Sacramento County recently spent 23 million dollars to build a new animal shelter. But don’t worry about the cost because the new shelter “will save thousands of dollars in future energy and operation costs”. That is, if they keep the place open:
Sacramento County can no longer afford to keep its newly constructed animal shelter open.
Just six months after it opened, the new shelter is slated to close on June 30th.
Any county employees who were involved in the so-called planning of the shelter construction had better be browsing the want ads.
It’s a beautiful shelter. I volunteered for 3 years at their previous shelter – it was a sad, sad place.
They got the new shelter up right before the city and state slashed their budget 40%. Now they are planning to slash the budget additionally.
They got rid of the director, who was doing for the shelter what previous directors couldn’t do – lower the kill rate, improve adoptions, and implement a mobile spay/neuter van. The new director will be a CODE ENFORCEMENT officer. For reals?
This is a huge failure for the animals. Huge. It will be horribly tragic if they all have to go back to the old shelter.
The old shelter wasn’t demolished?
You’re right, it was demolished.
The public and HSUS is trying to rally around the shelter. They plan on demonstrating during the board of supes meeting in June, as well as speaking.
I often think this state is governed by the Marx Brothers.
It’s a beautiful facility, that’s for sure. I was getting ready to do an article for the old “day job” on the energy efficiency features when I left that job. Not long after, the economic mess (Sacramento has been really hard hit) forced sweeping budget cuts in local gov’ts.
I don’t know what to say about it, really. We had a break in on my street (house next-door) and the next day — yes, the NEXT DAY — the responding deputy talked about it’s getting so it would have to be practically an assault in progress to get an officer to help, they’re THAT short-staffed.
My brothers — firefighter and teacher — have unpaid days off, schools and fire stations closed.
Not a pretty picture, to be sure.
And it all collapsed so quickly. Fortunately, my old agency’s CFO is a sensible, Midwestern type, and he never believed the hype. Always kept the operation lean and always planned for less than optimum circumstances. And since the utility is independent — and in, not part of a muni gov’t — it can handle its own affairs.
Really, that CFO’s a hero, and a true public servant. Too bad more like him aren’t in gov’t jobs.
Getting rid of that director was a move that should have happened ages ago. I’ll leave the sordid stories out, but looking at April’s stats vs 09, for dogs: Euthanasias – UP 8.9%
Adoptions – up 24.5% (but don’t get too happy)
Damn the keyboard, continue:
Returns to owners: down 25.8%
Rescues – down 50% (prev Director notorious for fighting w/rescues)
Fosters – down 50%
Now incoming strays, 320 and owner surrenders 43. Imagine if instead rescues were embraced, foster homes were embrased and return to owners was a priority…what would that outcome have done to the stats?