Dear Friends,
Wow, what a year this has been for us all! Here we are at the end of 2020 and I want to take a moment to share some of the operational enhancements we were able to accomplish despite these unprecedented times, as well as provide an update regarding some of the changes we have made as a result of COVID-19.
First, we created new processes and procedures to ensure a safe environment for all shelter guests and made significant modifications to the shelter to adapt to this new environment. These changes included the following:
- Created an appointment-based pet adoption system which has resulted in thousands of pet adoptions since the pandemic began.
- Transitioned our adoption counseling process to virtual services, providing phone consultation and matching of animal with potential adopters prior to them coming to the shelter to officially meet their new best friend and completing the adoption paperwork.
- Implemented a telemedicine process to allow our foster care givers access to our veterinarians for medial consultation without having to come to the facility, unless absolutely necessary.
- Implemented a text messaging app, so shelter guests can wait safely in their vehicles until they are paged.
- Promoted the use of our online licensing system and established a drop-box at the Camarillo shelter.
- Unfortunately, to accommodate these changes, we suspended services at our Simi Valley shelter and transition all staff to the Camarillo facility.
Second, as part of our ongoing commitment to continual performance improvement, we addressed several areas of service and made the following changes unrelated to COVID-19:
- Restructured our Behaviorist position and created two additional new positions. We now have two Canine Care Coordinators and one Feline Care Coordinator. These position are charged with helping to ensure that all dogs and cats receive daily enrichment, behavioral assessments, and work closely with VCAS staff and rescue transfer partners to ensure they have a clear pathway to finding a loving family.
- Made numerous modifications to the Camarillo shelter to provide better housing for the animals and established an office-based Adoption Counseling Center to facilitate better customer service and adoption counseling.
- Established a VCAS Safety Committee and enhanced our security at the shelter to help provide greater safety to staff, volunteers and the public.
- In an effort to increase public safety, we successfully sought the approval from the County of Ventura Board of Supervisors to amend the County Ordinance requiring veterinarians to report rabies vaccinations to VCAS and revised processes to accommodate this change.
- We launched PetHub Smart Tags to help increase the opportunity for lost pets to be quickly reunited with their owner and avoid having to come to the shelter. These tags replaced the old metal pet license tags and feature unique QR codes which allow a finder to immediately access owner information and contact them directly to reunite them with their owner. These new tags are available at time of licensing (at no additional cost to the pet owner) or may be obtainedprior to license renewal for a modest fee of $10.00.
- Successfully negotiated new five (5) year contracts with the cities that we serve: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley and Ventura.
- Established a partnership with Mercy House, the agency that operates two homeless shelter in Ventura County, to provide veterinary care to the animals living at the shelters with their owners.
- Launched a new and enhanced website that offers increased user accessibility and improved technology.
We established partnerships with seven (7) local pet supply businesses. These partnerships allow shoppers the option of purchasing additional pet food items at the time of check out. This extra food is collected by one of our Field Officers and taken to the Camarillo Animal Shelter to help stock our Pet Food Pantry. This critical pet food helps families in our community who may be choosing between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.
Third, and arguably most important, we provided care to over 5,500 animals at our shelter, adopted 3,493 animals to new and loving families, reunited 1,036 lost pets with their families, transferred 656 animals to our transfer/placement partners, and maintained an average live release rate of 94%. Additionally, our Pet Retention program provided services to over 1,150 animals, thus helping their owners keep them in their home and not having to surrender to the shelter. Finally, our field officers responded to over 8,000 calls in the community.
As you can see, we have been busy the past ten months, but none of this would have possible without our staff and volunteers. I am extremely proud of our team and am honored to have worked with them this past year. As essential workers, our staff have worked tirelessly since the start of the pandemic. Our dispatch team and field officers have continued to respond to all needs in the community and the staff who provide direct services to the animals and people who come to the shelter have been there every day to fulfill our mission. Additionally, many of our volunteers have continued to support us by providing loving foster homes for animals in need, coming to the shelter to walk dogs, socialize cats, feed/enrich our bunnies, doing laundry, helping with pet food distribution to the community from our pet pantry, assisting with rabies clinics, fundraising activities, and engaging in the other numerous activities they do each day.
Lastly, I know that many of us have personally struggled this past year. Whether you have been directly impacted by a loved one who contracted COVID-19, had changes to your work life, had your children attending school virtually, faced or continue to face economic challenges, limited your contact with family and friends, and/or felt impacted by the various restrictions imposed to help us all stay safe, we have all felt the pains of 2020. Nonetheless, your ongoing support of VCAS throughout this year has been truly amazing. We are so grateful!
In closing, thank you all for helping us get through this past year. We pulled together, fought through 2020 and are ready to take on 2021.
I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season and look forward to things to come in new year!
Jackie Rose
Director
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