How does Animal Humane Society currently provide the services outlined in MNCAPA?
- Stray animal holding periods (Section 346.62 )
- Holding period; owner relinquished animal (Section 346.63)
- Animal care standards (Section 346.64)
- Additional programs and duties (Section 346.65)
- Identification (Section 346.66)
- Adoption or transfer criteria (Section 346.67)
- "Killing" animals (Section 346.68)
- Method of "killing" (Section 346.69)
- Public accountability (Section 346.70)
- Enforcement (Section 346.71)
Click here for the language of the bill.
Stray animal holding periods (Section 346.62)
Animal Humane Society holds each stray animal that comes into its care for the state-mandated five-day holding period (seven days if the animal came from Wisconsin) before adopting the animal to a new family, placing it with a trusted rescue partner or humanely euthanizing it based off the results of a behavior and medical assessment designed by Animal Humane Society veterinarians and training and behavior staff.
Irremediably suffering animals are euthanized without delay as determined by Animal Humane Society veterinary staff. Unweaned animals impounded without their mothers are euthanized only after it has been determined they cannot be placed with its Orphaned Kitten Project volunteers, regular foster volunteers, or with one of its trusted rescue partners.
Each stray animal is scanned for a microchip and its owner is contacted immediately if identification can be found and its photo and relevant information received at intake are posted onto primary locations on its website — the adoptable animals pages and on its online lost and found bulletin board.
Those who surrender a stray animal have an opportunity to reclaim the animal at the end of the holding period.
Holding period; owner relinquished animal (Section 346.63)
Animal Humane Society places owner-surrendered animals as soon as possible. This alleviates the stress of living in shelter, reduces exposure to the multiple animals in our care and avoids overcrowding thus ensuring resources for the animals that continue to come in each day.
Animal Humane Society uses a pre-admission process that provides people resources and alternatives to surrender. In the time between scheduling the appointment and actual intake there is time to reflect on their decision, usually one to five days.
The owner is engaged in the process by being provided information on Animal Humane Society’s findings of their animal during its medical assessment and behavior evaluation. They have the choice to finalize the surrender based off the information Animal Humane Society has given them or they can also choose to take their animal back. In our experience it is rare for people to change their minds once they have completed the surrender process. More about this…
Please note that the bill does not make a determination of when an animal should be held for owner redemption at the original shelter (subsection 1), and when it can be transferred to a private shelter or rescue group (subsection 2). Proponents of the bill claim that an animal must only be held if it is going to be euthanized, but that is not stated in the bill.
How will a three-day hold increase euthanasia in Animal Humane Society shelters?
Animal care standards (Section 346.64)
Animal Humane Society provides the animals that come into its care with fresh food, fresh water, enrichment opportunities, including but not limited to socialization, toys and treats and exercise, in addition to medical care and any needed behavior modification it can provide.
General care and shelter medicine protocols at Animal Humane Society have been developed for staff by staff veterinarians for all animals that come into its shelters.
Each animal’s living space is cleaned every day. No pressure washing or chemicals are used while an animal is in a kennel. Housing spaces are maintained throughout the day by staff and volunteers.
Animal Humane Society has a team of nine veterinarians supported by more than 60 veterinary technicians. This team provides veterinary care from basic care needs to extensive treatment and surgery. The team also works with several local veterinary specialists who donate their services for animals with special needs that can’t be met at the shelter, such as orthopedic surgery.
Under the direction of Animal Humane Society’s veterinary staff, animals that are not irremediably suffering are provided prompt and necessary veterinary care to ensure their comfort, even if the animal is not a candidate for redemption, transfer or adoption.
Additional programs and duties (Section 346.65)
Animal Humane Society transfers animals to other animal welfare organizations to ensure those that need more individualized and extensive care that would best be provided outside a shelter receive it. Recovery in a stress-free environment that is found with its rescue partners enables greater recovery. The organization does not assess a fee for rescue groups to take an animal from its shelters.
If an animal is a candidate for its rehabilitation program, foster program or can benefit from more individualized and extensive care with one of its rescue partners, every attempt is made to make that outcome happen for the animals before euthanasia is determined.
Animal Humane Society currently maintains a list of 112 rescue groups it reaches out to for assistance with animals it cannot place in its shelters, 27 of which it works with more frequently. To ensure the safety of the animals it releases to other rescue groups, it requires of the receiving agency a personal reference, a veterinary reference and that it not have a history with Animal Humane Society’s Humane Investigations Department. On average, this process takes just a few days based on the reference's availability.
The organization has a community programs coordinator whose only work is to manage its relationships with rescue organizations, whether it is taking animals in or transferring them out. This person sends out an email with information regarding its need for assistance with an animal. If a response doesn’t come from the email, the coordinator will check in with specific groups that best meet the animal’s needs.
Before the animal leaves Animal Humane Society it receives the same veterinary attention as animals placed in its adoption centers, and Animal Humane Society makes every effort to ensure each animal receives spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations before leaving its care.
Unfortunately, Animal Humane Society can’t currently place all animals it needs to with rescue groups because the rescue groups are more often than not already overwhelmed with animals.
Identification (Section 346.66)
Animal Humane Society checks each animal that comes into its care, even owner surrendered animals, for an ID tag and/or a microchip. In addition, it posts stray animals without identification onto primary locations on its website — some on the adoptable animals pages and all on its online lost and found bulletin board.
If an owner is identified, Animal Humane Society makes every effort to contact the owner via the contact information provided on the ID tag or microchip and provide the date the animal will be placed for adoption, with a rescue partner, or euthanized, which is no sooner than the mandatory holding period for stray animals.
Adoption or transfer criteria (Section 346.67)
Animal Humane Society does not require animals pass arbitrary criteria for placement in its adoption centers. An animal’s placement into its adoption centers, rehabilitation programs, or with rescue partners is based on medical assessments and behavior assessments designed by its veterinary and training and behavior staff.
"Killing" animals (Section 346.68)
Animal Humane Society does not impose time limits on animal’s that come into its care. Euthanasia outcomes are determined by medical assessments and behavior evaluations designed by its veterinary and training and behavior staff.
If an animal is a candidate for its rehabilitation program, foster program or can benefit from more individualized and extensive care with one of its rescue partners, every attempt is made to make that outcome happen for the animals before euthanasia is determined.
Method of "killing" (Section 346.69)
Animal Humane Society euthanizes animals under the care of certified veterinary staff and by lethal injection, adhering to the best practices for performing euthanasia developed by the National Federation of Humane Societies .
Each animal is handled and watched over by caring staff until the time that they pass. Their death is verified by standard veterinary practices.
No other animal witnesses the sedation or euthanasia of another animal.
Animals are not euthanized in gas chambers at Animal Humane Society.
Public accountability (Section 346.70)
Animal Humane Society reports its intake, placement and euthanasia statistics on an annual basis and provides the information in an easily accessible format on its website for the public. In addition, it will provide this information upon request at any of its shelters.
Each report is provided in Asilomar format, a desired and accepted format in the animal welfare industry.
The organization recently changed its fiscal year and will be providing an 18 month annual report on its activities from January 2010 through June 2011. From there the report will again be provided on an annual basis.
How will the rigorous reporting required under MNCAPA take away from the care of animals?
Enforcement (Section 346.71)
Animal Humane Society’s shelters are inspected annually by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. In 2009, Animal Humane Society invited the University of California, Davis Shelter Medicine team to evaluate its operations and voluntarily opened its operations for full review. In addition, Animal Humane Society has an internal quality control program that allows for regular review and evaluation of its protocols and processes.
The public is invited regularly for tours of any of its facilities, both public and typically non-public areas.