUTY, CIVILITY, OBVIOUSLY IT MATTERS HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER.
UH, THAT INCLUDES THE DECORUM IN IN MEETINGS THAT COMES UP FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE CITY IN DIFFERENT BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND BODIES.
UH, WE NEED TO TREAT ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT ALL THE TIME.
I CALL THIS THE DON'T BRING ME DOWN RULE.
TREAT ONE ANOTHER, UH, THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
NOW THIS NEXT ONE IS AN INTERESTING ONE.
AND ALL THESE RULES, BY THE WAY, COME FROM FROM CITY COUNCIL.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THEM IN JANUARY, WHEN THE CODE GETS REVIEWED, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND THIS NEXT ONE IS A VERY INTERESTING ONE.
I CALL IT THE STAY IN YOUR LANE RULE.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE INTERACTION BETWEEN YOU AS CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES.
THERE ARE RULES AND IT'S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.
REALLY ALL RULES AND LAWS AND CODES OF ETHICS AND PENAL CODES ARE BIOGRAPHIC.
THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS COME UP SO OFTEN.
THEY GOTTA MAKE A RULE ABOUT IT.
THERE'S BEEN HISTORICALLY, AND, AND I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYONE THIS BOARD OR ANYTHING, I'M JUST SAYING THE RULES THERE.
'CAUSE HISTORICALLY THE INTERACTION BETWEEN CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES HASN'T ALWAYS HIT ON ALL CYLINDERS.
AND SO THERE ARE PROHIBITIONS IN THERE AND THERE IS A PATTERN IN THERE FOR HOW WE DEAL WITH IT.
YOU LOOK AT THE PROHIBITIONS AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN.
UH, CITY OFFICIALS SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH EMPLOYEES WORK IMPAIR IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY, INFLUENCE MAKING OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR DECISIONS.
SO IF IT'S AN EMPLOYEE'S JOB TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S A HERE'S A DECISION YOU NEED TO MAKE.
AND CERTAINLY NOT BERATE CITY OFFICIALS.
SO HOW DOES CITY COUNCIL DECIDE TO GET AT IT? I CALL IT A TWO STEP, TEXAS TWO STEP.
THEY SAID BEFORE YOU ENGAGE AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH CITY OFFICIALS.
IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, ENGAGING WITH EMPLOYEES.
[00:50:01]
UH, WHEN YOU NEED HELP WITH INFORMATION, YOU NEED HELP WITH THE PROJECT.THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT CITY COUNCIL SAYS THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT.
NUMBER ONE, YOU GO TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD PERSON WITH THE WORD CITY, UH, IN FRONT OF THEIR NAME, CITY MANAGER IN YOUR CASE FOR ANIMAL SERVICES THINGS AND THE DEPARTMENT DEAD.
AND YOU SAY, I NEED TO TALK TO AN EMPLOYEE.
AND THAT EMPLOYEE, EXCUSE ME, THAT DEPARTMENT DEAD AGAIN, WILL CONNECT YOU WITH AN EMPLOYEE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT.
AND I'LL, AND, AND I'LL BE FRONT, UH, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BUT EVERY TIME IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THE CODE IS BEING VIOLATED.
COUNSEL MADE THE RULE FOR A REASON.
I THINK THEY NEED TO FOLLOW IT.
YOU'RE CHOOSING NOT TO FOLLOW THE CODE.
OKAY? WE PROTECT PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.
OKAY? RETALIATION FOR STANDING FOR THE CODE OF ETHICS IS NEVER OKAY.
TRICKING SOMEONE ELSE INTO VIOLATING THE CODE FOR YOU.
THAT IS NEVER, OKAY, THIS IS AN INTERESTING ONE.
IF YOU HAVE AN APPEARANCE ISSUE, LIKE IT LOOKS BAD THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING, THE CODE SAYS YOU HAVE TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IF YOU HAVE AN APPEARANCE ISSUE, IN OTHER WORDS, IT LOOKS BAD.
LIKE SOMEONE ON THE OTHER SIDE IS MY BEST FRIEND SINCE KINDERGARTEN, AND I'M DECIDING WHETHER THEY OR SOMEBODY ELSE GETS THIS CONTRACT THAT LOOKS BAD.
IT LOOKS LIKE MY HANDS IN THE COOKIE JAR, BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT A CONFLICT.
IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT A VIOLATION FOR ME TO WORK ON THAT, BUT IT LOOKS BAD.
AND SO YOU NEED TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THAT TO ME.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES AND YOU LET PEOPLE KNOW THIS LOOKS BAD.
IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE YOU WORK ON THEM? IF YOU DON'T, YOU MAY END UP, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS? UH, UH, TOP FOLD OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, WHO WANTS TO BE THERE? JUST SAY, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? AND, AND YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK.
I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH SOME OF THESE, UH, SO THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME OF THE, THE ISSUES ARE THAT TYPICALLY COME UP, UH, THAT SLIDES IN THERE TWICE BY MISTAKE, THE SNAKE, I SHOULD SAY.
FIRST THING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YES, YOU ARE CITY OFFICIAL, BUT WHEN YOU READ THE CODE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO ACCESS IT QUICKER, I'LL GIVE YOU A RESOURCE.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE EXCEPTIONS FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU? I MEAN, YOU'RE A CITY OFFICIAL BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN APPOINTED, NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE ELECTED.
YOU'RE ON AN ADVISORY BODY, NOT A QUASI-JUDICIAL BODY.
DO YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THOSE THINGS SO THAT WHEN YOU READ THE CODE AND YOU ARE ACCEPTED OUT OF CERTAIN RULES, YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT DON'T FORGET THE APPEARANCE ISSUE.
DON'T FORGET THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THAT.
SO YOU MAY BE ACCEPTED OUT SOME RULE, BUT IT'S STILL DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE WORKING ON A DEAL AND A RELATIVE OR A BUSINESS YOU OWN IS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
ANYBODY SEE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? YES.
CITIES DECIDING A MATTER, YOU DECIDE TO INVEST IN IT OR DIVEST IN IT.
YOU GOTTA WAIT AT LEAST 12 MONTHS UNDER THE CODE.
YOU WANNA CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.
IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THAT? WELL, THERE MAY BE AN EXCEPTION FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU, SO LOOK IT UP.
BUT IN GENERAL, YEAH, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
IF I TRY AND DO THAT, THE ONLY REMEDY IS I LOSE MY JOB IF I TRY AND PROVIDE PET FOOD TO SOME SHELTER AROUND HERE, MAKE A LITTLE MONEY.
SOMEBODY SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'LL MAKE THIS DECISION OR RECOMMEND THIS ON THE ADVISORY COMMISSION, I'LL, I'LL HELP OUT YOUR, YOUR BROTHER OVER HERE THAT REALLY NEEDS A LITTLE HELP.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA? NO, OF COURSE NOT.
UH, BENEFITS TO PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS AS A CITY OFFICIAL.
UH, IF YOU'RE WORKING ON A DEAL WHERE THAT INVOLVES SOMEONE THAT USED TO EMPLOY, UM, EMPLOYEE, YOU, YOU HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF OUT OF THAT AFTERWARDS.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? YOU HAVE A DUCK.
WHAT IS THAT? I THINK YOU HAVE AN APPEARANCE ISSUE.
MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT, UM, SERVING AND WORKING FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVING ON OTHER CITY GROUPS LIKE THE BOND COMMISSION.
SO I KNOW WE, THE CRITICAL FACILITY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOND, UM, INDIVIDUALS ON THAT COMMITTEE WERE WELL-KNOWN LOBBYISTS AND FUNDRAISERS FOR CERTAIN GROUPS.
AND WHEN DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES WAS UP FOR MONEY, WE WERE DENIED OUR, WE WERE NOT GIVEN NONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE EVEN DID A TOUR OF DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, BUT POLICE AND FIRE HAD TOURS OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR FACILITIES THAT NEEDED FUNDING BECAUSE MEMBERS OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WHO ARE WELL-KNOWN LOBBYISTS AND VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, MADE SURE THAT THEY GOT TOURS.
AND WE DID NOT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LOBBYISTS OR FUNDRAISERS SITTING ON THE CRITICAL FACILITY SUBCOMMITTEE.
IS THAT AN ETHICS ISSUE OR IS THAT ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THERE'S AN APPEARANCE
[00:55:01]
OF IMPROPRIETY, BUT IT'S STILL TECHNICALLY ALLOWED UNDER THE RULES? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.SO THINKING ABOUT THE CODE, AND I SHOULD CAVEAT THIS.
I SAY THIS AS AN ATTORNEY WHO HAS OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND YEAH, OBVIOUSLY IT RAISES RED FLAGS TO ME AND OTHERS.
AND, AND I'M AN ATTORNEY AS WELL.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE CODE IS, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES THAT WILL HAPPEN ON THIS COMMISSION THAT HAPPEN IN THIS SITUATION.
AND, AND BY THEIR VERY NATURE, UH, THERE, THERE ETHICAL ARE ETHICAL ISSUES GOING ON.
UM, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE CODE IS, UM, IT, IT SPECIFIES WHAT ETHICAL MEANS.
AND IF IT DOESN'T ADDRESS IT, YOU THERE, THERE, THERE NOTHING THAT THE OIG CAN DO IN TERMS OF, OF A CODE OF EVIDENCE.
SO YOU'VE GOT AN ETHIC, ETHICAL SITUATION GOING ON THAT'S NOT ADDRESSED IN THE CODE OF EVIDENCE.
SO, UM, UNDER THE CODE AND, UH, IN JANUARY OF EVERY EVEN NUMBER OF YEAR, WHICH IS JANUARY 26TH, CITY COUNCIL IS GONNA, UH, HAVE TO LOOK THE CODE AND DECIDE WE WANT TO CHANGE THE THINGS ABOUT, UH, DO LOBBYISTS GET TO SERVE ON ADVISORY COMMISSIONS AND THAT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, BUT IT, IT IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE CODE.
PRIMARILY WHAT'S ADDRESSED IN THE CODE IN TERMS OF ETHICAL ISSUES ARE THESE KIND OF, UH, ARY CONFLICTS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT SOME INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS OR NEW RELATIVE HAS SOME INTEREST BUSINESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, NOW YOU DO HAVE FIDUCIARY DUTIES, UM, BUT THOSE DON'T APPLY TO LOBBYISTS.
THEY APPLY TO CITY OFFICIALS EMPLOYEES.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT CAN BE AN, AN ISSUE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TEASE THAT INTO ABUSE.
SO WHAT THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ADDRESSES IS ETHICS, FRAUD, WASTE, ABUSE AND CORRUPTION.
WE HAVE TO PROVE IT WITH INTENT.
UM, OUR BURDEN BY THE WAY, IS, UM, PREPON WHEN WE STARTED OUT WITH VERY CONVINCING AND WE HAD TO TRY AND GET THAT CHANGED.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT IT'S DOES NOT A SATISFACTORY YEAH.
YEAH, CAN, CAN I PIGGYBACK OFF THAT REALLY QUICK? MM-HMM
SAID ACTIONS BY SAID, ALLEGED LOBBYISTS, IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT MADE TO THE ETHICS, UH, AND NOBODY HEARD ANYTHING ON THAT, IS ARE THEY, HAVE THEY REVAMPED THE ETHICS OFFICE? BECAUSE IF WE KNOW THAT COMPLAINTS WERE MADE ABOUT WHAT SHE JUST SAID AND THEN NOBODY HEARD FROM ANYTHING, UM, ARE, IS THAT NORMAL THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HEAR BACK? UM, SO I'LL EXPLAIN THAT, UH, A LITTLE LATER, BUT FOR NOW TO GET, GET AT YOUR ANSWER RIGHT AWAY WHEN, UM, AND OKAY, THIS IS YOUR TIME, NOT MY TIME.
AND WE CAN TALK AFTERWARDS, BUT I, I DO KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS MADE ON THE ETHICS HOTLINE, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD AS CHAIR, NOBODY GOT BACK TO ME.
NO ONE, YOU KNOW, TOLD ME ANYTHING.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT AFTER.
I REALLY DON'T WANNA TAKE UP ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME.
OH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'LL STAY HERE ALL DAY.
UM, SO I'VE GIVEN YOU THIS POCKET REFERENCE GUY.
WHY DID I GIVE THAT TO YOU? BECAUSE THE CODE OF ETHICS DOESN'T HAVE A TABLE OF CONTENTS OF GLOSSARY OR ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU PRACTICALLY HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE THING IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE YOU CATCH EVERYTHING RULE.
AND SO I, I PROVIDED THIS SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO THE RULE A LITTLE BIT, UM, FASTER.
AND SO PUT IT IN YOUR DESK DRAWER, YOUR FOLDER FOR THIS, THIS, UH, COMMISSION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, USE IT.
WHAT YOU DO IS IF YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE USE OF, UH, PUBLIC RESOURCES, YOU FIND IT IN THE POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE AND READ IT IN THE CODE.
YOU'D FIND OUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T USE, UH, PUBLIC RESOURCES FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
AND FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE, THE, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES, THAT CAN BE AN ISSUE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TRAPS AND CAGES AND ALL THESE KINDS OF, AND FOOD AND WHATEVER.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF AND, AND TO, UH, NAVIGATE ANOTHER ONE, UH, NEPOTISM.
YOU GO TO THE CODE, UH, POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
YOU LOOK UP THE CODE, YOU REALIZE YOU CAN'T HELP A RELATIVE, WHICH IS THE BIND IN THE CODE.
UH, GET A JOB OR AN APPOINTMENT.
AND YOU CAN'T BE, AS CITY OFFICIALS, THE DIRECT SUPERVISOR OF A RELATIVE, UH, THE REST OF US LIKE ME.
[01:00:01]
THE LINE.SUPERVISION AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, POLITICAL ACTIVITY.
YOU WANNA BE INVOLVED IN IT, THAT'S FINE.
SO IF YOU GO TO, UH, IF YOU GO TO 12 A 21, IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME RULES.
BUT THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY RULES.
THERE'S A LOT OF, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO TEACH YOU HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT REAL QUICK IF YOU CAN.
UH, GIFTS AND DONATIONS, AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO INTERSECT WITH BECAUSE BY VIRTUE OF, OF, UM, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU, THEY GONNA DO DONATIONS, UH, TO THE CITY FOR ANIMAL SERVICES, YOU ALL MAY BE ABLE TO GET GIFTS.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF RULES FOR GIFTS.
YOU, YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.
THE GENERAL RULE IS, UH, A LITTLE WISHY-WASHY.
BUT IF A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD LOOK AT THE GIFT AND FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOOD TO, TO INFLUENCE YOU AS A CITY OFFICIAL, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT.
HOWEVER, AFTER THAT, THERE IS A BUNCH OF EXCEPTIONS, AND I COULD SPEND A LOT OF TIME, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU GET GIFTS, YOU GOTTA REPORT THEM.
THERE'S A REPORTING PROCESS THAT'S IN ARTICLE SIX, UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF HELP.
AND I'VE GOT SOME HELPS FOR YOU ABOUT ANALYZING GIFTS WHEN THE TIME COMES.
YOU OPEN UP THE POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
YOU STILL DUNNO WHAT TO DO ABOUT SOMETHING.
YOU A DECISION, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT.
YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THE DECISION.
IT'S TOO LATE, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT.
YOU STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
YOU GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH IS WHAT I USED TO DO THERE.
YOU ASK FOR AN ADVISORY OPINION.
THEY GIVE YOU THE RULES, YOU FOLLOW THE RULES.
IT'S CONFIDENTIAL THAT YOU EVEN ASK THE PAPER JUST SITS IN YOUR FILE IF YOU EVER NEED IT.
YOU PULL IT OUT AND YOU SAY, LOOK, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAID IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO DO THIS.
AND SO LONG AS YOU GAVE 'EM ALL THE FACTS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.
THE NEXT SITUATION YOU MIGHT FACE, YOU GO TO THE POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
UH, YOU READ THE RULES AND YOU REALIZE, OH, I'VE GOT A CONFLICT NOW.
YOU STOP WORKING ABOUT IT ON IT.
YOU DON'T SUMMARIZE YOUR NOTES.
HERE'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, AND HERE'S WHAT I THINK YOU ARE DONE.
CALL YOUR CHAIR, TELL THE CITY SECRETARY.
YOU DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THAT MATTER ANYMORE.
THE NEXT SITUATION, YOU READ THE POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
YOU LOOK AT THE RULE AND YOU'RE LIKE, UHOH, THERE'S A VIOLATION HERE.
HOPEFULLY SINCE IT'S, IT'S AN UPCOMING THING YOU HAVEN'T VIOLATED, BUT SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT FIND OUT SOMEONE ELSE VIOLATED THE CODE.
WHAT HAPPENS THEN? NOW YOU'RE UNDER A DUTY TO REPORT IF YOU KNOW THE CODE HAS BEEN VIOLATED.
IF YOU THINK IT'S BEEN VIOLATED, YOU CAN REPORT TO US.
BUT IF YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN VIOLATED, YOU GOTTA REPORT IT.
IF YOU DON'T REPORT IT NOW, WHOEVER'S DOING THIS, SUCKING YOU INTO THEIR VIOLATION, NOW YOU'RE VIOLATING.
'CAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE COVERING IT UP.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? YOU'RE BELOW THE WHISTLE.
IT'S ANONYMOUS, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL.
THE CITY MANAGER, UH, THE MAYOR.
IT GOES TO ETHICS POINT AND THEN COMES TO US.
THIS GETS AT, UH, IN A WAY, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEBODY MAKES A COMPLAINT.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THEM VERY CONFIDENTIAL, AND THIS IS WHY, REMEMBER FRITZ AND MY DOG AND THE GARDEN? WELL, IT TURNS OUT IT WASN'T FRITZ FOR THE GARDEN.
IT WAS MY NEIGHBOR'S DOG, CARL.
I TOOK THIS PICTURE AFTER PAUL, THE STORY FOR GARDEN, FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE AND FOR PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS.
THE POINT IS, WHEN WE DO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL AND WE KEEP IT THAT WAY AS LONG AS WE CAN.
AND WE'RE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT CAN PROTECT AN INVESTIGATION FROM A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACCESS REQUEST.
THAT'S ONE REASON WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU REPORT IT, REPORT IT TO US.
YOU DON'T COPY PEOPLE IN EMAIL TO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS BECAUSE THOSE ARE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC INFORMATION ACCESS REQUESTS.
YOU NEED TO GIVE OUR INVESTIGATIONS WHO ARE ALL SECOND CAREER, US MARSHALS, SECRET SERVICE, IRS, SPECIAL AGENTS, TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT WAS FRITZ OR CARL BEFORE SOMEONE LOSE THE JOB OR REPUTATION OR GETS A CONTRACT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE.
YOU GOT ME, YOU GOT OUR WEBSITE, YOU GOT OUR SHAREPOINT SITE.
I PUT OUT ETHICS MATTERS NEWSLETTER THAT DEEP DIVES INTO RULES.
BLAKE EDGE, THE CANARY IF YOU WANT.
HERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
THE WEBSITE, UH, I CAN'T TELL YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I BUILT THE WEBSITE, BUT IF YOU JUST GOOGLE CITY OF DALLAS INSPECTOR GENERAL, IT WILL COME UP.
IT JUST WENT ONLINE, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE BY TOPIC.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[01:05:01]
QUESTIONS.UM, FIRST ONE, WHAT MECHANISMS ARE IN PLACE, UH, TO TRACK THESE THINGS? IS IT JUST HONOR CODE OR DO YOU ALL HAVE, UM, INSIGHT INTO EMAILS THAT WE'RE SENDING, THINGS LIKE THAT? UM, AND THEN SECOND, UM, TURNAROUND TIME.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE AN SLA FOR RESPONSE? SO THE, ON THE FIRST QUESTION, UM, A LITTLE, LITTLE HISTORY, I WON'T DRAW THIS OUT, BUT THE DIVISION WAS CREATED OR IT WAS CREATED.
THE OIG WAS CREATED THE DIVISION ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND IT'S LARGELY BEEN REACTIVE, UH, TO DATE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FORENSIC TOOLS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
IF SOMETHING TURNS OUT TO BE A CRIME, IT'S REFERRED TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, AGENCY.
UH, WHEN WE'RE DOING INVESTIGATIONS, DO WE HAVE SUBPOENA POWER SORTED? UH, IF YOU READ IN THE CODE, YOU'LL THINK THIS, WE DO.
UM, BUT WE WE'RE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO THAT, HOW MUCH TEETH DOES THE SUBPOENA HAVE? UH, THAT DEPENDS ON WHO WE'RE SUBPOENAING OR WHO WE'RE SENDING THE SUBPOENA TO.
UH, DO WE HAVE UNFETTERED ACCESS TO EMAILS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS? UH, WE HAVE ACCESS, UM, BUT WE HAVE TO REQUEST IT.
AND RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY, UH, OIG UH, GREEN BOOK STANDARD FAUCETS.
UH, SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THE NEW IG UH, MR. TIMOTHY MENTIONED IS, UH, DOING A LOT OF WORK THAT JUST STARTED LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING TO BECOME MORE PROACTIVE.
THAT MEANS, UM, COMING INTO LINE WITH SOMETHING CALLED GREEN BOOK STANDARDS.
GREEN BOOK STANDARDS ARE WHAT THE ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTOR GENERAL CONSIDERED TO WEEKLY WEIGH THE NATIONAL STANDARD, THE GOLD STANDARD FOR HOW AN IT OFFICE OPERATES.
SO, UM, WE, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY IN STANDING UP THE OFFICE AND BUILDING SOME OF THAT.
AND NOW WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
UH, IN TERMS OF, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE, WITH THE ACRONYM SLA, BUT I THINK WE MEAN HOW LONG TO TAKE THE TURNAROUND INVESTIGATION.
THAT DEPENDS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE INVESTIGATION.
THAT DEPENDS ON IF PEOPLE COOPERATE.
UH, DO WE HAVE TO SUBPOENA BANK RECORDS? IF WE SUBPOENA BANK RECORDS, THEN WE FIND OUT THERE'S FIVE MORE ACCOUNTS, WE GOTTA SUBPOENA MORE BANK RECORDS.
AND SO, UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT LINKS TO THOSE INVESTIGATIONS, AND IT, IT JUST DEPENDS.
SO I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A BASIC, IT JUST LITTLE DEPENDS, BUT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE'S NOTHING THERE, OUR TURNAROUND'S ABOUT THREE HOURS, UM, TO WORK ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THAT A, A, A VERY TSE SYNOPSIS, PURPOSELY TSE SYNOPSIS ENDS UP IN OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS FOR THE PERSON THAT MADE THE COMPLAINT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OH, THEY DID GET IT.
I DIDN'T GET WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA GET.
UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, UH, REPUTATION.
SO THAT MAY BE A PART OF WHAT, WHAT'S GOING IN.
THERE MAY BE A SYNOPSIS SITTING IN A QUARTERLY REPORT.
I LEFT THE PROSECUTION SIDE, UH, AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR AND WENT OVER TO THIS SIDE, WHICH IS TEACHING, TRAINING AND DOING STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I'M NOT AS INVOLVED IN, IN THE PROSECUTION SIDE, BUT I, BUT I STILL HOPE THAT HELPED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION, BUT WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY HERE.
UM, SO I DON'T, IF THIS DOESN'T WORK WITH YOU, JUST LET US KNOW.
BUT I THINK FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WE ARE ADVISORY.
CAN THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES ANIMAL SHELTER COMMISSION EVER BECOME, UM, QUASI-JUDICIAL? BECAUSE AT ONE POINT, DAS WAS SETTING BUDGETS.
SORRY, THE COMMISSIONERS WERE SETTING BUDGETS.
WE HAD MORE OF A, I DON'T WANNA SAY ROLE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE CAN ADVISE ALL WE WANT.
BUT, UM, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO CALL THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW THAT SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID TO ME, WHEN, UH, WHEN CAN WE, OR IF WE CAN BECOME QUASI, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO I'LL, I CAN GIVE YOU A BRIEF ANSWER AND I'M SURE THE CITY, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAN AS, AS WELL.
I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, BECAUSE WHENEVER I HEAR SPEAKERS, I, I'M NOT LOOKING BEHIND ME.
BUT I, I HOPE THAT SOMETIMES THEY UNDERSTAND IF THEY'RE TALKING TO AN ADVISORY BODY, THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO.
YOU DON'T, THERE'S SOME DECISIONS THAT ARE JUST OUTSIDE YOUR ABILITY TO REALLY ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS.
[01:10:01]
UH, I THINK IT IS LIKELY POSSIBLE THAT WOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE THAT THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND WHAT YOUR AUTHORITY WOULD BE.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE HANDLED BY ORDINANCE OR IF YOU'D HAVE TO WAIT AROUND FOR THE CITY CHARTER TO BE CHANGED.
THAT USUALLY HAPPENS EVERY 10 YEARS, ALTHOUGH IT CAN HAPPEN AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS.
BUT IT JUST HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, BARON WAS CORRECT.
THAT WOULD BE A DECISION, UM, TOPIC FOR CITY COUNCIL.
BUT, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN KIND OF DO A MORE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS AND GET A BETTER ANSWER BACK FOR YOU.
AND THIS IS JUST PROCEDURALLY TOMA.
I KNOW IT TIES OUR HANDS, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WHAT, WHAT TIES YOUR HANDS? SORRY.
UM, SO JONATHAN IS WORKING WITH SOME CITIZENS ON CAT ORDINANCES FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
HE MIGHT TALK ABOUT 'EM TODAY.
AGAIN, IT'S GOTTA BE IN THE AGENDA.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ASK HIM.
COMMISSIONERS CAN'T ASK COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS DURING WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR FIVE MINUTES TO TALK.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE RULES ARE SO TIGHT AND IT REALLY TIES OUR HANDS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO GARNER MORE DISCUSSION.
BUT, SO THERE, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A WALKING QUORUM THAT YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE SIDE CONVERSATIONS AND, AND YOU COULD WALK RIGHT INTO VIOLATING TOOMA.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU HAVE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE COME.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT PRESENTATION ON TOMA.
IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT FOR YOU, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, UH, IT WILL HELP YOU WITH THAT.
I'VE SEEN THE PRESENTATION AND I SLEPT IN A HOLIDAY INN LAST NIGHT, YOU KNOW, SO I, YES, WE KNOW TOMA WELL, IT'S JUST, WE'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IT HAMPERS OUR DISCUSSION.
AND POOR JILLIAN SLAPS OUR HAND ALL THE TIME SAYING, YOU CAN'T TALK THEN, OR YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, BARON, FOR COMING.
NEXT, WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD WITH THE, UM, PRESENTATION BY DIRECTOR RAMON.
UH, TODAY I WILL BE PROVIDING THE SECOND QUARTER UPDATE FOR DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
THAT WOULD BE THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF 2025.
UM, NEXT, WELL, NO, LET ME WAIT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THIS PRESENTATION IS, UH, COVERING SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE AND ACTIVITIES OF DAS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME.
THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT OUR CITY CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF SERVICE WITHIN DAS.
THIS SLIDE, UH, SHOWS OUR, UH, DS PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS FAR AS OUR BUDGET, BOOK, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND THEN OUR INTERNAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, UH, TO DATE VERSUS WHERE WE ARE AS OF THE SECOND QUARTER.
THE FIRST GOAL IS TO HOLD TWO FREE VACCINE CLINICS IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
THE, THE OVERALL FISCAL YEAR GOAL IS TWO, AND WE'VE DONE SO FAR, UH, SEVEN OF THOSE CLINICS.
THE SECOND GOAL IS TO PERFORM 2000 SUBSIDIZED FEE AND NEUTER SURGERIES, UH, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
AS OF THIS SECOND QUARTER PRESENTATION, OVER 2000 HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY CAP BOOKS WHO PLAY A LARGE PART IN THAT NUMBER BECAUSE, UH, OVER 2000 OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY COMMUNITY CATS.
AND THESE ARE SUBSIDIZED SURGERIES.
UH, THE NEXT GOAL IS FOR A 2% INCREASE IN DOGS AND CATS FOSTERED.
UM, THERE IS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THIS NUMBER, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, UH, A NEW PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
IT REALLY ROLLS OUR, OUR, OUR PERCENTAGE.
SO WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR TO GET TO THAT 2%, AND WE'RE STILL GONNA CONTINUE TO DO SO.
PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DOGS AND CASH TRANSFER TO RESCUE PARTNERS, THE FISCAL YEAR AGO WAS 5%.
WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT GOAL BY 14.8% SO FAR AS OF QUARTER TWO PERCENTAGE IN DECREASE IN YEAR OVER YEAR, UH, LOOSE AND LOOSE OWNED DOG BITES.
UH, THE GOAL IS TO BE 2% LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS
[01:15:01]
YEAR.WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 10% NEGATIVE 10%.
TOTAL TAKES BY SPECIES FOR DOGS, DECREASED BY 8%, BUT AS OF MARCH, THE NINTH OF THIS QUARTER IS WHEN CERT C UH, HIT US IN THE BUILDING.
AND WE HAD TO LIMIT OUR INTAKE, UH, TO SICK AND INJURED, LOOSE AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE OF THAT DISEASE.
AND TO FIND OUT HOW WE COULD AGGRESSIVELY, UH, WORK TOWARDS MINIMIZING THE EFFECTS IN THE SHELTER SO THAT WE DON'T SPREAD IT OUT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, FOR CATS, UH, THE INTAKE, THIS C SEED DID NOT AFFECT THE CATS.
UM, COMBINED DOGS AND CATS, UH, AS YOU SEE, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY FLAT FOR THE SECOND QUARTER.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE HAD THAT LAST MONTH IN THE QUARTER WHERE CER SEA WAS AFFECTING THE BUILDING.
AND THEN THE OTHER CATEGORY, THAT'S MORE OF OUR SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, LIVESTOCK, THE ROOSTERS AND SO FORTH.
UH, BUT THE INTAKE NUMBERS, UH, WERE, UH, ALMOST FLAT.
OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE BY SPECIES.
UH, FOR THE SECOND QUARTER, OUR, OUR DOG LIVE RELEASE RATE WAS UP BY 5%.
UH, 89% LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR DOGS.
UH, KITTEN SEASON BEGAN, I BELIEVE, EARLY MARCH.
AND THE NEONATES ARE, ARE THAT COME IN, ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND AS IT'S BEEN STATED, SOME OF THEM MAY NOT MAKE, UH, MAKE IT FOR CATS.
UH, UH, LIVE RELEASE RATE WAS UP, UH, BY 1% TO 84%, AND FOR OTHERS IT WAS DOWN BY 5%.
UH, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY BOOSTERS COMING IN, UH, THIS SECOND QUARTER AS WE DID THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UH, BUT, UM, FOR THE, THE PERCENTAGE THAT'S BASED ON RAW DATA.
LIVE OUTCOME BY SPECIES FOR DOGS, UH, WAS UP BY, UH, PLUS 1%, UH, WITH THE LARGEST INCREASEMENT BEING IN ADOPTIONS AND RESCUES, UH, NON-LIVE OUTCOME REASONS FOR DOGS, SPECIES FOR DOGS, UH, WAS, UH, DOWN BY 32% WITH THE LARGEST DECREASES BEING IN SPACE AND BEHAVIOR.
LIVE OUTCOME BY SPECIES FOR CATS WAS UP BY 44% WITH THE LARGEST BEAN ADOPTIONS, RESCUES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE TNR PROGRAM.
NON-LIVE OUTCOME REASONS BY SPECIES FOR CATS, UH, THE LARGEST HU HUMANE REASONS.
AND AGAIN, WE HAD GETTING SEASON THAT BEGAN AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THIS LARGE JUMP, UH, COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
RESCUE GROUPS AND CATS BY AGE, UH, DOGS AND CATS BY AGE.
UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR THIS YEAR, UH, COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WE'RE UP BY 9% FOR DOGS WITH THE LARGEST BEING ADULTS AND THEN COMING, UH, WITH AN INCREASE AS WELL.
UH, FOR CATS, IT WAS UP BY 37% WITH THE LARGEST BEING ADULTS, AND THEN AGAIN, NATES AND INCREASES IN KITTENS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE OUR TOP 10 RESCUE PARTNERS WHO ARE, UH, ASSISTING US IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO GET POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR THESE ANIMALS.
OUR FIELD SERVICE ACTIVITIES, UH, SERVICE REQUEST, TIMELY RESPONSE RATE IS INCREASED BY 73%.
IF WE CONTINUE TO ONBOARD, UH, NEW OFFICERS, GET THEM TRAINED, GET THEM IN THE FIELD, BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE REQUESTS OF THE DNA, THE SERVICE REQUEST TYPES ARE A LITTLE FLAT.
UH, WITH THE, UH, INCREASE IN EXTERNAL CALLS, LOOSE AND LOOSE ON, UH, SERVICE REQUESTS ARE UP BY 13%.
AND THE LOOSE AND LOOSE ZONE DOG BITES ARE DOWN BY 10%.
AND AS I'VE STATED BEFORE IN PREVIOUS BRIEFINGS, I BELIEVE THOSE CORRELATE.
THE MORE INFORMATION WE CAN GET ON WHERE THESE LOOSE AND LOOSE ZONE DOGS ARE, THE MORE EFFECTIVE WE CAN BE IN REDUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF A BITE.
THIS IS OUR MEDICAL TREATMENT.
OUR IN-HOUSE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES HAVE INCREASED BY 7%.
UH, THESE ARE THE SURGERIES THAT ARE OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING RELEASED INTO THE PUBLIC THROUGH ADOPTION FOSTER RESCUE THAT ARE BEING, UH, UH, SPAY AND NEUTERED.
OUR SPECIALTY SURGERIES ARE UP BY 27%.
THESE ARE THE SURGERIES PROVIDED BY OUR STAFF TO HELP GET THESE ANIMALS TO A SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN BE TAKEN IN BY A RESCUE TO FURTHER, UH, PROVIDE THEIR SERVICE AND PO POSSIBLY A POSITIVE
[01:20:01]
OUTCOME.OUR HEARTWORM TREATMENTS ARE UP BY 6%.
AND THEN AGAIN, OUR SUBSIDIZED PAIN NEUTER, NEUTER, BAY, AND NEUTER SURGERIES ARE UP BY 141%, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR.
WITH THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES I'M GOING TO, AND I HEAR YOU ALL, UH, UH, SUMMER DAHER DID LEAVE AND WE, WE DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB ABOUT IT ADVERTISING IT, BUT SHE LEFT FOR PERSONAL REASONS, AND I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO EXPLAIN.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS, UNFORTUNATELY, NATHAN THRASH WILL BE LEAVING DAS TO, UH, AND I WILL SAY WHY THAT'S
BUT I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, NATHAN, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY IN YOUR VOLUNTEERING FOSTER PROGRAM, AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE LEFT FOR US AS A MODEL TO CONTINUE FORWARD.
UH, SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE AND WE WILL BE MISSED.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL LET NATHAN TAKE OVER THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES.
I, I APPRECIATE THOSE KIND WORDS.
UM, SO FOR THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR QUARTER TWO, UH, FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, WE HAD A 60% INCREASE IN ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS BRINGING US UP TO, UH, 776.
UM, AND WE HAD A 30% INCREASE IN TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS, PROVIDED WITH 6,680.
UM, I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THIS TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THE, UH, NEW YEAR'S EVENT THAT WE HAD ON JANUARY 1ST WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.
UM, AND WE HAD ANOTHER ONE AT THE, THE 4TH OF JULY.
UH, NEW YEAR'S, I BELIEVE WE HAD 200, 290 SOMETHING PEOPLE, SO BASICALLY 300 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TURNING OUT.
AND FOR 4TH OF JULY, WE HAD AROUND 250 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO THAT'S A GOOD BOOST TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED AS WELL AS OUR VACATION PROGRAM, CONTINUING TO DO, UH, CORPORATE AND GROUP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, OUR AVERAGE VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR THE QUARTER, UH, WERE 8.6 HOURS PER ACTIVE VOLUNTEER.
AND THE TOTAL VALUE OF VOLUNTEER TIME DONATED, UH, WAS OVER $230,000.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT, THAT VOLUNTEERS DO FOR US.
AND, AND DUE FOR THE SHELTER, BOTH AS SORT OF ONE-OFFS, LIKE GROUP VOLUNTEERING AND, AND VACATIONS.
AND THEN THE REGULAR VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY OR EVERY WEEK, HELPING WALK THE DOGS, HELPING RUN THE DOGS, HELPING US WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS PROJECTS AND, AND REALLY EVERYTHING THEY DO.
UM, SPEAKING ABOUT VACATIONS FOR THE, THE SECOND QUARTER, WE HAD 269 DOGS PARTICIPATE, AND WE SAW 98% POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR THOSE DOGS.
UH, OF THOSE TWO HUNDRED SIXTY NINE, A HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX WERE ADOPTED.
UH, 45 OF THOSE WERE ADOPTED BY THEIR FOSTER.
SO THEY WENT TO A FOSTER TO ADOPT, OR THEY WENT TO A FOSTER WHO ENDED UP DECIDING, UH, THEY WERE GONNA ADOPT.
AND THEN 15 WERE ADOPTED IN FOSTER, MEANING THEY WENT TO FOSTER.
AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER PERSON ADOPTED, UH, 34 WERE CURRENTLY IN FOSTER HOMES.
WHEN WE RAN THE DATA, UM, BACK IN APRIL.
AND THEN 57 WERE TAGGED BY, UH, RESCUE PARTNERS, UH, EIGHT OF THOSE WERE FOSTERED, THEN TAGGED FOR RESCUE.
AND 30 OF THOSE, UH, WENT ON TRANSPORT OUT OF STATE.
SO REALLY, VACATIONS ARE HELPING US GATHER A LOT OF GREAT PHOTOS, MEDIA, VIDEOS, UH, AS WELL AS OTHER BEHAVIOR INFORMATION FOR PETS TO HELP THEM FIND POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
AND THEN OUR FOSTER PROGRAM FOR QUARTER TWO, UH, WE HAD 1,378 ANIMALS FOSTERED.
UH, 331 OF THOSE WERE REPEAT FOSTERS.
SO PEOPLE WHO'D FOSTERED WITH US BEFORE, UH, 60 WERE FOSTER HEROES, UH, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS IF YOU FIND A PET AS ASTRAY, BRING THEM TO US AND ARE WILLING TO FOSTER THEM UNTIL WE CAN REUNITE THEM WITH THEIR OWNER OR HELP THEM FIND AN ADOPTER.
UM, THEN, THEN THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS.
UH, WE HAD 93 NEW FOSTERS 548 FOSTERING TO ADOPT.
SO THAT'S A TWO WEEK TIMEFRAME OF, YOU KNOW, FOSTERING WITH THE INTENT TO ADOPT, BUT JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
FIRST, UH, WE HAD 99 TICKET TO RIDE FOSTERS, WHICH ARE FOSTERS, WHO WERE FOSTERING FOR A SET TIMEFRAME UNTIL THEY CAN GO ON TRANSPORT, UH, 176 PUPPY AND KITTEN FOSTERS, AND THEN 51 SHORT TERM FOSTERS, WHICH SHORT TERM FOR US MEANS THEY'RE FOSTERING FOR AT OR UNDER TWO WEEKS.
THEY'RE PLANNING TO FOSTER FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG WEEKEND OR, OR A SHORTER TIMEFRAME.
UM, WE HAD 663 PETS ADOPTED BY THEIR FOSTER IN, UH, QUARTER TWO AND 208 ADOPTED WHILE IN FOSTER.
SO THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE TWO BEING THE 208 WERE ADOPTED BY BASICALLY A THIRD PARTY WHILE THEY'RE IN FOSTER.
UM, AND THEN 16 ADOPTED IN FOSTER EIGHT ADOPTION EVENTS.
AND I DID JUST WANNA NOTE REAL QUICK, LATER ON IN THE SLIDE, UH,
[01:25:01]
THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY CLOSER TO 27.THE DISCREPANCY THERE IS, UM, BASICALLY JUST THE CODING IN IN OUR SYSTEM.
I GOT A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAN OUR EVENTS COORDINATOR WHO'S KEEPING LIKE A CLOSER TRACK OF, OF PETS
UM, SO LAST SUMMER WE HAD THE HOCKEY DAY SCHOOL, UH, A LOCAL SCHOOL REACH OUT TO US ABOUT, UM, HELPING US WITH SOME STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, UM, FOR THIS SEMESTER.
SO I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SEMESTER OF LIKE SEPTEMBER TO JANUARY OF 2024.
UH, THEY TOOK A LOOK AT OUR VACATION DATA TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GAUGE THE PROGRAM AND, AND SOME OF THE SUCCESSES AND THINGS WE CAN IMPROVE SO FAR.
UM, SO THEY TOOK SIX MONTHS OF CATION DATA AND DETERMINED THAT ATION DOGS ARE NEARLY TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE ADOPTED.
SO A 62% CHANCE OF ADOPTION RATHER THAN NON CATION DOGS WERE, WHICH WERE AT A 33% CHANCE OF ADOPTION.
UH, CATION DOGS ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE 23%, UH, COMPARED TO NON VACATION DOGS AT 14%, UH, 395 INDIVIDUAL DOGS PARTICIPATED OVER THE DURATION OF THE STUDY, AND 97% FOUND POSITIVE OUTCOMES WITH AN ADOPTER FOSTER RESCUE OR A PREVIOUS OWNER.
AND SO, WHEN LOOKING AT THE DATA, AND WE HAVE BASICALLY A YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA NOW, THE NUMBER THAT THAT KEEPS POPPING UP MORE IS 97%.
UM, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE OUTCOMES, UH, ALTHOUGH THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN LOOKING AT MONTH TO MONTH OR LIKE A QUARTER, LIKE QUARTER TWO, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT FLUCTUATE.
UM, OUR AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME FOR VACATIONS WAS SIX HOURS, AND THE MOST COMMON VACATION TYPE WAS OUT ON THE, OUT ON THE TOWN.
SO, UM, GOING, WALKING ALONG KATY TRAIL OR GOING TO A COFFEE SHOP OR A RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, THE SECOND MOST COMMON WAS EXERCISE PARTNERS, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE GOING ON A RUN OR GOING TO A PARK OR ON A HIKE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, FOCUSING MORE ON, UH, HELPING THEM GET THEIR ENERGY OUT WHILE THEY'RE OUT ON THEIR VACATION.
THIS WAS SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT THEY FOUND LENGTH OF STAY FOR VACATION DOGS WAS LONGER AND FOR NON VACATION DOGS, UM, LIKE WE DO TO FOSTER FACTORS.
SO OUR LENGTH OF STAY DOES CALCULATE IN FOSTER AS WELL.
SO IF APEX AT SHELTER FOR TWO WEEKS, GOES ON A VACATION AND THEN GOES TO FOSTER FOR A MONTH, THAT'S A SIX WEEK LENGTH OF STAY COMPARED TO A DOG THAT'S AT THE SHELTER AND ADOPTED AT TWO WEEKS.
AND AGAIN, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND SERVICE FOR DAS, AND WE LOOK, UH, FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU ON YOUR NEW ADVENTURES AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR ENDEAVORS.
WITH THIS SLIDE, WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THE PET PANTRY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
AND WHAT THIS IS, IS WE USE DONATED, UH, FOOD OR PURCHASE FOOD THROUGH OUR, UH, 5 0 1 C3 TO HELP REMOVE BARRIERS FOR CERTAIN FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, ON THE VERGE OR POSSIBLY ON THE VERGE OF SURRENDERING THEIR ANIMALS DUE TO, DUE TO, UH, FOOD CRISIS.
UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR QUARTER TWO PET PANTRY PROGRAM, 194 FAMILIES WE'RE SERVED OVER SIX EVENTS.
UH, SOME MAY HAVE ATTENDED MULTIPLE EVENTS.
UH, 947 PETS WERE SERVED WITH THE BREAKOUT BEING 550 DOGS AND 397 CATS.
OVER 5,000 POUNDS OF FOOD WERE PROVIDED AND, AND DONATED WITH 3,800 OF THAT BEING FOR DOGS AND 1200 FOR CATS, 12 FAMILIES, UNFORTUNATELY, WERE UNABLE TO BE SERVED AFTER ALL THE DONATED ITEMS WERE GIVEN OUT.
UH, 64 PETS WERE NOT SERVED $39 AND 25 CATS.
HOWEVER, WE DID REFER THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO OTHER RESOURCES.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PET PANTRY, SO WE REFERRED THEM TO THOSE PROGRAMS, UH, TO SEE IF THEY COULD GET GARNER SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THERE.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE LIST OF THE DATA BELOW THAT SHOWS ALL THE CORRELATING DATA FOR THIS SLIDE.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST, UH, DISCUSSING OUR COMMUNITY CAP, UH, PROGRAM AND PARTNERS.
UH, AS WAS DISCUSSED, WE DID, UH, LOSE, UH, OPERATION KINDNESS IN THIS SERVICE.
UM, AND IN, UH, NOAH'S ARC DID CLOSE, SO THEY WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
UH, WE ARE OPERATING THE COMMUNITY CAT SR PROGRAM BASED ON THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND IF YOU'VE, UH, HEARD WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE DONE OVER 2000 SPAY AND NEUTER JUST HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND WE'RE ALREADY IN THIS THIRD QUARTER.
SO THOSE FUNDS WERE ACTUALLY DEPLETED, THOSE FUNDS WERE DEPLETED, SO WE HAD TO RAMP DOWN RESOURCE, RAMP DOWN THE SERVICE.
HOWEVER, WE REACHED OUT TO OUR PARTNERS IN OUR 5 0 1 C3 WITH OPERATION KINDNESS AND FOTIS
[01:30:01]
AND SECURED ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO CONTINUE THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THOSE OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE AND IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.AND WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT SPAY NEUTER TO SOCIETY AND SEE IF THERE'S POSSIBILITY THAT MAYBE WE COULD RE REVAMP AND, UH, UH, START THAT, UH, PROCESS WITH THEM AS WELL.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE, AND IT MAKES A, AN A MEANINGFUL IMPACT IN OUR SHELTER WHEN WE HAVE LESS AND LESS COMMUNITY CATS.
THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE IN THE STATE OF, UH, UH, THEY'RE THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR SHELTER.
SO WE THANK YOU AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE.
BUT FOR THAT, WE HAD, UH, SPAY NEUTER NETWORK.
THEY DID 215 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES FOR COMMUNITY CATS IN THIS QUARTER.
THE TCAP DID 459 WITH 80 OF THE 88 OF THOSE COMING FROM EAS TRANSFERS.
AND THEN SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY COMPLETED 54.
OUR TEAM INTERNALLY THAT'S WORKING THE COMMUNITY OF CAP PROGRAM, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, WE'RE AVERAGING 38 CATS PER MONTH WITH, UH, UH, OPERATION KINDNESS, AND THEN TCAP 30, AND THEN DAS IN-HOUSE SURGERIES.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT SPAIN EATER SOCIETY, AND WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
WE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS FOR THE, UH, QUARTER TWO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE, UH, EVENTS, REOCCURRING PET FOOD PANTRY.
WE JUST DISCUSSED WITH SIX, UH, MICROCHIP AND VACCINE CLINICS.
WE HAD SIX, UH, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT HERE RECENTLY WITH SPAY NEUTER NETWORK, AND WE WILL FILL YOU IN ON THAT ONE ON THE NEXT WEEK.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY CAP FIXES, WE HAD FOUR, UH, SPAY NEUTER.
WE HAD TWO EDUCATION TOWN HALL HIRING EVENTS.
WE, UH, 15 EVENTS THAT WE ATTENDED, EIGHT WERE HIRING, AND SEVEN WERE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
WE, WE ATTENDED FOUR, AND WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ATTEND ANY MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL MAY BE HAVING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
TALK ABOUT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND ANY SERVICES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ADDITIONAL, UH, ADOPTION EVENTS.
THERE WERE 27 TOTAL EVENTS WITH 221 ANIMALS ADOPTED AT THESE EVENTS.
109 OF THOSE WERE SHELTER DOGS THAT WERE ATTENDING, 34 WERE ADOPTED, THREE WERE FOSTERED TO ADOPT AND ONE WAS FOSTERED.
UH, THERE WERE NO SHELTER CATS ATTENDING AT THAT TIME.
DURING THE SECOND QUARTER, 109 FOSTER DOGS WERE INDEPENDENCE.
AND WE APPRECIATE OUR, OUR OUR FOSTERS.
WE TAKE THE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO BRING NEW ANIMALS OUT TO THESE EVENTS, TO, TO SHOWCASE THEM.
AND OF THOSE THAT ATTENDED, 27 WERE ADOPTED, AND FIVE WERE FOSTERED TO ADOPT.
THREE FOSTER CATS DID ATTEND WITH TWO OF THOSE BEING ADOPTED.
AND I WILL SAY THE VEEVA POSITIVE WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN OFFICE OF, UH, ARTS AND CULTURES AND BAS.
UH, THE, THE FUNDING FOR THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH A GRANT FROM, UH, OFFICE OF, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND THE BAND THAT PERFORMED IT WAS, IT WAS VERY GREAT.
THEY, THEY DID A LOT OF SONGS GEARED TOWARDS ANIMALS THAT THEY RECREATED.
NEXT SLIDE TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MARKETING.
UH, WE HAD FOUR PRESS RELEASES DURING THE, THIS QUARTER, UH, THE DALLAS 90 PROGRESS UPDATE, THE LATE NIGHT DOGGY DATE NIGHT.
UH, AND THEN THE SER C ALERT THAT WAS PUT OUT ONCE WE IDENTIFIED SER C UH, IN THE BUILDING, OUR BASEBALL OPENING DATE, UH, PROMO.
AND THEN UC, THE ANALYTICS, UH, ON THE RIGHT THAT TALKS ABOUT THE LIKES AND THE FOLLOWS, AND THE NEW FOLLOWERS AND THE POST SHARED AND REACTIONS AND SO FORTH.
THIS NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT OUR, UH, TOP MARKETING, UH, REACTIONS TO OUR FACEBOOK POSTS AND OUR INSTAGRAM POSTS.
UH, AND IT ALSO GIVES THE, UH, CORRELATING STATISTICS AT THE BOTTOM.
SO, UH, LOT OF GOOD POSITIVE, UH, FROM OUR, OUR WORKS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO NATHAN FOR THE, UH, JANUARY EVENT OR NEW YEAR'S THAT THAT WAS AMAZING, UH, GREAT TURNOUT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT OUR TRANSPORT AND RESCUE HIGHLIGHTS AS WE
[01:35:01]
CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO TRY AND GIVE EVERY ANIMAL IN THE SHELTER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR THE FISCAL YEAR QUARTER.TWO UPDATES, UH, ACTIVE OUT-OF-STATE TRANSPORT PARTNERS WE'RE 33 WITH 10 NEW PARTNERS APPLYING DURING THIS PROCESS.
IN QUARTER TWO, TOTAL RESCUE TRANSPORTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR WERE 341 TOTAL ANIMALS TAGGED FOR, UH, TRANSPORT WITH 193 DAS PETS THAT HAD POSITIVE OUTCOMES UTILIZING THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM OUT-OF-STATE ADOPTION AND TRANSPORT ASSISTANCE, ADOPTION TRANSPORT PROGRAMMING IN, UH, 53 ADOPTIONS ACROSS 27 STATES.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE CORRELATING GOALS FOR THIS YEAR AND FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME OF THE PHOTOS OF THE, UH, UH, WINGS OF RESCUE, UH, FLIGHTS THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, DOUG IS MY COCO IS ANOTHER NEXT SLIDE.
OUR FIELD OPERATIONS, OUR GENERAL RESPONSE.
AND WE, WE, WE KEEP THIS IN HERE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S WELL INFORMED ABOUT OUR CAPABILITIES.
WE HAVE, UH, WE ARE A 24 7 OPERATION WITH OUR FIELD RESPONSE TEAM.
UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN SHIFTS IN TOTAL THAT ARE WORKING.
41 ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICERS ARE DEDICATED TO GENERAL RESPONSE.
THOSE ARE PRIORITY CALLS FROM ONE TO EIGHT.
THEY'RE AVERAGING ABOUT SIX UNITS IN THE FIELD, RESPONDING CITYWIDE PER SHIFT FOR THOSE PRIORITY CALLS.
WE HAVE SPECIALTY OPERATIONS AS WELL WITH NINE ASOS ASSIGNED TO THOSE TEAMS. DANGEROUS AND AGGRESSIVE DOG INVESTIGATIONS, OUR AGGRESSIVE DOG RESPONSE TEAMS, OUR LOCAL RABIES AUTHORITY AND BITES INVESTIGATIONS, OUR SERIES, BODILY INJURY INVESTIGATORS, OUR TRAP COORDINATOR, WHO DOES AN AMAZING JOB.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DOES IT, BUT HE DOES AN AMAZING JOB.
AND THEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW JACKIE, OUR WILDLIFE RESPONSE FOR, UH, UH, A SO, SHE'S A HOOT BECAUSE SHE DOES AN AMAZING TRAINING VIDEO AND SHE'S VERY ANIMATED.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE REGULATORY RESPONSE, UH, AGENCIES THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE TO ON THE RIGHT, AND THEN A PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR TEAM, UH, I BELIEVE SOME THAT WAS DURING A PROMOTIONAL C CEREMONY.
THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS A LITTLE BIT AND GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT IN OUR PRIORITY CALLS, UH, IN THEIR LEVELS AND THEIR, UH, RESPONSE TIMES FROM PRIORITIES ONE THROUGH EIGHT.
THIS IS JUST INFORMATIONAL FOR YOU TO HAVE AND TO UNDERSTAND THOSE CALLS AND THE CALL RESPONSE TIMES THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
FOR THIS NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE ATM OVER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, UH, AND OUR COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM, UH, ALEXI DUBERSTEIN, UH, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE TASK FORCE ON IDENTIFYING A POSSIBLE ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY AS RELATES RELATIVE TO COMMUNITY CATS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO US.
SO PAUL AND I ATTENDED A LISTENING SESSION, UH, WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN CHAD WEST, AND WE HAVE FORMED A WORKING GROUP.
WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES PAUL IN ORDER, UH, AND WE HAVE MET SEVERAL TIMES, UH, DISCUSSING A COMMUNITY CAT ORDINANCE TO PROPOSE TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO HELP, UH, THE CAREGIVERS, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS AND OUR CITY IN GENERAL WITH OUR COMMUNITY CATS, UH, AND THEIR MANAGEMENT AND POPULATION.
SO, UH, THIS WAS KIND OF OUR TIMELINE, ACTION TIMELINE, UH, THAT WE HAVE STARTED.
UH, FIRST WAS RESEARCHING, UH, THE HOUSE BILL THAT WAS PRESENTED DURING THAT LISTING SESSION.
THANK YOU TO THE ATTORNEYS FOR HELPING, UH, WITH THAT.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SECOND ITEM WHERE WE ARE DRAFTING OUR ORDINANCE PROPOSAL.
UM, COMMISSIONER SACKER HAS HELPED WITH THAT.
UH, AND WE ARE IN THE PHASES OF PREPPING THAT FOR, UH, SENDING IT TO THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF GIVE US SOME MORE POINTERS.
IT'S STILL, UH, ON SECOND DRAFT PHASE.
UM, SO THAT IS HOPEFULLY SOMETHING WE'LL BE PRESENTING, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND WE THINK IT WILL DO A LOT FOR, UM, US AND THE CAREGIVERS AND THE CATS.
UH, DURING THAT TIME, WE ARE ALSO DEVELOPING A, UH, NEW REVAMP COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM FOR, FOR DAS THAT INVOLVES THE CAREGIVERS MORE, THAT HELPS WITH RESOURCES MORE, UH, AND THAT HELPS US TRACK AND OPTIMIZE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY CAT POPULATIONS AND HELP US WITH A TARGETED APPROACH, UH, WITH THEIR MANAGEMENT.
SO, UM, IT MAY LOOK, MAY SEEM LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE QUIET, BUT WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE WE'RE, UH, HOPING THAT THIS, UM, HELPS THE COMMUNITY AND THE CAREGIVERS WHO ARE DOING A LOT OF THIS WORK AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU ALEXIA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THIS TASK.
AND WE WILL BE PRESENTING THIS TO THE A A
[01:40:01]
C BEFORE IT GOES ANY FURTHER, UH, FOR FEEDBACK AND INPUT.AND THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PHASE OF THE WORKING THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE LEGALESE AND LANGUAGE, AND THEN WE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE TO PRESENT TO QUALITY OF LIFE OF THEIR INPUT.
AND THEN IT, UH, UH, AGREED UPON, UH, TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
SO THERE'LL BE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO LISTEN IN AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, BASICALLY JUST WAS AN ANANA UH, ANALYZATION OF OUR CAPACITY ISSUES AT EAS AND I, I AGREE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY AT, I BELIEVE THIS MORNING, 157% CAPACITY FOR DOGS.
UH, SO IT, IT IS QUITE A CHALLENGE.
AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU WE'VE MADE SEVERAL UPGRADES IN THE BUILDING TO THE FACILITY FOR THOSE ANIMALS.
WE'VE GOT ALL NEW CHANNEL FLOORS THAT WERE INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY, UH, NVR WORKING.
UH, WE HAVE A NEW CAMERA SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN INSTALLED AS WELL, UH, WITH NEW WIRING, NEW CONDUIT AND, AND NEW CAMERAS, UH, AND NEW DOOR, UH, LOCK SYSTEM AS WELL.
UH, SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT, IT, IT, I KNOW IT WAS RAISED AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, BUT WE WERE AVERAGING, WE'RE AVERAGING OVER 103 DOGS BEYOND OUR CAPACITY.
IF YOU COME INTO THE SHELTER, OUR KENNELS ARE, ARE MADE FOR, FOR ONE DOG, ONE DOG.
YOU HAVE A DIVIDER IN THE MIDDLE.
THE DOG GETS MOVED OVER, THE KENNEL GETS CLEANED, THE DOG MOVES TO THE OTHER SIDE, THE THE OTHER SIDE WITH LITTLE TO TO NO INTERRUPTION WITH THE DOG HAVING TO ACTUALLY GET OUT OF THE KENNEL WITH US HAVING TO USE DOUBLE KENNELS WITH US HAVING TO SPLIT THAT INTO TWO, UH, THE DOGS HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE KENNEL.
THE KENNEL HAS TO BE CLEAN, AND THE DOG PUT THAT.
IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES AND STRAIN ON THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE, AND IT'S SEVERELY IMPACTING OUR BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT, UH, POINT MADE.
DAS PLAYS A PART IN SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, BUT SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE BY G-P-D-D-A-S.
OFFICERS DO NOT MAKE CRUELTY DECISIONS.
THESE OFFICERS ARE MAINLY THERE TO TRANSPORT COWS.
WE PROVIDE CARE AND FEEDING FOR THESE ANIMALS.
WE PROVIDE FOLLOW UP VETERINARY SERVICE FOR THESE ANIMALS WHILE THEY'RE IN OUR CARE.
ONCE OPERATION KIN HAS PERFORMED THEIR FORENSICS ON THE ANIMAL, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO BOTH DPD AND DAS ON WHETHER, UH, UH, SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, UH, HAD, HAS BEEN OBSERVED.
ALL THIS HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY OPERATION KINDNESS AT NO CHARGE TO THE CITY.
THEY HAVE ABSORBED THOSE COSTS FOR THE FORENSICS.
DAS PROVIDES TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR OPERATION KINDNESS TO CARRY OUT THOSE TASKS.
UH, THROUGH A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, WE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED, APPRECIATED OF THAT.
UH, AS OF THIS SLIDE, IT WAS 500,000, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S GONE UP SINCE THEN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR THE CRUELTY CASES THAT ARE COMING IN, UH, WE STARTED OFF FISCAL YEAR 2223 WHEN DAS ABSORBED IS THIS, UH, UH, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CITY AND DPD.
WE, UH, WE HAD THIRTY FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN INSPECTED TO BE VICTIM.
A LARGE PART OF THOSE WERE ROOSTERS WOUNDS AND CHICKS THAT WERE INVOLVED OR ASSOCIATED WITH TOP RIDING.
AND, UH, THAT'S QUITE A CHALLENGE.
AS YOU KNOW, DES IS NOT EQUIPPED TO HOUSE REAL SPEECH.
SO, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE BETWEEN 23 AND 20 UP TO DATE FOR NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA AVERAGE.
I I BELIEVE WE CALCULATED THE NUMBERS TO BE ABOUT 2,500 A YEAR OF VICTIMS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH DAS.
UM, VICTIMS AREN'T ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ANIMAL THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, BEING REPORTED.
IT COULD BE AN ANIMAL THAT'S BEING SURRENDERED AND BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER.
AND OUR INTAKE MEDICAL TEAM DOES AN EXAMINATION AND DETERMINE, WAIT A MINUTE.
SOMETHING'S, SOMETHING'S GOING ON HERE.
SO THEY'LL NOTIFY OUR FIELD OPERATIONS TEAM WHO CREATES A REQUEST FOR DTD TO INVESTIGATE AND COLLABORATIVELY AND DETERMINE IS THIS A GUILTY CASE, POSSIBLY, POSSIBLE, POSSIBLE GUILTY VICTIM OR NOT.
UM, BUT THE, THE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN, IN THE LEGAL NAME, UH, IT, IT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE EVIDENCE TO, TO BACK IT UP, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE TO BE ABLE TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT FUND.
SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT
[01:45:01]
THE PROCESS IS, DPD MAKES THE DECISION.EAS PROVIDES SUPPORT, OPERATION KIND PROVIDES THE FORENSIC AND TESTIMONY, AND THEN THE DA'S OFFICE TAKES IT FROM THAT NEXT SLIDE.
IN LOOKING AT OUR CAPACITY AND TAKING ON THE AS ASSOCIATED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, AND I APOLOGIZE, THESE ARE BUDGETS VERSUS FORECAST FOR INSTEAD OF BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL.
BUT YOU COULD SEE WHERE OUR BUDGETS ACTUALLY STARTED TO INCREASE.
AND WE ACTUALLY EXCEEDED OUR BUDGETS STARTING IN FISCAL YEAR 22, AND HAS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND THE ADDITIONAL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESPECTED AND APPROVAL.
THIS IS FOR SUPPLIES, FOOD, THE RESOURCES AND MANPOWER FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UH, ANIMAL THAT ARE IN THE BUILDING.
AND THE ANIMALS, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE CARING FOR OVER 3000 YEARS, THAT WAS QUITE A TASK.
UM, AND, AND IT IMPACTS OUR OVERTIME STAFFING AND SO FORTH.
NOW, I KNOW THIS IS A CONTENTIOUS TOPIC, UH, ABOUT, ABOUT INTAKE AND INTAKE POLICY, BUT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL.
WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
WE WANT, THESE ARE NOT CHANGES THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING NOW WHEN WE HAVE ILLNESS IN THE BUILDING, YES, WE DO IN COOPERATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, HAVE TO MAKE CALLS WHERE WE LIMIT INTAKE TO SICK, INJURED, ENDANGERED TO THEMSELVES, OR ENDANGER TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE, WE WILL ALWAYS WORK AND BRING THOSE ANIMALS IN SHELTER.
UM, BUT WE ARE OPERATING BEYOND OUR MEANING BACK, AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO, TO TRY AND, AND DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO TRY AND MITIGATE THOSE COSTS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER PUBLIC SAFETY, AND WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE, OUR ABILITY TO, TO MANAGE AND, AND MAINLY CARE FOR THESE ANIMALS.
SO THE, THE, THIS IS FOR YOU ALL TO OBSERVE AND, AND, AND GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE, UH, HAVE LISTED HERE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR EXTENDED STATE ANIMALS AND TRYING TO GET THEM OUT AND POSTED AND MARKETED, UH, TO TRY AND GET THEM MOVED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
OUR, OUR RESCUES, WORKING WITH THEM AND GETTING MOST OF, UH, WHAT WE CAN EITHER THROUGH A TRANSPORT OR, OR, UH, UH, PICKUP.
BUT, UH, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO TRY AND SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS WE CAN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
THE NEXT ARE ITEMS IN THE APPENDIX FOR YOUR REVIEW.
UH, YOU HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE HOUSE BILLS THAT DES PROVIDED A PART OF SUPPORT, UH, IN FAVOR OF, UH, WITH THE NARRATIVES AND WHAT THEY WERE RELATIVE TO.
THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE DASHBOARD, UH, THAT WE HAVE THAT'S FORWARD FACING BECAUSE WE ARE, WE TRY AT EVERY ATTEMPT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN WITH ALL THAT WE DO.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS DISCUSSING OUR QUARTERLY MEETINGS.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE NEXT MONTH, AND I APOLOGIZE, UH, BUT WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD STUFF TO TALK ABOUT THEM AS WELL.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU ACCESS TO SOME OF THE LINKS TO ALL OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR A MAJORITY OF US, UM, WHO ARE HERE TODAY AND SOME WHO ARE NOT.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION PROVIDED BY DAS TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, AND WE WILL BE OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR YOUR QUESTION.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN WITH OUR DISCUSSION FROM, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS.
AND I'M GONNA START, UM, WITH OUR VIRTUAL MEMBERS FIRST.
UM, SO, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE, LET'S START WITH COMMISSIONER ROPP, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK PAUL FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK HE'S DOING AND ALSO, UM, ALL THE CAT LADIES THAT SHOWED UP.
UM, I THINK WHAT Y'ALL DOING IS GREAT.
I KNOW I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN RESCUING FOR DECADES, UM, DOGS THOUGH, BUT I KNOW IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WITH CATS.
AND, UM, I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD WITH COMMISSIONER SAYED.
IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? WE CAN, YES, MA'AM.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START YOUR
[01:50:01]
TIME COMMISSIONER.UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
REALLY HAPPY WITH, UH, THE DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR CHALLENGES, BUT, UM, OVERALL, I THINK JUST SEEING THE PROGRESS AND THE ANALYTICS, IT'S FANTASTIC.
I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE, UM, THE VOLUNTEER HOURS AND, UH, THE FIGURE THAT NATHAN GAVE WHERE IT'S ALMOST QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF, UH, VALUE THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE PROVIDED.
UM, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF A NO TRAVEL LIST OR TRAVEL BAN LIST THAT WE CAN CREATE FOR PEOPLE, UM, THAT WE DO NOT WANT ADOPTING.
AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER SHELTERS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO TO ANOTHER SHELTER AND DO SOMETHING SIMILAR.
UM, I'VE SEEN POSTS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN DOGS OUT FOR A VACATION AND THEN THEY'VE ABANDONED THEM.
UM, OR IF THEY'VE ABANDONED OR IF THEY'VE, UH, ADOPTED FROM US OR FOSTERED FROM US, AND THEN THE DOG SHOWS UP AS ASTRAY AGAIN.
UH, THESE ARE FOLKS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO ADOPT AGAIN, EVER.
UM, SO WHAT DOES IT, WHAT IS THAT PROCESS TO PUT THAT LIST, UH, INTO PLACE? AND CAN WE PARTNER WITH AREA SHELTERS SURROUNDING CITIES, UM, TO, TO HAVE LIKE A, A BIG DATABASE WHERE THAT CAN BE, BE HELPFUL? UM, I'M REALLY, REALLY SAD ABOUT ALL THE, THE STAFF CHANGES.
UH, BARRY'S GONE, NATHAN, CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, SO REALLY BUMMED ABOUT THAT.
I THINK MARLO MAY, MAY ALSO BE GONE.
AND SO, UM, WHAT IS THE PLAN THERE? UM, WHO'S DOING THE SOCIAL MEDIA? DID THE CITY EVER HELP US? DID THEY EVER SHOW UP TO THE SHELTER? DID THEY EVER DO ANYTHING TO SUPPORT US? UH, JUST LOOKING FOR SOME INFORMATION THERE.
UM, AND THERE, I THINK THERE'S SOME OP OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR A CAMPAIGN OR MULTIPLE CAMPAIGNS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DISCUSS WITH THE DAS TEAM.
UM, WHETHER IT'S ABOUT PET ADOPTION, RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP, C**K FIGHTING, UM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY SOME THINGS THAT THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED THERE.
UM, FANTASTIC WORK ON THE EVENT.
WHENEVER THERE ARE FIREWORKS, WHEN WE'RE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME IN AND HANG OUT WITH THE PUFFS AT THE SHELTER, I THINK THOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL, AND IT'S BECOME THE COOL THING TO DO AND THE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON THE 4TH OF JULY AND FOR NEW YEAR'S.
UM, SO GREAT JOB ON EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT, IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ON REBRANDING B DALLAS 90? IT SEEMS LIKE MAJORITY OF COMMISSIONERS WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT WAS NOT, UH, THE BEST WAY TO FRAME IT.
AND WE ARE POTENTIALLY LOSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE PUBLIC ON HOW THEY CAN HELP US ACHIEVE OUR GOALS THERE.
UM, DID ANY PUPS COME FROM KIRK COUNTY FROM THE FLOODING? AND, UH, IS THERE ANY, ANYTHING AROUND AN EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION EVENT? I PERSONALLY JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF NOTICE, AND SO IF I, I COULD EVEN GET LIKE A MONTH'S WORTH OF NOTICE THAT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
LIKE SOMETHING WE CAN PLAN THINKING FORWARD, UH, BUT SOME KIND OF AN EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION EVENT THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CAN LEAD AND HELP KICK OFF.
UM, AND LAST QUESTION IS, I THINK WE'VE ASKED A FEW TIMES, UH, WHAT THE ROLE IS OF THE, UM, THE FRIENDS OF DAS AND LIKE WHAT THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING, JUST TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE ADDING, UM, TO HELP SUPPORT OUR, OUR ANIMALS.
AND IF THAT CAN BE A PART OF A PRESENTATION, IF THEY COULD COME PRESENT TO US, THAT'D BE GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER S AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
UH, AS FOR THE, THE NO ADOPT LIST, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS ABOUT THAT IT'S CONSTITUTIONALITY, UH, BEFORE WE EVEN, UH, GO DOWN THAT ROAD, UH, OR PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK.
I'D LIKE TO GET SOME, UH, ONE-ON-ONE TIME TO DISCUSS THAT AND TO SEE IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? IS THIS SOMETHING WE COULD DO? IS THIS SOMETHING WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO? UH, I AGREE IN SOME ASPECTS, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS LEGALLY CORRECT, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, SOMETHING TO THAT MAGNITUDE.
UH, MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, OUR MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM IN COMMS, AND WE ARE GOT SOME, UH, GOOD INFORMATION TO PROVIDE YOU, AND I'LL LET VICTORIA, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SHE'S WORKING TO BUILD A TEAM INTERNALLY AS WELL.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME UPDATES ON THAT PROGRESS.
AND YES, MARLO, MARLO DID, UH, UH, LEAVE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, JUST TO REASSURE YOU ALL, WE HAD, I COUNTED YESTERDAY ABOUT 10 PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP WHO LEFT EAS.
THEY WERE ALL FOR PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
[01:55:01]
I'M GOING TO TOUT THE FOLKS HERE AT THE TABLE THAT ALL THE HARD WORK FOR THAT'S GOING ON INTERNALLY FROM THE TEAM IS BEING SEEN.WE'VE HAD SAN ANTONIO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAD MIDLAND COME IN, TAKE A LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, SHELTERS THAT CALLED US AND ASKED US, AND IT, IT, I FEEL PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE AT DES AND THEIR ABILITY TO CONVEY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN HOUSE THAT OTHERS ARE TAKING NOTICE OF.
BUT WITH THAT, I'LL LET, WELL, ACTUALLY, SORRY, I'M GONNA CUT YOU OFF FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
WE HAVE 55 MINUTES, I'M SORRY.
SO WE CAN CIRCLE BACK, BUT TO BE FAIR, TO EVERY COMMISSIONER THAT WAS TIMED, SO WE WOULD NEED TO GO TO OUR NEXT COMMISSIONER.
JILLIAN, BEFORE WE START, WE HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY HERE, SO I'D LOVE TO ASK HER.
I THINK OUR COMMISSIONER DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF GOING QUICK, ASKING HER QUESTIONS.
WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, WHY ARE WE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES? EXCUSE ME.
THIS IS MORE SIDE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SO THE COMMISSIONER'S TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS IS LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES.
UM, STAFF'S ANSWER DOES NOT COUNT AGAINST THAT TIME.
AND SO YOU WERE ASKING HER TO ANSWER, SO WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES, AND THEN THE STAFF CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ASKED.
AT ONE POINT WE WERE DOING THE QUESTIONS AND THEN ALL THE ANSWERS AT THE END.
SO NOW ARE WE DOING QUESTIONS AND THEN THE ANSWERS, AND THEN QUESTIONS, AND THEN THE ANSWERS.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
SO THERE IS A LOUD DISCUSSION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WITH, UH, OUR MEETINGS, THEY CAN'T GO ALL DAY LIKE THE CITY CAN.
SO WE CAN STILL ALLOW FOR THE DISCUSSION, BUT FOR, UM, MEETINGS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS ROOM AFTERWARDS, OR FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE ELSEWHERE TO BE, I JUST WANT US TO BE COGNIZANT OF TIME.
SO, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE VICTORIA TO PROCEED WITH ANSWERING, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S A LOT TO DO, JUST ALL THE QUESTIONS AND THEN ANSWERING, HE'S WRITING DOWN THE WHOLE SIGN.
UM, SO AS PAUL MENTIONED, I'M SORRY, VICTORIA BENNETT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
UM, AS PAUL MENTIONED, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE 3 1 1 DEPARTMENT ON TO CREATE A MARKETING PLAN.
I THINK WE'RE 80 TO 90%, UM, UM, ON THAT, ON CREATING THAT PLAN.
UM, WE HAVE FURTHER MEETINGS SCHEDULED WITH, WITH THAT GROUP.
UM, WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED SOME SHORT AND LONG-TERM, UH, GOALS, UM, AS PART OF THAT AND SOME OF THOSE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO IMPLEMENT LIKE A PHOTO BOOTH AREA AND, AND, AND GETTING THAT REALLY UP AND RUNNING AND, AND IT'S LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING, UH, WITH BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY AND LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR METRICS ON OUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ESPECIALLY THIS MONTH WHILE WE'RE DOING OUR CAMPAIGN WITH THEM, UM, FOR MISSION POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, AND BY THE MONTH.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING, UH, TO FILL, UM, OUR MARKETING POSITIONS.
UM, SO WE ACTUALLY HAD, UH, INTERVIEWS YESTERDAY, UH, FOR OUR COORDINATOR ROLE, AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME, UM, REALLY GREAT, UH, UM, CANDIDATES.
AND, UH, WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE THAT POSITION FILLED FAIRLY SOON.
UM, WE DID REPOST, UM, OUR MARKETING MANAGER POSITION AND WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL TO GET SOMEBODY IN WHO, UM, WHO KNOWS THEIR WAY AROUND PUSHING OUT A MARKETING PLAN AND REALLY EXECUTING THAT AND ALL THE STEPS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT, AND THAT WE CAN GET SOME REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE IN THAT.
UM, AND SO, SO WE ARE REALLY WORKING ON RAMPING UP OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE, UM, AS WELL AS OUR OTHER MARKETING PRESENCE.
COMMISSIONER HILL, I JUST NEED TO START YOUR TIME.
UM, WELL I JUST HAVE A FEW THI FEW COMMENTS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR TWO YEARS AND I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ETHICS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN MANY REQUESTS, UM, TO THE SHELTER ABOUT SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT ETHICS AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE SHELTER ON THOSE ITEMS. UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS THAT AS A TAXPAYER,
[02:00:01]
I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT WE RELY ON OUR COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY COMMUNITY CAT PEOPLE, TO DO ALL OF OUR WORK FOR US WITHOUT GETTING THEM THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE WORK.SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA REQUEST THEM TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK FOR US, THAT WE GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED EASILY.
THEY'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
I KNOW MUCH LONGER, BUT TWO YEARS WITHOUT GETTING THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO DO OUR JOB IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
UM, THE ONLY QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF IT'S TRUE THAT WE'RE NOT ALTERING DOGS BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE SHELTER.
AND IF SO, WHY AND WHEN WILL THAT BE FIXED? AND SECONDLY, ON THE COMMUNITY CAT GROUP THAT YOU HAVE THAT'S DISCUSSING WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH COMMUNITY CATS.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CITIZENS THAT TRAP CATS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT COMMITTEE AND WHEN WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE SOME TYPE OF DRAFT FOR NEW LAWS.
AS TO THE COMMUNITY CAT RESOURCES, THAT'S AN ONGOING DISCUSSION WE CAN HAVE, UH, INTERNALLY, BUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DOGS LEAVING UNALTERED, I'LL HAVE TO DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THAT.
I DO KNOW WE HAVE DOGS THAT LEAVE UNALTERED BECAUSE OF WAIVERS.
UH, AND, UH, I WILL HAVE TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER BEFORE I COMMIT TO AN ANSWER WITHOUT KNOWING THE FULL BODY OF, OF, OF WHAT'S BEING SAID.
UM, THE COMMUNITY CAT, UH, TASK FORCE DOES INCLUDE CITIZENS AND AS I STATED BEFORE, BEFORE ANYTHING GOES FORWARD IN ANY TYPE OF FORM OR FASHION, IT WILL BE REPRESENTED AND EVERYONE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS OR THEIR INPUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY'S BUY-IN AND WITH THE COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT.
SO IS THERE ANYBODY THAT COMES EVERY SINGLE MEETING THAT TALKS ABOUT COMMUNITY CATS AND THE NEED FOR HELP ON THAT COMMITTEE? ALEXI, DO YOU WANT TO ELABORATE ON WHO'S ATTENDING? WELL, NOT SPECIFICALLY BY NAME, BUT YEAH, SURE.
UM, SO THE ONLY, UH, CITY OFFICIALS WOULD BE MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER SACKER WHO, UM, ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
UH, THERE'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OTHER, UM, COMMUNIC CAT CAREGIVERS WHO, UH, WERE IN THE, AT THE LISTENING SESSION WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN, UH, WANTING TO HELP WITH THIS ORDINANCE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING, UH, AND, UM, ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE ONLY CITY OFFICIALS ARE MYSELF AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONER.
THE REST ARE, UH, COMMUNITY CAT CAREGIVERS.
ARE ANY OF THEM THE MEMBERS THAT COME EVERY SINGLE TIME? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
UM, WE ALL COMMUNICATE ON ALL OF US BEING ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS.
UH, AND WE DO ALL ATTEND EACH TIME IS THE SAME GROUP.
NO, THAT'S NOT, I'M ASKING, I'M SO SORRY.
I'M ASKING IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN COMING TO THESE MEETINGS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT'S INVOLVED IN THIS COMMITTEE.
I, I DO NOT KNOW THEIR ATTENDANCE RECORD.
I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD PLEASE GIVE ME A RESPONSE.
THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
AND JUST A REMINDER TO EVERYONE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ATTORNEY HERE, WE DO NEED TO, UM, THE QUESTIONS NEED TO SURROUND THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
UM, AND I KNOW SOMETIMES WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE SPEAKERS THAT COME, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE RELATED TO SOMETHING THAT IT, UH, TAX BACK TO, UH, DIRECTOR RAMONE'S REPORT.
SO I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY VIRTUALLY, IS THAT CORRECT? ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HORSESHOE.
SO I DO WANNA ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE SPEAKERS, BUT IT WAS ALSO INDICATED IN THE REPORT, WHICH IS THAT, UM, SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY WAS NOT, UH, ONGOING MEMBER.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT TODAY'S SPEAKERS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON, UM, EXPLAINING THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE IN TNR AND THE NEED FOR GREATER SPAY NEUTER ACCESS, UM, AS WELL AS THE REASONS THAT SPAY NEUTER NETWORK IS NOT OFTEN AN A VIABLE OPTION FOR THEM, AND WHY THEY'D RATHER USE TCAP THEIR LIMITS FOR NON DALLAS ANIMALS.
SO, UM, CONSIDERING THE IMMENSE VALUE THAT THESE CAT RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE, AS COMMISSIONER HILL MENTIONED, UM, THAT THEY PROVIDE TO DIS AND THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, I BELIEVE IN MAKING SPAY NEUTER ACCESS MORE CONVENIENT AND RELIABLE IS THE VERY LEAST WE CAN DO FOR THEM AND FOR OUR CITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT SPAY NEUTER SOCIETY BE REAUTHORIZED AS WE PROVIDE.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THAT, PAUL.
WHY DID YOU MAKE ME FIRST? SHELBY
[02:05:02]
I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS LATER, BUT MAYBE I'LL KEEP THEM ABOUT THE MANAGED OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MANAGED INTAKE PROTOCOL THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.UM, BUT WHAT, OR THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
UM, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I KNOW THAT THERE'S A SO MANY COMPASSIONATE, KIND, INTELLIGENT AND HARDWORKING PROFESSIONALS AT DAS AND, UM, THEY'RE OPERATING UNDER LIKE EXTREME CONDITIONS, UNDERSTAFFED, UNDER RESOURCED, OVER CAPACITY.
WE LOST MARY MARTIN AND NOW WE'RE LOSING NATHAN.
UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HIRE MARKETING PEOPLE FOR YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE APPOINTMENTS.
BUT IF THAT TAKES AS LONG TO HIRE A VOLUNTEER, A FOSTER COORDINATOR, AS IT'S TAKING TO HIRE A MARKETING PERSON, I AM SO AFRAID FOR OUR FOSTER FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNICATION LAPSE AND THE BOY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THERE.
SO AFRAID OF THE DANGERS THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
AND, AND NATHAN'S BEEN AMAZING.
HE'S A COMPASSIONATE AND CARING AND, UM, COMPETENT AND ALL THESE THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT HIM, AND WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM DEARLY.
BUT, UM, WHO'S GONNA PROVIDE, WHO'S GONNA FILL THAT ROLE AND HOW QUICKLY ARE WE GOING TO, UH, WHO'S THE TEMPORARY PERSON? SO I'D LIKE THOSE TO BE ANSWERED.
UM, AND THEN REGARDING THE CONSIDERATIONS OF MANAGED INTAKE, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF POINTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF NOW'S THE RIGHT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THEM.
MAYBE I'LL, I'LL CUT FOR NOW 'CAUSE THOSE ARE BIG ENOUGH QUESTIONS TO ASK.
AND THEN DURING OPEN QUESTION, 'CAUSE I KNOW PROBABLY, UH, COMMISSIONER CASEY'S GONNA BRING UP SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE THERE FOR NOW AND I'LL SAVE MY TIME FOR LATER.
UH, AS TO THE FOSTER RESCUE QUESTION, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UH, ERICA BENNETT IS THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OVER THAT PROGRAM, AND I THINK THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER RIGHT NOW TO FIND FOLLOW UP RESOURCES OR, OR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO FILL THE GAP THAT, UH, NATHAN IS, IS UNFORTUNATELY LEAVING BEHIND.
UH, BUT WE WILL WORK TO TRY AND GET IT POSTED AND GET HIRED PRETTY QUICK.
UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE LOOKING INTERNALLY FOR, UH, POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTES AT THE MOMENT TO PARSE OUT SOME OF THE OPERATIONS.
AND WE WILL, WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE THERE ARE NO LAPSES IN OUR SERVICES OR RESPONSES AS TO THE MANAGED INTAKE, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE AN OPEN INTAKE SHELTER.
UH, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS WE NORMALLY OPERATE.
HOWEVER, WHEN DISEASE BREAKS OUT, UH, WE DO HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN CALLS AND DECISIONS AT THAT MOMENT, UH, FOR THAT REASON.
UM, AND THEN FOR THIS
JUST A REMINDER FOR EVERYONE TO MUTE THEIR PHONES, ALTHOUGH I LOVE THE BARKING DOG.
UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, UM, YES, THANK YOU TO, TO ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.
MOST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE KIND OF ALREADY BEEN ASKED.
UM, I DO WANNA THANK THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, COMMISSIONER FAULKNER DUNN.
FIRST THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS.
IT'S, I, I KNOW IT'S HARD TO DRIVE DOWN HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE SAME THINGS EVERY TIME, BUT I REALLY THINK IT'S MAKING AN IMPACT AND PEOPLE REALLY DO HERE, AND, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT THE SHELTER'S TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, AND AS YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE TITANIC.
IT'S JUST REALLY HARD TO TURN IT.
IT'S A REALLY, IT'S SUCH A BIG SHIP, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, AND I LOVE SEEING THE NUMBERS COME UP.
AND I HATE TO SEE NATHAN LEAVE.
BUT, UM, ALSO A, A COUPLE THINGS.
THE TRIAGE MANAGED INTAKE, I KNOW WE'RE SAYING WE'RE OPEN INTAKE, BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, I EVER RUN A SMALL RESCUE, AND OUR ZIP CODE ON OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE IS CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN.
SO I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE.
I'VE HAD THREE CALLS IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS, AND PEOPLE WHO WERE IN TOWN, WE DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE, THEY WERE HERE FOR A MEETING, FOUND THE DOG ON 35, FOUND THE DOG, WANDERED UP TO THEIR AIRBNB, FOUND THE DOG AT THEIR HOTEL, AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO TAKE IT IN, THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT IN.
AND THEY'RE JUST IN TEARS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE.
AND THEY'RE BEGGING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BEGGING RESCUES TO TAKE THE DOG.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, WHERE THAT BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION IS, BUT THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE BEING TURNED AWAY.
[02:10:01]
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THEIR NAMES.WE CAN'T CALL AND, AND INTERVIEW THEM NOW, BUT, BUT THAT'S HAPPENED THREE TIMES.
ONE, UM, ONE FOUND THE DOG, ONE WAS ON 35, AND NOW THE DOG'S STAYING WITH HER PARENTS AND WALKS THE HATCHEE WHILE SHE'S TRYING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE DESPERATE.
THEY'RE JUST PEOPLE WHO SEE A DOG AND TRY TO HELP, AND THEY CAN'T GET ASSISTANCE WITH THE DOG.
AND I, AND I KNOW WE'RE FULL, BUT I, SO ISN'T THERE STILL SOME SORT OF A MANAGED INTAKE WHERE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO, IF, IF PEOPLE WANT TO TURN IN THEIR OWN DOG, THAT'S STILL A PROCESS WHERE YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND IF SOMEBODY JUST FINDS A DOG, CAN THEY WALK IN WITH THAT DOG OR CALL 3 1 1 AND HAVE IT PICKED UP? IS THAT, IS THAT STILL IS, THAT'S STILL, AND THAT STILL HAPPENED BECAUSE I'M, I'M BEING TOLD BY THESE PEOPLE THAT, THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, ONE MORE THING IS ABOUT THE, UM, THE MARKETING PERSON.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO HIRE MARKETING PEOPLE.
I KNOW THESE ARE TOUGH JOBS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE THIS BEST.
OR WOULD IT BE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH, UM, A SMALL PR AGENCY? IS IT POSSIBLE TO JUST HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO COULD START DOING SOME OF THIS WORK QUICKLY? AND I KNOW NOTHING HAPPENS WITH THE CITY QUICKLY, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN JUST KIND OF RAMP UP THIS MARKETING AND OUTREACH, UM, IN, IN ANY QUICKER? UM, ONE MORE THING.
BUDGET HEARINGS ARE COMING UP FOR THE CITY BUDGET.
I KNOW THAT WHEN I'VE ATTENDED THIS BEFORE, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE TWO, AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 10 PEOPLE FROM THE LIBRARY AND 10 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTS.
THERE'S NEVER ANYBODY THERE TALKING ABOUT ANIMALS.
UM, I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE THE CAT COMMUNITY, THE DOG COMMUNITY, ALL OF US TO GO AND BE THERE AND SAY, HEY, WE WANNA, WE WANNA SEE AN INCREASE IN THE CITY'S BUDGET.
IS THAT HELPFUL TO YOU TO HAVE MORE MONEY FOR THE PET C HEALTH PROGRAM? SO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S LIKE, IT'S, EVEN IF, EVEN IF WE WANNA DO MORE THINGS, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THEM, WE CAN'T DO THEM, BUT THIS IS THE TIME TO GO TO THESE MEETINGS, LIKE ALL THE LIBRARY PEOPLE, I MEAN, AND THEY SHOW UP IN FORCE.
SO, I MEAN, I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK UP WHERE THE, THE MEETINGS ARE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERY DISTRICT HAS THEM.
AND YOU CAN ALSO DO VIRTUAL AND COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THE NEED AND INCREASING THE BUDGET FOR THE SHELTER.
SO THAT'S THE, UM, SO THOSE, THOSE ARE MY THINGS.
COUPLE QUESTIONS AND GO TO THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE WE ARE VERY UNDERREPRESENTED AT THESE MEETINGS OF THE BUDGET HEARINGS.
AND AS FAR AS MANAGED INTAKE GOES, WE, WE ARE NOT MANAGING INTAKE AT THE MOMENT.
I, I NEED TO DIG IN DEEPER TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING IN SPRAYS OVER THE COUNTER, AND WE ARE PICKING UP SPRAYS IN THE FIELD NOW.
HOWEVER, A STRAY PICKUP IN THE FIELD MAY BASED ON PRIORITY AND HOW MANY OFFICERS WE HAVE IN THE FIELD.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TAKING IN, WE TOOK IN OVER A HUNDRED ANIMALS YESTERDAY, I BELIEVE.
SO, I MEAN, THIS IS AN EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY WE TAKE.
SO WHERE THIS WAS LIKE, THIS WAS LIKE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
THIS IS LIKE, LIKE END OF JUNE, EARLY JULY.
BUT DOES IT SOUNDS LIKE, SO YOU'RE NOT MAKING THIS, THE, THE MANAGED INTAKE PLAN THAT YOU HAVE BASED ON CAPACITY, THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN EFFECT YET.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE A DAY-TO-DAY.
AND, AND IF MY STAFF FEELS DIFFERENTLY, I, I'D LIKE THEM TO SPEAK UP AND I KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, THERE'S JUST, HERE'S A BOX.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN PUT IN.
I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT TO TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE DESPERATE AND THEY'RE FROM OUT OF TOWN, OR EVEN IF THEY'RE IN TOWN AND THEY FOUND AN ANIMAL AND THEY WANNA HELP AND THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
NOW, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE HAD, HAVE HAD, HAD A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE CITIES BRINGING IN ANIMALS FROM THOSE CITIES TO DAS.
I PERSONALLY WITNESSED SOMEBODY BRINGING IN FOUR ANIMALS FROM MANSFIELD BECAUSE THEY WERE TURNED DOWN AT THEIR SHELTER.
NO, BECAUSE THEY THINK D DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES IS DALLAS COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND WE HAD TO TELL 'EM, UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T TAKE THOSE ANIMALS.
TAKE THEM BACK TO YOUR CITY BECAUSE SOMEONE THERE IS LOOKING FOR THAT, POSSIBLY LOOKING FOR THAT ANIMAL.
AND IT WOULDN'T BE BENEFICIAL TO THE TAXPAYERS OF DALLAS TO ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANOTHER CITY.
SO THAT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AT DAZS.
AND THOSE FOLKS, UNFORTUNATELY, AS WERE ASKED TO TAKE THE ANIMALS TO THEIR MUNICIPAL SHELTER, AND OUR STAFF DOES PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THOSE ANIMALS AS WELL, IF, IF THEY WANNA TAKE 'EM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT HAD HAPPENED.
AND WE DID, WE DID, I DID WITNESS IT MYSELF.
UH, OWNER SURRENDERS, OWNER SURRENDERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BY APPOINTMENT.
THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE BEFORE I ARRIVED AT
[02:15:01]
ES, UH, I THINK WE DID ATTEMPT WHERE WE DID DO A, A REVAMP ON IT BECAUSE THE LIST WAS SO LONG.UH, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN IT IN CONTROL NOW.
AND WHAT WE WANNA EMPHASIZE IS AN OWNER SURRENDERS TO A SHELTER SHOULD BE THE LAST RESORT.
AND WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY STUDYING THE DATA RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF LANDLORD CONFLICTS, A LOT OF, UH, DEEP RESTRICTIONS, A LOT OF, UH, PET DEPOSIT ISSUES, UH, HEALTH ISSUES, A LOT OF UNDERLYING REASONS FOR OWNER SURRENDER.
SO WITH THOSE APPOINTMENTS, THE TEAM THAT'S ASSIGNED IS WORKING WITH THEM TO TRY AND FIND, AND THEY WERE, ARE THEY, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH PASS AND SC YES.
NETWORK TO FIND DIVERSION, UH, POSSIBILITIES FOR REHOMING AND, AND ALL THAT.
SO THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN'T WAIT AND IT'S AN EMERGENCY IN ANY, WE, WE, WE, WE TAKE THOSE IN.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO, TO REASSURE YOU ON THAT ONE.
AS FOR THE MARKETING, WE HAVE A OFFICE, SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT WITH MARKETING BACKGROUND WHO'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
WE HAVE, UH, ANOTHER COORDINATOR WHO'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
WE HAVE A NEW HIRE THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR MARKETING MANAGER THAT WE'RE GONNA REPOST AND WE'RE BUILDING OUR OWN INTERNAL MARKETING TEAM.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER POSSIBILITIES, OTHER OUTSIDE RESOURCES THAT MAYBE OUR FRIEND BOOK GROUP CAN ASSIST US WITH.
SO THO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT WAS ANOTHER IDEA THAT I HAD, IS LIKE, THEY'VE GOT THE MONEY AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CITY HIRING PROCESS.
MAYBE THEY CAN HIRE, HIRE A MARKETING PERSON TO COME AND HOUSE SOME HELP.
THAT'S, AND WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER THAT ASSISTS, AND I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE SOMEBODY TO DO PAID BY PHOTOS.
THEY HIRE SOMEONE TO DO SOME SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF THAT, OKAY.
AND THEN TO THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS, YOU ALL CAN COME AND SPEAK HOWEVER YOU FEEL.
UH, I CAN'T ADVOCATE EITHER WAY.
BUT YOU ALL CAN COME AND SPEAK AND, AND WELL, BECAUSE MORE MONEY IS ALWAYS GOOD, RIGHT? YES.
WELL, I WOULD MENTION THAT, THAT THE BUDGET TOWN HALL LIST IS POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE ALREADY.
AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
I, I KNOW THESE ARE HARD, HARD JOBS.
I KNOW THAT, THAT IT'S, THAT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.
BUT I JUST, UM, UM, I KNOW WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO AROUND SOME SKINNY THINGS LIKE, LIKE THE USING PHOTOS, WHICH IS, WHICH GIVES US A, A GOOD OPTION.
UM, LET'S, UM, GO WITH JUDGE BENNETT.
I'M JENNIFER BENNETT, DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, I'M BRAND NEW, SO I DUNNO THE RULES.
AND SO I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO BREAK ANY.
AND, UM, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT ANIMALS, AND I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE TODAY, AND I'M REFERRING TO THE REPORT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE MORE FORWARD THINKING.
AND THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS SEEMS TO BE SPAY AND NEUTERING.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PARTNERSHIPS, BUT THE MORE PARTNERSHIPS WE COULD HAVE, THE BETTER.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY WE COULDN'T AND SHOULDN'T.
AND YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK AT THAT SPAY AND NEWER NEUTER SOCIETY, BUT IT SEEMS THAT WE SHOULD MAKE IT AS EASY AS WE CAN FOR ANYONE WHO'S WILLING TO DO THE WORK, THEN CAN HELP KEEP THE ANIMALS OUT OF OUR BUSTING SHELTERS, BECAUSE WE HAVE A HUGE CRISIS HERE.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE PARTNERSHIP IS A KEY AND MAKING IT EASIER IS A KEY.
AND IT DOESN'T EVEN COST THE CITY MONEY WHEN YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH THESE GROUPS THAT ARE PERFECTLY WILLING TO HELP AND DO THE WORK THEMSELVES.
AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, TIRELESS AND IT'S LIKE NEVER ENDING.
AND THE OTHER THING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY, BECAUSE I'M A FORMER PROSECUTOR AND I GET CALLS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE PEOPLE, BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW THAT I DO THAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT, UM, WHEN CALLS ARE MADE AND DOGS ARE ALLEGEDLY, YOU KNOW, TIED TO TREES LEFT OUTSIDE.
AND I, I NEED TO KNOW, I GUESS WHAT MY PARAMETERS ARE.
WHO, WHO DO WE CALL? IS IT ALWAYS DPD? I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, I ALREADY CHECKED WITH THE DALLAS DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WOULD BE PRESENT HERE IF THEY WERE INVITED, UM, STARTING WITH THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP WITH THAT, AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO COORDINATE, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN ALLEGATIONS ABOUT, AGAIN, ANIMALS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT IN TRANSPORT OR DISAPPEARING FROM TRANSPORT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ANY ALLEGATIONS OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING BY EMPLOYEES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY SOMEBODY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND THEN, UM, THE BUDGET, I THINK THAT'S HUGE.
AND I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT THEY'RE PUBLICLY LISTED.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT I'LL BE THERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY.
AND AS TO THE, THE PARTNERSHIPS, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, DES WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, ONLY HAD ONE PARTNER THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH SUBSIDIZED PAY AND NTER SURGERIES.
[02:20:01]
PARTNERS THAT WE ARE FUNDING THROUGH THOSE SUBSIDIES.UH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS LONG AS THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE.
UH, ALSO WE DO, UH, PARTNER, WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT COME IN.
THE HEART COMES IN ONCE A MONTH AND DOES, UH, LARGE DOGS, THEY DO PITTIES FOR FREE AND CERTAIN ZIP CODES THEY'RE SUBSIDIZING.
AND WE ARE PAYING THROUGH OUR PHOTOS GROUP FOR THOSE ANIMALS.
AND, UH, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE 80 DOGS, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHEN THEY SEE GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE, A LOT OF FOLKS GET KIND OF SKITTISH ABOUT WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND WORKING WITH THOSE PARTNERS IS GREAT.
WE HAVE SPANNER NETWORK THAT COMES IN AND DOES AN EVENT OR FACILITY.
TCAP COMES OVER, UH, THE HEART COMES OVER.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO TRY TO ADD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, IT, IT'S SO, SO HUGE OF A PROBLEM THAT THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF SUCCESSFUL RESOURCES, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE THAT WE COULD ADD.
AS FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY, IF IT'S IN PROGRESS, CALL 9 1 1 9 1 1.
IF IT'S NOT IN PROGRESS AND IT'S BEING REPORTED, THEN IT'S, IF YOU COULD REPORT, THEY COULD REPORT IT TO 3 1 1 AND REPORT IT TO DAS AS A LACK OF CARE OR A WELFARE CONCERN.
AND IF WE FEEL THAT YES, THIS, THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE, WE WILL NOTIFY.
AND WE MAY HAVE TO WAIT FOR A WHILE FOR THEM TO SHOW UP, BUT WE'LL BE THERE AND WE'LL COMMUNICATE WITH THE DETECTIVES AT THAT, AT THAT LOCATION AS WELL.
AND THEY WILL GIVE US THE, THE, THE NEXT STEPS.
COULD SOMEONE FROM DPD COME HERE? THAT'S, DO THEY HAVE AN ANIMAL CRUELTY SECTION THAT COULD BE HERE AT THESE MEETINGS TO KIND OF SEE THE CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING VOICED? YES.
WE, WE COULD, WE COULD INVITE THE CRUELTY DIVISION TO COME GIVE A PRESENTATION.
WE RECENTLY GAVE A JOINT PRESENTATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER OR CHAIR MENDELSON, UH, ON OUR EFFORTS TOGETHER.
SO, YES, OR EVEN JUST TO BE HERE AND HEAR THE CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING VOICED AND, AND PEOPLE THAT MAY SIGN UP AND COME AND SPEAK AND, AND JUST BE AWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, I THINK, AND THEN ALSO GET FACETIME.
I MEAN, I WOULD THINK THE CHIEF WOULD LIKE THAT TOO, FOR THEM TO GET FACETIME WITH PEOPLE FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DOING COORDINATED COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL ON EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND INFORMATIONAL, UH, SPEAKING SESSION.
DO WE HAVE A GRANT WRITER ON SOMEBODY THAT'S LOOKING FOR GRANTS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE FOR
UM, BUT WE DO WORK WITH, UM, THE CITY'S, UM, UM, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS GROUP AND THE, UM, BUDGET OFFICE GRANTS DIVISION, AND, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS GONNA BE LOOKING FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND WHEN, AND LOOKING FOR, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THEM.
IS THERE A VETERINARIAN THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE COMMISSION? OKAY.
UH, WE'VE DONE BACK IN THE DAY, I HATE THAT.
UH, I WAS ON THE COMMISSION FROM 2007 TO 2015.
WE DID SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES AT DAS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.
AND PEOPLE WOULD BRING CARLOADS OF CATS, AND WE COULD, WE, OH, WE DID 160 DOGS AND CATS IN ONE DAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE STILL NOT OFFERING THOSE SERVICES.
I'M THE CHIHUAHUA BURRITO LADY, BY THE WAY.
UH, CHIHUAHUAS DON'T REACT VERY WELL WHEN THEY COME OUT OF SURGERY, SO YOU WRAP 'EM IN A TOWEL AND WALK 'EM AROUND AND THEY'RE FINE.
BUT I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY WE'RE NOT OFFERING THESE SERVICES.
UH, IF THERE'S OTHER GROUPS OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE MONEY, WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS? I I, I WOULD PERSONALLY, I WILL HELP WHATEVER WEEKEND I NEED TO COME.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS IS SPAY NEUTER.
THE ONLY WAY I AM SICKENED TO HEAR THAT WE STILL HAVE THE HVAC PROBLEM AT THAT SHELTER, WHEN THAT SHELTER WAS BUILT, PAUL DYER STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM
[02:25:01]
AND SAID, THIS HVAC SYSTEM IS NOT SUFFICIENT.Y'ALL, WHAT? 18 YEARS LATER? WE'RE STILL SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME STUFF.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE GOTTA DO.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY THERE FROM FACILITIES WHEN IT HAPPENS.
HI, SORRY, COMMISSIONER TO INTERRUPT.
UM, MARISSA HINES AT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
JUST MAKE SURE, PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO DIRECTORS PRESENTATION.
ALL THIS STUFF WAS IN THERE, WAS IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA IS, I IS IMPORTANT.
WE'VE STILL GOT INTERNET PROBLEMS AT THE SHELTER.
WE HAVE TO GET THIS STUFF FIXED.
PLEASE LET US KNOW AS COMMISSIONERS, WHAT DO YOU NEED? DO YOU NEED US TO COME DOWN THERE AND VOLUNTEER? LET US KNOW.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? I'M HERE FOR SOLUTIONS NOT TO CONTINUE BEATING THE SAME DEAD HORSE.
SORRY ABOUT THE DEAD HORSE FOR MARK.
THANK YOU FOR PART OF THOSE COMMENTS.
UH, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES AT DAS, WE ARE DOING TNR AT DAS, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH OUR, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A CAPACITY ISSUE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER, SPAYED AND NEUTER SO WE CAN GET THEM OUT.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITH HAVING OUTSIDE VENDORS COME IN ON OUR PROPERTY TO DO SPAY AND N SERVICES.
UH, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING POSSIBLY GOING ON, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN AT EAS PARKING'S AN ISSUE, SO MAYBE USING THE WEST DALLAS MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS SINCE THE LARGER PARKING LOT, UH, PARTNERSHIP.
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AVENUES FOR RESOURCES, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CONCERN AND MARKETING'S A CONCERN, AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO TRY AND REBUILD THAT TEAM AND, UH, WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR INTERNAL PARTNERS HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS TO GET OUR MARKETING UP AND RUNNING.
SO, UH, I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOU.
UM, SO, UH, LET ME START BY SAYING, UM, NATHAN, YOU'VE BEEN AMAZING.
WELL ALSO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT.
SKIDMORE HAS TENDERED HER RESIGNATION.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING, OR SHOULD BE CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS THIS WEEK.
THE AMAZING THING WITH THAT IS THAT, UH, WE, WHEN THE PREVIOUS A GM FOR MEDICAL WAS HERE, WE HAD NO APPLICANTS.
THE, THE VET POOL OUT THERE IS VERY THIN, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH VOLUME IN A SHELTER.
SO ONE IS, UH, VERY FAMILIAR WITH HIGH VOLUME, THE OTHER, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY FILL THE TWO POSITIONS, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE VACANT NOW, WHICH IS A TEMP VET AND, AND, UH, DR.
SO WE LOOK TO HELP TO FILL THAT PRETTY SOON.
SO, UM, THAT WILL OF COURSE AFFECT THE, THE SPAY NEUTER OF EVERYTHING.
JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, AS IT HAS BEEN REITERATED IN THIS ROOM MULTIPLE TIMES, THAT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO STOP THIS.
I RAN INTO PAUL THE OTHER DAY IN THE SHELTER WHEN I WAS FILMING SOME DOGS.
AND, UM, WHAT I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT IN MY TIME TODAY IS DAS IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF A LOT OF THINGS, EVEN COMPARED TO AREA RESCUES THAT ARE LARGE WITH VERY NOTABLE, RECOGNIZABLE NAMES AND THEIR PROGRAMS. DAS EXCELS AT THEIR PROGRAMS EVEN MORE THAN THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOTS MORE MONEY, WAY LESS MANAGEMENT OF, UH, THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS AND MUCH MORE STAFF, ET CETERA.
SO EVERYONE WORKS REALLY HARD AT A HIGH LEVEL.
I DO WANNA, UM, BACK UP WHAT FORMER COMMISSIONER, UM, RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AT THE HIGH LEVEL TO GET PEOPLE THAT HAVE ANIMAL SHELTERING EXPERIENCE.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE TWO OF YOU GUYS DO NOT HAVE THAT BACKGROUND.
AND I REALLY HOPE THAT, THAT THE NEW, UM, DIRECTOR THAT COMES IN IS GONNA HAVE THAT BACKGROUND JUST TO HAVE REFERENCE OF ALL THIS HISTORICAL STUFF.
UM, THIS INTAKE POLICY IS A PIPE DREAM.
UNLESS THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES IS FIXED, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET DOWN THE UNDER 90%.
I MEAN, EVEN A HUNDRED PERCENT IS A PIPE DREAM.
UM, WHAT, WHAT I WANNA BRING UP THOUGH IS THAT WE DO HAVE HISTORICALLY, SO IN 2016, FOR PEOPLE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF DAS, IT WAS NOT A STANDALONE DEPARTMENT UNTIL THAT TIME WHEN ANTOINETTE, UH, ANTOINETTE BROWN WAS KILLED IN SOUTH DALLAS BY A PACK OF, UM, OWNED DOGS.
THE CITY GOT SERIOUS ABOUT IT AND BROUGHT IN A JAMESON.
IT BECAME A STANDALONE DEPARTMENT AND THE INTAKE WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT IT'S BEEN SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
HE WAS HANDLING MANY MORE ANIMALS AND RAISED THOSE POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
[02:30:01]
KNOW WHERE WE CAN BE.AND I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, HE'S STILL AROUND.
I KNOW HE STILL MEETS WITH DAS REALLY REGULARLY, BUT REALLY HOW ALL OF US CAN SUPPORT YOU GUYS IN TRYING TO GET BACK TO THAT BECAUSE WITH MANAGED INTAKE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN SAY THAT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE, BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE PEOPLE IN MY PERSONAL NETWORK THAT HAVE SHARED STORIES WITH ME ABOUT IT NOT BEING EASY TO GET THE ANIMALS IN THERE.
LATELY, I ALSO WATCHED THE REPORT CARD AND SORT OF THE NORM IS 50 TO 70 DOGS A DAY DURING, SINCE THE C-I-R-D-C, IT'S BEEN MORE LIKE 30 TO 50.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME BIG DAYS THIS WEEK, SIXTIES, AND I LOOKED AT TODAY'S IF YOU HAD HUNDREDS.
BUT THAT'S, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS OVERWHELMING, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S THE NORM.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT LIKE HOW HAS THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE IN DIFFERENT WAYS WHERE WE COULD ACCOMMODATE AND STILL GET THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES UP? AND EVERYONE JUST HAS TO REALIZE TOO, IN THE COMMUNITY, THIS DOES UNFORTUNATELY MEAN THAT EUTHANASIA IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING.
AND THERE'S A LARGE GROUP NOW THAT HAS OVER A $300 MILLION BUDGET A YEAR THAT IS IN DAS AND THEIR EXCLUSIVE SORT OF
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S LESS ANIMALS THAT NEED HELP, IT JUST MEANS THEY'RE NOT BEING COUNTED.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMING INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE RESCUE, IT'S ANIMAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AT DAS OF HIGHER INTAKE, GOOD OUTCOMES, AMAZING PROGRAMS, UM, IMPROVING.
SO HOW DO WE SORT OF KEEP DOING THAT? AND AS PAUL MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN EVEN NOW OF COURSE, SAYING, HOW ARE YOU DOING SUCH GOOD WORK? THIS IS NOT JUST A DALLAS PROBLEM, BUT WE, WE HAVE DONE AT HIGHER VOLUMES.
AND SO TO JUST SAY WE'RE FULL TOUGH LUCK.
THAT JUST LEAVES THE PROBLEM OUTSIDE THE SHELTER WALLS.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, YOU, THAT MEANS MORE DOGS ON THE STREETS.
THAT MEANS MORE BREEDING THAT EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM LONG TERM.
THAT MEANS DANGER FOR PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, MULLINGS YOUR OWN DOGS, LITTLE KIDS, PEOPLE, WHATEVER.
I MEAN, WHEN I CAME INTO DAS IN 2019 AS A VOLUNTEER, UH, THERE WAS MUCH MORE, UM, RAMPANT TALK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SUCH, EVEN IN LIKE BISHOP ARTS AND THINGS OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVING PETS OF DOGS, UH, FEARFULLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE DON'T WANNA GET BACK TO THAT, SO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO DOWN THAT HILL.
UM, AND UM, ALSO THE, I HEARD, UH, WITH THE NO SPE AND, UH, SPAY NEUTER AHEAD OF TIME.
SO MARY HAD GOTTEN US TO A GREAT PLACE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE GETTING SPAY AND NEUTER SO THEY COULD LEAVE AS SOON AS THEY WERE ADOPTED.
WE DO SEEM TO HAVE BACKED OFF A LOT ON THAT.
I ALSO HEARD A RUMOR, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE, THAT YOU'RE NOT VACCINATING UPON INTAKE ANYMORE, WHICH I CAN'T IMAGINE IS TRUE.
THAT'S JUST A, PROBABLY A BAD RUMOR.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD FOR ANYONE LISTENING OUT THERE, BECAUSE THAT CAME TO ME AS A, A RUMOR.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE WERE MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS,
BUT AS TO THE NOT VACCINATING THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
AND THEN THE SPAY NEUTER AHEAD OF TIME, WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THAT? IS THAT JUST BECAUSE OF RESOURCES AND HOUSE OF AVAILABILITY TO TURNAROUND OR I'LL, I'LL LET ALEXI.
UH, SO GENERAL SURGERIES, WE DO TRY AND GET TO THOSE AS WE CAN.
WE'RE ACTUALLY, BECAUSE OUR ADOPTIONS HAVE INCREASED SO MUCH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP.
UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, HAVE HAD SOME VETERINARY, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORTAGES.
UH, WE'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO GET DOUBLE DOCTOR DAYS, UH, THE TREATMENT THAT'S NEEDED FOR THEM.
WE'VE INCLUDED OUR TNR EFFORTS.
UH, SO WE ARE INCORPORATING MORE OUTSIDE CATS WITH OUR SURGEONS, SO THEY'RE HAVING LESS TIME TO DO IN-HOUSE SURGERIES.
UM, SO IF WE HAVE A DAY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY ANIMALS ON THAT LIST, WE LOOK AT, OKAY, WHO ISN'T ADOPTED, WHO WE CAN GET DONE.
SO WE, WE ARE TRYING, UM, IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A GAME OF CATCH UP.
ARE WE READY FOR THE NEXT COMMISSIONER? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER KAREN, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS.
I KNOW WE ALWAYS THANK YOU, BUT TAKE YOUR TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO COME HERE.
IN ADDITION TO THE COUNTLESS HOURS THAT YOU'RE SPENDING, UM, WITH THE TNR AND HONESTLY KEEPING THE PA CAP POPULATION UNDER CONTROL IN THIS CITY.
AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOU.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER SER FOR HIS, UM, COMMUNITY CAT ORDINANCE THAT HE'S WORKING ON.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME PUTTING ON THAT.
UM, I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAD QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT THAT AND I'M SURE HE CAN ADDRESS THOSE, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, AMAZING THAT HE'S SPENDING THE TIME DOING THAT.
UH, I ALSO WANNA, I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP THE KNOW ADOPT LIST AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE POINT BEHIND THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK WE'RE
I THINK, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY A PRIORITY RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO TRY AND GET ADOPTIONS OUT THE DOOR.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT BAD PEOPLE ADOPTING PETS, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S REALLY A PRIORITY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE ON AT THIS TIME.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS, I THINK OBVIOUSLY I, I LOVE LOOKING AT THE VOLUNTEER HOURS AND SAYING THEY'VE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, SAVED US $232,000,
[02:35:02]
BUT TO ME THAT JUST SAYS THAT DAS NEEDS 232,000 MORE DOLLARS TO BE PAYING PEOPLE FOR THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING.UM, I THINK MONEY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
I THINK WE NEED TO TRY AND GET DAS MORE MONEY.
I I DO THINK IT'S CRAZY WE'RE HAVING THESE HVAC ISSUES, LIKE I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE, UM, WHAT Y'ALL ARE DEALING WITH.
AND I'VE SEEN THE TIGHT ROOMS AND THE TIGHT SPACES Y'ALL WORK IN AND THAT JUST SOUNDS MISERABLE.
SO I THINK AS PART OF A JOB, OUR JOB AS COMMISSIONERS IS TO REALLY LIAISE WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE INITIATIVE AND ASK ALL OF US TO TRY AND FIRST GET OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT TO THE SHELTER MORE REGULARLY.
SO I'D, I'D LOVE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN DO OR IF THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST SUCCESSFULLY, WHERE WE HAD A DISTRICT COME OUT FOR LIKE A DAY OR FOR GIVEAWAYS OR I, I'M NOT VERY CREATIVE ON YEAH.
VOLUNTEER TYPE THINGS OR ANY WAY TO GET TO ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO VISIT THE SHELTER.
EVEN IF IT'S JUST LIKE A MEET AND GREET WITH YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'M SURE JUST COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO WOULD, WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
HE'S ALWAYS DOWN TO GO PLACES WHEN I ASK HIM TO.
SO I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT ALSO.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HAVING DAS SHOW UP AT OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS IN OUR DISTRICT? I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO HAS THINGS ALL THE TIME.
HE DOES WORK WITH ELDERLY GROUPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
ARE THERE CHANCES FOR DAS AND I KNOW, I KNOW I'M ASKING A LOT BECAUSE THE RESOURCES ARE LIMITED AS IT IS AND I'M SURE THIS WOULDN'T BE SOME HIGH ADOPTION DAY.
IT'S REALLY MORE FOR EXPOSURE.
BUT IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DAS TO COME OUT TO COMMUNITY EVENTS AND IF THAT'S BEEN DONE SUCCESSFULLY, I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
AS TO THE MEET AND GREETS, WE WOULD LOVE TO, TO HOST ANYONE THAT WOULD LOVE TO COME.
UH, WE HAVE HOSTED A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE CAME THROUGH.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY CAME THROUGH, NEVAS CAME THROUGH, UH, I WANNA SAY THERE WAS A COUPLE OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
EVEN OUR CITY MANAGER CAME THROUGH WITH HER ENTIRE CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HOST, UH, ANYONE WHO WOULD LOVE TO COME AND DO A MEET AND GREET AND WE CAN ADVERTISE IT AND SO FORTH.
WE, WE HAVE A SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM, BUT I MEAN, WE'D LOVE TO GIVE, WE LOVE GIVING TOURS 'CAUSE WE LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE TO SEE, IT'S ONE THING TO HEAR, BUT IT'S ONE THING TO SEE ACTUALLY WHAT, WHAT THE SHELTER DOES.
SO, UH, YES, WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
ATTENDING COUNCIL EVENTS, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE THAT REACHES OUT, WE PROVIDE STAFF TO ATTEND THOSE EVENTS.
I WOULD LOVE TO MAYBE LOOK AT BRINGING OUT OUR ADOPTION VEHICLE IF POSSIBLE AS WELL AND BRINGING OUT SOME OF THOSE ANIMALS THAT ARE POSSIBLY AVAILABLE TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE ATTENDING THE MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT RESOURCES AND SO FORTH.
IF WE COULD HAVE THE ADOPTION VAN COME.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW I'M ASKING A LOT 'CAUSE IT, IT'S GOT A LOT OF PLACES TO GO, BUT HAVE YOU HOSTED COMMUNITY EVENTS, DISTRICT SPECIFIC COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL? I MEAN, USUALLY IF WE GIVE PEOPLE FREE FOOD, WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE TO SHOW UP, BUT I DON'T HAVE YOU DONE THAT IN THE PAST? I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE DONE DISTRICT SPECIFIC EVENTS.
UH, BUT I KNOW WE'VE DONE EVENTS LIKE THE, THE NEW YEAR'S EVENT, THE FOURTH JULY EVENT, UH, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT THAT I BELIEVE FOOD WAS PROVIDED.
CORRECT, NATHAN? SO WE HAD, I BELIEVE IT WAS JULY 29TH, WE HAD RAY AS PART OF OUR, UM, FIELD COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM DO AN EVENT.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE IT WAS MONTH? UH, NO, I KNOW IT WAS IN A BIG PARK IN, UH, IN PLEASANT GROVE.
YEAH, SO WE PROVIDED VACCINES AND, AND RESOURCES AND WE HAD OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE.
SO, UM, I THINK IT WAS PRIMARILY MICROCHIP AND THEN THERE WAS VACCINES AND JUST OFFERING OTHER RESOURCES.
SO TRYING, WE ARE TRYING MORE TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND GET IN FRONT OF PEOPLE SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME TO US.
AND I BELIEVE WE JUST HOSTED ONE THIS PAST WEEK, WEEK WITH SPAY NETWORK ON SITE AND WE BROUGHT IN OUR PET FOOD PANTRY.
THEY HAD A HUGE TURNOUT FOR VACCINATIONS BECAUSE OF A JOINT VENTURE.
THE LAST SPEAKER, CHAIR, COMMISSIONER, UH, ER TO BE RECOGNIZED.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR SPEAKERS.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN TO DAS STAFF.
I SAW FOUR RECURRING THEMES THROUGH OUR SPEAKERS, UH, SR MEMBER ISSUES, NOT GETTING PAID FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERISM, RELEASING UNALTERED ANIMALS.
UM, AND THEN MORE FUNDING FOR DAS.
I THINK WE'VE ADDRESSED ALL OF THE ONES THAT WE CAN'T ADDRESS TODAY.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE AS COMMISSIONERS HEAR YOU GUYS, WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO CONNECT THE DOTS BETWEEN WHAT YOU SAY, WHAT DAS FEARS, WHAT WE CAN HELP WITH, AND WHAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN HELP THEM AS WELL.
UH, QUESTIONS FOR, UH, PAUL AND TEAM.
UM, FIRST ONE I THINK RELATES TO EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN HEARING TODAY.
[02:40:01]
OF TOTAL DOGS AND CATS IN THE CITY LIMITS ESTIMATE? DO WE HAVE ANY UNBIASED REPORTS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TNR OR SPAY AND NEUTER? IF NOT, WHAT STEPS CAN WE TAKE TO RESEARCH TNR AND SPAY NEUTER EFFECTIVENESS? AND WHEN I SAY EFFECTIVENESS, I'M TALKING ABOUT A THERAPEUTIC LEVEL.IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT IN MEDICINE, IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT AMOUNT PERCENT DO WE HAVE TO SPAY AND NEUTER TO MAKE THE POPULATIONS OF THOSE ANIMALS NOT INCREASE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, WHAT ARE WE DOING? LIKE YOU GUYS CAN BE BUSTING YOUR BUTTS DOING TNR, WE COULD BE BUSTING OUR BUTTS SPAYING A NEUTER.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF WE'RE NOT REACHING THAT LEVEL? SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN RESEARCH IF WE DON'T HAVE IT ALREADY.
UM, FROM THAT, ARE WE CLOSE TO THAT THERAPEUTIC AMOUNT IF THIS RESEARCH OR THIS STUDY HAPPENS? UM, IF NOT, IS THE AMOUNT FEASIBLE? LIKE GIVEN, LIKE LET'S SAY IF SPAY NEUTER, HYPOTHETICALLY WE ARE DOING 20% OF ALL ANIMALS, IT NEEDS TO BE 70 OR 80.
IS IT FEASIBLE TO GO 50%? UM, IF NOT, WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE? ALTERNATIVE METHODS BESIDES TNR, BESIDES SPAN, I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT.
EUTHANASIA IS A POSSIBILITY IN SOME REPORTS.
I'M NOT CONDONING IT, I'M UNBIASED IN THIS.
BUT THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF OTHER FEASIBLE OR OTHER ITEMS THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND THEN LASTLY, WHO CAN WE CONTRACT TO PERFORM THIS ANALYSIS? WHETHER IT'S A COLLEGE CAMPUS AROUND US, WHETHER IT'S CONSULTANCY THAT WE CAN PAID FOR, HOPEFULLY NOT PAY ANYTHING THROUGH A COLLEGE PROGRAM, THEY CAN GET THEIR SENIOR CREDIT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE FIRST ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
SECOND QUESTION I JUST HAD FOR NATHAN.
UH, NATHAN'S MY NEIGHBOR BY THE WAY.
UH, UH, THERE WAS A, UM, A 10, UH, FIGURE ON THE EUTHANIZATIONS AND VACATIONS.
A EUTHANIZED, EUTHANIZED IN VACATION.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT, LIKE WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS.
WHAT HAPPENED IF, IF, IF POSSIBLE.
UM, PET PANTRY, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT I WAS LOOKING AT ON THE PET PANTRY, UH, PAGE 15.
THE FIRST EVENT YIELDED FOUR, UM, PETS PER FAMILY.
THE SECOND EVENT WAS FIVE PETS PER FAMILY.
THE THIRD EVENT WAS FIVE PETS PER FAMILY.
FOURTH WAS FOUR PETS PER FAMILY.
THE FIFTH WAS SIX PETS PER FAMILY, AND THEN THE SIXTH WAS FIFTH.
IS THERE, I THINK I ASKED THIS LAST MEETING, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN JUST LIKE MAKE SURE LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING GOOD GOING ON THERE? 'CAUSE CITY, CITY GUIDELINES.
SO YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT MANY PETS UNLESS YOU'RE ON OVER A HALF ACRE OF LAND.
I THINK, I THINK SOMETIMES WE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING RESOURCES TO FAMILIES WHO NEED THEM.
THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE OF THAT.
UM, LAST, UH, QUESTION WAS TRANSPORTED ANIMAL OUTCOMES.
ARE WE ABLE TO REPORT ON THE OUTCOMES AFTER THEY'RE TRANSMITTED? DO WE HAVE THAT DATA? IT'S NOT YET.
JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
I LOVE HOW WE CONNECT THE REGULATORY DOTS.
PAGE 22, TRANSPARENCY INTO FIELD OPS.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THE, THE PRIOR PRIORITIZATION LEVELS ONE THROUGH EIGHT.
AND THEN PAGE 27, UH, AS A PROPOSAL, I'VE REVIEWED IT.
I DON'T THINK IT CONFLICTS WITH THE CITY ORDINANCES OR THE TEXAS, UH, CODE.
SO I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL COMMISSIONERS TO REVIEW THAT AS WELL FOR THE INTAKE, UM, THRESHOLDS.
UH, AND THEN FOR THE APPENDIX, AWESOME JOB ADDING, UH, THE HOUSE BILLS CONTACTS AND EVERYTHING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, TO DAZ FOR THAT.
UH, ONE LAST ITEM, UM, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, I PROPOSE TO JILLIAN THAT WE REMOVE PAPER FROM OUR NEXT MEETING.
SHE'LL BE POSTING THE MATERIALS ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THEM PRINT OUT, PLEASE REQUEST THEM.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, I'D LIKE US TO SAVE SOME MONEY, UH, AND SAVE SOME TREES.
THAT, THAT WAS A LOT TO UNPACK.
SO
UH, NATHAN, DID YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? SURE, I CAN GO FIRST.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE SOME SPECIFIC VOLUNTEERS WHO PRIMARILY TRY TO TAKE PETS AT RISK ON VACATIONS.
SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY AT RISK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALREADY NEEDING TO FIND URGENT PLACEMENT.
THEY GO ON A VACATION AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST AREN'T, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ABLE TO STEP FORWARD TO ADOPT OR FOSTER OR GET TO A RESCUE.
UM, THERE ARE ALSO SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT GO ON A VACATION DAY SEVEN THAT THEY'RE AT THE SHELTER, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEN DAY 14, 15, 16, THEY DEVELOP A MORE SERIOUS UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION OR, YOU KNOW, BUT BECOME AT RISK, UM, FOR MEDICAL.
UM, I REMEMBER ONE OFFHAND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM QUARTER TWO OR OR FROM WHEN, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, THEY WENT ON MULTIPLE VACATIONS AND THEN GOT SICK IN THE SHELTER AND THEN BECAME CRITICAL AND HAD A, A REALLY SEVERE OF BREAST PROTECTION.
[02:45:01]
THOSE KIND OF ONE OFF THINGS THAT HAPPEN.UM, CAN I ADDRESS THE RELEASING PETS UNALTERED AS WELL, OR I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADDRESS IT.
UM, SO OUR POLICY AS OF RIGHT NOW, SAY I'M COMING INTO THE SHELTER TO ADOPT THE DOG.
IF WE HAVE SURGERY SPACE TOMORROW, WE'RE GETTING THEM IN FOR SURGERY TOMORROW.
IF WE HAVE SURGERY SPACE SATURDAY, WE'RE GETTING THEM IN FOR SURGERY.
IF WE DON'T HAVE SURGERY SPACE AVAILABLE UNTIL SUNDAY, WE WILL RELEASE THEM UNALTERED AS A FOSTER TO ADOPT, UM, AND HAVE THEM RETURN FOR SURGERY AT A LATER DATE.
AND THE REASONING BEHIND THIS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE STAYING IN THE SHELTER AND A HALF KENNEL FOR THREE DAYS, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET SICK.
THEY'RE TAKING UP SPACE FOR A PET THAT COULD BE IN A HOME FOR, FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE RETURNING FOR THAT SPAYING OR SURGERY.
SO IT, AND IT DOES CHANGE OCCASIONALLY, DEPENDING ON, BASICALLY THE FACTORS AT PLAY ARE OUR CURRENT CAPACITY AND THE AMOUNT OF SURGERY SPOTS WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, WE DID A WEEK OR TWO AGO HAVE, WE WERE BOOKED OUT LIKE THREE, FOUR DAYS FOR SURGERY.
AND SO RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO BALLOON UP IN CAPACITY, WE WERE STARTING TO RELEASE SOME UNALTERED AS FOSTER TO ADOPT.
WE DID NOT PROCESS THE ADOPTION.
THEY'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY DAS PROPERTY UNTIL THEY GET THAT SPAYED OR SURGERY AND, AND ARE ADOPTED.
I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO TOUCH ON TOO IS, AND A DECREASE IN LENGTH OF STAY BY ONE DAY DECREASES OUR, LIKE IF WE DECREASED OUR TOTAL LENGTH OF STAY BY ONE DAY, WE CAN DECREASE OUR SHELTER CAPACITY BY 30%.
SO INSTEAD OF 157% TODAY, WE'D BE AT 127%, WHICH IS A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE FOR OUR STAFF.
AND SO IF WE COULD CONTINUE DECREASING LENGTH OF STAY BY STRATEGIC EFFORTS, IN EFFECT HAVING FOSTER TO ADOPT, YOU CAN SEE ON THE STATS THAT THOSE FO A MAJORITY OF THE FOSTERS WERE ADOPTED BY THEIR FOSTER, THEN WE CAN DECREASE OUR CAPACITY.
AND BEING UNDER A HUNDRED PERCENT IS NOT A BY DREAM THEN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT.
UM, TO TOUCH ON YOUR STATS FOR SPAY NEUTER EFFECTIVENESS.
SO ABOUT 7% OF ALL ANIMALS TOUCH THE SHELTERING SYSTEM NATIONWIDE.
SO TO BE EFFECTIVE IN, UH, SPAY NEUTER, YOU NEED TO TOUCH ABOUT 80 TO 90% OF ANIMALS.
SO NOT TO SAY OUR EFFORTS ARE NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WE ARE NOT TOUCHING ENOUGH TO DECREASE THAT POPULATION.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING SENDING THEM OUT AS FOSTER TO ADULTS BEING UNAL ALTERED IS WE'RE TOUCHING THEM, BUT IT'S BETTER TO HAVE AN ALIVE DOG GOING OUT THE DOOR UNAL ALTERED THAN A DEAD DOG IN THE SHELTER.
I DON'T WANNA EXCLUDE CATS, BUT THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE.
AND SO OUR GOAL REALLY IS TO DECREASE LENGTH OF STAY SO THEN WE CAN DECREASE THE POPULATION AND BUILDING AND GET OURSELVES ON CRACK.
REAL QUICK AS TO AS TO THE QUESTION ABOUT TOTAL DOGS AND CATS, I SAW AN AXIALS REPORT THAT ACTUALLY HAD THAT NUMBER.
UH, I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU, BUT IT WAS FROM 2017 I THINK.
AND THEN FOR THE TR EFFECTIVENESS, I THINK ALEX COULD PROBABLY GET WITH YOU OFFLINE OR WE COULD SHARE IT IN A MEMO OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, AND THEN FOR THE COLLEGE RESOURCES, WE HAVE USED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS IN-HOUSE TO LOOK AT OUR DATA AND HOW WE COULD BETTER UTILIZE THAT DATA.
I'M ALSO LOOKING AT MY ALMA MATER, UNTD, UH, TO COME IN.
SO, UH, WE, WE, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP PAUL.
WE ARE WORKING WITH A PHD STUDENT AND I THINK SHE'S AT UT DALLAS ON SOME STATS, LIKE ON PROBABILITY OF OUTCOMES.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE STATS CAME FROM.
IF WE'RE DECREASING LENGTH OF STAY, THEN WE CAN GET TO A CERTAIN CAPACITY AND SHE HAS ALL THESE FUN THINGS.
SO THAT ACTUALLY HELPING WITH SOME OF OUR OUTCOMES PROGRAMMING.
CAN I GO? THANK YOU AND I'LL BE SO QUICK EVERYONE, FIRST OF ALL, NATHAN, WE ARE GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH.
I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN BONNIE AND I HAD TO WRESTLE THOSE DOGS, UM, THAT WE TOOK OUT AT THAT CONVENTION MAKING DOGHOUSES, YOU'RE JUST SO PROFESSIONAL.
YOU'VE TRAINED SO MANY, UM, YOUNG KIDS TO COME THROUGH AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN A SHELTER.
AND I JUST, I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.
4TH OF JULY, UM, I WAS SO FORTUNATE TO SIT WITH COMMISSIONER SANDERS AND SEE 250 PEOPLE WALK THROUGH ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
UM, THE GRANDFATHER AND THE GRANDSON JUST, IT KILLED ME.
YOU GUYS ARE BECOMING, I THINK AS COMMISSIONER CASEY SAID, REALLY POPULAR AND I HOPE TO SEE MORE OF THOSE.
'CAUSE THE POINT IS TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE SHELTER AND ADOPT.
RIGHT? UM, JUST REAL QUICK IN THIS REPORT, UM, LET'S GO BACK TO BE DALLAS 90.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER SAYED.
[02:50:01]
SPECIES.WE DON'T SAY LIVE RELEASE RATE ANYMORE.
AND THAT IS WHAT THAT 90 IS BUILT ON.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK MORE ABOUT THE FUNDING.
I HOPE FRIENDS OF DALLAS CAN JOIN US AND SO WE CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WILL WRITE A GRANT TO WORK ON THE B DALLAS 90 AND REMOVING THAT TERMINOLOGY.
'CAUSE I JUST THINK WE ARE MISSING SO MANY, UM, KEY POINTS THERE.
'CAUSE NOBODY USES THAT ANYMORE.
UM, CAN WE HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE RESCUES THAT TAKE DOGS FROM DAS, NOT JUST THE TOP 10.
I'D LOVE TO THANK SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL RESCUERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR, OR ANYTHING, BUT I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM KUDOS AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS AND UM, I HAVE SOME SMU STUDENTS LOOK INTO THIS AND THEY CAN BE SEEN AS DISCRIMINATORY.
SO I'D LOVE TO GET THE CITY OF DALLAS'S, UM, OPINION ON THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE STAYED AWAY WITH FROM THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SHELTER IS IN SUCH A POSITION.
ON ONE HAND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET LOTS OF DOGS ADOPTED, BUT ON THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE KEEPING SOME PEOPLE OUT AND, AND SOME OF THAT CAN BE JUST STUFF ON FACEBOOK.
AND SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT AND SEE IF, IS THAT REALLY HAPPENING? ARE WE, YOU KNOW, GIVING ONE PERSON LOTS OF DOGS? OUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THEY JUST GO TO CRAIGSLIST AND GET A FREE DOG.
SO, UM, SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, YOU ALL, THE STATE OF TEXAS JUST FUNDED $13 MILLION FOR SPAY NEUTER.
THAT IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
EVERYONE HERE CAN COME TOGETHER AND AGREE THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON SPAY NEUTER.
SO MY MY QUESTION TO PAUL IS, AND I HOPE THIS IS HAPPENING, DO WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS ON OUR SPAY NEUTER EFFORTS? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THESE HUGE ORGANIZATIONS, ALL THESE LARGE NONPROFITS THAT HAVE FACILITIES, THEY HAVE SHELTERS, THEY HAVE FUNDING, THEY HAVE THEIR VOICE OUT THERE.
ARE WE MEETING MONTHLY WITH THEM TO GET A SPAY NEUTER PLAN? IN EFFECT? I THINK A STRATEGIC PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THE SUMMER LEE FOUNDATION, JONATHAN JUST WENT AHEAD AND DID THIS AMAZING STUDY ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT IF WE CAN PREVENT VERSUS FOCUS ON LIVE RELEASE RATES AND GETTING THE DOGS OUT, SPAY NEUTER IS NOT SEXY AND IT IS CONTINUAL AND IT IS EXPENSIVE.
BUT I THINK ALL OF US CAN AGREE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO PUT THE, UM, COMMISSIONER BENNETT, OUR, OUR JUDGE POSSIBLY ON A TASK FORCE TO START A SPAY NEUTER DISCUSSION WITH ALL THE BIG GROUPS.
YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SAY AT THE CAPITAL IS, WELL, DALLAS HAS SO MUCH MONEY, THEY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WHY WOULD WE GIVE SPAY NEUTER MONEY TO THEM? TRULY? SO AGAIN, WHEN WE HAVE THESE LARGE ORGANIZATIONS COMING TOGETHER, LET'S GET TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS.
BONNIE'S, RIGHT? WE USED TO DO HUGE BIG FIX DAYS.
UM, AGAIN, WHO DIRECTS THE FUNDING OF FOTIS? YOU KNOW, UM, SO APPRECIATIVE THAT WENDY CAME ON.
I THINK YOU, THEY'RE AT 1.8 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE'S THE STRATEGIC MINDSET ON THAT? AND ARE WE USING THAT MONEY TOWARDS SPAY NEUTER? REAL QUICK? UNSUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY.
WE PASSED THE ALITY LAW AT THE STATE IN 2017.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A FANTASTIC THREE MINUTE VIDEO.
UM, THEY HAVE TWO AND IT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHERE TO REPORT THEIR ANIMAL CRUELTY, HOW TO DO IT, AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
SO, AGAIN, TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION HAS A GREAT GRANT FOR THAT.
IF, IF THE FOUR OF YOU ALL COULD GET TOGETHER, UM, YOUR GROUPS, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, CITY OF DALLAS, UH, WE HAVE AN AMAZING ANIMAL CRUELTY UNIT IN DALLAS.
BUT IF WE COULD GET SOME GRANTING ON A THREE TO FOUR MINUTE VIDEO ON HOW TO REPORT IT, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP AS WELL.
UM, NOT PUTTING ANYTHING ELSE ON ANYBODY'S PLATE, BUT I KNOW THERE'S A GRANT OUT THERE FOR THAT PRESS RELEASE.
UM, BEST FRIENDS, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE DOING A MISSION POSSIBLE.
ARE THEY GIVING ANY FUNDING TO DAS? I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT.
UH, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES INTAKE POLICY DISCUSSION.
PERSONALLY, I'M AGAINST MANAGED INTAKE UNLESS THERE IS A SICKNESS.
LOOK, MELISSA, UM, WEBER FORMER DIRECTOR, DID A FANTASTIC JOB WHEN SHE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE SHELTER INTAKE BECAUSE OF THE SICKNESS AT THAT TIME.
AND YOU HAVE TOO, PAUL, YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB CLEANING UP THE SHELTER, THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH MORE.
UM, ANYWAYS, UNLESS THERE'S SICKNESS, BECAUSE THERE ARE A TON OF LAWSUITS OUT THERE ON THAT CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS, CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS, CALL YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ASK THEM FOR SPAY NEUTER FUNDING.
YOU, OH, WHO'S MARY'S? WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF THAT.
UH, UH, FOR MARY'S REPLACEMENT, JUST AS AN FYI, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SPAY NEUTER, I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
AND AS FAR AS FUNDING FOR FOTIS, THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT'S GONE ON THE LAST, THE FUNDING FOR THIS CYCLE WAS DONE BEFORE I BECAME THE DIRECTOR.
THIS FUNDING WILL BE PART OF THE, THE, THE TEAM PLAYS A PART IN THESE DISCUSSIONS ON WHERE THIS FUNDING GOES AND HOW
[02:55:01]
IT PLAYS A PART, BUT IT'S ULTIMATELY, UH, OUR DECISION ON WHERE THIS FUNDING GOES.SO WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN FOR VIDEO, UH, ON REPORTING, WE CAN WORK THROUGH COMMS TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON PUTTING A VIDEO, EDUCATIONAL VIDEO TOGETHER NOW FOR COYOTES.
UH, SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY GRANTS POSSIBLY NEEDED FOR THAT.
AND FOR BEST FRIENDS, I BELIEVE THERE'S AN INCENTIVE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED FOR THE MISSION POSSIBLE THROUGH BEST FRIENDS.