April 11, 2008

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. -- A grassroots effort spreading across the country by way of animal caregivers demands changes to save animals. One shelter in the richest county in California has joined in the push to save and rehome 100 percent of the animals that .

More than 5,000 residents are part of the South County Animal Shelter Coalition (SCASC), which is pressuring its local city and county governments for an alternative to the existing Orange County shelter.

The current shelter run by Orange County Animal Care Services was built in 1941 to service the 200,000 residents who lived in the county at the time. Today, it serves more than 2.1 million residents, and admits 39,000 animals a year. It’s an “open shelter”, meaning, it accepts any and all animals. But SCASC founder Jean Bland said she and her members are reluctant to bring any stray or lost animals to the facility.

“The kill rate is so high… you’d rather take care of it yourself than take it to the shelter and having it killed because there’s a 50-50 chance it might not make it,” Bland said.

The kill rate at the county shelter is 46%. That’s why Bland herself has turned her Laguna Hills home into a haven for 21 animals that were lost or strayed: three dogs, four cats, two wild ducks, two owned ducks, three love birds, a mini macaw, an iguana and a horse. As generous as that may be, she and other coalition members don’t believe individual homeowners should have to turn their homes into shelters to save animals’ lives.

“We’re asking that no healthy, adoptable animals be killed for lack of space. If an animal is truly on its last leg and the only kind thing to do is euthanize them gently, that’s one thing. Or if it’s at risk because it’s aggressive and can’t be trained, then we understand,” Bland said.

Orange County Animal Care Services is located in the city of Orange. Bland said it’s an inconvenient location for residents who live in the south part of the county, like her coalition members do.

The group has lobbied city governments in Laguna Hills, Rancho San Margarita, Lake Forest and Alisa Viejo to combine resources and build a second shelter, or find an alternative to the county to service their cities, including contracting with city-based shelters in the south county including Mission Viejo, Irvine and Coastal (Dana Point and San Clemente).

City and elected officials have been reluctant to spend money on an alternative. It’s a decision coalition member Amber Woodcock who represents Rancho San Margarita, doesn’t understand.

“I think it’s falling on our officials’ heads. They’re not pushing for it the way our community is asking. Our residents need to step up and be more proactive and convince them this is needed in our community,” Woodcock said.

Bland said the group’s next step is voting officials out of office who don’t support their efforts. Coalition members said they’re also willing to work with the current county shelter management to change its philosophy and practices to transform the shelter into a no-kill one. So far, current shelter management has not taken them up on that offer.

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