The best of times, the worst of times

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 1999:

The Humane Society of Boulder
Valley, providing animal care and control service
to Boulder, Colorado, and shelter service
to all other jurisdictions in Boulder County
except Longmont, has now gone three years
without killing any dogs or cats who could be
saved, executive director Jan McHugh recently
told ANIMAL PEOPLE. Of the 6,400 animals
HSBV received in 1998, McHugh said, 3,341
were adopted to new owners, and 1,800 were
returned to their former homes. McHugh credited
microchip ID with boosting cat rehoming to
24%, eight times the U.S. average, and dog
rehoming to 86%, double the U.S. average.
“Unfortunately,” McHugh added, “729 animals
who suffered from severe injuries or extensive
health or behavior problems had to be euthanized.”
The euthanasia ratio for the HSBV service
area is 4.2 animals per 1,000 residents.
HSBV neutered 4,065 animals in 1998––more
than most humane societies serving communities
with many times the human population of
Boulder County (226,000; 175,000 excluding
Longmont).

Humane Society of Santa Clara
Valley executive director Chris Arnold
announced on December 18 that HS/SCV will
phase out the animal control contracts it now
holds with eight cities and Santa Clara County,
and will go no-kill by July 2001. Arnold said
the move was forced by a new California law
which requires that animals found at large must
be held five days before being killed, with fourday
holding periods for feral cats and ownersurrendered
pets. This, Arnold said, would
oblige HS/SCV to add holding facilities for
more than 2,500 additional animals who would
be in custody at any given time, and to kill even
adoptable animals as soon as their holding periods
expire, to make room for the incoming.
“Twenty of the shelter’s 120 employees, who
just voted for unionization, probably will be
phased out during the beginning of the transition”
of animal control to community management,”
reported San Jose Mercury News s t a f f
writer Betty Barnacle––but are expected to
receive preference in hiring as city and county
animal control departments are organized.