01-30-06 Special Called City Council Retreat Meeting of La Porte City Council

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• 0 crititized for reducing the population. Here are some tips for making the switch: Staff Wo not attempt to actually make the change in operation until you have done the following: • Sit down with staff and discuss the concept, walk through the benefits of improved cleaning and animal health. Be sure to present this as a discussion, not an edict. Provide time for staff to ask questions and assist with brainstorming how this would affect their work. • Once the staff is onboard with the why and the how, then sit down with the board of directors or any oversight department and obtain their approval. • Then make sure you have presented the why, the how to any person in the community that would not understand this and might react in a negative manner. Will We Hold Fewer Animals? This is a valid concern however as long as you match compatible animals together (two to a run) then you are holding the same number of animals. There may be situations where you hold a few less animals, but when you consider the disease concerns compound with more animals the results of holding a few less animals actually improves the likelihood that you will place more as they will stay healthier. When Do We Make the Change? Once the agency is ready'to raise the guillotine doors — the timing is very important. The agency should find a time when the population is low (do not euthanize to reach this, unless the animals were scheduled for other Wmasons), move the animals in sections making the matches (temperament) as you go to find the dogs that are compatible with each other. You must clean each run before moving animals to ensure you are not spreading disease. Your facility must be dealing with healthy animals only and be prepared to move any unhealthy animal to the isolation section of the facility, or make the decision for euthanasia if the agency does not have the budget or staff to properly treat the sick animals. • 5