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 FY 2023/24 Animal Benefit Fund Report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact to the General Fund. This is an informational report. The Animal Benefit Fund is the repository for community donations that help to fund the unmet needs of animals impounded at County shelters. The Animal Services Department anticipated receiving approximately $210,000 in donations for FY 2023/24, with a final donation total of $243,110.
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 December 8, 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2020/329, authorizing the Department Director to implement the following programs within the Animal Benefit Fund:
1. Medical Assistance Program: This program is for medical assistance and emergency veterinary care for animals that are in the County's jurisdiction and/or have been accepted into the County shelter’s care. Funds will be used for medical care over and above the mandated medical care for animals in the care of the shelter and who need further assistance to be made available for adoption or released to a transfer agency. Funds may also be used to provide necessary medical care to an animal to help keep the animal out of the shelter.
2. Humane Education Program: This program helps to support humane education services in the County either by bringing people into County shelter or taking County education programs “on the road” into the community. Humane Education support may also be used to help pet owners resolve behavioral problems that might otherwise cause them to give up their pet, to help shelter animals with behavioral issues that might keep them from being easily adopted, and to create humane education programs for school age children.
3. Shelter Intervention Program: Often, families in a crisis turn to surrendering their pet to a shelter due to lack of financial resources. The intervention program helps to provide resources to keep animals in their homes. Examples of intervention tools: spay/neuter, behavior/training assistance, fence repair and grooming. This program may also be used to help domestic violence victims or seniors on limited incomes to keep their pets in their lives when they may otherwise have had to consider relinquishment due to lack of funds for basic daily needs or medical concerns.
4. Spay Neuter and Wellness Program: This program would make spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchips more affordable and accessible in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa Animal Services will accomplish this by establishing partnerships and developing mobile programs to reach into the areas of the County in greatest need, targeting the species/breeds of animals most likely to be found in the shelter, and supporting healthy community cats through TNR/RTF (trap-neuter-return / return- to-field) and Working Cat Adoptions.
On October 14, 2024, Animal Services Director Ben Winkleblack presented the following annual report on the prior year activity and year-end status of the Animal Benefit Fund. He shared annual data, individual stories and photos of animals and families that benefited from services provided with this special funding and expressed gratitude for the ability to provide this progressive but structured programming.
He reviewed his future goals to target specific communities where greater needs have been identified, to increase funding for shelter intervention and expand the number of service partners. He confirmed that the Animal Benefit Fund is a government fund, not a nonprofit corporation.
Lisa Kirk commented on the need for adequate funding for Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) for community cats and had many questions about fund allocation. The Committee directed Ms. Kirk to Animal Services administration for more information.
The Committee accepted the annual report and provides it to the Board today for its information along with the attached slideshow presentation.
ANNUAL REPORT
For FY 2023/24, the Department allocated $292,000 for Animal Benefit Fund (ABF) Programs and reconciled prior FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22 transfers. The total amount of $156,490 was returned to the General Fund for the reconciliation. The ABF funds are not intended to replace General Funds; rather, they are to supplement and enhance care for animals and support of the public. The table below details the allocation, adjustment, and balances for each ABF program for FY 2023/24:
The key factors that affected the FY 2023/24 ABF budget were:
1. The Animal Welfare industry has seen a significantly increased cost in Spay and Neuter services, which medical providers consider elective surgeries for pets. In addition to the cost of services, the animal welfare industry has also seen a challenge in recruiting and retaining medical staff, including veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians (RVTs). These challenges have increased not only the cost of these services but also the accessibility of these services in underserved communities.
2. The Department did not meet its donation/revenue goal of $50,000 for Spay and Neuter for FY 2023/24. The Department moved away from utilizing licensing revenue subsidies of $1 per license for the Animal Benefit Fund Program to allow the program to focus solely on public donations.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
None. This is an informational report.