* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. A NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS [00:00:01] COMMITTEE AND WELCOME [Special-Called Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs Committee on June 27, 2023.] TO OUR JUNE MEETING. WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE BARK HERE TO PRESENT TODAY. UH, I AM CHAIR AND AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE, I'M PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5 5 1 DASH 12 SEVEN OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENT BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES. ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. I AM HAPPY TO BE JOINED IN THE CHAMBER BY MY VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER, AMY PECK FROM DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS FROM DISTRICT I COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN FROM DISTRICT G. ALSO, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER AMY KA, AMY, I MEAN ABBY CAYMAN. I'M NOT GONNA DO THE ABBY AMY. MIX UP ABBY CAYMAN'S STAFF AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX AND COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KOSH. AND I'LL ANNOUNCE PEOPLE AS THEY COME. SO THEY'RE CISNEROS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS, STAFF AND VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM STAFF. I THINK EVERYONE IS PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR. SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY ON BARK SHELTER OPERATIONS AND STAFFING UPDATE, UH, PRESENTED BY GREG DAMIAN, OFF DIRECTOR OF BARK. WE ALSO HAVE CORY MEYER, DEPUTY DIRECT SHELTER DIRECTOR OF BARK. JARED MES DE DEPUTY SHELTER DIRECTOR AT BARK. AND NIKKI COOPER DE DEPUTY SHELTER DIRECTOR AT BARK. SO WE WILL GET RIGHT TO IT SINCE THERE'S JUST ONE PRESENTATION. AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE 11 PUBLIC SPEAKERS, 13, 13 PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT SIGNED UP, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY. SO, AND IF ANYBODY ELSE IS INTERESTED IN SPEAKING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. WHEN THE TIME, WHEN THE TIME COMES, JUST LET US KNOW. OKAY. SO WE ARE JUST GONNA GET STARTED NOW. AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THE DRILL . THANKS. GO AHEAD. FIRST AND STAFFING LEVELS. MIGHT WANNA PULL THE MIC UP. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MIC ON IT AT THE BEGINNING. SO IT GOES GREEN, RIGHT? YEAH, WELL, IT GOES BRIGHT RED. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS 2023 BARK DATA AND STATISTICS. CHAPTER SIX, UPDATE OPERATIONS UPDATE AND STAFFING LEVELS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FISCAL YEAR 2023. HIGHLIGHTS. OUR SAVE RELEASE IS 81.3 FOR FY 23. YEAR TO DATE, UH, ANIMALS ADOPTED 39 78. ADOPTED AS OF JUNE 21 OF 23 ANIMALS FOSTER 26 64, UH, TRANSFERRED TO FOSTERS AS OF JUNE 21ST OF 23. WHAT RESCUE SLASH TRANSFER TRANSFER UP PROGRAMS 88 63 ANIMALS TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE PARTNERS AS OF JUNE 21ST, 23. SPAY NEUTER SURGERY 6,009. NINE NINE. SURGERIES ESTIMATED AS OF MAY OF 23, 4,025 OF WHICH WERE COMPLETE 75, WHICH WERE COMPLETED IN-HOUSE AT BARK ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT. 56,930. CALLS FOR SERVICE AS OF JUNE 21ST, 2023. THIS IS ALREADY AN INCREASE OVER 49, 910 TOTAL CALLS IN FY 22. 58.9% OF ALL CALLS INVESTIGATED BY ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE BASED ON OUR PRIORITY MATRIX. 2,202 BITE CASES INVESTIGATED THROUGH 21 JUNE OF 2023. SO THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PRIORITY MATRIX THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH EVERYBODY IN COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT JUST STATES THAT WE HAVE FIVE PRIORITIES AND, AND THOSE, THE FIRST THREE ARE THE ONES THAT WE REALLY FOCUS ON. UH, SO THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT GET WITHIN THE COUNCIL OFFICES WHERE THERE'S A STRAY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S NOT A ONE, TWO, OR THREE. 'CAUSE THE MOST, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THE DOGS AREN'T GONNA WAIT AROUND FOR US TO SHOW UP, TO PICK THEM UP. SO, CAN YOU, CAN YOU KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH ONE, TWO, AND THREE REAL QUICK, JUST, JUST REAL QUICKLY, BRIEF, GO THROUGH THE FIVE. OKAY. AND, AND HOW OFTEN WE GET THERE. 'CAUSE IT'S SMALL AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE LAPTOP. OKAY. SO THE FIRST ONE IS PREDOMINANTLY BITE CASES. YOU KNOW, DANGEROUS DOGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, NON-DANGEROUS ROAMING IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GROUND. SO IT BASICALLY HAS TO DO WITH SOMEONE HAVING BEEN BITTEN OR THEY'RE ON A SCHOOL GROUND WITH SMALL CHILDREN. SECOND ONE IS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE. SO HPD, WE DO ASSIST THEM WITH WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING. IF THEY HAVE A, A BUST, A DRUG BUST OR SOMETHING, AND THERE'S DOGS INVOLVED, WE'LL GO OUT THERE AND HELP THEM. AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS WHERE CITIZEN IS IN A EMINENT DANGER. SORRY, IT'S NOT THAT CLEAR ON THE SCREEN. UH, INJURED SICK ANIMALS TO [00:05:01] MOVE ON ON THAT CAN'T MOVE ON THEIR OWN CRUELTY, WHICH IS C**K FIGHTING, DOG FIGHTING, ET CETERA. WHERE THE ANIMAL IS, UH, IN IMMINENT DANGER OR WILL IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO HPD AND WILL ASSIST HPD WITH A CONFISCATION OF THE ANIMAL AS DIRECTED BY HPD. DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS, TIGERS AND NON-INDIGENOUS VENOMOUS ANIMALS. SO THE FIRST CATEGORY IS Y'ALL GET THERE WITHIN TWO HOURS. THAT SECOND CATEGORY THAT YOU JUST READ, YOU GET THERE WITHIN THREE HOURS. THAT'S CORRECT. GOT IT. THE THIRD ONE IS TRAPPED HIGH RISK WILDLIFE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, RACCOONS, SKUNKS, COYOTES, BATS, AND OTHER WILDLIFE. IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATE LIVING AREA WILDLIFE. UH, THIS IS DIFFICULT TO READ, UH, WHEREBY ANIMALS, A NATURAL HABITAT WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. WE'LL REFER TO THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF THEY'RE JUST AROUND ROAMING AROUND YOUR, YOUR PROPERTY, THAT'S NOT BARKS PURVIEW. THAT'S TEXAS. WILDLIFE CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE POST OFFICE OR CITY COUNCIL OFFICES OR OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NEGLECT OR ABANDONMENT CASES, DOGS, CAT, OR LIVESTOCK. SO WE DO DEAL WITH HORSES AND CATTLE AND SO FORTH. CONFIRMED ANIMALS AT PLACES OF BUSINESS, INCLUDING APARTMENT COMPLEXES, NON-DANGEROUS ROAMING, MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL AND OR COLLEGE GROUNDS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WITHIN 48. WE TRY TO GET THERE WITHIN ABOUT 48 HOURS IF WE CAN. THE FOURTH ONE IS UNABLE TO RESPOND DUE TO LIMITED RESOURCES, ENGINE ANIMAL AIDS TO MOVE ON THEIR OWN CITIZENS, CONFINED ANIMALS. SO A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE CALL US AND THEY WANT US TO COME GET THEIR ANIMAL FROM THEIR PROPERTY. WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO DO THAT. SORRY. THANKS. S UM, UNABLE TO RESPOND DUE TO LIMITED RESOURCES. OWNER TURN IN STRAY AND BARKING. NUISANCE DOGS. STRAY DOGS RUNNING LOOSE AND CAUSING ISSUES LOOSE AND TRAPPED CATS. SO IF YOU TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF TO TRAP OR SOMETHING, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH GONNA BE ON YOU ALL TO BRING 'EM TO US, A CITIZEN OR WHATEVER. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FISCAL YEAR 2023 HIGHLIGHTS THE BOND, UH, ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2022. HOUSTON VOTED FOR A $47 MILLION BOND FOR THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION AND EQUIPMENT OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES FOR BARK'S ANIMAL SHELTER. BARK'S PROPOSAL FOR THE BOND WAS BASED ON REPLACING THE EXISTING DOME EVALUATION, BUILDING WAREHOUSE, AND OUTREACH TRAILER CIP UPDATE ON JUNE 21ST, 2023, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CITY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES FUNDING THE BARK IMPROVEMENTS IN FY 24 AND THE BALKAN 25. THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED, BUT ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCLUDE A NEW WAREHOUSE REPLACEMENTS OF THE FOLLOWING BUILDINGS AT BARK, THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, THE DOME, AND THE OUTREACH TRAILER PROJECT LEAD WILL BE THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. BARK WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT ON THIS PROJECT. ADDITIONAL BARK DATA FY 23 IMPOUND OF 10,003. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 48% OVER FY 22, WHICH WAS 67 74 INTAKE AND FY 23 BARK'S. OVERALL INTAKE WAS 18,413. AT OF THIS 61% WAS A STRAY HOLD FROM THE STRAYS INTAKED FROM THE FIELD. WHILE INTAKE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE, THEY'RE STILL BEHIND PRE PANDEMIC NUMBERS. HOWEVER, AFTER SHIFTING TO MANAGED INTAKE, MOST OF THE ANIMALS ON OUR PROPERTY ARE BROUGHT IN BY OUR ENFORCEMENT TEAM AT AN INCREASING RATE CAPACITY. CAPACITY FOR CARE IS EQUAL TO THE MINUTES OF DAY A STAFFER HAS FOR THE CARE. THE MINUTES REQUIRED PER ANIMAL PER DAY, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 15 MINUTES REQUIRED FOR EACH ANIMAL PER DAY. RECOMMENDED CAPACITY WITH 12 STAFF MEMBERS IS 28 80 MINUTES OF DAILY STAFF TIME, WHICH EQUATES TO 192 ANIMALS IN OUR CARE. 15 MINUTES REQUIRED PER ANIMAL PER DAY FOR A STAFF OF 12 TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT? OKAY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. CHAPTER SIX, ORDINANCE UPDATES. MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING WENT INTO EFFECT ON FEBRUARY ONE. RETURN TO OWNER OUTCOMES ARE ALREADY ON THE RISE OF THE 16% INCREASE REPORTED BETWEEN 22 AND 23. BARC HAS OFFERED MULTIPLE FREE MICROCHIPPING EVENTS, BOTH AT BARK AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, ENSURING THAT HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY PETS ARE NOW WITHIN THE COMPLIANCE OF THE NEW ORDINANCE. [00:10:02] HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE, UH, REQUIRES PET STORES TO SELL ANY DOGS AND CATS SOURCED FROM A HUMANE ORGANIZATION OR A MUNICIPAL OR COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. BARK IS AWARE OF ONLY ONE STORE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON LIMITS THAT CONTINUES TO OPERATE IN VIOLATION OF THIS CHANGE. BARK CONTINUES TO CITE THE STORE IN VIOLATION REGULARLY. ADJUDICATION IS SCHEDULED FOR EIGHT THREE OF 23. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FY 23 BARK OUTREACH, UH, MEGA ADOPTION EVENT. THE MEGA ADOPTION EVENT WAS RETURNED TO THE GRB IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022. OVER THE TWO DAY EVENT, 99 ANIMALS FOUND THEIR FOREVER HOMES EMPTY. THE SHELTER CAMPAIGNS BARK HAS PARTNERED WITH BISSELL PET FOUNDATION TO HOST FOUR EMPTY THE SHELTER CAMPAIGNS. AND FY 23 A TOTAL OF 1003 PETS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED THROUGH THESE FREE ADOPTION EVENTS IN FY 23. THE NEXT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES ON JULY 6TH, A BC 13 PICK YOUR PET EVENT WAS HELD AGAIN AT BARK FOR 2023. IT WAS EXPANDED TO COVER TWO DAYS WHERE 111 ANIMALS FOUND THEIR FOREVER HOMES. BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY MOU STAFF WITH BEST FRIENDS ARE CURRENTLY EMBEDDED WITH BARKS STAFF TO DEVELOP A NEW TIERED VOLUNTEER AND PROGRAM AND STREAMLINE THE FOSTER PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FY 23 BARK SHELTER SLASH MEDICAL BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY NATIONAL CONFERENCE, BARK SHELTER AND MANAGERS GIVE A PRESENTATION ON OUR INNOVATIVE TRAINING PROGRAM THAT'S FOCUSED ON IMPROVING IN ANIMAL STAY. WHILE AT THE SHELTER AT THE JULY 22 CONFERENCE, BEST FRIENDS NEW E-LEARNING MODULE. SINCE, SINCE THAT TIME, BEST FRIENDS HAS REACHED OUT SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN DEVELOPING NEW E-LEARNING MODULES FOR BEST PRACTICE, FOR, FOR ENRICHMENT AND DOG HANDLING. ASSISTING PARTNER PARTNER SHELTERS. THE BEST FRIENDS CONFERENCE PROVIDED A NATIONAL PLATFORM FOR BARK. AFTER THAT CONFERENCE, SEVERAL, SEVERAL SHELTERS HAVE REACHED OUT ASKING QUESTIONS TO ESTABLISH SIMILAR TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THEIR ANIMAL CARE TEAMS ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINERS. THE SHELTER AND MEDICAL MANAGER HAS BEEN INVITED TO PRESENT BARKS TRAINING PROGRAM AT THEIR NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER OF 23. SO WHAT ALL THESE BULLET POINTS LED LEAD YOU TO LEND YOU TO BELIEVE IS THAT WE ARE DOING THE BEST THINGS THAT WE CAN. YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE SOMEPLACE WHERE EVERYBODY LOOKS TO FOR BEST PRACTICES FOR ALL THESE SORT OF TRAINING PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE BARK. STAFFING LEVEL. BARC CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITH AN AVERAGE OF 11% OVERALL VACANCY. CURRENTLY, BARC HAS OPEN POSITIONS WITH, IN EACH SECTION CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE NEED THREE OUTREACH. WE NEED THREE SHELTER. WE HAVE ONE SENIOR ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN AND ONE SE ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN, UH, MEDICAL TWO VET TWO STAFF VETERINARIAN POSITIONS, AND ONE SENIOR ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN ENFORCEMENT. WE'RE DOWN THREE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TRAINEES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THAT'LL CONCLUDE. AND WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. A LOT OF INFORMATION PACKED INTO THAT PRESENTATION. I'LL GO DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS. FIRST WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, WHO IS ONLINE. I THINK YOU'RE MUTED. COUNCIL MEMBER. OH, I SAID A LOT OF GOOD STUFF BEFORE THAT. ANYWAY, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE ANIMAL LOVERS ON COUNCIL. AND SO HEARING THINGS THAT ARE REALLY WORKING, UH, AS A GREAT PRESENTATION, AND CERTAINLY YOU ALL ARE SO RESPONSIVE IN DISTRICT D WHEN WE DO HAVE, UH, CALLS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS. MY QUESTION REALLY HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE, I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION. I ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING ON FACEBOOK LAST NIGHT AS I DO, UH, PERIODICALLY, AND I NOTICED THAT THE GROUNDS AROUND BARK ARE NOT KEPT. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IT CAME DOWN TO, UH, SOMEBODY MAKING A COMMENT THAT CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T CARE. AND SO I WANNA MAKE IT A MATTER OF RECORD. THE CITY COUNCIL DOES CARE. UH, AND SO I NEED TO KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UPKEEP OF THE, THE PHYSICAL FACILITY AND THE GRASS AROUND THE, THE BUILDING. AND CERTAINLY, EVEN IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT, PERHAPS YOU CAN CONVEY THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION TO MY OFFICE. AND I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO, TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, THE SCHEDULE AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MAINTAIN THE, THE PROPERTY. YES, MA'AM. UM, GENERAL [00:15:01] SERVICES CONTROLS THE CONTRACT FOR ALL THE LAWN SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, I SPOKE TO THEM YESTERDAY. WE ARE ON A ROTATION FOR EVERY 14 DAYS. AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH. YOU KNOW, SO I DID TALK TO THEM YESTERDAY ABOUT GETTING US ON A 10 DAY ROTATION, AND THEY WERE GONNA LOOK INTO, I MEAN, EVERYTHING COMES DOWN TO MONEY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S GONNA COST US MORE TO GET A MORE FREQUENT CUTTING OF OUR, OUR FACILITY. BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I MEAN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT AND I, IT GROWS REALLY QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE RUNS WHERE THE DOGS ARE GOING OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME. IT'S VERY FERTILE THERE. AND, UH, WE GET HIGH GRASS QUICKLY. SO I, I CAN INDEED SHARE WITH YOU MA'AM, WHOEVER YOU KNOW, ERIC ALEXANDER IS THE MAINTENANCE AD OVER THERE AT GENERAL SERVICES, AND THAT FALLS WITHIN HIS AREA. OKAY. ERIC ALEXANDER, YOU SAY? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. WELL, MY OFFICE WILL REACH OUT. YEAH, JUST BY THE, BY THE WAY, I'M SORRY MA'AM. THEY'RE ALSO GONNA COME AND CUT TODAY. . OH, GREAT. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. . THE, THE GRASS IS GROWING AT MY HOUSE TOO. IT'S, IT'S A IT'S A BIG GROWING SEASON RIGHT NOW. NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FERTILIZATION OF FROM THE ANIMALS. YES, THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO BARK FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO. I KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK AND WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, SO WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU. IN THE PRESENTATION. YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S CURRENTLY STILL KIND OF ONE BAD ACTOR THAT YOU ROUTINELY GO OUT AND SITE, UM, FROM THE PET STORE THING. YES. YEAH. WHICH STORE IS THAT? IT'S, IT'S A BEL AIR, RIGHT? JARED? YEAH. PETLAND. PETLAND. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, WE ARE CERTAINLY WATCHING THAT. AND WE WERE GOING TO BE AROUND FOR THE AUGUST 3RD HEARING THAT GOES ON. WE'RE CITING THEM EVERY WEEK. UM, NEXT, WE'LL, I, I DO WANNA WELCOME STAFF FROM, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM TO THE CHAMBER AND, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER. AND FROM THE MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN'S OFFICE, AND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE. UH, NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION. UM, ON, I BELIEVE IT'S ON PAGE SIX. UH, YOU BROKE IT DOWN IN REGARDS TO THE $47 MILLION BOND. UH, COULD YOU GO OVER THAT AGAIN PLEASE? UM, ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE YOU, UH, I BELIEVE YOU SAID YOU'RE REPLACING THE DOME THAT'S THERE NOW? UM, YEAH. THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING THE DOME AND THE, UH, OUTREACH TRAILER, THOSE ARE THE THREE BUILDINGS THAT REALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED OR UPGRADED IN SOME MAJOR WAY. AND, UH, ARE YOU ALSO GONNA BE INCREASING THE, UH, HOLDING CELLS? NO, THE FOUR, THE 47 WILL NOT BUY US MORE CAGES. IT WON'T BUY US ANY MORE CAGE SPACE. AND, AND RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PAGE THAT WAS, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE YOU HAD 192. THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE CAPACITY FOR CARE, WHICH INTERPRETS HOW MANY WE CAN, IDEALLY WE SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF. WE'RE GENERALLY COREY, WHAT'S BEEN THE MONTHLY, IN JUNE? IT'S LIKE THREE, ABOUT 350 IN OUR CARE IN JUNE THAT WE AVERAGE EVERY DAY. SO WE'RE ABOVE THAT 1 92. I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS, SINCE I HAVE BEEN AT BARK SINCE, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO NOT TALK IN THIS THING. SINCE I'VE BEEN AT BARK, WE'VE ALWAYS OPERATED A LOT WITH A LOT LESS PEOPLE AND A LOT MORE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE. RIGHT. SO, SO HOW MANY, I GUESS MY QUESTION THEN WOULD BE, HOW MANY CAGES DO YOU HAVE AT BARK TO HOLD DOGS? WELL, IF, IF WE HAVE ABOUT 300 CAGES TOTAL FOR DOGS. THREE, YEAH. ALRIGHT. BUT THAT'S EVERYTHING. COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S ALL THINGS, YOU KNOW, SURGERY, CAGES, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TAKING, THAT'S, THAT MEANS THAT I CAN'T PUT, I CAN'T PUT INTAKE INTO EVERY CAGE. RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. AND THEN OUR, UM, NOW WITH THE, UH, MICROCHIP PROGRAM THAT WE NOW HAVE IN PLACE, UH, THAT, THAT APPLIES TO DOGS AND CATS, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU STATED IN ONE OF THOSE PAGES THAT 16%, UH, IT'S AN INCREASE OF 16% OF DOGS BEING RETURNED BACK TO THEIR OWNERS, I BELIEVE. CORRECT. THAT THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. SO MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, LET'S SAY I'M THAT PET OWNER, MY DOG IS CHIPPED IT GOT OUT, YOU BRING IT BACK. OH, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DA DA DA DA. TWO WEEKS LATER, MY DOG GETS OUT AGAIN. IN OTHER WORDS, I DON'T FIX MY FENCE OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS. BUT YET YOU FIND THE DOG AGAIN. NOW YOU BRING IT BACK AGAIN. ARE WE KEEPING TRACK OF THAT? SO, I MEAN, I, I WOULD SAY FIRST ONE, SECOND ONE IS FREE. THIRD ONE, YOU CHARGE FOR THE, FOR THE COST OF THE DRIVER. YOU CHARGE FOR THE COST OF THE PERSON GOING TO PICK UP THAT DOG, UH, YOU KNOW, TO RECOUP YOUR COSTS. UH, YEAH. I ARE WE DOING THAT? EVERY, EVERY IMPOUND? I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU. EVERY IMPOUND SHOULD RESULT IN SOME KIND OF MONEY. YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THE FIRST [00:20:01] ONE, FIRST ONE, GIVE THEM, GIVE HIM A BREAK. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE, THE, A GATE WAS ACCIDENTALLY, ACCIDENTALLY LEFT OPEN. THE DOG GETS OUT. I MEAN, IT HAPPENS TO ME. TRUST ME, MY YARD GUY COMES IN AND HE DOESN'T LATCH IT LIKE HE'S SUPPOSED TO. AND EVERY NOW AND THEN MY DOG GETS OUT. BUT, BUT I'M WILLING TO PAY IF IT KEEPS, KEEPS HAPPENING. COUNCIL MEMBER, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE DO IMPOUND A DOG, UH, ESPECIALLY ON A SECOND IMPOUND, THE OWNER'S GONNA BE CITED. SO THEY WILL BE SENT TO MUNICIPAL COURT TO DEAL WITH THAT. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN THAT, AND I'M, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED MUNICIPAL COURT. UH, MY NEXT DEAL IS IN REGARDS TO A PET COURT. I MENTIONED IT TO THE MAYOR. UH, YOU KNOW, IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PET COURT WHERE THE JUDGE, ALL THAT JUDGE DOES IS DEAL WITH DOGS, LOOSE DOGS, UH, FEROCIOUS DOGS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THAT WAY WE KEEP, I I'M ASSUMING WE WOULD KEEP A BETTER RECORD, UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN GIVE CITATIONS TO THE PET OWNER IF THEY CONTINUE DOING WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING AND LETTING THEIR DOGS OUT. UM, I KNOW THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A PET COURT. UH, AND I, I, I'VE MET WITH, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR MUNI MUNICIPAL JUDGE DIRECTOR. UH, AND THEY PROVIDED ME WITH INFORMATION, UH, LOOKING THROUGH THAT. IT SEEMS A LOT OF THE, IN MY OPINION, RIGHT IN, IN WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, UH, IT'S THE, THE ATTORNEYS, I BELIEVE THAT SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE ABLE TO GET OR ARE ABLE NOT TO FIND THE PET OWNER FOR SOME ODD REASON. UH, BUT I THINK IF WE ACTUALLY HAD A PET COURT PER SE, WE WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION. WE WOULD KNOW, YOU'VE DONE THIS FOUR TIMES, FIVE TIMES, NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO JUST GET A SLAP ON YOUR HAND. YOU'RE NOW GONNA GET A CITATION AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL STOP LETTING YOUR PET ROAM THE STREET. COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE. UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN HOUSTON. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF MUNICIPAL COURT HAS THE BANDWIDTH JUST YET TO PULL THAT OFF, BUT, UH, ABSOLUTELY WE'RE INTERESTED IN IT AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT HAPPEN. YEAH. IT'S NEEDED. AND, AND, AND, AND TO TAKE IT EVEN FURTHER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, BUT THIS IS MY VISION, MY WISHLIST, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN MAYBE WORK WITH THE COUNTY AT THE MUNICIPAL AT, AT THEIR, UH, PRECINCT, UH, COURTHOUSES, UH, THAT WAY WE'RE GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND WE'RE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, HEY, SO AND SO THAT LIVES IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS CONSTANTLY LETTING THEIR DOG ROAM THE STREET. UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAY HOPEFULLY THEY'LL LEARN THEIR LESSON AND THEY WON'T BE DOING THAT. UH, IF, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, AND IF NOT, THEN IT WOULD BE AT A MUNICIPAL COURT, UH, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE LIKE IN MACAU, FOR EXAMPLE. UH, OR, OR, OR, OR THE, UH, UM, THE CITY FACILITY OUT ON THE NORTHWEST, OR MAYBE NORTHWEST AND MACAU. I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THE CITY, UH, MACAU AND LUBBOCK COURTS BECAUSE WE'RE ISSUING ORDINANCE VIOLATION CITATIONS. AND THAT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT A, A, A PRECINCT JUDGE WOULD HANDLE. MM-HMM . AGREE. OH, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN PUT YOU BACK IN. THANK YOU. BUT I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT SUGGESTIONS. AND I THINK THERE IS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN PROBABLY DO WITH THE COUNTY MORE THAN WE'RE DOING NOW. ESPECIALLY NOW, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF COUNT THE COUNTY JUST SHUT DOWN THEIR SHELTER. RIGHT? RIGHT. 'CAUSE IT'S OVERCROWDED. I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TOGETHER, BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF A COURT TOO. SO HAPPY TO GET OUR, OUR TEAM TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH ON THAT AND, AND LOOK AT THAT. SO, GREAT COMMENTS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, PLEASE. STAFF, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS OFFICE. UH, YES. UM, UH, I WANTED TO FIRST JUST, UH, LIFT UP JARED MEERS, UM, OVER IN THE ANIMAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM. HE HAS BEEN A REAL PLEASURE TO WORK WITH, UM, IN, UH, OUR COUNCIL OFFICE. AND SO JUST WANNA GIVE HIM SOME KUDOS. UM, THEN I WANTED TO ALSO, UM, ASK A QUESTION RELATED TO THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BARK SHELTER AND MEDICAL SLIDE. UM, IN THAT, UM, I THINK THERE WAS ONE THING THAT, UH, MIGHT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED, WHICH WAS BARK HOSTED A BOOTH, UM, IN OCTOBER OF 22, UH, AT THE TEXAS A AND M SCHOOL OF VET MEDICINE JOB FAIR AND EXTERNSHIP FAIR. UM, AND SO THAT LEADS ME INTO THE QUESTION OF, UM, HOW IS THE RECRUITMENT OF, UH, SHELTER MEDICINE THAT'S GOING? I SEE THAT THERE'S THREE OPEN MEDICAL STAFF POSITIONS, AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW-UP OR CONTINUED OUTREACH WITH, UM, EITHER A AND M OR OTHER VET SCHOOLS IN THE AREA? THANK YOU. WE HAVE, WE HAD HAD SOME STUDENTS STOP BY, AS YOU SAID, WHEN WE WENT TO THAT, UH, THAT JOB FAIR. UH, WE'VE HAD VERY FEW COME FORWARD. WE ARE WORKING, NIKKI COOPER IS WORKING WITH HR TO UPGRADE THE PAY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE, [00:25:01] YOU KNOW, MORE DESIRABLE POSITION FOR THESE FOLKS TO WANNA APPLY FOR. AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD MUCH FROM ANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER SCHOOLS OR A AND M AT ALL EITHER. THANK, THANK YOU, EMILY. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CIS HAS BEEN SO INVOLVED IN RECRUITING AND GETTING THIS TO BE MORE OF A, OF A BIG DEAL TO COME TO A SHELTER, SHELTER MEDICINE, AND RECRUITING VETERINARIANS, WHICH HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE. I I DO KNOW ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ITEM TO INCREASE SALARIES AND FOR VETERINARIANS. SO, YOU KNOW, MONEY OFTEN BRINGS PEOPLE TO JOBS, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, DID YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL GO NOW TO PUBLIC, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, AND FIRST WE WILL HEAR IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, IT'S STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. IF YOU'RE HERE, JUST COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM. UM, FIRST WE HAVE CHRISTINE REEVE OR RU R-U-E-V-E. SHE IS ONLINE. PLEASE STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. YEAH. CHRISTINE REEVE, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU. I GUESS THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH GETTING ON MUTE. UM, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM KELSEY WIT WHITE BAY. SHE'S IN THE CHAMBER. PLACE STARTS. OKAY. IS THAT CHRISTINE? NO. NO. OKAY. WE'LL GO TO KELSEY WHITE BAY. COME ON UP. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, TALK FAST. ALRIGHT. HELLO, MY NAME IS KELSEY WHITE BAY. I AM AN EXPERIENCED BART FOSTER AND VOLUNTEER, AND HAVE ACTIVELY SUPPORTED BARK SINCE 2019. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I'VE NOTED THAT BARK'S PROTOCOLS AND RELATIONS TO CATS AND KITTENS HAS CHANGED TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE ANIMALS AND THE FRUSTRATION OF PAST FOSTERS. TWO MONTHS AGO, BARK HAD AN UNORGANIZED ROLLOUT OF THE NEW CAT AND KITTEN PROTOCOL, WHICH HAD IMMEDIATE AND STRONG PUSHBACK FROM THE PUBLIC DUE TO LACK OF ENGAGEMENT AND HOW RESTRICTIVE IT WAS. THESE, THOSE CHANGES TO THE CAT PROTOCOL AND THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE BARK, UH, THE LACK OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE BARK FOSTER COMMUNITY LED TO AT LEAST FOUR UN UNDOCU, EXCUSE ME, DOCUMENT CASES OF KITTENS BEING EUTHANIZED PREMATURELY. I'M VERY CERTAIN WAR HAVE DIED UNNECESSARILY DUE TO THESE CHANGES. BARK'S CHANGES CHANGE TO BASE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS ON THE WEIGHT OF AN ANIMAL HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE. SPARS, EUTHANASIA RATES UNNECESSARILY BARK. BEING A CITY SHELTER IS MORE LIKELY TO INTAKE ANIMALS THAT ARE SICK AND, AND OR UNDERWEIGHT WHO JUST NEED TIME, FOOD AND, AND SOME WATER TO RECOVER. WEIGHT-BASED VALUATIONS FOR KITTENS COMMONLY LEAD TO THEM BEING MIS AGED. AND THE NEW PROTOCOL HAVE RESULTED, AGAIN IN THEIR UNNECESSARY DEATHS OF HEALTHY ANIMALS. SPECIFICALLY THESE TWO KITTENS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN ON JUNE 18TH, THESE KITTENS WERE BROUGHT IN ON A SCHEDULE, AN INTAKE, AND HAD A FOSTER TRYING TO INPUT NOTES TO BE LAST RESORT FOSTER. THEY WERE GIVEN THE WRONG A ID NUMBERS AND THUS WERE NOT ABLE TO PUT IN NOTES. THOSE KITTENS WERE THEN EUTHANIZED AN HOUR LATER AFTER INTAKE. THESE WERE HEALTHY FOR THE MOST PART. KITTENS ONE DID HAVE A SPINAL POTENTIAL INJURY THAT, UM, WAS NOTED. HOWEVER, THAT KITTEN AT THAT TIME WAS EATING. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE IN PAIN. THE OTHER KITTEN ONLY 0.9 POUNDS WAS U EUTHANIZED. IT WAS HEALTHY. 20 MINUTES PRIOR, A 0.7 POUND KITTEN CAME IN. IT WAS ALLOWED TO BE PLED OUT, OR EXCUSE ME, IT WAS NOT PLED OUT, BUT IT WAS ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON A OH CODE RED LIST. IT WAS TAGGED PRIOR TO ITS EUTHANASIA DATE AND HAS, IS ALIVE TODAY. WHY WEREN'T THESE KITTENS ALLOWED TO BE PLED OUT? UH, OTHER THAN JUST A TIME AND A 0.1, ONE POUND DIFFERENCE IS REALLY ALL THAT LED LED TO THIS LIFE OR DEATH DECISION. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE MY CONCERNS OF THE REMOVAL OF THE NEONATAL KIT KENNELS FROM THE OUTREACH BUILDING WITH MOST OF FOSTER AND VOLUNTEER SUPPLIES, CITING THAT THE OUTREACH OR BARK CITING THAT THE OUTREACH BUILDING WAS UNSAFE FOR ANIMALS IN THE BUILDING WAS BEING SHUT DOWN. HOWEVER, THIS WAS TWO MONTHS AGO. BARK HAS REPAIRED THAT BUILDING AND STAFF IS STILL OFFICED IN THIS BUILDING AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THERE IS NO PLA SAFE PLACE FOR THE KID. NEONATAL KITS THAT COME INTO BARK, THEY'RE BEING HOUSED AS, AS I AM AWARE OF MOST RECENTLY IN THE EVALUATION AREA. THIS EVALUATION IS VERY OPEN TO ALTERNATE OTHER ANIMALS DISEASE VIRUSES, AND DOES NOT HAVE, UH, TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED AREAS THAT NEONATAL ANIMALS REQUIRE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR NEONATAL ANIMALS THAT COME INTO BARK. LASTLY, BUT ONLY 'CAUSE I HAVE LIMITED TIME BARK IS STILL NOT CONSISTENTLY ENGAGING THEIR FOSTER COMMUNITY ON CRITICAL AND EMERGENCY ANIMALS. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, I WILL SEE, PLEASE POSTED ON A THIRD PARTY VOLUNTEER PAGE ASKING FOR FOSTERS OR RESCUES TO COME HELP SAVE ANIMALS. THOSE VOLUNTEERS DO NOT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO BARK MEDICAL OR INTAKE PERSONNEL, YET NORMALLY ARE FASTER TO PLEA EMERGENCY ANIMALS THAN THAN BARK STAFF. THIS WAS TRUE EVEN WHEN BARK HAD A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER, EXCUSE ME, FOSTER COORDINATOR BARK HAS DEDICATED FOSTERS WHO WANT TO HELP SAVE ANIMALS, [00:30:01] BUT WHY AREN'T THEY BEING ENGAGED IN A TIMELY MANNER? I AND OTHERS HAVE OUTSTANDING OFFERS WITH FOSTER EMERGENCY FOSTER DEPARTMENT FOR EMERGENCY NEONATAL KITTENS. HOWEVER, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED. I DO KNOW, I KNOW THEIR KITTENS HAVE COME IN, FOSTERS HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO MONITOR THE RED LIST OR VOLUNTEER FACEBOOK RUN PAGES IN ORDER TO CONSTANTLY LEARN THAT BARK NEEDS HELP. BARK STAFF HAS OUR EMAILS OR OUR PHONE NUMBERS AND, AND WE WANT TO HELP. NO, IT'S FINE. IT'S FINE. ARE YOU ABOUT TO WRAP UP? NO, NO, NO. COME ON BACK. , ARE YOU ABOUT TO WRAP UP? YEAH. QUICKLY. YEAH, I WAS WITH IT. I HAD ONLY TWO MORE SENTENCES. UM, THEY HAVE OUR PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAILS AND OUR APPROVAL TO USE 'EM. I WAS TOLD TWO MONTHS AGO, WE, THEY WERE GETTING AUTOMATED EMAILS. THOSE HAVE NOT STILL NOT BEEN IN PLACE. UM, WE WANT WHAT MORE DID THE PUBLIC AND THE VOLUNTEERS AND FOSTERS NEED TO DO TO SAY, WE WANT TO HELP. WE WANT TO BE ENGAGED. WE ARE HERE TO HELP BARB BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, AND MS. WHITE BAY, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE AT BARK. I, I KNOW YOU'VE WRITTEN DOWN YOUR COMMENTS, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SEND THEM, UM, TO ME, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT BARK PROVIDES RESPONSES ON SOME OF THE SPECIFIC INCIDENTS THAT YOU HAVE. THEY HAVE ALREADY. OKAY. YES. WELL, OKAY THEN. REALLY REAL, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING 'EM TO THE FOREFRONT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF SOME OF THE NEONATAL KITTEN SITUATIONS, SO I CAN DO SOME FURTHER, UM, TALK ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. NEXT WE'LL HAVE KIM MITCHELL, WHO IS VIRTUAL. I DID NOT SEE HER LOG ON. WE DID NOT SEE HER LOG ON. SO NEXT, NANCY, BRIAN BYRON, I'M SORRY. NANCY BYRON, WE DO SEE YOU ONLINE. NANCY STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. I THINK YOU'RE THERE. I'M HERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. GO AHEAD. THREE MINUTES. YAY. SO THERE ARE, I COULD ALPHABETIZE THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE WITH THE BARK SHELTER, BUT SINCE I HAVE THREE MINUTES, I WILL START HERE. YESTERDAY, YOU GUYS KILLED A MOTHER AND HER ENTIRE LITTER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN YEARS. AND WHILE YOU GUYS ARE DISCUSSING THE GRASS OUTSIDE OF BARK, THIS IS WHO WE ARE NOW. AND I DO NOT CONSIDER THAT PROGRESS IN ANY WAY. I HAVE BEEN OPERATING AS A FOSTER FOR LOCAL RESCUES IN THE CITY FOR 15 YEARS. I REMEMBER WHEN BARK WAS ATROCIOUS AND THEN THINGS GOT MUCH BETTER. AND NOW I FEEL AS IF WE ARE REGRESSING THE VOLUNTEER NOTES VERSUS THE SHELTER EMPLOYEE NOTES ON THE DOGS IN THE VOLUNTEER POSTS. THE DISPARITIES ARE LIKE, THEY'RE DISCUSSING TWO DIFFERENT DOGS. AND I HAVE HAD MANY DOGS THAT WERE TAGGED BY RESCUES COME THROUGH MY HOUSE AND I'VE READ THE SHELTER NOTES. AND IT WAS NOT THE DOG THAT I FOSTERED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOGS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO REMEMBER THAT THE DOGS ARE THE VICTIMS HERE. WE HAVE MURDERERS OUT ON BONDS ROAMING AROUND OUR CITY. AND OUR DOGS WHO ARE ABANDONED BY THEIR OWNERS, ALLOWED TO BREED ON THE STREETS, ARE STARVING ON OUR STREETS, ARE DYING OF DISEASES, ON OUR STREETS, ARE BEING SHOT, ARE BEING RUN OVER ON PURPOSE. THEY ARE THE VICTIMS OF ALL OF THIS. AND THEY'RE LOSING THEIR LIVES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN. AND I JUST FIND THAT UNTENABLE. AND FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO STAY THAT WE HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY AS A COMMUNITY TO STEM THE FLOW. IT'S ALL GOOD PICKING THEM UP, BUT WE ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO STEM THE FLOW. WE HAVE GOT TO, AND WE HAVE TO CREATE SPAY AND NEUTER LAWS. WE CAN'T RESCUE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS HORRENDOUS POPULATION. WE CAN'T ADOPT OUR WAY OUT OF IT. AND ANIMALS ARE DYING AT AN ALARMING RATE. IT'S SO DISTURBING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUAL ANIMAL LOVERS. AND THAT'S JUST REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU MS. BYRON. WE, WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE BIG PROBLEM WE HAVE IN HOUSTON, AND I WILL PUT OUT THERE. WE SPEND ABOUT HALF PER CAPITA AS OTHER BIG TEXAS CITIES AND CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND IT'S A MATTER OF PRIORITIZATION. WE DID GET SOME EXTRA FUNDS IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR SOME NEEDED, UM, VEHICLES. BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UM, DEVOTE THE RESOURCES TO, TO THIS PROBLEM IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS IN HOUSTON. IT IS THE NUMBER ONE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM LORI OCHA, MANSKY O MANSKY. WE DO SEE YOU ON LINE STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. YES. GOOD MORNING. ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? YES. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LORIANNE KY AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL AND STAFF FOR OPENING THE [00:35:01] FLOOR TO THIS DISCUSSION. UM, I AM SHOCKED BY THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN ON THE VOLUNTEER PAGE AND HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE EUTHANIZED DAILY, UM, AND THAT THERE ARE EVEN DAILY EUTHANIZATION LIFTS. UM, I THINK THE FIRST THING THAT'S GONNA COMBAT THIS PROBLEM IS TO ADOPT A NO KILL MISSION. AND THAT MEANS THAT EVERYONE COMMITS TO MAKING HOUSTON A NO KILL CITY. AND REALLY TEXAS A NO KILL STATE. IT'S ONE OF THE TOP TWO STATES THAT THE MAJORITY OF ANIMALS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE EUTHANIZED FROM. OF COURSE, IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST STATES. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF A REAL COMMITMENT IS MADE, I FEEL THAT THAT'S THE WAY THAT PROGRESS WILL BE MADE. UM, THERE'S THREE MAIN POINTS. ONE WOULD BE SPACE. THE SHELTER IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH, UM, FOR THE CAPACITY OF THE CITY WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. UM, AND ALSO THE WAY THAT THE SHELTER IS NOT UPKEPT. IT DOESN'T DRAW PEOPLE INTO WANNA VOLUNTEER. IT DOESN'T MAKE PEOPLE WANNA WORK THERE. THEY'RE NOT PROUD. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN PROBLEM. UM, AND ALSO THE PUSH OUT TO 2024 TO 2025 TO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE CHANGES HAPPEN IS TOO LONG. TOO MANY MORE ANIMALS ARE GOING TO BE EUTHANIZED DAILY, AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TODAY TO PUT AN END TO THAT. UM, THE NEXT THING I WOULD LIKE TO REMARK IS ABOUT MARKETING. IT'S NOT REALLY THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WOULD ADOPT ANIMALS, IT'S JUST THAT THE MARKET SHARE IS NOT BEING PROPERLY. UM, IT'S NOT BEING SHARED. BUT TOO MANY BREEDERS ARE SELLING PUPPIES AND KITTENS, AND THEY SHOULDN'T REALLY BE ALLOWED TO UNTIL THIS POPULATION IS BROUGHT BACK UNDER CONTROL. UM, I KNOW THAT THEY MENTIONED A FEW PET SHOPS. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING WHERE THE PETS FROM BARK ARE BEING TAKEN THERE TO BE SOLD. I KNOW THERE'S ONE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SHUT DOWN THAT IS GIVING A PROBLEM. BUT OTHERWISE, I DON'T SEE THAT ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THEY CAN GO TO ANY OF THESE SHOPS TO OBTAIN A PET, AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BREEDERS INSTEAD. UM, ANOTHER POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS ABOUT THE PROGRAMS SUCH AS SPAY AND NEUTER, UH, VACCINES AND ALSO TRYING TO KEEP PETS IN HOMES. ONE OF THE LARGEST THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE IS TO TRY TO, FOR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SURRENDER THEIR PET, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE PET, THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE MEDICAL CARE, THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE FOOD, THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING OF THE SORT HAPPENING. THERE'S WAYS TO GIVE THEM FOOD. THERE'S WAYS TO HELP THEM WITH MEDICAL CARE. THERE SHOULDN'T BE A SURRENDER FOR THAT REASON. UM, AND I GUESS IN CLOSING, I WOULD SAY THAT AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, GENERALLY SPEAKING IN BUSINESS, THE PLAN DRIVES THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL, NOT THE BUDGET. DRIVE THE PLAN. YOU HAVE TO REACH FOR THE STARS. IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU'RE JUST GONNA END UP BACK WHERE YOU STARTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM PAMELA ASHLEY, SHE IS IN CHAMBER. HELLO. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME PUBLIC SAFETY. WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL SINCE FIRST GRADE. . GO FOR IT. UM, OKAY. SO I HAD THIS WHOLE SPIEL, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE KITTENS THAT KELSEY WAS TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE WHILE AGO. UM, SO MY COUSIN, MY MY PARTNER'S COUSIN FOUND THOSE KITTENS AND THEY'VE, THEY SEEMED PERFECTLY HEALTHY. UM, THEY WERE TAKEN INTO BARK AND, UH, WITH AN APPOINTMENT THAT OUR FRIEND THAT VOLUNTEERS THERE A LOT HAS. AND, UM, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, EUTHANIZED 30 MINUTES LATER FROM WHAT WE LEARNED. UM, NO REASON WHY. WE DIDN'T GET A REASON WHY LIKE SIX OR SEVEN OF US EMAILED BARK. THEY NEVER RESPONDED. THIS WAS THIS PAST SUNDAY ON FATHER'S DAY. UM, SO WE WERE PRETTY UPSET ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO REASON WHY THEY DID THAT. UM, THERE, THAT WAS MY WHOLE SPIEL TALKING ABOUT THAT. BUT THAT WAS EASILY DISMISSED WHEN SHE WAS TALKING. SO I'M NOT GONNA PUSH ON THAT. UM, THE OTHER THING I WAS GONNA SAY, I'LL JUST READ THIS. UH, UH, LET'S SEE. UH, IT'S A PERSONAL ONE. I DO PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A LIVING. I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. I HAVE A STUDIO DOWNTOWN. UM, OBVIOUSLY NO PUBLIC SPEAKING. I'M ALWAYS BEHIND A CAMERA. UM, MY TIME IS USUALLY SPENT CONNECTING PEOPLE AND SHARING VOLUNTEERING POSTS FOR CODE RED LIST. MY BIGGEST WONDER IS WHY IN THE YEAR 2023, WE HAVE INTAKE PHOTOS OF ANIMALS THAT ARE BLURRY OUT OF FOCUS AND SUPER PIXELATED. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? THE SHELTER DOES NOT NEED FUNDING FOR A DECENT PHOTO TO OCCUR. WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS DON'T GET A CHANCE TO MEET ANIMALS, THEY RELY ON THEM TO NETWORK AND ARE LEFT WITH THESE PHOTOS. PHOTOS THAT DON'T SHOW ANY DETAIL WHAT THIS DOG OR CAT LOOKS LIKE OR PERSONALITIES FOR ANYONE ON THE INTERNET TO CONNECT WITH. HOW IS THIS GIVING THEM ANY OF A CHANCE? THE SHELTER ABSOLUTELY NEEDS A PAID IN-HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER OR A DEDICATED WALLET AREA AND CAMERA. FOR PROPER PHOTOS OF THESE ANIMALS, [00:40:01] I'LL VOLUNTEER AS MUCH TIME NEEDED TO HELP FIND A SOLUTION. IF THE CITY MARE IS PROVIDED WITH HIS OWN PHOTOGRAPHER, SURELY THESE ANIMALS DESERVE ONE TOO. UM, PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. UH, PLEASE THINK ABOUT CREATING A POSITION DEDICATED TO THIS, AND PLEASE THINK ABOUT HIRING A NEW LEADERSHIP TO LEAD THE DEDICATED STAFF AND SHOW THEM THE WAY IM PROPER COMMUNICATION AS WE SAW MISCOMMUNICATIONS WITH THOSE KITTENS BEING EUTHANIZED. UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT ANIMAL CRUELTY WHERE THERE'S ANIMAL CRUELTY, THERE'S CRIME, UM, THEY GO HAND IN HAND. THE MORE WE IGNORE THESE VERY EASILY ATTAINABLE GOALS AND SOLUTIONS, THE MORE OUR CITY STAYS STAGNANT AND BEING A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I HOPE THAT ME BEING HERE CHANGED AT LEAST ONE MIND OR PROVIDED SOME INSIGHT, UH, REGARDING PHOTOGRAPHY. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE POSTS ON THE BARK VOLUNTEER PAGE THAT THEY'RE SHARING. THEY DON'T GET TO MEET THE ANIMALS AND THE PHOTOS ARE SO BLURRY. YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE SOME OF THOSE DOGS. LIKE, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TRY AND SAVE THEM WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IF IT'S A BLACK DOG OR A BROWN DOG, OR YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL. UM, I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE OTHER PEOPLE IN RESCUE THAT THEY USE A WEBCAM TO TAKE PHOTOS. WE'LL, MAYBE JUST GET A BETTER PIXELATED WEBCAM THEN. UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. IT'S 2023, SO, UM, I'LL CUT, CUT MYSELF OFF THERE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I THINK THAT'S A, A REALLY INTERESTING POINT THAT I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD BEFORE. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS AND GREAT CUTE PICTURES OF DOGS AND CATS ARE GONNA MAKE THEM MOVE FASTER. ABSOLUTELY. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR GIVING ME THIS. YES, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL EMAILS BACK AND FORTH WITH ABOUT THE KITTEN SITUATION. MM-HMM . UM, DID, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING, DIRECTOR ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER THING? NO. OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU INDICATED. OKAY, GREAT. UM, WE WILL GET YOU SOME, WE HAVE YOUR INFORMATION. WE'LL GET YOU SOME, UM, MORE RESPONSE BACK ON THESE COMMENTS, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. VERY CONSTRUCTIVE. THANK YOU. I, I APPRECIATE ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY VERY MUCH. UM, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM KAREN ARABIA RAB. WE DON'T SEE HER ONLINE, SO WE'LL MOVE TO KAREN RAB. IF YOU'RE THERE ON A DIFFERENT NUMBER, LET ME KNOW. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO DR. REEN. HI. HELLO DOCTOR. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE. UH, THE FACTS I WILL MENTION ARE IN GOOD FAITH AND INTENDED TO BE PRESENTED AS A MEANS TO SEEK SOLUTIONS. I DO A LOT OF WORK WITH KAZ ARE 3%. TEAM HAS T AND ANDD OVER 800 CATS IN THE NORTHSIDE VILLAGE AREA. THAT'S 7 7 0 0 9 ZIP CODE. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THREE SPECIFIC TOPICS TODAY. BACH IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING YEAR NOTCHED FRIENDLY CATS INTO THE SHELTER. THEY HAVE LIMITED APPOINTMENTS TO TWO PER PERSON PER WEEK FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE. AND THE RETURN TO WILD LIST NO LONGER ACCEPTING YOUR NOTCHED FRIENDLY CATS INTO BACH AND LIMITING APPOINTMENTS TO TWO PER PERSON PER WEEK ARE TWO POLICY CHANGES. BACH MADE EARLY THIS YEAR WITH NO PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THESE RULES, BUT RATHER THROUGH A PHONE CALL AND EMAILS TO A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, ME INCLUDED. THE RATIONALE PROVIDED WAS A YEAR NOTCH MEANS THAT THE CAT HAD ALREADY BEEN TNR BASED ON INDUSTRY STANDARDS. AS WE ALL KNOW, HOUSTON HAS A UNIQUE HOMELESS CAT CRISIS INSTEAD OF UPHOLDING INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND F AND FOLLOWING, EXCUSE ME, CAN WE NOT CONSIDER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE? I HAVE IDEAS. PLEASE REVERSE THIS RULE AS IT IS DISCRIMINATORY AND FURTHER MARGINALIZES THE PEOPLE WHO TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY STERILIZING THEIR CATS, BUT MAY LONG NO LONGER BE IN A POSITION TO CARE FOR THEM REGARDING LIMITING APPOINTMENTS TO TWO PER PERSON PER WEEK, THE RATIONALE WAS THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY CANCELLATIONS AND CITIZENS WERE UNABLE TO GET APPOINTMENTS AND OR THAT BACH IS UNDERSTAFFED. IF THERE ARE TOO MANY CANCELLATIONS FOR INTAKE APPOINTMENTS, PENALIZE THOSE PEOPLE, NOT EVERYONE. AND IF THE AVERAGE CITIZENS GETTING APPOINTMENTS IS THE CONCERN, THEN BACH IS TO DO A BETTER JOB MAKING THAT CALENDAR MORE ACCESSIBLE. MOREOVER, CURRENTLY, IF SOMEONE CANCELS THAT SLOT DOES NOT REAPPEAR AGAIN ON THE CALENDAR, YOU CAN CHANGE THAT. AND IF STAFF SHORTAGES ARE THE ISSUE, THEN LIMITED APPOINTMENTS SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN DONE FOR DOGS. BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. ONLY CAT RESCUERS RECEIVED THAT EMAIL. I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE CLANDESTINE MYSTERIOUS RTW, WHICH IS THE RETURN TO WILD LIST TO BE MADE PUBLIC. THIS IS ONE LIST WHICH LEAVES BACH WITH IMPUNITY TO TNR. ANY CAT THEY DEEM ELIGIBLE OFTEN WITHOUT A CALM DOWN PERIOD. THESE DECISIONS ARE NOT BEING MADE BY STAFF WHO ARE CAT BEHAVIOR SPECIALISTS AND THEREFORE IS A DISASTROUS OUTCOME FOR ANY CAT THAT GETS ON THAT LIST. I HAVE SOLUTIONS TO ALL THESE ISSUES. SEND THE RTW LIST TO COLONY MANAGERS LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE REGISTERED WITH BACH. IF THESE ARE CATS WE HAVE BROUGHT IN, WE CAN PICK THEM UP AND [00:45:01] TAKE THEM BACK TO THEIR COLONIES AND SAVE YOU ALL THE TROUBLE. AND GET THOSE CATS SAFELY BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG WITH DEDICATED FEEDERS FOR YOUR NOTCHED CATS, ALLOW RESCUERS TO BRING IN A COPY OF THE PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE SIGNED IF YOU NEED THAT, AND HELP US HELP THE COMMUNITY TO GET THEIR CATS INTO BROCK IF THEY CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR THEM. OPERA COLONY MANAGERS. MORE THAN TWO APPOINTMENTS PER WEEK SINCE WE ARE WORKING WITH MORE CATS THAN YOUR AVERAGE CITIZEN, AS I SAID. AND I WILL WRAP UP. I COME IN PEACE. I SEEK SOLUTIONS EVERY TIME YOU HAVE SHIFTED THE GOALPOSTS. WE HAVE WORKED WITH IT, BUT YOUR ACTIONS HAVE BECOME, HAVE COME ACROSS AS REDUCTIVE AND RETRIBUTIVE WHEN ALL I WANT TO SEE IS COLLABORATIVE, EFFECTIVE, WORKABLE SOLUTIONS. AS A SHELTER, YOU CAN DO BETTER FOR CATS. I HOPE MY COMMENTS HERE TODAY DO NOT AMOUNT TO FURTHER PENALIZATION FOR CATS. I'M WILLING TO OFFER MY TIME TO SIT WITH MANAGEMENT AND DISCUSS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE UNIQUE HOMELESS CAT CRISIS WE FIND HERE IN HOUSTON. THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM AND APPRECIATE YOUR OFFERING YOUR OWN SELF AND YOUR OWN TIME. IF YOU COULD SEND THOSE COMMENTS, YOU WERE READING THEM, IF YOU COULD SEND THEM TO ME SO I CAN, UM, WORK WITH BARK ON SOME OF THE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS THAT YOU PUT FORWARD. UM, I'M, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO TRY TO HELP THAT WAY. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM TERRY CONWELL CONWELL, WHO'S VIRTUAL, DON'T SEE HER ONLINE. SO NEXT FROM AMANDA TAYLOR, ALSO VIRTUAL, NOT SEEING ONLINE. AND NOW BARBARA QUATRO. WE DO SEE YOU ONLINE. BARBARA CUATRO FROM A LEAVE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING, CALLIE. GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO KNOW, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY, ANY PLANS TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT MANDATORY SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, CONDITIONS FOR EVERYBODY EXCEPT LICENSED BREEDERS WITHIN, UH, HOUSTON, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON LIMITS LIMIT. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY PLANS FOR THAT, FOR MANDATING THAT MANDATING, UH, MICROCHIPPING, UH, WAS SEVERAL YEARS IN THE MAKING, BUT I AM OPEN TO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME, BARBARA, ABOUT OTHER, UH, JURISDICTIONS AND CITIES THAT DO THAT? UH, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME IN, IN KANSAS. UH, UM, THE RESCUE WHERE I FOSTER HAS TALKED TO PEOPLE THERE ABOUT THAT. BUT, UH, LISTENING TO ALL THE PEOPLE, UH, COMMENTING AND, AND READING THE STATISTICS, AND I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THE SPEAKER THAT SAYS WE CANNOT ADOPT OUR WAY OUT OF THIS MESS. AND, AND ALL THESE DOGS THAT ARE ROAMING, UH, THE STREET. UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO, UM, PAY ATTENTION UNTIL, UNTIL SOME, SOME CHILD GETS MAULED. UH, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING. ADOPTION IS, IS, IS NOT, IS NOT THE ANSWER. AND, UH, AND I KNOW YOU ARE BURNED OUT. YOU AND I KNOW YOU CERTAINLY DO YOUR PART, UM, IN RESCUE, IN THE RESCUE WORLD. AND, UM, I'M MORE HAPPY TO, MY TEAM'S HAPPY TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT, ON, ON THE MANDATING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S NORMALLY NOT A TOWN THAT LIKES MANDATES. UM, WE LIKE INCENTIVES. WE DID MANDATE MICROCHIPPING, BUT, UH, I AGREE THERE IS, IT IS GONNA BE REALLY HARD TO ADOPT OUR WAY OUT OF THIS. THERE ARE TOO MANY STRAY DOGS AND EVEN WITH OUR AGGRESSIVE SPAY AND NEUTER EFFORTS AND EXTRA FUNDING, WE'RE STILL NOT, NOT GETTING TO NEARLY ENOUGH ANIMALS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP AFTER WE LEARN ABOUT, UM, THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY, UH, MOVEMENT TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION THOUGH, TO ANSWER YOUR DIRECT QUESTION. OH, OKAY. BUT HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT FURTHER. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM MARY FRANCIS RENNER. DON'T SEE HER ONLINE. WE HAVE A SPEAKER IN TWO SPEAKERS IN CHAMBER THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FIRST. DOUG SMITH. I DO SEE HIM. GOOD MORNING. UH, AND THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME HERE, SO , UM, I HAVE TWO OR THREE THINGS I WANNA MENTION. FIRST OF ALL, THE AILEY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. BARBARA WAS JUST ONLINE. WE HAVE THROUGH A PROGRAM WITH THE EMPTY SHELTER, UH, SPAYED AND NEUTERED OVER 2000 ANIMALS IN THE LAST, UH, TWO AND A HALF TO THREE YEARS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD, AND THERE WAS A COMMENT IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT AN ADOPTION PROGRAM WITH THE EMPTY SHELTER PROGRAM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THE CITY COULD SUPPORT EITHER US OR DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE EMPTY SHELTER TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM IN OUR AREA. BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL, AS I SAID, 2000 ANIMALS THAT NO [00:50:01] LONGER CAN REPRODUCE. AND IT'S ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT PROGRAM. IT TAKES A HUGE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS. AND, UH, WE NEED HELP TO, TO EXCUSE ME, TO CONTINUE DOING THAT. THEN I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION. FIRST OF ALL, I ALSO HAVE TO SAY I HAVE FOUR DOGS AND I LOVE ANIMALS. AND HEARING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD TODAY, UH, ARE VERY UPSETTING. UH, AND I CAN'T, I WOULD ASSUME THEY'RE TRUE, BUT IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THEY'RE TRUE. BUT IN ANY CASE, UH, I WANTED TO, UH, THEY, THEY TALK ABOUT THE SPAY SPAYED OR NEUTERED 7,000 ANIMALS AND 4,000 OF THOSE WERE DONE IN HOUSE. I'M WONDERING WHERE THE REST OF THEM WERE DONE. UH, WHAT OUTSIDE SOURCE THEY USE. AND THEN THE COMMENT ABOUT LIMITED RESOURCES. I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR CITIZENS TO REALIZE. THEY CALL IN TO REPORT BARKING DOGS OR STRAY DOGS. AND BASED ON WHAT I SAW IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE OF LIMITED RESOURCES. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR CITIZENS. UH, THEY GET FRUSTRATED. THEY SHOULD BE TOLD AT, IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY SHOULD BE TOLD AT THE TIME THEY CALL IN THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE BECAUSE THAT APPEARS TO BE THE CASE. AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WHAT IS MANAGED INTAKE AS FAR AS IF YOU FIND A PET, A STRAY DOG, AND YOU WANT TO, UH, BRING IT IN, WHAT IS MANAGED IN INTAKE? AND THE COMMENT WAS ALSO MADE, MOST OF THE NEW ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER ARE FROM THEIR OWN STAFF, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING CITIZENS TO BRING ANIMALS IN. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. RIGHT? AND I CAN GET YOU ANSWERS ON THAT. UM, AS FOR THE EMPTY SHELTER PROJECT, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I'VE, I'VE BEEN TO, I'VE SEEN THOSE IN ACTION. I'VE BEEN TO THE ONE IN DENVER HARBOR. I'VE SUPPORTED THE ONE IN A LEAVE. AND WE, THE CITY HAS SUPPORTED THOSE SPAY AND NEUTER EFFORTS. UM, WE DO SPAY AND NEUTER EFFORTS AND, AND WE GET PAID A LOT OF THE ARPA MONEY TOWARDS MORE SPAY AND NEUTER NEUTER EFFORTS. UM, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY AGGRESSIVE IN THAT, SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO SPAY AND NEUTER. SO THAT IS, UM, WHAT I'M ASSUMING ARE THE ADDITIONAL SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, NUMBERS THAT WERE PRESENTED. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU. CHAIR TH THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. UM, YEAH, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO, UH, WHAT THE CHAIRWOMAN WAS MENTIONING, UM, THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, WITH, WITH DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, I ALWAYS GIVE $10,000 TO HELP WITH THE VOUCHERS TO GET, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER. UH, AND LIKE I HAD MENTIONED, UH, TO FORMER MAYOR PARKER, AS WELL AS MAYOR TURNER, UH, IF THE CITY CAN JUST PROVIDE FREE OR LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTERING, UH, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE TARGETED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE HAVING THE ISSUES WITH THE STRAY DOGS, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PET OWNERS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE GIVING OUT THESE VOUCHERS ON A SATURDAY MORNING, THERE IS, THERE IS A LONG LINE OF PET OWNERS WAITING TO GET THEIR VOUCHER TO GO DO THE RIGHT THING. UH, BUT, BUT MANY OF THESE COMMUNITIES ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. UH, AND WHEN THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR RENT, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR LIGHT BILL. THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR GAS BILL, THEY HAVE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, SPAY AND NEUTERING THEIR PET IS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO DO UNLESS THEY HAVE ASSISTANCE. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO TARGET THIS, UH, TO PROVIDE FREE OR LOW COST BEING NEUTERING AND TARGETED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HAVING THESE PROBLEMS WITH STRAY DOGS OR PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING IT, WHICH IS OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH, WHICH WE DO. AND IF YOU'RE ELECTED MAYOR, UH, I WILL COME TO YOU TO SEE ADDITIONAL NO. TO SEE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT YOUR, YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOUG. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMING. AND NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM BECKY BEST BARK SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD. SHE IS ON THE BARK SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD. WELCOME, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, MEMBER OF, UH, OUR RESIDENT OF DISTRICT G AND AS YOU SAID, I'M ON THE BARK ADVISORY, UH, COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE GULF COAST ANIMAL WELFARE ALLIANCE. UM, WE HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT NO KILL AND HOW WE NEED TO, UH, BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT EUTHANIZING. AND I THINK EVERYBODY STANDS BEHIND WANTING LESS EUTHANASIA. BUT WE CAN'T KID OURSELVES TO THINK THAT IF WE'RE NOT LETTING ANIMALS IN TO KEEP THE NUMBERS LOW, THAT THEY'RE NOT DYING. THEY'RE JUST DOING IT ON THE STREET MORE SLOWLY BY BEING HIT BY CARS, STARVING, DYING OF, UH, DISEASES AND SUCH. THIS IS A HUGE COMMUNITY CRISIS. IT'S NOT UP TO BARK TO FIX IT. THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF FOR YEARS. THEY CAN'T FIX IT EITHER. IT HAS TO START AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL. THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE NOT BEING CAREFUL ABOUT SPAYING AND NEUTERING, OR IF THEY CHOOSE TO NOT TO PAY A NEUTER, ARE LETTING THEIR ANIMALS ROAM AND RE, UH, PROCREATE AND ADD TO THE PROBLEM. WE NEED TO SHUT THIS DOWN AT THE SOURCE, AND THAT'S THE COMMUNITY. AND UNTIL THE COMMUNITY STARTS TAKING THIS [00:55:01] MORE SERIOUSLY, WE'RE NEVER GONNA DIG OUT. AND SO WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, PHILANTHROPISTS, TO STEP UP AND WORK ALONGSIDE OF US BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S NEVER GOING TO GET BETTER. AND ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE LEAVING MORE ANIMALS INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PET STORES ARE STARTING TO ALLOW ANIMALS TO GO OUT UN NEUTERED, UM, TEMPORARILY, UM, THE PROBLEM CAN GET MUCH WORSE. SO WE REALLY NEED TO START REALLY TAKING SERIOUSLY, UH, MORE POSITIVE ACTION OF WORKING TOGETHER. THAT'S WHAT THE ALLIANCE IS TRYING TO DO. UM, BARK IS A MEMBER OF THAT ALONG WITH, UH, 15 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL START COMING TO THE TABLE WITH SOLUTIONS TO BE A PART OF THIS. 'CAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER AND THE ANIMALS DESERVE BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL REALLY GOOD POINTS. WAIT, HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT PLEASE. WE HAVE A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU FIRST. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU DOCTOR. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD. WE APPRECIATE THAT. UM, SINCE BEING ON THE ADVISORY BOARD, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT IS BARK DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AT? I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK ON, UM, TAKING GOOD CARE OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE IN THEIR CARE. I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE DOING MORE, UM, OUTREACH. UM, AS, AS THEY SAID, THEY'RE SHORT STAFFED THERE. AND TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, OUR PER CAPITA FUNDING IS WAY LOWER THAN MOST OTHER CITIES. SO THEY'RE REALLY HAVING TO WORK ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY MIGHT THINK. SO I THINK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO BE AS CREATIVE AND THRIFTY AS POSSIBLE, UM, TO STRETCH THE, THE DOLLARS THAT THEY DO HAVE, UH, TO TRY TO MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE THEY CAN. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, AGAIN, BEING ON COUNCIL FOR 10 YEARS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO, OR I SUBMITTED A, AN AMENDMENT BACK UNDER THE PARK ADMINISTRATION INCREASING BARK'S BUDGET BY A MILLION DOLLARS. AND THAT WAS SOME TIME AGO. THAT WAS QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO. UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IS IS BARK PERFECT? NO, BUT, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, WITH THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE, THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN. UH, AND IT IS US, THE CITY THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE. UH, AND AGAIN, I, I CANNOT STRESS THAT WE NEED TO TARGET CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN, IN, IN THE HOUSTON AREA THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH STRAY DOGS. WE NEED TO PROVIDE A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GO AND GET THEIR DOGS AND CATS SPAYED AND NEUTERED, UH, BECAUSE IT'S MOSTLY ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, AND, AND, AND, AND AS CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE. AND I SAW IT YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS OUT AT PLEASANTVILLE. I HAD GONE TO A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING THERE LAST NIGHT. YOU SAW A COUPLE WALKING ON THE STREET FOR EXERCISE AND, AND, AND THE GENTLEMAN HAD A BIG STICK, A BIG STICK FOR PROTECTION FROM A STRAY DOG THAT MIGHT COME UP TO THEM. AND, AND, AND AND, AND, AND AS CHAIR OF QUALITY OF LIFE, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE RESIDENTS LIVE IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY HAVE TO CARRY A BIG STICK, THEY WANNA WALK AROUND THE BLOCK FOR EXERCISE AND THEN YOU GO TO SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO CARRY THAT BIG STICK. AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. I WOULD AGREE. I THINK THERE'S A EQUITY PIECE HERE THAT'S RARELY DISCUSSED, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, AS YOU SAID, AND THEY TEND TO BE UNDER RESOURCED. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE FEELING IT THE MOST. WE'VE SEEN STUDIES FOR, YOU KNOW, YEARS THAT HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND IT STILL, UH, GOES UNCHECKED. SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE RESOURCES THAT NEED TO GO INTO CERTAIN AREAS TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO HELP THE PEOPLE. I THINK EDUCATION'S GONNA BE A BIG PIECE OF THAT TOO, JUST TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, VALUE ANIMALS MORE. UM, AT THIS POINT THERE ARE MORE OF A NUISANCE AND AT, YOU KNOW, EQUALS MORE CRUELTY, WHICH EQUALS MORE CRIME. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF BENEFITS THAT WILL COME WHEN WE SIT AT THE TABLE TOGETHER AND WORK ON SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF FINGER POINTING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. IT'S GONNA COME DOWN TO A LOT OF EDUCATION AND, AND I LIKE THE TARGETED APPROACH. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS. ARE THERE ANY ONES THAT I CALLED BEFORE? IF YOU'RE ONLINE, I THINK WE MISSED CHRISTINE ROOF. KIM MITCHELL. KIM MITCHELL. KAREN, KAREN ARBY. TERRY CONWELL. HI, THIS IS KRISTEN. OKAY, I HAVE SOMEBODY. STATE YOUR NAME. I CAN HEAR YOU. HI, THIS IS, OH, HELLO, I, THIS IS KRISTEN REVY. I APOLOGIZE, I COULDN'T UM, UNMUTE. UNMUTE BEFORE. GREAT. NO PROBLEM. GO AHEAD. SO I'VE BEEN A FOSTER AT BARK FOR NEONATAL KITTENS FOR SEVERAL YEARS ALONG WITH KELSEY. SO A LOT OF MY CONCERNS ARE THE SAME. OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE, UH, BARK OUTREACH STAFF, THERE WERE, WERE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE STAFF THAT REALLY CARED AND REACHED OUT [01:00:01] AND WOULD CALL US. AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WE'VE LOST A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE, EITHER BY RESIGNATION OR BEING REMOVED. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BARK SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE WE ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES THAT REALLY CARE AND WHO WANT TO MAKE BARK A BETTER PLACE. MAYBE TRY TO ENGAGE AND REWARD EMPLOYEES AND ASK FOR THEIR INPUT. UM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IS A LOT OF STUFF COMES FROM THE TOP DOWN. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ON THE GROUND SPEAKING UP TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES. UM, THE BARK MOTTO IS, WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT ANIMALS. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PUBLIC, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT, UM, HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT BARK AND I, I DON'T LIKE HEARING THAT BECAUSE I DO A LOT OF WORK AND TRY TO SAVE ANIMALS IN. SO PERHAPS MAYBE, UH, SOME SORT OF AN AUDIT COULD BE RUN A SELF-AUDIT OF BARK TO FIND OUT HOW TO ATTRACT AND KEEP EMPLOYEES WHO ACTUALLY CARE AND TO TRY TO GET MORE FUNDING FROM THE CITY. I THINK THAT IF WE HAD A BETTER SALARY, MORE OPEN COMMUNICATION, UM, THAT WE COULD MAKE BARK A BETTER PLACE. IF AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GOT INTO BARC TODAY AND RAN A, UM, YOU KNOW, STORY ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON, WILL WE BE EMBARRASSED BY THE RESULTS? I THINK THAT OUR CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THAT IF BARK CAN'T HANDLE ANIMALS AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO ACCEPT KITTENS, THAT THEY SHOULD EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BRINGING 'EM IN THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE PUT DOWN WITHIN AN HOUR OR TWO. WHICH IF I WERE A CITIZEN, I WOULD TAKE THE KITTEN AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE RATHER THAN JUST HAVE BARK ACCEPT THEM IN AND HAVE THE PUBLIC BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF. I WANT BARK TO BE THE BEST PLACE WE CAN BE AS UM, I'M QUITE PROUD OF THE WORK WE ALL DO. ANOTHER ITEM TO GET MORE FUNDING AND DONORS IS PERHAPS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT ANY TIME MONEY SU SUPPLIES THAT WE GIVE TO BART COULD POTENTIALLY BE A TAX WRITE OFF. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ANY OTHER SPEAKER THAT WE'VE CALLED WHO WE'VE CALLED THAT WASN'T ABLE TO GET ON HEARING? NO ONE. I, I DO WANNA THANK BARK. I THINK, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE TODAY. UH, I DO THINK THAT WE UNDERFUND BARK AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE THEY HAVE TO TAKE IN THESE PETS AND WE HAVE TO GET, UM, WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE IT IN ORDER TO REALLY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THE SPAY AND NEUTER ISSUE ISN'T, IS, UH, VITAL AND, AND I THANK BARK FOR THE GOOD WORK THEY'RE DOING. IT'S A REALLY, REALLY HARD JOB. UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION DIRECTOR ON THE CORRECT NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT YOU WOULD NEED FOR THE 300 ANIMALS. JUST, I DIDN'T DO THE MATH IN MY HEAD, BUT WHAT, WHAT, HOW MANY, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT OPEN POSITIONS, BUT HOW MANY WOULD IT TAKE TO WELL, THE FORMULA, THE FORMULA THAT WE, IT'S ON, IT'S ON NOW. YEAH. THE FORMULA THAT WE PUT UP EARLIER IS FOR THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE NOW AND THAT GETS 1 92. SO IF WE CAN HOLD, IF WE'RE HOLDING 300 DOGS, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A 50% INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS. YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE, THAT CARE FOR THE ANIMALS AND THE TOTAL STAFF THAT WORK WITH THE ANIMALS NOW IS HOW MANY? 30 PER, WELL, IT'S 12 PER SHIFT, BUT OVERALL WHAT WE, BUT WHEN YOU HIRE ON MORE PEOPLE TO CARE WATER AND FEED, THEN YOU GOTTA HAVE ALL THE OTHER SUPPORT THINGS INVOLVED, RIGHT. YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE MORE OUTREACH PEOPLE, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE, THE VETERINARIAN AND MEDICAL TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET THESE ANIMALS IN THE RIGHT WAY BEFORE WE LET THEM OUT. WITH THE INCREASED, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE NEW SPACE THAT'S COMING, THERE WILL BE YOU, I THINK YOU STATED THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE NEW CAGES, THERE'S GONNA BE THE SAME AMOUNT, YOU WILL STILL BE HAVING 300 CAGES. I KNOW. ALL THIS HASN'T BEEN DECIDED. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER UNTIL WE SIT DOWN AND SORT OF GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE. OKAY. WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND THE ARCHITECT THAT'S CHOSEN. RIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO YOU WOULD REALLY NEED, ESSENTIALLY NEED A STAFF OF 24 PER SHIFT INSTEAD OF 12 PER SHIFT, NIKKI? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, IT'D BE, YEAH. LIKE BE LIKE 18 'CAUSE IF WE GO TO 1 92, UP TO 300, RIGHT. OKAY. YEAH, ABOUT 18 PER SHIFT. OKAY. AND HOW MANY OPENINGS? I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT MANY, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS OPERATED AT, AT A LESSER AMOUNT THAN WE'VE EVER, YOU KNOW RIGHT. WE'VE ALWAYS MADE IT WORK, BUT RIGHT. IDEALLY THERE SHOULD BE MORE. OKAY. WE'VE KNOWN THAT, WE'VE KNOWN THAT SINCE I GOT THERE 11 YEARS AGO, BUT WE'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, GET ANY MORE MONEY TO DO IT. AND I AGREE WITH THE SPEAKER WHO SAID, BART CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK OF ALL THE [01:05:01] VOLUNTEERS AND THE FOSTER GROUPS. UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY. MY STAFF'S BEEN TAKING NOTES. WE WILL REPLY TO GET RESPONSES FOR MANY OF THE SPEAKERS. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, BARK AND ITS STAFF AND EVERYTHING YOU DO. THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, A REALLY HARD JOB. I APPRECIATE THE, THE CHART THAT YOU PUT UP AND I THINK, DOUG, IT WAS YOU THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN NUMBER FOUR OR FIVE, NOBODY'S COMING. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOTTA BE, I MEAN, IT'S GOTTA BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR, FOR US TO RESPOND, UM, EARLY. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW AND TO JUST GET, DO A LOT MORE EDUCATION AROUND SPAY AND NEUTER AND REALLY LOOK INTO WHAT WE CAN DO TO FURTHER THOSE EFFORTS. SO EVERYBODY THANK YOU FOR THIS AND I APPRECIATE IT. WE WILL BE MEETING AGAIN. WE'RE, UM, SKIPPING JULY AND WE'LL MEET AGAIN UM, AUGUST, TUESDAY, AUGUST 8TH AT 10:00 AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THIS MEETINGS ADJOURNED. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.