Euthanasia Rate Drops Significantly, Adoptions Up at Animal Shelter

The number of dogs and cats adopted from the city’s animal shelter has steadily increased since Petaluma Animal Services Foundation took over the day-to-day operations of the facility.

From last August, when the nonprofit assumed control of the shelter, to January of this year, 387 animals have been adopted out, compared to 515 the year prior. If that trend continues, it will mean a 50 percent increase in the number of animals that have new homes, a significant milestone for the nonprofit now running the facility.

Meanwhile, the shelter’s euthanasia rate has declined sharply from 132 animals in the 2011-12 fiscal year to 12 over the first six months, according to statistics members presented to City Council Monday.

 (Numbers from February to June 2013 are not yet available.)

“It’s been a fantastically successful first year,” said Shelter Director Jeff Charter. “Our live-release rate is 97 percent, which is great.”

By comparison, Sonoma County “live-release” rate, meaning the number of animals that leave the shelter, is about 75 percent, according to Charter.

Shelter staff say social media is the single biggest reason so many animals have found new homes. The facility now has more than 3,000 Facebook “likes” and regularly posts stories about animals, creating narratives for the public to follow. There is a new volunteer coordinator who does outreach and trains prospective and new volunteers, and a training center, for dogs that need obedience training, which staff say is vital to making some dogs "adoptable."

Since opening, the foundation has enjoyed an outpouring of support from local residents and businesses who have donated a combined $123,000 in the first six months of operations.

Last summer the city voted to hand over operations of the shelter, located on Hopper Street, to the nonprofit, made up of former volunteers at the city-run shelter. Five of the six employees of the city-run shelter continue to work there, although they are no longer city employees.

Have you been to the new shelter yet?

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