The document compares animal welfare programs in Calgary, Canada and New York City. Both cities faced problems like high euthanasia rates and too many homeless pets. Calgary aimed to create a responsible pet owner community, while New York City sought to end killing healthy animals. Their programs included marketing, partnerships, education, low-cost spay/neuter services, and more. Both cities saw positive results like decreased intakes and euthanasia along with increased adoptions and licensing compliance.

1. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
A Tail of Two Cities
How Calgary and New York City
are Working for the Animals
TWO DIFFERENT CITIES
• Different sizes…
• Different populations…
• Different geographic features…
• Different programs…
• Common objective…
No More Homeless Pets
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 1

2. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Setting the Stage: The Communities
CALGARY
• Alberta, in Western Canada, at the
foothills of the Canadian Rockies
• Population
People (2008): 1,042,892
Dogs (2008): 110,242
Cats (2008): 107,514
Setting the Stage: The Communities
NEW YORK CITY
• Northeastern U.S.
• Center of NY metropolitan area, one of the
most populous urban areas in the world
• Population estimates
People (2007): >8,300,000
Dogs 1,779,000
Cats 1,673,000 (excludes feral/outdoor)
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 2

3. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Setting the Stage: The Problems
CALGARY
Like most cities…
• Poor license compliance
• High euthanasia (cats and dogs)
• Dogs and cats at large – high impounds
• Low return to owner rates
• High dog aggression rates
Setting the Stage: The Problems
NEW YORK CITY
• In 2002, 74% of cats & dogs in city
shelters euthanized
• Intakes at AC&C more than 46,000 in
2003
• Adoptions at city shelters under 5,000 in
2003
• Adoptions by private shelters & rescue
groups less than 8,000 in 2003
• Little sense of cohesion within the rescue
community
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 3

4. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Setting the Stage: The Mission
CALGARY
Create a responsible pet owner community.
Encourage a safe, healthy, vibrant
community for people and their pets,
through the development, education and
compliance of bylaws that reflect
community values.
Setting the Stage: The Mission
NEW YORK CITY
End the killing of healthy and treatable
dogs and cats at NYC’s shelters.
Work with the City of New York toward the
day when no New York City dog or cat of
reasonable health and temperament is
killed merely because he or she does not
have a home.
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 4

5. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Setting the Stage: Forge Partnerships
CALGARY
Understanding that we are dealing with a community
problem that will take the collaborative resources of the
community to solve.
Regulatory
The City of Calgary, The Province of Alberta
Humane
Calgary Humane Society (SPCA), Animal Rescue
Foundation, MEOW Foundation
Medical/Service Providers
Calgary Vets, AVMA, breeders, trainers, pet stores
Setting the Stage: Forge Partnerships
NEW YORK CITY
NYC Government
Animal Care & Control of NYC
Rescue Community
Veterinarians
Boarding Partners
Maddie’s® Fund
The Public
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 5

6. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Objectives
CALGARY
Create a responsible pet owner community
based on four simple principles:
1. Increase Licensing and Identification
2. Increase Spay/Neuter
3. Training, Physical Care, Socialization and
Medical for companion pets
4. Do not allow pets to become threat or
nuisance to the community
The outcome of a responsible pet owner
community will be a no more homeless pets
community.
Objectives
NEW YORK CITY
Eliminate the killing of healthy and
treatable cats and dogs at NYC shelters
simply because they have no other place
to go. Achieve through four core objectives
of ten-year Strategic Plan:
1. Increase Adoptions
2. Decrease Animal Homelessness
3. Raise Awareness
4. Strengthen Resources
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 6

7. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
What’s Working
CALGARY
• Marketing & marketing tools
• Partnerships – working together
• Remove barriers to being a responsible pet owner
• Education – School Programs
• Drive-Home Program
• Spay/Neuter Clinic
• Clear, well understood rules
• Enforcement as the last step if necessary
• Solid licensing program (part accountability of the animal
owners, also covers the program costs with not burden
on the tax system)
Marketing Tools
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 7

8. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Increased RTOs
Animal Services Officers
at the Animal Services Center
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 8

9. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Increased Licensing
Compliance
New Spay/Neuter Clinic
Opened July 2009
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 9

10. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Groundbreaking for New
Spay/Neuter Clinic
Celebrating the Grand
Opening July 2009
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 10

11. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
New Spay/Neuter Clinic
State-of-the-art Facility
Spay/Neuter Clinic’s
First Patient!
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 11

12. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Animal Health Techs
Animal Health Techs
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 12

13. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Animal Health Techs
Animal Health Techs
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 13

14. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
One of Calgary’s Model
Canine Citizens…
And a Model Feline Citizen
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 14

15. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
What’s Working
NEW YORK CITY
• Email alerts / communications – so basic, so effective!
• Wheels of Hope Transport Program
• Mobile adoptions – NSALA adoption vans
• Capacity building grants to rescue partners
• Holding/Boarding/Medical of AC & C transfers
• Picasso Veterinary Fund
• Free & Low-cost Spay/Neuter – Maddie’s Fund, ASPCA
• Low-cost Microchipping Clinics
• Training, Development, Building Resources
• Public Relations, Marketing & Advertising
• Feral Cat Initiative
First Alert for Cats
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 15

16. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
First Alert for Dogs
New Hope Alert for Cats
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 16

17. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
New Hope Alert for Dogs
Wheels of Hope
Transport Program
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 17

18. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Mobile Adoptions
North Shore Animal League America Mobile
Adoption Centers Host APOs Every
Weekend
Animal Haven ASPCA NSALA
Capacity Building Grants
Animal Haven Adoption Center
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 18

19. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Capacity Building Grants
Herding Dog Rescue Shelter Upgrade
New Isolation Room
New Kennels
Capacity Building Grants
KittyKind In-store Adoption Center
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 19

20. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Holding, Boarding
and Medical
Picasso Veterinary Fund
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 20

21. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Free & Low-cost
Spay/Neuter Resources
Free & Low-cost
Microchipping
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 21

22. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
APO Strength Trainings
Public Relations
The Maddie’s® Fund Mascot spreads
our messages throughout NYC
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 22

23. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Public Relations
Community Event Sponsorships
Marketing
Adopt-Me Vests
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 23

24. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Marketing
Promoting Adoptions on the Internet
Advertising
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 24

25. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
NYC Feral Cat Initiative
Measuring Our Progress
CALGARY
• Intakes - decreasing
• Returns to owners – increasing 85% for dogs,
57% for cats
• Adoptions - increasing
• Euthanasia – decreasing 6% for dog, 17% for cats
• Animal Aggression – decreasing to 145 bites in
2008
• Amount of enforcement needed – 2515 tickets
issued in 2008
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 25

26. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Licensing Compliance
Dogs
• 100,250 licensed dogs as
of 2008 December
• Approx. 91% compliance
Cats
• 48,000 licensed cats as of
2008 December
• Approx. 45% compliance
Cats Impounded
2007 2008
• 680 Impounded • 799 Impounded
• 48% Returned • 56% Returned to
to owner (328) owner (445)
• 30% Adopted • 26% Adopted
(202) (209)
• 22% Euthanized • 18% Euthanized
(150) (145)
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 26

27. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Disposition of Cats
1991-2008
Dogs Impounded
2007 2008
• 4746 dogs • 4830 dogs impounded
impounded
• 85% (4125) returned
• 86% (4062) returned to owner. Of these:
to owner. Of these: • 27% driven directly home
• 29% driven directly home (1325)
(1372) • 58% picked up from
• 57% picked up from Animal Animal Services (2800)
Services (2692)
• 9% adopted (431)
• 8% adopted (370)
• 6% euthanized (274)
• 6% euthanized (314)
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 27

28. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Disposition of
Impounded Dogs
1984 - 2008
Aggressive Dog
Incidents
1984-2008
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 28

29. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Measuring Our Progress
NEW YORK CITY
• Euthanasia decreased from 74% in 2002 to 39%
in 2008.
• Adoptions more than doubled -- from 12,692 in
2003 to 26,593 in 2008.
• Intakes at NYC Shelters have remained
relatively level.
EUTHANASIA AT AC & C - DOGS & CATS BREAKDOWN
69%
59%
49%
53%
69% 47%
43%
73%
39%
49%
62% 56%
62%
45%
55% 41%
47%
43%
39%
36%
• Percentage in bars represent % of intake
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 29

30. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
MPP & AC & C Adoptions
26,593
24,986
23,245
21,748
18,477
12,819
INTAKE- AC & C BREAKDOWN OF DOGS & CATS
49%
69%
66%
58% 58% 64% 67%
61%
42% 42%
39%
36% 34%
33%
Percentage in bars represent % of intake
In 2007 compared to 2003: Dog intake decreased by 5,691 (29%) ,
Cat intake increased 1,752 (6.5%) -- Key to progress: reduction of cat intake -
increase capacity of low cost S/N, increase of cat adoptions and transfers
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 30

31. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
We hear “thank you” all the time from the people in our
communities who care about the animals and support our
work. But these are the Faces of Appreciation that keep
us working harder every day!...
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 31

32. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
QUESTIONS?
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 32

33. A Tail of Two Cities: Learn How New York 11/3/09
and Calgary Are Working for the Animals
Thank you for joining us today!
Jane Hoffman and Bill Bruce 33