To: Board of Supervisors
From: Internal Operations Committee
Report Title: Annual Report on the Animal Benefit Fund
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☒ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Animal Benefit Fund Report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact. This report is informational. The Animal Benefit Fund collects community donations for animals in County shelters. For FY 2024/25, the Animal Services Department expected $160,000 in donations and received $154,483.
BACKGROUND:
In 1988, the Animal Services Department created the Animal Benefit Fund (ABF). The purpose of the ABF is to allow the Animal Services Department to receive donations from individuals, animal welfare organizations, and businesses to support animal health and welfare projects.
On May 12, 2015, the Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal year 2015/16 budget, which included a directive for the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) to review the Animal Benefit Fund. In March 2016, the Board decided that this review would be conducted annually to evaluate the fund's impact on the community and families.
On December 8, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2020/329 authorizing the Animal Services Director to implement the following programs within the Animal Benefit Fund:
1. Medical Assistance Program: This program provides medical and emergency veterinary care for animals within the County's jurisdiction or in the County shelter. Funds cover medical needs beyond mandated care to aid adoption, transfer, or prevent shelter intake.
2. Humane Education Program: This initiative aims to enhance humane education services within the County by either hosting individuals at the County shelter or delivering educational programs directly to the community. Additionally, the program offers support to pet owners in resolving behavioral issues that might otherwise lead to relinquishment, assists shelter animals with behavioral challenges that may impede their adoption prospects, and develops humane education curricula for school-aged children.
3. Shelter Intervention Program: Families in crisis often surrender pets due to financial struggles. This program offers resources to keep pets at home, including spay/neuter services, behavior training, fence repair, and grooming. It also aids domestic violence victims and seniors with limited income, helping them keep their pets despite financial or medical challenges.
4. Spay Neuter and Wellness Program: This program makes spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and microchips more affordable and accessible in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa Animal Services achieves this through partnerships and mobile programs that target high-need areas, focus on the species/breeds commonly found in shelters, and support community cats via TNR/RTF (trap-neuter-return / return-to-field) and Working Cat Adoptions.
For FY 2024/25, the Department allocated $440,000 to Animal Benefit Fund (ABF) Programs, with $405,515 spent. The ABF funds are meant to enhance animal care and public support, not replace General Funds. Below are the allocation, adjustment, and balance for each ABF program for FY 2024/25:
The IOC received this report at its regular meeting on October 27, 2025 and forwards it to the Board of Supervisors today as information. The public comment received by the IOC mostly centered on concerns over the allocation of shelter intervention funds to larger organizations that were believed to have high fund reserves and a desire for greater transparency in the award of ABF funding.
Following public comment, the Committee concluded that:
• Animal Services funding decisions are based on the needs for medical procedures, housing, and food for animals.
• Funding is allocated based on detailed invoices for services rendered, ensuring accountability and effective use of resources.
• Funding determinations are made by a panel, sometimes including external members, and are based on the merits of each proposal.
• The Animal Benefit Fund ensures that services are only provided to Contra Costa County residents, even if the organization is based outside the county.
• The board aims to do the greatest good for the greatest number of animals, with a focus on both large and small organizations.
• The board also encourages smaller organizations to take advantage of capacity-building programs to strengthen their operations and partnerships with larger organizations.
The IOC suggested that Animal Services include representatives of smaller rescue organizations on the funding panel in the future. The Committee accepted the report and requested that the Board additionally be provided a listing of the types of services and procedures funded with ABF funds. This listing is provided in Attachment 2 along with the presentation received by the IOC, which is Attachment 1.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
N/A. This is an informational report.