SPCA to look at merger with Sacramento city, county animal shelters
Published: Wednesday, May. 25, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
The private, nonprofit Sacramento SPCA hopes to take over care of animals at the cash-strapped city and county municipal shelters by early next year, its director said Tuesday.
Budget and staffing cuts have taken a serious toll on the two municipal shelters, reducing hours of operation, compromising animal care and leading to more euthanasia, officials have told The Bee.
The county, which opened a new $23 million shelter last year just as the deepest cuts were taking effect, has been pushing for such a consolidation. The SPCA agreed to pursue it after a private consulting firm concluded that it would "dramatically enhance" animal care in the region, said executive director Rick Johnson.
A merger among the three agencies would allow for more consistent care and treatment of animals, eliminate duplicate services and allow the county and city facilities to be open longer hours, resulting in more adoptions, Johnson said.
The SPCA will meet with city and county managers to work out details of a possible consolidation, said Johnson. Such a plan would have to be approved by both the City Council and the county Board of Supervisors.
"We don't know exactly what this would look like," said Reina Schwartz, director of the city's department of general services. "But the more we can leverage scarce resources and align programs, the better the outcome for animals. Stay tuned."
The city's budget for animal care has been cut by $1 million since fiscal 2007-08, and its staff slashed from 41 to 31 positions, Schwartz said. The county's animal care department also has suffered deep cuts, and both facilities have reported a higher demand for services.
"I'm excited by this," interim County Executive Steve Szalay said of the possible merger of services. "The SPCA is the premier expert in animal care, and we are very encouraged that they are willing to work with us on it."
It is yet another way, he said, for the county to become "leaner and more nimble" in difficult economic times.
Johnson said an arrangement with the city and county would be a much larger, more complicated version of the contracts that the SPCA holds with the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove.
Under any merger with Sacramento city and county, the SPCA would oversee the care of animals inside all three shelters, and the city and county would continue to provide animal control services such as responding to reports of strays and injured creatures, Johnson said. About 45,000 animals come into the three shelters each year, he said.
A collaboration such as the one under discussion would require "significant restructuring" of the SPCA, Johnson said, and staffing and possibly administrative changes at all three facilities.
"It's very complicated, and there are a lot of things to work out," Johnson said. "It will be a huge change for the governments and for us.
"I am a little nervous, but I have great optimism for changing things and saving lives. This is going to be a wonderful thing for the animals of Sacramento."
Budget and staffing cuts have taken a serious toll on the two municipal shelters, reducing hours of operation, compromising animal care and leading to more euthanasia, officials have told The Bee.
The county, which opened a new $23 million shelter last year just as the deepest cuts were taking effect, has been pushing for such a consolidation. The SPCA agreed to pursue it after a private consulting firm concluded that it would "dramatically enhance" animal care in the region, said executive director Rick Johnson.
A merger among the three agencies would allow for more consistent care and treatment of animals, eliminate duplicate services and allow the county and city facilities to be open longer hours, resulting in more adoptions, Johnson said.
The SPCA will meet with city and county managers to work out details of a possible consolidation, said Johnson. Such a plan would have to be approved by both the City Council and the county Board of Supervisors.
"We don't know exactly what this would look like," said Reina Schwartz, director of the city's department of general services. "But the more we can leverage scarce resources and align programs, the better the outcome for animals. Stay tuned."
The city's budget for animal care has been cut by $1 million since fiscal 2007-08, and its staff slashed from 41 to 31 positions, Schwartz said. The county's animal care department also has suffered deep cuts, and both facilities have reported a higher demand for services.
"I'm excited by this," interim County Executive Steve Szalay said of the possible merger of services. "The SPCA is the premier expert in animal care, and we are very encouraged that they are willing to work with us on it."
It is yet another way, he said, for the county to become "leaner and more nimble" in difficult economic times.
Johnson said an arrangement with the city and county would be a much larger, more complicated version of the contracts that the SPCA holds with the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove.
Under any merger with Sacramento city and county, the SPCA would oversee the care of animals inside all three shelters, and the city and county would continue to provide animal control services such as responding to reports of strays and injured creatures, Johnson said. About 45,000 animals come into the three shelters each year, he said.
A collaboration such as the one under discussion would require "significant restructuring" of the SPCA, Johnson said, and staffing and possibly administrative changes at all three facilities.
"It's very complicated, and there are a lot of things to work out," Johnson said. "It will be a huge change for the governments and for us.
"I am a little nervous, but I have great optimism for changing things and saving lives. This is going to be a wonderful thing for the animals of Sacramento."
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