[CALL TO ORDER/GENERAL COMMENTS]
[00:00:09]
A COPY OF, AND WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE OR ANY AMENDMENTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE? IF NOT, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, UH, SECOND PLACE.
MAKE A MOTION TO SECOND, PLEASE.
[3. Report on shelter statistical data]
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO GO OVER THE STATISTICS PRESENTLY ON THE SHELTER.ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UM, I JUST NOTICED OF COURSE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE WAY UP, WHICH, UM, IS WORRISOME.
AND AS FAR AS A WORKLOAD, THAT'S ALSO VERY DIFFICULT SINCE WE LOST AN OFFICER IN THE PROCESS IS I'M SORRY, IS IT OKAY? UM, YES, THE LOSS OF, OF THE OFFICER IS VERY CONCERNING ALSO TO ME, RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE WHAT, FOUR AND A HALF PEOPLE DOING THE WORK OF SIX.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK, MAYBE A KENNEL TECH, MAYBE A SECRETARY ASSISTANT.
UM, I KNOW THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS, OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND APPRECIATED THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE AT THE DOOR AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO GET IN THERE AND CLEAN AND GET THE SHELTER AND OUR, OUR GUESTS, OUR ANIMALS READY FOR ADOPTION.
SO AGAIN, I KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE BUDGET.
IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE, AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT MORE OF A WORKLOAD ON THE WORKLOAD, BUT IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY HERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT PROCEDURES PROTOCOLS? YES, ACTUALLY WE ARE LOOKING AT PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS THAT, UH, ADDRESS, UM, OCCUPANCY AND HOW WE GO ABOUT TAKING ANIMALS IN AND MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE TO OUR STAFFING LEVELS AND ALSO NOT SACRIFICE ANY OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE BEDFORD CITIZENS.
THAT WAS AN EARLY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
UM, OUR STAFF HAS WORKED VERY, VERY HARD AND OUR NUMBERS HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT AND GOOD, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I'VE GOT A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND I WASN'T GOOD IN MATH, BUT THE WORKLOAD INCREASES.
I MEAN, WE, WE WANT TO KEEP OUR STAFF, SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE, I MEAN, SOMETHING HERE HAS GOT TO GIVE, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND TAKING A LOOK.
UM, THE BEDFORD ANIMAL SHELTER HAS HAD A, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN IN MY GOODNESS WHAT, OVER 35 YEARS WE'VE HAD WHAT THE BEDFORD ANIMAL SHELTER WITH GOOD REPUTATION.
AND I CERTAINLY WOULD SUPPORT ANYTHING WE, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE AND JUST KEEP IT GOING.
[2. Shelter Parvo update.]
I APOLOGIZE.I APOLOGIZE FOR GOING OUT OF ORDER.
[00:05:01]
ACTUALLY GOING TO JUMP SECOND TO THE PARVO UPDATE AND I GUESS MARK, YOU'RE PROBABLY THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CLEARED THE CANINE PARVO AND WE ARE DOING DOG ADOPTIONS AGAIN, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY FREE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR IN MAY, THEN BE EXTENDED.AFTER THAT THE CAT ILLNESSES SHOULD BE CLEARED BY FRIDAY.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY FURTHER LOSS IN THE FELINE POPULATION.
SO THEIR WHOLE PERIOD SHOULD BE UP BY FRIDAY AND STARTED WITH THEIR FREE ADOPTION.
DID WE MISS THE WHOLE CONVERSATION? I'M SORRY.
RIGHT NOW OUR DOGS ARE, UH, CLEARED THE PARVO QUARANTINE.
UM, THE DOG ADOPTIONS HAVE RESUMED EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UH, THE CATS ARE STILL ON HOLD UNTIL FRIDAY WHEN THE LAST ONE PASSED AWAY BE 10 DAYS AGO.
SO AFTER THAT, THEIR ADOPTION TO BE FREE TO THE END OF THE MONTH THREE THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH OR A YEAR, CAN, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? I I'M, I'M CONFUSED.
DID WE HAVE ONE OR TWO INSTANCES OF THE POWERBOT WITHIN SAY THE LAST SIX WEEKS? DID WE HAVE IT ONCE OR DID WE HAVE IT TWICE? I KNOW THE ONE TIME IT WAS ON TV THAT THE SHELTER WAS CLOSED.
AND THEN WAS THERE A SECOND INSTANCE OF THE PARVO THAT YES.
SO WE'VE GOT, AND WHAT WOULD THE TIMEFRAME BEYOND THAT, STEVEN, MR. SORRY.
THE FIRST, UH, IS IT ON ? OKAY, SO I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE, BUT THE FIRST, UH, OCCURRENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 11TH THROUGH 15TH, AND THAT WAS BOTH CANINE AND FELINE PARVO.
AND THEN WE HAD 10 DAY QUARANTINE AND THEN THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OCCURRED THE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER, BETWEEN NOVEMBER 11TH AND 14TH.
AND THAT WAS ALSO DOG AND CAT.
AND THEN WE HAD THE DOG CLEARED 10 DAYS AFTER THAT.
AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER CAT THAT PASSED AWAY.
I'M SORRY THAT, YEAH, THE 29TH OF NOVEMBER.
AND CAN, I MEAN, I REED YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE PEARL ON THIS.
I'M NOT ON PURPLE, BUT IT IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS.
IS IT OUR VENTILATION SYSTEM? IS IT WHAT WE NEED TO TRIPLE UP ON BLEACH CLEANING? UM, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY SHELTER THAT'S THAT, THAT HAS HAD THE POWERBALL, BUT I'M JUST THAT RIGHT.
WELL, AS FAR AS TRANSMITTING, THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER QUESTION FOR DR.
UM, I KNOW THE DOG AND CAT STRANDS ARE DIFFERENT, UM, AND IS LOT EASIER TO PASS BY AND KNOW DR.
REED AND GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FELINE PARVO IN A LONG TIME, BUT CANINE, PARVO.
I MEAN, THE SUPPOSITION IN THE VETERINARY WORLD RIGHT NOW IS THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT JUST DIDN'T GET TO THE VETERINARIANS DURING COVID.
AND SO A LOT OF DOGS DID NOT GET UPDATED ON VACCINE.
SO WE'RE SEEING AN UPTAKE IN THE PARVO IN DOGS.
UM, I MEAN, I ACTUALLY AM OLD ENOUGH THAT I ACTUALLY WORKED DURING THE FIRST PARVO EPIDEMIC WAY BACK WHEN, WHEN WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A VACCINE.
AND IT JUST, AS A MATTER OF CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE CONSIDER IT MORE FECAL ORAL TRANSMISSION, NOT NECESSARILY THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM.
SO IT'S, AS FAR AS CANINE CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING, YOU KNOW, BLEACHING YOUR SHOES, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, AND ONCE IT'S IN THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S JUST VERY
[00:10:01]
DIFFICULT TO GET IT STOPPED.THANK YOU, MICHIGAN COULD BE BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY IN A WHILE, SO THAT'S AWESOME.
UM, CINDY FERGUSON, 10 29 BLACK STREET.
I VOLUNTEER AT RICHLAND HILLS AND WE DON'T ONLY USE BLEACH, BUT WE USE MEDICAL GRADE STUFF THEY USE IN THE HOSPITALS AS WELL.
I'M WONDERING IF BEDFORD USES SAME PROTOCOLS OR ONLY BLEACH AS FAR AS I KNOW, OTHER THAN REMOVING THE FECAL MATERIAL WITH THE DISH-WASHING TYPE SOAP, AND THEN USING BLEACH, WE HAVEN'T CHANGED FROM BLEACH.
WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, THE BLUE STUFF COME ON AND STEVE HELP ME OUT.
OCCASIONALLY WE DO SPRAY THE CAT CAGES WITH KENNELS, A MIXTURE OF KENNESAW.
AND I'M NOT SURE I'VE BEEN OUT, BUT WHETHER THEY USED A LOT OF THE KENNESAW, NO, WE'VE TRIED SOME OF THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND, UM, TYPE IN THE PAST AND BLEACH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MORE ECONOMICAL WAY TO PROCEED.
I CAN OBVIOUSLY GET YOU COST ON SOME OF THE, THE CLEANING CONCENTRATES THAT WE USE IN MY OFFICE AND, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD HOSPITALIZED PART OF US.
SO I'LL GET YOU SOME COSTS ON THAT.
UM, I, ARE THERE ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE SHELTER? STATISTICAL DATA I GUESS NOT FROM THE BOARD.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR YOU TO COME FORWARD, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.HI, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I LIVE AT 5,505, JANET LANNON, COLLEYVILLE.
I OWN A HOME, A LOT OF THEM CHASE SQUARE HERE IN BEDFORD AS WELL.
AND, UH, WE SAW, YOU KNOW, OUR ORGANIZATION SAW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ON HERE ABOUT THE LENGTH OF STAY FOR FERAL CATS.
AND SO WE WERE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT AND THIS ONE, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE ALL HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ATTENDED THESE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION HAVING THE PAST ANYWAY, BUT I WOULD JUST TALK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE STAY REPORT.
AND Y'ALL, DIDN'T REALLY DISCUSS THAT SPECIFICALLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO BEFORE THIS MEETING'S OVER, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE THE NUMBERS THERE, THERE'S A, YEAH, THERE'S SOME INCREASE.
BUT IF I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, 19 FISCAL, 19 TO 20 FISCAL TO 20 TO 21, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME ON THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CATS PER DAY.
AND JUST REMIND YOU THAT DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, A LOT HAS GONE ON HERE'S A PANDEMIC, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE ADOPTED ANIMALS AND THEN THEY'VE JUST, YOU KNOW, LET ANIMALS GO.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS MEDIA A LOT.
UH, I WOULD SAY THAT DURING THIS TIME PROBABLY BEDFORD, UH, APARTMENT OCCUPANCY IS PROBABLY GONE UP, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE HAS BEEN SOME TURNOVER AND REAL, REAL HOME.
SO THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF FACTORS THAT MAY PLAY INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT OUGHT TO BE LOOKED AT JUST, UH, BEYOND JUST THE NUMBER OF CATS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ON A, I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WERE GOING TO SPEAK HERE, BUT I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO OPERATE, BECAUSE ONE THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN A LOT OF CITIES IN TEXAS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IS TRAP NEUTER, VACCINATE RETURN FOR CONTROL OF FERAL CATS.
AND IT ACTUALLY SAVES CITIES MONEY AND IT REDUCES, UH, REDUCE THE SH SHELTER WORKLOAD.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT HAS MANY BENEFITS.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONCERNS ALWAYS OF COURSE, IS THERE ARE PEOPLE IN, IN THE CITY THAT DON'T WANT A CAT IN THEIR YARD ARE GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR BELIEF IS THAT WHAT, WHAT IT TAKES THERE IS EDUCATION TO, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT A TRAP NEUTER VACCINATE RETURN IS NOT ABOUT HAVING 10 CAPS ON EVERY BLOCK IN THE CITY.
IT'S ABOUT HAVING LESS CATS OVER TIME
[00:15:01]
AND REDUCING THE PROLIFERATION OF KITTENS BY SPAYING AND NEUTER.AND I MEAN, I ALSO THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NICE TO SEE THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A HUGE CHANGE WITH THE COVID SITUATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL BEEN WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE ADOPTING ANIMALS THAT THEN THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHEN THEY WENT BACK TO WORK.
HI, I'M CONNIE STOUT AND I LIVE AT 5, 5, 0 5 JANET LANE.
AND I ALSO, UH, OWN A HOME IN BEDFORD ON AUTUMN CHASE SQUARE, AND I'M A VOLUNTEER AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MID CITIES, COMMUNITY CATS, AND I WAS A PREVIOUS, UH, SHELTER AT, FOR SHELTER VOLUNTEER.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAW THE AGENDA, IT TALKED ABOUT THE, THE LENGTH OF, I THINK THE LENGTH OF STAY, UM, FOR THE FERAL CATS AND FROM WHAT I, FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS GOOD.
I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE FERAL CATS INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HUMANE.
UM, BUT, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE HAVING HARDLY EUTHANIZED ANY FERAL CATS IN A WHILE.
HOWEVER, UM, WHAT IS CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT BEDFORD IS RELYING A LOT, PRETTY MUCH, A LOT, PRETTY MUCH MOSTLY ON ORGANIZATIONS, RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.
ONE OF THEM IS OUR ORGANIZATION AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, PUT PLACE IN BARN CATS.
AND SO THE FRUSTRATING THING FOR ME IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE PROMOTING A SERVICE THAT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT DOING YOURSELVES, YOU'RE, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUR VOLUNTEERS DOING IT.
YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR ORGANIZATION AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT'S NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION.
UM, AND IT'S NOT A SOLUTION THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE KITTENS THAT KEEP COMING INTO THE SHELTER.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH BARNS TO TAKE CATS TO A RESCUE WORKERS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THEM.
YOU KNOW, IT CAN TAKE US SEVERAL DAYS TO EVEN DETERMINE IF A CAT IS FERAL.
UM, I'VE BECAUSE I'VE TRAPPED A TON OF CATS.
AND I T AND AURUM SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE SWORN THERE FERAL.
AND ABOUT TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER, I FIND OUT THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY CATS.
AND I ENDED UP PUTTING THEM MYSELF FOR ADOPTION SENSITIVE, RETURNING THEM UNDER THE TNR.
UM, SO THAT A CONCERN TOO, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO REDUCE, UM, UH, THE HOLD, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING INTO OR NOT, BUT IF YOU ARE, THAT IS A CONCERN BECAUSE WE HAD A NEARBY CITY THAT WANTED, UH, TO ON INTAKE, UM, NOT HOLD THE CATS FOR AT LEAST THREE DAYS.
UM, I HAVE PLACED CATS MYSELF IN BARNS, AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE HAPPY ENDING.
UM, UM, THEY'RE USUALLY KILLED OFF BY PREDATORS.
UM, AND BARNES SHOULD BE AN ONLY LAST CHANCE SOLUTION.
IT'S NOT THE MAIN GO-TO SOLUTION TO DEAL WITH FERAL CATS, NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SPCA, THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, ALLEY CAT ALLIES, BEST FRIENDS, ANIMAL SOCIETY, DO NOT EVEN ENDORSE THE RELOCATION TO BARNS AS A, AS A PREFERRED WAY TO DEAL WITH PHARELL AND STRAY CATS.
UM, REMOVING CATS IN AREA AS Y'ALL KNOW, CREATES A VACUUM.
I MEAN, WILDLIFE, YOU KNOW, YOU REMOVE WILDLIFE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO CREATE A VACUUM, THE SAME THING WITH CATS, AND IT'S INEVITABLE THAT MORE CATS ARE GOING TO GO INTO THE AREA.
AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE MORE KITTENS REPRODUCING.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES.
AND IT'S JUST A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF PUTTING CALVES IN BARN DOES NOT REDUCE THE KITTEN POPULATION.
AND I KNOW THAT EVERY SPRING, I MEAN, WE DREAD IT TO YOU.
YOU GET ALL THESE KITTENS AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND KITTENS WITHOUT THE MAMA AND PEOPLE KEEP BRINGING IN MORE KITTENS AND YOU DON'T HAVE THESE PEOPLE TAKE THE MOM AND DADDY CAT TO GET THEM FIXED UNDER THE TNR PROTOCOL.
SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP GETTING MORE KITTENS.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST COMMON SENSE THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING CAPS AND BARNES JUST WON'T REDUCE THE KITTEN POPULATION AND ONLY TNR WORKS FOR THAT.
UM, TRAP NEUTER VACCINATE RETURN IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE HUMANE, SUSTAINABLE WAY TO MANAGE THE COMMUNITY CAT POPULATION CITIES ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
[00:20:01]
T AND VR PRO UH, PROGRAMS. I MEAN, BEDFORD WILL EVENTUALLY NEED TO GO ON BOARD WITH CHAN VR AND THEY SHOULD DO IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.UH, PLEASE I ASK, PLEASE, DON'T ADOPT MORE POLICIES OR ORDINANCES THAT WILL MOVE BEDFORD FURTHER AWAY FROM ADOPTING TAN VR.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN TALKING TO BEDFORD AUTHORITIES ABOUT 10 VR FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
I KNOW, AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT FROM ME, WHY DON'T YOU REACH OUT TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER CITIES THAT CAN HELP YOU? WE CAN DIRECT YOU TO THEM.
WE HAVE A RAPPORT WITH SEVERAL OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
BEDFORD POPULATION IS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.
WHY ARE YOU STILL LISTENING TO THE SAME CHRONIC FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE WHO KEEP COMPLAINING, BUT DON'T HAVE A HUMANE REVIVAL SOLUTION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO ADDRESS THE GROUP? OKAY.
CINDY FERGUSON, 10 29 BLACK STREET.
I'M AN ADVOCATE OF T AND VR AS WELL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE MY STATS, BUT 80 OR 90% OF ALL CANCER BOARD OUTSIDE, UH, WE CAN STOP THAT PROCESS.
WE WILL STOP HAVING OVERPOPULATION OF CATS AND HAVING TO EUTHANIZE OR MOVE CATS OUT TO BARNS.
AND I'M PART OF THE BARN CAT PROGRAM.
AND JUST BECAUSE YOU MOVE A CAT TO A BARN DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY LIVE.
UM, SOME OF THEM DO, SOME OF THEM LEAVE IMMEDIATELY NEVER SEEN OR HEARD FROM AGAIN.
SO THAT'S SAD FOR ME BECAUSE I WORKED MY BUTT OFF TRYING TO SAVE CATS JUST TO NOT BE SATAN THEM.
SHE WORKS AS A UNPAID GOOD SAMARITAN VOLUNTEER.
HAT SUPPORT THE SPECIFIC SHELTERS, BECKY WISE, 700 CANYON RIDGE JUDAS, TEXAS.
UM, I WORK AS A VOLUNTEER WITH MID-CITY COMMUNITY CATS, AND AS WELL AS WITH BARN CATS IN COMPANION PET RESCUE.
WHEN I TALKED TO MARK THIS WEEK, I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS HOPE WAS FOR THE FERAL CATS IN THE SHELTER.
AND AT NO TIME DID HE SAY THE WORD EUTHANIZE? SO THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO FIND WAYS TO DISPOSITION THESE CATS IN A HUMANE WAY.
UM, THIS YEAR THE BARN CAT GROUP HAS DISPOSITIONED 340 CATS TO WARNS.
WE HAVE A HUNDRED CATS ON OUR WAITING LIST.
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND SAY, HEY CINDY, HEY KISEMA.
WE NEED SOMEONE TO COME PICK THESE FERAL CATS UP.
WE HAVE NO HOLDING AREA FOR THEM.
WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH BARNS FOR THEM.
IF YOU WANT TO INVEST IN A BARN PROGRAM, YOU COULD DO THAT.
THAT COULD BE A PROGRAM YOU HAVE, BUT IF YOU DON'T ALLOW CATS OUTSIDE AND EXPECT THEM TO BE ON LEASHES, THAT'S NOT REALLY COMPLIANT WITH THAT POLICY.
SO BARN CATS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.
AS CONNIE MENTIONED, IT IS THE LAST RESORT.
TNR WILL SOLVE ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T LIKE IT BECAUSE A CAT POOPED IN THEIR YARD.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE TRAP THE CAT.
WE GET IT SPAYED, NEUTERED VACCINATED, AND WE RETURN IT.
NOW, ONE CITY WAS UP IN ARMS BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD KNOW WHERE THAT CAT CAME FROM.
WE JUST BRING THE CAT BACK TO YOU AND YOU CAN RETURN IT.
SO I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU WILL INVEST IN A TNR PROGRAM OR DO A TRIAL PERIOD OF A TNR PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE CITY IS SET UP.
I KNOW ULAS HAS SET UP IN FIVE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
YOU COULD ALWAYS SET UP A TRIAL AREA IN SPECIFIC DISTRICTS.
MAYBE NOT THE ONE WHERE YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO BRING IN EVERY CAT THAT CROSSES THEIR YARD.
IT WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN YOUR SHELTER.
IT WILL REDUCE THE MANPOWER AND WITH THE HELP OF BEDFORD CITIZENS, UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRAM, WE CAN SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
YOU CAN SOLVE YOUR OWN PROBLEM.
[00:25:03]
HI, MY NAME IS DEBBIE MCLENDON, 82 16 20 VISTA TRAIL AND HEARST.I DO NOT LIKE TALKING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
UM, I HAVE BEEN A TENURED VOLUNTEER AT THE CITY OF ARLINGTON ANIMAL SERVICES.
WE HAVE HAD A TNR PROGRAM SINCE 2013, OUR GROUP FRIENDS OF ARLINGTON ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND I'M NOW WITH BUDDY'S PLACE CAT RESCUE.
WE HAVE TNR WELL OVER 9,000 CATS, SINCE 2013, THE SHELTER, THEY DID A ONE-YEAR RESOLUTION TO SEE HOW WELL IT WOULD WORK AFTER THEY REVISITED IT.
THEY'VE BEEN ON BOARD AND NOW THE SHELTER ACTUALLY DOES TNR THEMSELVES AND RETURNS THE CATS.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING, YOU KNOW, THE WORK.
UM, IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP AND THERE'S GOING TO BE COMPLAINTS.
I'M NOT GOING TO LIE FIRST YEAR, YOU'LL GET COMPLAINTS.
YOU, EXPLAIN ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE ARE GONNA HATE CATS ON THEIR YARD OR ON THEIR CAR.
YOU CAN BUY, UM, OR THERE'S EVEN NATURAL THINGS YOU CAN USE.
SO IT GOES, THE COMPLAINTS WENT WAY DOWN AND NOW THEY'RE JUST VERY LITTLE, UM, IS THE SHELTERS DOING TNR? THEY DO IT THEMSELVES.
AND THEY RETURN THE CAT TO THE AREA.
WHEN WE RETURNED THEM TO HELP, THEY WOULD GIVE US A BLOCK NUMBER.
SO WE KNEW APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE CAT CAME FROM.
SO IT WOULD BE RELEASED ON THAT BLOCK AND IT KNOWS WHERE ITS HOME IS.
AND SOME OF THEM NOT FERAL, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM LIVE THERE AND PEOPLE LET THEIR CATS OUT.
SO IT GOES RIGHT HOME WITH AN AIR TIP.
TNR IS, UM, REALLY HELPED IN ARLINGTON.
WELL, I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'VE BEEN SOME GOOD POINTS MADE.
UH, MY NAME IS SANDRA BED, SO I LIVE IN A HEARST 5 29 HOLDER.
UH, I'M ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PANTHER CITY, FERAL CAT COALITION, WHICH HAS BEEN A 5 0 1 C3 SINCE, UM, UH, 2012, VERY SUCCESSFULLY, AS YOU KNOW, FORT WORTH DOES EMBRACE, UM, D AND BR IN THE CITY.
I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER WITH MID CITIES, COMMUNITY CANNES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, THAT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, MID CITIES, COMMUNITY CATS IN THIS AREA HAS TNB YARD, A THOUSAND CATS.
NOW, YOU KNOW, MOST OF YOU KNOW, ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOW MANY KITTENS THAT CAN PRODUCE IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT FIGURE.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS PARTNER WITH SHELTERS TO STOP THE INPUT INTO THE SHELTERS AND T AND VR DOES THAT.
UM, NOW ONE THING WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME CITIZEN COMPLAINTS AND WE CAN'T IGNORE THOSE.
WE HAVE TO RESPECT THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
WE HAVE FOUND THOUGH THAT WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE, AND I CAN SAY THIS 99% OF THE TIME, IF I CAN GET IN FRONT OF ANYONE, I CAN EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT YES, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME PROBLEMS WITH CATS, BUT T AND VR CAN ALMOST ALWAYS REDUCE THOSE PROBLEMS. MOST PEOPLE JUST THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT REALLY OPPOSED TO THE CAT ITSELF IS SOME OF THE NURSE, SINCE IT'S GO ALONG WITH THE CATS, THAT'S THE, UH, MATING, THE HOWLING, THE SPRAYING, ALL OF THOSE LINKS WILL WHEN THEY'RE VACCINATED AND S AND SPAYED AND NEUTERED, THAT DOES REDUCE THOSE ALMOST TO NOTHING.
THEY BECOME, UH, UH, LESS AGGRESSIVE.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE SPRAYING AND FIGHTING AND, AND MAINLY REPRODUCING.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, I'M A BIG PROPONENT.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS.
I STARTED BEFORE THERE WERE EVEN TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
AND, UH, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD, SERIOUS LOOK AT IT.
LIKE SO MANY CITIES ARE DOING NOW, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, MAYBE A PILOT PROGRAM IN BEDFORD.
AND, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START WITH REDUCING SOME OF THE ORDINANCES THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THAT.
AND ONE FINAL THING, THESE CATS, WHEN THEY DO GO BACK, THEY DO HAVE COLONY CAREGIVERS, EVEN IN YOUR CITY WHERE THERE'S A FEEDING BAN.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT EVERY DAY, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE CARING FOR THESE COLONIES, AND THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, THEY'RE NOT GOING GIVE IT UP IN FORT WORTH.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, UM, THEY ASKED THAT THE COLONIES BE REGISTERED SO THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE THEY WERE.
SO THERE WOULDN'T BE THE FOYER SITUATION AND THE COLONIES WERE REGISTERED, UH, IN FORT WORTH.
SO THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THIS SO THAT IT WORKS FOR A CITY.
[00:30:01]
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE BUDGETARY PROBLEMS AND I CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH THAT.AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL ADDRESS THAT FOR YOU ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
WELL, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE SIDE NOTES.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M A BIG, BIG BELIEVER IN TN VR.
UM, TELL US YOUR NAME AND, OH, I'M SORRY.
ALL 44 MORAL DRIVE, BEDFORD, TEXAS.
AND I AM A BIG BELIEVER IN IT.
AND I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN MID-CITY COMMUNITY CATS, NOT VERY WELL, BUT I DO GIVE THEM MONEY.
UM, AND, UM, I AM A CAT AND A DOG PERSON, AND I HAVE TWO CATS, BUT I WANTED TO SAY THAT MORAL GREEN HAD A REAL CAT PROBLEM.
AND WE HAVE SOME MID-CITY COMMUNITY CATS, PEOPLE THERE AND IN THE AREA.
AND, UM, OUR CAT PROBLEM IS, IS TRULY RESOLVED.
NOW WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT, THAT KIND OF LOOK OUT FOR THEM.
AND GRANTED, THERE IS CAT POOP.
WHEN I WALK MY DOG, SHE LOVES TO LOOK FOR IT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, SO WHAT, AND IT'S GOOD.
RIGHT? SO BASICALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY THINK THE PROGRAM IS DEFINITELY WORTH INVESTIGATING AND, AND CONSIDER THIS ALSO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TIME IN THE SHELTER, NOT JUST FERAL CATS, BECAUSE I HAVE SOME FRIENDS WITH CATS THAT FEED CATS IN OTHER CITIES, AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW, EVEN IF THEY'RE FERAL.
I MEAN, IF ONE OF MY CATS GOT OUT THE ONE, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WOULD KNOW HOW TO FIND ME AGAIN OR NOT, BECAUSE SHE'S SO AFRAID TO GO OUT.
IF SHE GOT OUT, IF, IF SHE ENDED UP IN THE SHELTER, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A CHIP, IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR ME TO MAYBE TRACK HER DOWN OR SOMEBODY TO CATCH HER, TO GET HER TO THE SHELTER.
SO I WOULD ALSO LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR PEOPLE WHOSE PETS MIGHT HAVE ESCAPED IN SOME WEIRD WAY TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME, TO FIND THEM.
IS IT, DOES IT, DOES ANYONE ELSE NEED TO ADDRESS US AT THIS TIME? I'M GOING TO NEED A MOTION TO END OUR MEETING THEN CAN WE HAVE COMMON MOTION LIMIT ON, SORRY, CAN WE HAVE COMMENT? SURE.
IS THAT OKAY? IS IT APPROPRIATE? IT'S APPROPRIATE.
WELL, I TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOLKS FOR COMING HERE TODAY, ARLINGTON UGOL HERS.
AND ALL I WANT TO SAY IS I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE TNR.
MY CONCERN IS, AND WHAT DO WE HAVE? SIX.
WE HAVE EIGHT, EIGHT OF YOU HERE TODAY.
HOW LOVELY THANK YOU FOR COMING.
ALL I WANT TO SAY IS THERE'S EIGHT OF YOU HERE TODAY WITH MY CONCERN IS BUDGETARY MEASURES AT THE SHELTER, THE LOSS OF, OF AN OFFICER AND THE WORKLOAD IS NOT DECREASING IT ISN'T.
SO, AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE TNR, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU FOLKS, INSTEAD OF OUR STAFF BEING IN CHARGE OF TAKING THESE CATS, GET THEM SPAYED AND NEUTERED, GET THAT LITTLE RABIES SHOT, AND THEY BRING THEM BACK TO THE SHELTER.
CITY HAS BEEN VERY, VERY GENEROUS FOR YEARS PAYING THAT $5 FEE.
COULD YOU FOLKS, IF OUR STAFF WOULD CALL AND SAY, HEY, WE GOT A COUPLE OF FERAL CATS THAT NEED A RIDE TODAY OVER TO, TO, TO THE FACILITY.
SO THE CATS COME IN, THE CATS COME IN, THEY CALL AND SAY, OH, COULD YOU TAKE THEM OVER? COULD YOU GET THEM SPAYED AND NEUTERED, BRING THEM BACK, BUT STAYING IN THE SHELTER FOR WHAT, THREE WEEKS.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ON OVERLOAD, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP TO GET THESE CATS OUT.
AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS EITHER.
UM, MS. CULVER, WOULD YOU SUGGEST RIGHT NOW OUR CITY ORDINANCES?
[00:35:01]
DON'T I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT IN CONFLICT HERE.SHOULD THEY GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL WITH THEIR CONCERNS? UM, WHAT DO YOU THINK? OH, I'M SORRY.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND NORMALLY WE'RE, THAT WOULD BE, YOU COULD ASK TO PRESENT DURING OUR WORKSHOPS, WHICH NORMALLY ARE STARTING AT 5, 5 30 IT'S PRE COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT ALSO IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE AGENDA AND DO PRESENTATIONS DURING THAT TIME SPAN, UH, THAT'S WELCOMED AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SPECIAL INTEREST, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT COME AND DO THAT.
SO YES, ANYTIME ANYBODY HAS ANY KIND OF SUGGESTIONS CHANGING, ANYTHING THAT THIS BOARD PROVIDES HERE TAKES COUNCIL APPROVAL.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS, THEY, THEY DONATE THEIR TIME AND WE'RE PULLING SOME OF THEM OFF OF THE WORK SCHEDULE TO HAVE THEM HERE.
SO THE TIMING IS VALUABLE, TAKING AWAY FROM OTHER THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT SHOULD BE DOING.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WHAT KAREN KELLEN WAS SAYING IS THAT WE ARE OPEN TO ANY TYPE OF SUGGESTIONS, AND YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME AT ANY TIME.
UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, CHECK WITH, UH, MICHAEL WELLS CITY SECRETARY AND GET ON THE AGENDA AND I'LL MAKE IT BRIEF.
MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT T AND VR HAS TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE SHELTER BEFORE IT GOES TO A COUNCIL.
THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND IN FORT WORTH.
AND WE REALLY NEED FOR THE ADVISORY BOARD TO LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE YOU DO ADVISE THE COUNCIL, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE SUPPORT ON THAT LEVEL FOR T AND VR TO WORK IN ANY CITY.
AND, UH, THAT, JUST A COMMENT.
UM, SO WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE IS JUST DONE TNR WITHOUT CITY APPROVAL.
AND THEN, THEN IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM, THEN YOU ADDRESS IT AT THAT POINT.
LIKE WE HAVE A UPSET NEIGHBOR, BUT MOST NEIGHBORS ARE PRETTY GOOD WITH A FEW CATS.
AND MY SPEECHES, A COUPLE OF CATS ON THE STREET IS FINE.
THAT'S WHEN YOUR NEIGHBORS START GETTING UPSET AND START CALLING THE SHELTER AND START GETTING UPSET AND MAKING THREATS.
SO IF WE CAN KEEP THE NUMBER OF CATS DOWN, THE MOST NEIGHBORS ARE PRETTY FINE WITH THAT IS WHEN THERE'S 20 CATS ON THE STREET.
THAT'S WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM.
AND HURST ALLOWS US TO TNR AND THEIR CITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A TEEN, OUR CITY, UM, AS LONG AS THE NEIGHBOR OR THE PERSON, UM, WITH THE CATS ARE FINE WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH HER.
SO AT THIS MORNING MOMENT, HURST, ORIGINALLY HILLS HAS TEEN OUR PAST.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THEIR PAPERWORK, THANK YOU.
I WILL JUST SAY JUST ONE FINAL THING IS THAT YOU ARE CORRECT.
YOU'RE GOING TO WANT SUPPORT OF YOUR ANIMAL SHELTER FOR ANY TYPE OF, UH, PROCEDURES THAT ARE UNDERTAKEN, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER COUNCIL SETS, PROTOCOL.
THEY SET, UH, THE STANDARDS FOR THE CITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WOULD, AS YOU'RE INDICATING GO AGAINST ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THIS GROUP, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET DAILY, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THE ANIMALS AND SUCH.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT IN WORKING THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION AND WORKING WITH THESE GENTLEMEN AND LADIES THAT ARE SITTING UP HERE, UH, THAT IF THIS IS A, UH, PROCEDURE THAT THE CITY AND THE SHELTER WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH, OR LOOK INTO THAT YOU DO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND.
SO I FELT LIKE I HAVE HOMEWORK, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT ORDINANCE WOULD PREVENT THIS, BUT ANYWAY, UM, OKAY.
YOU'VE GOT THE NO FEED ORDINANCE.
IF YOU'RE FEEDING THEM, YOU OWN, IF YOU OWN THEM, THEY STAY ON YOUR PROPERTY.
[00:40:01]
NOW, COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO REGARDING NO, I DON'T THINK THAT.THAT WAS AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD, SO WITH SUGGESTION MAYBE PERHAPS BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING GATHERING.
WE ALL SHOULD TAKE A, YEAH, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT ORDINANCE IS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CHANGE AN ORDINANCE IN A CITY.
IF I, IF I COULD JUST ADD THAT THE MAYOR HAS APPOINTED A SUB-COMMITTEE, IF YOU WILL, TO START REVIEWING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE HAVE STARTED MEETING, I AM ON THAT BOARD.
UH, WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE SET OUT AND THE FIRST PROCESS, OUR POINT IN THE PROCESS WAS TO TAKE AND DIVIDE OUT OUR COMMUNITY, VOLUNTEER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, SUCH AS PARKS AND CULTURAL AND THOSE TYPE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM.
AND WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW.
WE SEPARATED THEM OUT FROM YOUR QUASI JUDICIAL.
THAT'S WHAT THIS GROUP IS HERE.
THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, UH, BACK.
THEY WILL BE LOOKED AT LOOKING AT HOW YOU FUNCTION, UH, YOUR PROCESSES, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENT, UM, AND CHANGES THAT MAY NEED TO BE MADE.
AND ALONG WITH THAT COMES THE REVIEW OF ANY ORDINANCES THAT ARE SET FORTH, THAT REGULATE, UH, HOW THE ANIMAL SHELTER WORKS.
SO THAT IS FORTHCOMING IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT'S A MONUMENTAL TASK TO TAKE ON, BUT IT IS IN THE PROCESS JUST SO YOU KNOW, I GO AHEAD AND SECOND TO END THE MEETING ALL APPROVED.
UH, I, I THANK YOU VERY PATIENT.