REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF san Bernardino County
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 8, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title v
Microchip Donation from the Animals Are First Fund
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Accept a donation from the Animals aRe First Fund of 5,000 microchips valued at $27,000 to support the Department of Public Health, Animal Care and Control Program.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The donation of the microchips is valued at $27,000 and funded by the Animals aRe First Fund (ARFF). Adequate appropriation and revenue for the associated Animal Care and Control (ACC) operational staff time to process and utilize the donated microchips have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2021-22 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The DPH, ACC Program will use the donation from ARFF to provide microchips to 5,000 animals adopted at San Bernardino County operated shelters in Devore and Big Bear Lake at no cost to the adoptive or reunited families. Acceptance of this donation will support the Countywide Vision by promoting public/private collaboration and projects to help meet the health and human services needs of San Bernardino County residents. County Policy No. 06-01 and Standard Practice 06-04SP require approval by the Board of Supervisors to accept donations valued over $10,000.
The ACC Program provides a comprehensive array of services to pets and animal owners throughout San Bernardino County’s unincorporated areas and contract municipalities. These services include, but are not limited to: 1) providing field animal control services; 2) offering state mandated animal shelter and pet adopting services; 3) providing residents with public education and a spay/neuter voucher program; 4) effectively utilizing social media to encourage community engagement and awareness related to animal welfare and animal control concerns; 5) providing pet licensing and “at cost” rabies vaccination clinics/rabies control program; and 6) partnering with over 650 nonprofit, private sector animal rescue organizations to achieve one of the lowest pet euthanasia rates within animal shelter systems operated throughout San Bernardino County.
On November 23, 2021, DPH received notification that the ARFF Board of Directors approved the purchase of 5,000 microchips valued at $27,000 to support the ACC Program. ARFF was established in 2004 to provide support to the ACC Program and is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Per the provisions of ARFF’s Articles of Incorporation, funds raised by ARFF may be used to support the ACC Program and animals served by the ACC Program.
Microchipping a pet can assist the owner to locate their lost pet quickly. Microchips offer a safe method to identify the owner of a microchipped animal by utilizing a unique identification number, which is assigned to the respective microchip. Microchips are implanted under the pet’s skin and cannot become lost or misplaced like other forms of identification. Third party registration of the microchips can be obtained, but is not required. The ACC Program will maintain the microchip number and adoptive family information within their database. The microchip provider will refer inquiries regarding lost or found animals to the ACC Program for those microchips sold to ARFF and donated to the ACC Program. By providing “free” microchips to pets adopted or reunited from the County operated shelters in Devore and Big Bear Lake, the ACC Program will assist in the reunification of lost pets, which may be impounded at animal shelters.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Daniel Pasek, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 28, 2021; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on December 28, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on December 29, 2021.