The Contra Costa County Animal Services confirmed Tuesday that it has ended its moratorium of owner surrendered animals after a 30-day period for evaluation.
The temporary freeze went into effect on February 3 in order to allow Animal Services to develop a program to help support families in keeping their animals in their homes.
According to Steve Burdo of Animal Services, a plan is now complete and those wishing to surrender their pets may do so by appointment only as opposed to the old way which was showing up and dropping off ones pet.
The hope is to reduce the number of animals brought into the shelter and instead find solutions for owners who wish to “give up” their pet.
“Under the leadership of our new Director, Beth Ward, Contra Costa County Animal Services Department is placing a strong emphasis on saving lives. Properly managing shelter population plays a significant role in ensuring the health and well-being of the animals in our care, improves our ability to place animals in safe, healthy homes and results in better overall outcomes for the animals,” explained Burdo. “While there are shelters across the country that choose to euthanize animals for space, CCCASD believes in taking more thoughtful approaches – such as our recent moratorium – that allow us to save lives rather than to take lives. We’re proud that the temporary moratorium on owner surrendered animals proved greatly effective in reducing our shelter population and allowed our Department adequate time to develop resources and a new process for accepting owner surrendered animals that will be better for County residents and animals.”
One concern the public had during the moratorium was they believed the policy would create more strays and overload Animal Services. Burdo says while that may be theory, numbers showed the policy actually reduced the number of animals in the shelter.
Burdo also highlighted that during the moratorium, they continued to receive and impound animals that were sick, injured or abandoned, as well as strays and animals that were confiscated as a result of active investigations or impounded by other law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County.
Animal Services new process for accepting owner surrendered animals focuses heavily on providing counseling and resources to pet owners that will support them in keeping their animals in their homes — a process that could take 30-minutes
Burdo says the new process will also allow CCCASD staff to learn important information about the animal from the owner, which will greatly increase the chances of re-homing the animal, if the owner still desires to surrender the animal after counseling and intervention.
Scheduling an Appointment:
If you are unable to find an alternative and must surrender your pet to the CCCASD, we will do all we can to provide your pet with the best possible outcome.
Admissions by Appointment will allow us to learn as much as we can about your pet so you can make an informed decision as to what is best for you and your pet.
Please e-mail [email protected] with the information below. (Tip – Copy and paste the questions in your email and include your responses.) You may be contacted by phone to schedule an appointment. ***Please provide a valid phone number that so that we can leave you a message, if we’re unable to reach you. After your appointment is scheduled you will be emailed a Pet Profile survey to be completed prior to coming to the shelter.
- Owner Information (to include: Name, Full Address – must show proof, Phone Number, E-mail Address)
- Pet’s General Information (to include, Sex, Spayed/Neutered?, Species/Breed, Age)
- Any Observed Medical Condition
- Any Observed Behavioral Concerns
- Reason for Owner Surrender – What has changed in your life or the pet’s life that you must consider giving up your pet?
- Please describe the type of home that would be a good fit for your pet
- Clear Picture of Pet w/ Minimal Background Distractions
- Timeline for Surrender
Please note the e-mailing of [email protected] does not guarantee placement of your pet. CCCASD will continue to make every effort to find a new home for your pet. Please be advised that owner surrendered pets become the property of the Contra Costa County immediately upon impound. As such, owner surrendered animals may be considered for adoption, transfer to rescue group, or humane euthanasia.
Response to your email request may be 3-5 days. Appointments and Kennel Space are limited at this time. Please continue to explore other placement options for your pet.
For more information, visit the Contra Costa County Animal Services website.
