Save Petaluma's Animal Shelter

Dear Friends of Petaluma Animals,
 
The City of Petaluma faces incredible challenges in creating a fair and balanced budget this fiscal year. City and state governments have the unenviable task of meeting the needs of the people in the midst of an agonizing recession.  The City of Petaluma has entertained the option to outsource Petaluma Animal Services to outside municipalities and/or non-profit groups in hopes to cut costs.  We created a Petaluma based non-profit to respond to this request, offering the City annual savings of $150,000, with absolutely no reduction in services to the people of Petaluma or the animals. Many police positions could be saved with this $150K.

The City of Petaluma put out a proposal request to Marin Humane and Sonoma County Animal Care and Control. Both of these shelter options means Petaluma shelter operations would be headquartered out of town. This is not acceptable. The Petaluma Animal Shelter enjoys broad based financial, volunteer and community support from Petaluma residents. We believe our shelter needs to stay right here. We will remain an open admission shelter.
Budget chaos and constant threats of layoffs hurts our shelter and makes it impossible to plan, staff properly, or meet the health/behavior needs of the animals. We believe the shelter exists for the direct benefit of the animals we serve. The Petaluma Animal Shelter is not intended to be a budget pawn, a government salary/pension guarantor, or staffing experiment. We created a sustainable business model based on market rate salaries and benefits in line with non-profits and private sector jobs. PASF pitched a 5 year contract in order to stabilize the shelter, harmonize and streamline staff duties according to what the animals need for optimal care. This is a significant management change our shelter needs now. We aim to be excellent partners with all City officials. We will meet and exceed their expectations.
The Petaluma Animal Shelter Foundation offers Petaluma officials and tax payers a proposal which includes the following:
   -        Savings of $150,000, realized by realigning job duties with current market-bearing compensation and benefits. $750,000 savings over 5 years
-        Staffing flexibility to respond to the ever changing needs of the shelter
-        Retain present Registered Veterinary Technician position to give shelter animals adequate, necessary and basic medical care on a daily basis for life of our contract
-        Retention of current life-saving programs, continuing to lower our euthanasia rate
-        Increased non-profit access to non-profit grant opportunities
-        Increased services to our animal community: help desk for residents to help resolve pet issues, increased off-site adoption events, social media presence, spay and neuter services
-        Petaluma Animal Shelter Foundation would provide sheltering services under a standard non-profit model as the municipal business model doesn%u2019t work in our community
-        Creates a local solution and prevents outsourcing to other counties
-        Provides a five year, sustainable business plan for the animal shelter to exist and thrive for the benefit of the homeless, healthy, adoptable animals and support the animals in need of vet care and behavior rehab
.  Despite this long list of important benefits, the City has chosen to wait on this proposal and in doing so they're asking the animals and citizens to maintain what is not working for the animals or the community by paying for municipal services. Please join us in asking the City Council to consider our proposal now and allow it to be discussed at the next City Council meeting.  By signing this petition you will be asking them to consider a local solution and prevent outsourcing to other counties, stop government budget chaos and layoff threats, and allow our shelter to become the national model it can be. We must innovate in animal care and that's the PASF mission. 

  For more information please see our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/petalumaanimalservicesfoundation