LV shelter a model for saving lives

A city known more for its gangsters than its philanthropists has become a national model in trying to ensure that every adoptable animal within its limits lives.

Las Vegas, and its animal shelter named the Animal Foundation, was featured last week on USA Today's front page. Since then the shelter has been inundated with calls from other national media as well as several shelters around the country wanting to know about the foundation's success in battling the war on pet overpopulation.

Two years ago, the Animal Foundation was given the contract to shelter the animals brought in by the city's animal control officers. Before that, the city's contract was with the Dewey Animal Center, which now handles Clark County's animal control services.

Since starting its contract with the city, the Animal Foundation has been spaying or neutering every animal that leaves its doors and has set up low-cost spay and neuter clinics in Los Angeles and Dallas.

"When we did a presentation in Texas about our system, the city council there said it best," Mary Herro, president of the Animal Foundation said. "You've got to shut off the faucet before you can clean up the mess."

To accommodate this goal, the Animal Foundation sets up a sort of assembly-line for spaying and neutering the animals that end up at the shelter. Greater efficiency allows more animals to be operated on, Herro said.

She also provides low-cost surgeries for pets that are brought in. More than 100,000 animals have been spayed or neutered by the center to date. Spaying female dogs costs between $25 and $40, male dogs $20 and $25 and cats are only $10 for males and $20 for females. To compare, most veterinarians in the city charge well over $100.

In addition, the foundation has started an aggressive animal adoption campaign and included such partners in those efforts as the Hard Rock Cafe and PetSmart.

The city of Las Vegas also has kicked in by passing a series of ordinances that allow animal control officers to return animals licensed with the city to their homes before bringing them to the pound.

This week, the city also has included pictures and profiles of adoptable animals on its website as a way to solicit potential owners.

The new system seems to work. Last year, out of 19,760 animals brought in, 8,448 were adopted -- up from 6,073 in 1996 and significantly up from 1,280 in 1995 when the city's contract was with Dewey.

To adopt an animal at the foundation, residents pay $35 for cats and $50 for dogs. All of the animals to be adopted have been vaccinated and neutered or spayed. People wanting to adopt an animal are required to fill out information forms and prove their home allows pets.

The number of animals euthanized also is down, and the foundation's percentages are below the national average with only 33 percent being killed -- compared to 63 percent nationally.

When animals are brought in to the shelter, owners are charged for boarding the animal. If the owners are unable to pay the fee, they can instead watch a video on pet care.

But despite its noble efforts, the Animal Foundation hasn't received all glowing praise.

Low-cost spay neuter clinics in Los Angeles run by the Animal Foundation have actually caused some controversy among animal-rights activists who criticize the programs assembly-line style of surgery.

Further criticism has come from the city of Las Vegas in the form of an audit conducted last year.

In its report, the city's auditor pointed out that the shelter was overcrowded -- almost doubling the number of animals the previous contractor had -- because of the foundation's attempts to lower euthanasia rates.

"We want to save lives," said Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, an animal lover and proponent of the no-kill plan. "I've been really pleased with the work of the Animal Foundation. I think their adoption rate shows they've done a heck of a job."

Other problems the city auditor uncovered were financial. Fees weren't always collected or recorded for services, and the city didn't receive monthly financial reports.

Since the audit, Herro said the foundation has complied with everything the city's asked for.

Some local groups -- the Animal Foundation's competitors -- have accused the organization of altering definitions to make the numbers look good.

The key word is "adoptable." The foundation killed 6,569 animals last year -- all but 615 were listed as unadoptable.

Herro contends that other shelters have no right to criticize, since unlike her facility, they can pick and choose which animals to take.

"We have to take every animal that comes here," she said.

What happens when a pet isn't adopted?

Herro contends any basically healthy animal that isn't a behavior problem can be adopted -- even a 3-legged pit bull recently found a home. And the facility does everything it can to find an animal a home, even putting the "last day on earth" sign on a cage for longer than one day. But, as she pointed out, some animals were euthanized last year because there just wasn't enough room for them.

Which brings up another component of the Animal Foundation's efforts.

Across the street, ground has been broken for a new, $4 million facility that would (if the numbers stayed the same) allow for more animals to live.

Herro said about $1 million has been raised, and that she's not waiting to get the rest of the money before starting the project.

"We'll just build what we can," she said. "I'm hoping that companies will help us by donating their time or supplies. I hope when people walk around the new shelter when its done, they are stunned by how the community came together."

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