Sacramento's animal welfare is under some critical evaluation, with a performance audit by the City Auditor uncovering various issues at the Front Street Animal Shelter. The audit, to be presented to the City Council tomorrow, highlights concerns such as overcrowding, shortage of staff, and insufficient revenue streams to keep up with the growing animal population. According to Sacramento City Express, the shelter has begun addressing these problems, and improvements are already underway.
City Auditor Farishta Ahrary said, "Our audit focused on how well Animal Care Services is meeting its responsibilities to both animals and the community, including whether facilities and programs are being managed effectively." Since the Front Street facility's inception in 1992, there's been a more than 30 percent uptick in the city's animal population, causing persistent overcrowding issues. The audit suggests that spay and neuter programs could be one answer to managing shelter capacity effectively.
In response to these findings, Front Street Animal Shelter Manager Phillip Zimmerman acknowledged the need for action. "It's helpful to get an outside perspective and recognize areas for growth," Zimmerman told Sacramento City Express. He elaborated on plans to enhance community outreach for spay and neuter services and the pursuit of additional funding sources to make these animal care solutions more accessible and affordable.
Staffing also stood out as a sore spot, with the audit discovering the division operating at roughly 70 percent capacity. This staffing crunch has led to delays in surgeries which, in turn, lengthen the duration animals spend at the shelter. The audit proposes changes such as reassessing hiring qualifications, better veterinary staffing, increasing salaries for shelter veterinarians, and seeking more cost-effective facility improvements. Zimmerman added that, thanks to new hires, the number of animals waiting for spay and neuter surgeries before adoption plummeted from an all-time high of 872 to 80 dogs and 18 cats.
Another nugget from the audit is the potential revenue from stronger enforcement of licensing and vaccination laws. Currently, a meager 14 percent of dogs and even fewer cats, at 7 percent, are licensed in the city. Zimmerman said Front Street is gearing up to tackle strategies that can up these rates and bolster revenue, thus reducing the reliance of their operations on taxpayer dollars. The completed audit report is set for a presentation to the City Council tomorrow, May 13, at 5 p.m., furnishing a detailed account of these challenges and the shelter's initiatives.
