400.08 disposition program euthanasia process

1. COUNTY OF ORANGE
HEALTH CARE AGENCY
REGULATORY HEALTH SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
Number: 400.08
SUBJECT: DISPOSITION PROGRAM- EUTHANASIA PROCESS Page: 1
Date:
Approved: Jennifer Phillips, Director Revised: 4/10/07
I. PURPOSE
To establish a uniform procedure for the disposition of animals through euthanasia.
II. POLICY
Orange County Animal Care Services (OCACS) provides pro-life, pro-adoption sheltering for
animals of every type. OCACS accepts all animals into its care including those with severe
medical and temperament issues and makes every attempt to place animals with suitable
adopters or Adoption Partners including rescue organizations and veterinarians. At no time
will any member of OCACS staff impose a maximum length of stay for any animal.
It is the policy of Orange County Animal Care Services (OCACS) to euthanize animals in a
humane manner by methods and techniques designed to cause as painless and rapid death as
possible.
III. SCOPE
Applicable to all OCACS personnel responsible for performing or assisting with euthanasia
procedures.
IV. FORMS
Chameleon Kennel Inventory of Dogs Report
Chameleon Station 3 and Cat Inventory Report
Chameleon Due Out Report
Chameleon Euthanasia-Pre Report
V. REFERENCES
Not applicable.
VI. DEFINITIONS
Euthanasia: Humane administration of a lethal injection
Adoption Partner Candidate: An animal recommended for adoption with an approved rescue or
veterinary clinic.
Hold or Retention Period: The length of time a shelter must legally hold an animal before
making it available for adoption.

2. COUNTY OF ORANGE
HEALTH CARE AGENCY
REGULATORY HEALTH SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
Number: 400.08
SUBJECT: DISPOSITION PROGRAM- EUTHANASIA PROCESS Page: 2
Date:
Approved: Jennifer Phillips, Director Revised: 4/10/07
Ketch-All: a type of hard, stiff leash used to capture and control aggressive animals
VII. PROCEDURE
If, at any time after the legal minimum retention period, an animal is determined to display
temperament issues that would make it unsafe to the public or to have a medical condition
which would significantly impact its quality of life, the animal may be identified as Not
Recommended for Adoption or as Adoption Partner Candidate (P&P 700.15). These animals
may be adopted by rescue organizations or transferred to veterinary clinics. The OCACS
Rescue Coordinator shall contact all applicable rescue organizations and veterinary clinics to
advise them of the availability of these animals. In the event that no rescue organization or
veterinary clinic accepts the animal, the animal may be euthanized.
OCACS accepts animals for owner-requested euthanasia provided those animals meet the
qualifications for immediate euthanasia: irremediable suffering/distress or known aggression or
bite documentation. In rare instances when lack of space inhibits OCACS ability to take in
animals, least adoptable animals may be euthanized to allow for the intake of others.
Euthanasia is a difficult and irreversible act. All euthanasia decisions and processes are
completed with extreme care and attention to detail.
A. Verification of Animal Count
1. Once kennel staff has taken a physical count of all animals at OCACS, the count
shall be recorded on a Kennel Inventory of Dogs List and on the Station 3 and
Cat Inventory.
2. The responsible employee(s) shall correct any discrepancies and locate
information on animals that have not been entered into the Chameleon system.
NOTE: The count must correctly balance before proceeding to the next step. If the
count does not balance, the process stops until the discrepancy is resolved.
B. Identification of Animals to be Euthanized
1. The Supervising Kennel Attendant (KA) or Chief of Shelter Services shall print
the Due Out report from the Chameleon System. The Due Out report identifies
animal retention period completion review as well as periodic follow-up review
dates.

3. COUNTY OF ORANGE
HEALTH CARE AGENCY
REGULATORY HEALTH SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
Number: 400.08
SUBJECT: DISPOSITION PROGRAM- EUTHANASIA PROCESS Page: 3
Date:
Approved: Jennifer Phillips, Director Revised: 4/10/07
2. The Supervising KA or Chief of Shelter Services and a member of the
Veterinary staff shall physically walk through the shelter and observe each
animal on the list assessing the animal for medical or temperament issues.
3. On completion of the walk-through, the Supervising KA shall create a list of
those animals to be euthanized.
4. Each animal on the list is then reviewed in Chameleon to verify that each animal
has, at minimum, met the legally required retention period, excluding day of
impound and holidays. Legal retention periods:
a. Unlicensed, unidentified animals: Four days following impound.
b. Licensed/owner known animals: Seven days following day of impound
c. Special Attention (those animals confiscated from owner due to cruelty
or neglect or due to owner illness, confinement, death or arrest):
Indefinite pending change of status by controlling agency (i.e. OCACS
Field Services, police department, city animal control agencies, etc.)
d. Quarantine Animals (those animals held for rabies observation because
they have bitten an animal or human or were bitten by an unvaccinated
domestic animal or a wild animal): Upon completion of applicable
quarantine period as determined by veterinary staff.
e. Transfer from outside vet: Must meet any applicable retention periods as
defined above. Retention period begins the day the animal arrives at the
shelter which may be different from the actual date of impound.
f. Owner-released animals: Four days following the date of impound.
5. The supervising KA shall review the animal’s complete animal history in the
Kennel Window of the Chameleon system. This includes all memos, original
activity entries, animal information, medical history, comments, history, intake
type, status, intake date, and due out date. If there are any special instructions or
information on the record that needs clarification or is questionable, the
supervising KA shall remove the dog from the list of animals set for euthanasia
until there are no remaining questions concerning the animal’s status.
6. The supervising KA shall print the Euthanasia-Pre Report from the
Chameleon System and provide a copy for the Veterinary staff to use during
euthanasia.
C. Euthanasia Process for Dogs
1. The supervising KA shall:

4. COUNTY OF ORANGE
HEALTH CARE AGENCY
REGULATORY HEALTH SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
Number: 400.08
SUBJECT: DISPOSITION PROGRAM- EUTHANASIA PROCESS Page: 4
Date:
Approved: Jennifer Phillips, Director Revised: 4/10/07
a. Stand in front of the applicable kennel and compare the kennel number
and the animal identification number to the information on the
Euthanasia-Pre report.
b. Verify the animal’s sex as indicated on the report
c. Compare any owner ID tag, rabies tag, or dog license information on the
dog to the information on the report.
d. Check collar for possible information when applicable.
e. Verify and pull pictures for any stray dogs in kennels 1-67 (Isolation and
Quarantine) posted on the notice board in front of the Quarantine section.
If no picture has been posted for the dog, the kennel attendant will add
four (4) days to the Due Out date and the picture shall be posted the
same day.
2. If there are any discrepancies (i.e. the wrong number of dogs in a kennel,
incorrect breed or description, an incorrect ID tag or license number, etc.) the
responsible KA who is in control of the Euthanasia-Pre report shall remove that
animal from the euthanasia list and proceed to the next animal. The discrepancy
shall be resolved after euthanasia processing is completed.
3. While standing in front of the kennel, the supervising KA shall verbally convey
the required information (kennel number, collar identification tag, and dog’s
physical description) to the assisting KA. The assisting KA shall remove the
animal from the kennel verifying the kennel number, collar identification tag
and the animal’s description as the supervising KA has conveyed to them. The
dog, with paper collar identification tag, shall be placed into a euthanasia
transport cart and taken to Station III.
4. The Ketch-All pole device is not to be used unless absolutely necessary, and at
no time, is an animal to be lifted off the ground with the use of this device.
5. If a supervising KA or assisting KA is not available, a KA shall be designated in
his/her place. At no time will this procedure be completed without a member of
the shelter’s supervising staff.
6. The supervising KA, the Chief of Shelter Services and the Veterinary staff
shall confer on the dogs on the list, making behavior assessments on each and
updating and changing status as needed.
D. Euthanasia Process for Cats
1. A copy of the Euthanasia-Pre report shall be printed and given to the KA II
assigned to station III. The KA II, with a member of the Veterinary staff shall
proceed to the kennels indicated on the list, verifie the animal ID number and

5. COUNTY OF ORANGE
HEALTH CARE AGENCY
REGULATORY HEALTH SERVICES
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES
Number: 400.08
SUBJECT: DISPOSITION PROGRAM- EUTHANASIA PROCESS Page: 5
Date:
Approved: Jennifer Phillips, Director Revised: 4/10/07
description of the cat, remove the cat from the kennel, place it in a carrier and
transport to Station III for processing.
2. If there are any discrepancies (i.e. wrong number of animals in the kennel,
incorrect breed or description, an incorrect ID tag or license number, etc.), the
KA II shall remove the cat from the euthanasia list and proceed to the next
animal. The discrepancy shall be resolved after the euthanasia process is
complete.
E. Once the euthanasia process is completed, the Supervising KA shall review the Due-
Out list and update the animals’ status, which shall include assigning new Due-Out
dates, as decided by a shelter review committee. All animals are updated making the
due out for the day zero (0).