DEPARTMENT: Animal Care Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Heber Lefgren
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT: High Volume Pet Rescue Partnership with San Antonio Pets Alive! (SAPA!)
SUMMARY:
An Ordinance authorizing a contract with SAPA!, a High Volume Pet Partner to rescue 4,410 animals from ACS in the amount of up to $330,750.00 for a period of one year beginning on October 1, 2020 with the option to renew for three, one-year terms.?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In September of 2011, ACS revised its Strategic Plan by focusing on three key departmental strategies: (1) Enhanced Enforcement of existing laws and codes; (2) Controlling the stray animal population; and (3) Increasing the City's Live Release rate. In FY 2015, a fourth Strategic Priority of Engage and Educate the Community was added. Resulting from the implementation of the revised ACS Strategic Plan, the Department was able to increase its Live Release rate from 31% in FY 2011, to a record high 91.6% in FY 2018, and has maintained a Live Release rate over 90% since.
The Department's ability to increase its Live Release rate to over 90% is largely due to the successful implementation of the City's High Volume Pet Partner (HVPP) program, initiated in FY 2012. In FY 2012, FY 2013, and again in FY 2017, ACS received City Council approval to enter into an agreement with San Antonio Pets Alive! (SAPA!), most recently for the rescue of over 4,000 pets annually at a rate of $75 per qualifying animal. Since FY 2012, SAPA! has rescued over 38,000 pets from ACS as part of the HVPP program and often facilitates rescues and adoptions for animals at risk of euthanasia.
As the current contract with SAPA! Is scheduled to expire at the end of September 2020, ACS is recommending the renewal of this successful contract with slight changes to the HVPP Program. In particular, ACS is proposing to allow SAPA! to pull animals from ACS that are still within their stray hold period. While thi...
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