[0:04] Today is Wednesday, September 3rd, it is 2.02, and we will call the animal advisory committee meeting to order. Will our city secretary please hold?

[0:34] We will move to item 4, consideration of an action on meeting minutes.

[0:45] Okay.

[0:54] We will bring those back at our next meeting for the minutes of Wednesday, May 6th.

[1:04] Item 5A, items for discussion, item 5A, discussion and possible action regarding the date for the first quarter meeting.

[1:14] So if you pass

[1:19] on a Wednesday, December the 9th, it would also be off-site, of course,

[1:25] that may be in place, and we're not going to have to answer the last question, so we're

[1:29] going to set the flag right now.

[1:32] So, but so that would also either be, I'd see you sooner or don't start on the billy,

[1:37] ending the renovations that the city is going to

[1:52] have.

[1:52] To is there anybody who has a preference?

[1:56] I do not.

[1:57] Councillor Member Sheet, do you have a preference, Dr. Barker? This really is probably more

[2:05] sillier scheduled than this Wednesday's, okay.

[2:13] December 2nd.

[2:18] December 9th? December 2nd? December 9th or November 2nd?

[2:25] It says December 2nd online. I got 9th and November 9th.

[2:30] Okay. Then the 9th. The December 2nd is the Wednesday.

[2:34] Yeah.

[2:37] It's available.

[2:40] We can do the 9th.

[2:41] No, it's fine with me. December 2nd.

[2:43] Yeah, 1.

[2:44] December 2nd is good.

[2:46] Okay.

[2:46] It gives time for something to go through.

[2:49] Okay.

[2:49] Yeah.

[2:50] 2 p.m.

[2:53] Does that work?

[2:54] Okay.

[2:56] All right. So the general consensus is Wednesday December 2nd at 2 p.m.

[3:02] All right.

[3:07] Item 5B, discussion regarding local rabies control authority.

[3:12] acronym is L-R-C-A. I will turn this over to A-C-O-Martina.

[3:17] It's just an update that I was, I was appointed, sorry, I don't know, didn't know the right word.

[3:28] As a local rabies control authority and we've already been doing it.

[3:35] And we have the overseen of the quarantines and the byte reports and rabies testing, and that's it.

[3:45] It's just, I was appointed now.

[3:48] Yes, ma'am.

[3:49] Noted any rabies in the area.

[3:50] We had one positive fact, but that was it in the two years that we've been here.

[3:56] So, yeah, no, no traveling animals, so that's good.

[4:06] We will move to item 5c discussion regarding local retail outlets available for donation purchase.

[4:14] We didn't have luck with any of the local retail outlets.

[4:18] We had tractor supply and converse.

[4:21] They're providing us with donations.

[4:22] They split them between converse animal care and our shelter.

[4:27] And we had puppy power donate grooming services to us.

[4:30] So, and now that we more frequently needed them, because everybody has to,

[4:38] all the, the stray dogs we picked up recently and needed medical grooming.

[4:43] So they've given us a special price to get the animals groomed there.

[4:49] Question?

[4:51] Yes.

[4:52] Are we not budgeting enough for food for the animals?

[4:56] We do, yes, that's in the budget, yes.

[4:58] We've made, we've made room this last fiscal year for a budget because the dogs need to be on a steady consistent diet.

[5:06] We purchasing high quality food from Murdoch's at a lower price.

[5:10] I think it's $33 a bag and that's high quality food versus $60 a bag with like the other diets that we have.

[5:21] So we've been on a steady diet because it affects them greatly when we don't.

[5:26] So sometimes the treats that we get donated will trigger diarrhea, so we have to be careful.

[5:31] So this retail outlet donation is donating what we need or what we want to do.

[5:39] Sometimes, so we can spend money on the other things like bleach, laundry soap, even though we have.

[5:45] Yes, it's not just food.

[5:47] No, it's not just food.

[5:48] It's raw hides.

[5:50] We have people donate raw hides for us, cat litter, so we don't have to spend the money to get it.

[5:55] And, you know, toys and stuff for the dogs, so we don't, you know, people like to donate.

[6:04] We just have had a big donation, I will make a Facebook post about about, we had a bunch

[6:14] of greenies donated and things like that, so people support us a lot.

[6:19] And I know from a standpoint, so that's the, that's maybe the appearance that, oh, it's not budgeted enough.

[6:26] But, understandably, most people can't foster.

[6:31] So, when they can actually donate a bottle of bleach or, you know, a raw hyde or something, it makes them feel like they're doing something, so, that's why there is also an Amazon wish list to that people donate from all the time.

[6:49] And so that actually helps support.

[6:51] So even those retail outlets, there may not be coming through there.

[6:57] There's definitely doubt nations and other.

[6:59] We've built lots of relationships so far to to get support and whatever we may need.

[7:07] We have had people coming rushing in to help us.

[7:10] I think when we had the pig or when you had a wife stop somebody donated some leftover

[7:15] letters.

[7:15] It was actually Peter Piper's pizza, who said that if we would tell people to purchase calendars,

[7:25] they would give us their leftover salad bar donation each night, which is like a big bag for

[7:31] when we had a pig, a sheep, and the rooster. So that was nice.

[7:45] Oh.

[7:47] Oh, the gift cards. Oh, that's awesome. For bleach and laundry. So I'll pass those

[7:53] that way. Thank you.

[8:10] I was about to say I think they're DG market now. So in case somebody

[8:15] He doesn't recognize his $1,000, General.

[8:19] Maybe.

[8:20] I'm wondering if I can have a hand in the fire.

[8:23] We're more of a welcome than having a fire here.

[8:25] And I wouldn't put out all the things.

[8:27] If you want to collaborate, just let us know.

[8:30] It's just in order for me to once create something,

[8:33] we'll get with some of them.

[8:35] There's one thing in the cap.

[8:36] You know, if we'll create a fire, you can post it in also.

[8:40] Maybe.

[8:42] Perfect.

[8:42] Maybe we could make a dollar general wish list, what we can purchase from there, what we need.

[8:52] Any more discussion on donation?

[8:56] All right, we will move to item 6A, sorry, 6, reports, 6A is staff report quarterly statistics.

[9:04] I will turn this over to HSU Martinez.

[9:08] We have our animal statistics, the life release rate says 65.5%, but to us that it's not the goal.

[9:18] Our goal is public safety and getting the animals off the street that need help.

[9:24] And what is not calculated in this statistics is all the other animals.

[9:27] For some reason, it is only dogs and cats.

[9:31] And the owner requested euthanasia still goes and counts against the life release rate, so I don't think that should be like that.

[9:42] We have taken in 56 dogs, as you can see.

[9:49] We returned 7 back to owner.

[9:51] The owner does have to pay the impoundment fees and have to provide proof of rabies, microchips, sterilization,

[9:57] Well, sterilization only if we impound at the dog.

[10:00] So that's what our ordinance says.

[10:02] So I would like to see an ordinance where we can say,

[10:05] we see a dog free of restraint.

[10:07] You need to get it fixed.

[10:08] That would be nice.

[10:12] And we've built new partnerships.

[10:15] We have somebody coming today to pick up

[10:17] the rest of our six guinea pigs.

[10:19] It's a rescue.

[10:23] And

[10:26] yeah, and we have currently at the shelter

[10:28] we have seven dogs, one cat, four guinea pigs.

[10:33] We have three dogs in foster care and four cats in foster care.

[10:38] And some of them are fostered to adopt because they're too small,

[10:42] too tiny to be fixed, especially the kiddies.

[10:46] And there's one dog that was heart-run positive,

[10:51] should be done in October.

[10:54] And then he will get adopted out as well.

[10:58] I prefer foster to adopt because with regular foster my experience is that people don't bring them and they sit and foster care longer while instead of being at the shelter, except for the bottle, maybe the kittens, those come back fairly quickly.

[11:16] Do you have any questions?

[11:18] All

[11:22] right, we will move to item 6b, staff report, general updates.

[11:28] General Shelter, we have some repairs that are going to be done, the kennels that were

[11:33] built, the dogs were chewing on the metal play before we got there, probably due to lack

[11:40] of enrichment and stuff, so the whole, there's an outside part that was homemade with those

[11:47] chemical bears that they cut slices out and use that as a port to go to the outside

[11:52] kennels and those have to be redone. We're starting on one side first. We're working

[11:58] on it now. One side and then in the winter when we move all the dogs over to the other

[12:04] side that's where the sun hits and it's warmer in the evening. They like to lay in the

[12:08] sun and in the summer we have them on the shady side. And we're doing good on space currently.

[12:15] We do pick up every stray animal that we see.

[12:18] We're trying to build our knowledge of the community.

[12:21] We know now which dog lives where and get compliance from people and I shouldn't have said

[12:30] that.

[12:30] I'm sorry, so we're doing good.

[12:36] I'm happy.

[12:37] Our dogs, we have a good group right now.

[12:42] Now we just send one home foster to adopt, it's been busier lately, but we're overall doing good what we have.

[13:03] We will move to item seven, request by committee members for items to be placed on future animal advisory committee agendas and announcements on city events in community interest.

[13:14] Dr. Rowland, would you like to start with you, don't forget when we go around.

[13:19] Yes, ma'am. I just want to remind everybody tonight is a town hall meeting at 6.30. If you have any last questions

[13:26] We had a town hall meeting two weeks ago as well

[13:30] And we've been having uncle and discussion. So please come out if you have questions in reference to the public budget

[13:35] Got here some of the things we're trying to do

[13:38] And then number two tomorrow Thursday will have our final

[13:43] City Council meeting for this year we run on a

[13:47] physically you're not a calendar here. So a year will be in September 30th City

[13:52] Council will approve the tax rate and also adopt the proposed budget so come

[13:57] out and see how your city works. We also have National Idol. It's going to be in

[14:03] October and October 6th and then those are the two main things that are going on in

[14:13] reference to things in the community. So please come out next week. We have a number of meetings.

[14:19] We kick off with economic development on Monday. Please, please, please stay informed. We have

[14:24] a mass notification system where you can get emails, phone numbers, where text messages. It's free

[14:32] to you. All you have to do is register and then you will get advanced three-day reminder

[14:38] when all these activities are going on so if you're not on Facebook you're not on

[14:43] some of the other things if you have the the mass notification system you'll

[14:48] get email, text or phone call however you accept it in sub to 27 languages

[15:02] That's another sheet.

[15:05] The change in the ordinance. Do you know the number on the ordinance? No, I can find it for you an email. You need to change. What do you need changed in that? It is that an owner has to the animal has to be impounded for us in order to request to require the owner of sterilization. And so impound means we pick up

[15:32] the animal, but if I see the dog loose frequently and we have some dogs that run home right away, we know it's

[15:37] a dog. I think the owner should be mandated to sterilize that animal because it's roaming free of

[15:44] restraint. The city of San Antonio does the same thing. I can send it to you.

[15:47] Okay, thanks.

[15:49] Yes, ma'am.

[15:53] Do you want to bring that to our next meeting or do you want to get information?

[16:01] Let's put it on the next meeting which will be December and then by that time we should

[16:06] have had time to review out the wording or whatever and bring it up and then they can send

[16:11] it to the council.

[16:12] Perfect.

[16:13] If you could add that.

[16:18] Dr. Werther.

[16:20] Okay.

[16:21] I do not have anything.

[16:25] Thank you guys for coming and spending the 17 minutes with us.

[16:34] And with that, I will adjourn the meeting.

[16:37] Thank you.

[16:38] Thank you.

[16:39] Oh, sorry, meeting adjourned at 2.18.

Sep 23, 2026 Animal Advisory

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