TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager, or designee, to work with the Animal Care Services Bureau in Parks, Recreation and Marine Department to implement a "Commitment to Adopt Policy" within 60 days to provide a streamlined and equitable approach for placing animals into forever homes.
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach City Council has consistently stated pet adoption as one of Animal Care Service's highest priorities. Year after year, the City has taken input from animal advocates and funded programs and resources that support the increase of pet adoptions. While adoption rates are high, they could be even higher through establishing clear procedures, referred to as a "Commitment to Adopt Policy."
Adoption partners report that there are inconsistencies in how and when a "hold" on an animal is applied and fulfilled. This leads to ambiguity, unnecessary delays, and occasionally, a loss of an adopter. Other issues include holds that are not kept, resulting in animals being in the shelter longer than necessary. Additionally, there is no limit on the number of animals an adoption partner or agency can put on hold, leading to some agencies having more animals on hold than they can handle, while other agencies have no animals available to them.
The creation of this policy eliminates unnecessary administrative burden on staff, allowing them to spend time with the animals and adopters. There will also be accountability on participants so that bad actors are restricted from future holds that negatively impact animal adoptions.
To increase the number of adoptions and to provide a more predictable and equitable process, it is proposed that the City Manager work with the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department to create a "Commitment to Adopt Policy" that would:
• Give a clear process for any individual or organization to make a Commitment to Adopt that will be recorded in the animal management system (Chameleon).
• Ensure that individuals providing the animal a p...
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