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Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Adopt Resolution 143-2013 in recognition of World Rabies Day on September 28, 2013;
2) Authorize Animal Services to provide free rabies inoculations and waive the one-year license fees for spayed/neutered dogs on September 28, 2013;
3) Authorize an amnesty period of September 28, 2013 through November 30, 2013 to waive late and never-licensed penalty fees for spayed or neutered dogs;
4) Authorize a reduction to the one-year licensing fee for spayed or neutered dogs from $20 to $10 beginning September 29, 2013 and continuing through the remainder of the amnesty period to encourage licensing;
5) Accept a donation from Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association of rabies vaccines to provide free rabies inoculations on World Rabies Day 2013;
6) Accept a donation from People for Animal Welfare in El Dorado County in the amount of $500 for the purchase of 100 microchips; and
7) Authorize Animal Services to implant the microchips and waive the County microchip fee for dogs on September 28, 2013.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
The revenue not received on September 28, 2013 due to the proposed free licensing and microchipping is estimated to be $240. The rabies vaccinations are being donated by the Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association and the microchips will be purchased with the donated funds from People for Animal Welfare in El Dorado County ("PAWED"). The revenue not received for waived late and never-licensed penalty fees during the proposed amnesty period of September 28, 2013, through November 30, 2013 is estimated to be $2,480. However, in Fiscal Year ("FY") 2014-2015, it is anticipated that an estimated additional $1,740 in regular licensing fees will be received for these late and never- licensed dogs.
Background
Rabies is a complex and deadly virus, which can and does infect human beings, wildlife, and domestic animals and can kill any person or animal that becomes infected by it. The U.S. public health cost associated with rabies is more than $300 million a year.
The first World Rabies Day ("WRD") campaign took place in September 2007 as a partnership between the Alliance for Rabies Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the co-sponsorship from the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the Pan American Health Organization. In Issue 16 of The Newsletter of The Alliance for Rabies Control ("Alliance"), The Alliance estimated that in those three years (2007 - 2009), rabies prevention and awareness events had taken place in over 120 countries, over 100 million people worldwide had been educated about rabies, and that nearly 3 million dogs had been vaccinated during events linked to the annual WRD campaign.
The WRD campaign encourages the trans-national collaboration of rabies control and prevention organizations. It also promotes a One Health approach to rabies prevention, part of a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans and animal health.
Reason for Recommendation
In conjunction with the World Rabies Day world-wide campaign to promote rabies awareness and the Sacramento Animal Care jurisdictions who are offering free first-time licenses on September 28, 2013, Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division ("HHSA") is recommending its Animal Services program be authorized to educate the County's community about the dangers of rabies and encourage dog owners to take part in a free annual rabies inoculation clinic.
The HHSA World Rabies Day campaign will encourage County residents to visit their local County Animal Services shelter and bring their dogs to be vaccinated against this deadly and preventable virus. At the time the dog is being given its rabies inoculation, it will also be microchipped and properly licensed according to the County's pet licensing ordinance, thereby providing each dog with proper identification. Licensing and microchip placement will assist Animal Services in returning lost dogs to their rightful owners, which is especially important if the animal is injured and requires follow-up care. Proper licensing also starts a rabies inoculation record and allows Animal Services to send standard rabies and licensing renewal notifications to owners annually beginning the following year. The further benefit of temporarily waiving penalty fees will be the future collection of rabies and licensing fees which brings in needed revenue to help defray the cost of running the Animal Services program
Action(s) to be taken following Board approval
1. Chair to sign two (2) Resolution _______;
2. Board Clerk to return one (1) signed original Resolution _______ to HHSA, Contracts Unit, at 3057 Briw Road, Suite A and
3. HHSA Animal Services to promote World Rabies Day 2013 and provide services as identified.
Contact
Don Ashton, M.P.A., Interim Director
Concurrences
County Counsel