2003 Funding Animal Control

By Richard Avanzino

After nearly four years, Maddie’s Fund is still asked why we don’t give grants directly to animal control agencies. Our answer remains the same, but our assertions that animal control agencies gain a great deal from Maddie’s Fund grants are proving to be more on target than we imagined.

We have always claimed that in communities with Maddie’s Fund grants, animal control would benefit more than any other agency in terms of reduction in total deaths, and that fewer deaths and reduced shelter volume would reduce the costs associated with these functions.

Detailed statistical analyses from two of our funded projects, No More Homeless Pets in Utah and Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project in Lodi, prove the points.

In the state of Utah, total deaths at animal control facilities and traditional shelters have decreased by 23% (8,856 animals) in the third year. Animal Control Services in Lodi, California saw a reduction of deaths by 46% over two years.

In both of these projects, intake went up over the first two years. But, in Utah, the intake increase took place only at the no-kill organizations—at animal control agencies, intake declined.

A decline in intake at animal control represents a significant cost savings. Better still, in Utah, intake by animal control officers in the field declined by 12.2% in year two compared to year one while intake over the counter increased by 15%. Clearly, there’s a big savings when residents bring in stray animals rather than when officers in the field have to bring them in. More citizens bringing animals into the shelter also means less abandonment and indicates greater support for the agency and its policies.

Maddie’s Fund grants don’t require animal control agencies to increase their adoptions over baseline, but in both Utah and Lodi, adoptions at animal control went up overall. I think it’s safe to conclude that adoption events, promotions and advertising sponsored by Maddie’s funded partners have created increased awareness about the plight of homeless pets throughout the community, spurring adoptions community wide.

Dwayne Pryor, who directs Utah’s West Jordan Animal Control agency, is an enthusiastic champion of Maddie’s Fund. “We don’t see any money directly, but the No More Homeless Pets in Utah (NMHPU) coalition that Maddie’s Fund supports has significantly affected our adoption program. Not only are the local rescue groups placing more of our animals, but the semi-annual conferences NMHPU conducts have demonstrated cost effective methods we can use to increase adoptions ourselves, methods such as the internet, public relations and fostering. The Maddie’s Fund grant has also had a tremendous ripple effect, prompting many more people to get involved in rescue. We don’t get the money, but if even fifty more animals per year are saved, that’s good for us and it’s good for the animals.”