BBKC Forum: PENNSYLVANIA

PENNSYLVANIA

Posted by The King on October 22, 2008, 11:34 pm
99.150.103.6

Subject: PA 10-08 Problems at city stray-animal group disclosed in audit

Problems at city stray-animal group
By Vernon Clark and Amy Worden
Inquirer Staff Writers
An audit by the City Controller's Office has found an array of problems
at the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association, ranging from
premature euthanizing of dogs and cats to insufficient record-keeping.
The nonprofit, at 111 W. Hunting Park Ave., handles dogs, cats and other
animals that are turned in as strays in Philadelphia.
The agency has received more than $16 million over the last six years
from the city with the expectation it would provide animal welfare,
officials said.
The audit, released yesterday by City Controller Alan Butkovitz,
revealed that PACCA staff acknowledged that some dogs, cats and other
pets were put to death before the end of the 10-day holding period for
animals involved in bite cases.
Records were not sufficiently maintained to allow the auditors to
confirm compliance with requirements for holding animals that had bitten
someone and could have had rabies, the audit found. The agency also
failed to keep separate files on bite cases.
The audit recommended that the association take steps to make sure those
problems do not occur again.
Another key finding was that PACCA's monthly reports to the city's
Health Department, which are required under the association' s contract
with the city, were sometimes inaccurate.
The mandatory monthly "put-to-death" reports for 2007 were incorrect and
euthanasia logs for July 2007 were missing, the audit said.
Officials said the logs are used to monitor the use of sodium
pentobarbital, a barbiturate, which may be habit-forming and is a
federally controlled substance.
Other problems include having no licensed wildlife trapper on staff, and
maintaining an inadequate database and telephone system.
Auditors found that animal-control officers at the agency did not meet
educational requirements, and that proper training was not provided for
them or for field-service technicians.
There was also no formal program for monitoring the operation and
conditions of horse-drawn carriages, as required under the city
contract.
The audit also found that for the fiscal 2008 contract, only $358,226,
or about 10 percent, of the $3 million budget was dedicated to the care
of animals.
Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue, who has taken in more
than 200 dogs and cats from PACCA in the last two years, said he was
"shocked" at how little PACCA spent on animal care.
"That's absolutely horrible," said Smith. "I can't imagine what they are
spending it on." Smith said 100 percent of the animals he had taken in
from PACCA were sick, most with a highly contagious disease known as
kennel cough. "We have spent more [than $358,000] on vet care for those
animals."
Tara Derby, executive director of PACCA, defended the agency's record
since taking control of animal services for the city three years ago.
The services were previously provided by the Pennsylvania SPCA, she
said.
"We take in 30,000 animals a year. . . . The problem issues have been
resolved.
"We have seen an increase of 600 percent in the saving of animals over
three years," she said. "We have improved animal-control services. We
are proud of our record and are willing to work with the city to improve
it."

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