Support your local animal shelter and urge the City of Alameda to approve the new budget proposal by Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS).

1. Fund FAAS Fairly
A Fair and Sustainable Partnership
With the City of Alameda

2. SOS:
From Save Our Shelter
To Sustain Our Shelter

3. 2011: Save Our Shelter
• In 2011, the City was spending $929,000 to run the shelter
• Decided to save $ by closing the shelter and outsourcing mandated
services
• Citizens of Alameda fought back
• City gave FAAS $300,000 w/annual increase based on CPI for 15 years
Outcome for FAAS:
• Running the shelter for five years, this is not sustainable
• Costs for animal services increased much faster than the CPI
• The city’s contribution has dropped to less than one third the total budget

4. $0
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
$800,000
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
$1,400,000
$1,600,000
$1,800,000
City Budget FY
2010-11
FY 2012-13
Actual
FY 20 13-14
Actual
FY 2014-15
Actual
FY 2015-16
Actual
Fy 2016-17
Current
FAAS Contribution
City Contribution
City’s share has shrunk
6-year budget summary

5. …and the city has not honored its
own contract
• Did not perform deferred maintenance ($170K) as promised
• Did not provide two part-time animal control officers as promised
These breaches of contract created increased costs for FAAS

6. How has FAAS been able to survive?
• Require staff to do multiple jobs
• Pay wages well below market rates
• Use volunteers for staff functions
• Spend one-time bequests for on-going operations
• Rely on increased In-kind donations
• Spend cash reserves
The result is high staff turnover and depletion of reserves

7. How has FAAS addressed the problem?
• January 2016: Informed the city that the public-private partnership was not
financially sustainable.
• April 2016: Began talks with the City Manager
• August 10, 2016: Submitted a proposal to the City Manager
• October 4, 2016: Presented at City Council meeting
• January 26, 2017: City counters FAAS’ proposal for the first time
• February 2, 2017: FAAS responded to City’s counter offer, adjusting our request to
$908,581
We have been diligent in our effort to work with city staff

8. 2017: Sustain Our Shelter
• Establish a new contract based on real costs
• Realign the City/FAAS partnership for shared fiscal responsibility:
• City provides the funding for essential services, as required of all
cities
• FAAS provides enhanced services that improve results

9. What are essential services?
The City of Alameda is required by state law and its own policy to:
• Operate a facility for stray and surrendered domesticated animals
• Maintain an appropriate standard of care
• Provide prompt medical treatment to injured animals
• Spay and neuter animals brought to the shelter
• Facilitate adoption of shelter animals
• Assure all domestic pets are licensed
• Dispose of dead animals
These are minimum requirements for municipal “dog pounds”

10. What are enhanced services?
• Extraordinary medical care
More animals adoptable
• Adoption promotions
More animals adopted
• Food pantry and new owner training
Fewer pets surrendered or returned
• Community Humane Education
FAAS is committed to raise funds to support enhanced services

11. The city would pay only the
cost of basic operations.
FAAS would pay for the rest.

12. What was the city’s counter proposal?
• Plan A – City funds FAAS to operate the shelter for $710,000
• $760,000 if FAAS hires workers from the Alameda Pt. Collaborative
• Plan B – City takes over shelter operations with the FAAS Board in advisory
capacity
• Plan C – City resumes shelter operations with no FAAS involvement
• The city does not believe it should be responsible for funding essential
services

13. What is our response to the
City proposal?
• Plan A is the only alternative we can accept
• But we could not run the animal shelter for $710,000
• We need at least $908,581 in city funding to survive
• The City would take back the processing of animal
licensing which would result in an estimated
$114,000 in revenue, bringing its cost to fund FAAS
down to $794,581
This a compromise we are willing to make in order
to keep the shelter open at a 96% live release rate.

14. If the city operated the shelter, its
costs would be the same as ours
… but with a smaller staff to care for
animals and 20% higher euthanasia
rate

15. Key components of high live release rate
• Medical rehab
• Behavioral rehab
• Robust volunteer program
• Robust foster program
• Fundraising and community outreach
• Comprehensive adoption program
• Excellent customer service
• Longer hours of operation

16. How can you help?
• Write to the Mayor, City councilmembers, the City Manager, and the
local media urging them to accept FAAS’s funding proposal. For their
contact information go to : Alamedaanimalshelter.org and click on
“Fairly Fund.”
Your visible public support makes a difference!