To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ben Winkleblack, Animal Services Director
Report Title: Amend Operational Hours of Contra Costa County Animal Services on Wednesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 31st
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Animal Services Director, or designee, to amend the operational hours of Contra Costa County Animal Services on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and to similarly adjust operational hours to 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. for any future Wednesday that falls immediately before Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
Animal Services currently operates public service hours from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Historically, public demand for adoptions, redemptions, and other in-person services significantly declines during the late afternoon and evening hours immediately preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. As a result, maintaining extended evening hours on these dates has proven operationally inefficient and has resulted in minimal public use.
Additionally, Animal Services experiences increased staffing constraints during this period due to holiday leave schedules and reduced personnel availability. Closing two hours earlier, consistent with the department’s standard weekday schedule, as Wednesday evening hours represent extended service hours, supports staff well-being and allows for resources to be utilized for other daily operational needs.
Over the next ten years (2026-2035), December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve) each fall on a Wednesday only once, in 2031.
The affected clerical staff is represented by Local 512 and Local 2700. Staff have three (3) options regarding the change in public hours:
• Maintain their regular shift, or
• Begin their shift early so they may complete their shift by 5:00 p.m., or
• Use available accruals to cover the hours from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The labor group was notified of the proposal to change the public shelter hours on November 18, 2025, and County Labor Relations provided confirmation to proceed on December 2, 2025. Should the action be approved, the change in hours will be effective for the year 2025 and all future Wednesdays that fall immediately before Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Animal Services will be required to maintain its standard extended Wednesday hours (10:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.) on December 24, 2025, and December 31, 2025. This would result in inefficient use of staff resources during periods of historically low public demand.