City of Minneapolis, MN 2022 Minneapolis Boards & Commissions, 8 Feb 2022

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From YouTube: February 8, 2022 Animal Care and Control Advisory Board Meeting

Description

Additional information at:
https://lims.minneapolismn.gov

A

A

So before we start the meeting, I want to quickly review some instructions on how this meeting will be conducted under the state's open meeting law. All votes during an online meeting must be taken by roll call. This will require each member to activate their microphone to give their vote and then turn their mic back off.

A

When I call your name, you'll need to activate your mic and answer present and then turn your mic back off. So I'm going to go ahead and call the role adam bennett.

B

A

Heather ellis.

C

A

Bridget hanson.

D

A

Matthew condraychek here savannah kyle, present dena mcdonald, watchkey present and I know megan maui said she would be absent. So that concludes our roll call.

A

Would someone like to put out um move to adopt the agenda for tonight's meeting.

C

I moved to adopt the agenda.

D

A

You heather perfect. We got a couple seconds awesome, so we have our agenda here for today. The next item on the um meeting agenda is the acceptance of the minutes from our october 14 2021 meeting.

C

I moved to accept the minutes perfected.

C

All in favor, oh hi,.

A

Hi all right, hi yay, all right. We got through the first three things. Look at us go on to the next, so we've got a little presentation just to kind of show you a little bit about uh what's been happening since we all met last in october. um First thing: I want to show you guys. I know we mentioned at our last. I believe we mentioned the last meeting and if not, we also talked about um at our or I sent out an email about it.

A

Excuse me was our dashboard that we were working with our downtown data analyst, as well as communications to get out and then got some feedback, so that is officially live, so our dashboard is up and running. This is our main page here: the animals and pets page and then one of the main buttons at the top is now the view data dashboards, and so this connects right over to the minneapolis data source with our own little splash page here. um So this is our main page.

A

Nothing looks probably too different if you guys looked at this before when we put it out, but it's got us our little blurb about us and then the little buttons where you can click on to learn more, so those are all up in live. Some of these are actually a little next slideshow, but showing our live release rate comparison year over year and then month over month, oops went too far and then animal outcomes again we'll see some of this more in our thing.

A

But this gives the specific animal so by day and then the animals and what type of outcome it was. So when folks are looking for a specific animal by animal id, they can look and see or they can filter it. However, they want, if they just want to see dogs cats, others that right it shows dogs and cats right off the bat, but you can add in or take out. You can look to see.

A

I just want to see all the animals that came in as a surrender, so we can get rid of that, and you know just see this or everything without whichever so there's a lot of fun. Little things you can play with on here and then a little blurb about the outcomes and then.

A

uh There's also the little shelter pathways so again kind of showing um a little bit about what we do so the types of animals that we see that come in and the percentages. um Where do they go once they are?

A

You know work through the system with us and those percentages in the little uh circle- graphs adoptions by month, so you can see kind of the spikes and peaks there and then stray dogs showing that we have a 59 rto, our return to owner percentage, 24 adoption, 11 percent transferred and six percent humane youth of all the animals that are coming in or all the dogs on that one specifically um intake shows again what we're bringing in um in kind of the little percentages in the little bubble, graphs and why they came to us so strays again.

A

That's still the biggest um intake reason, the next being surrender um after that wild animal intake. So when we're picking up our either deceased or you know, injured, ill wildlife and then other creatures and then kind of just talks about our typical intake process and the cool thing is, if you hover, you can see our stray dog calls on a heat map. So this shows where we've gotten all the different calls in what part of the city on there.

A

So you can see it's kind of you know pretty diverse as far as where we go and then assessing animal providing treatment so again, showing our numbers year over year for a stray dog intake um and then kind of what happens so showing again rtos year over year and outcomes year over year. There that, when you hover over those.

A

Community partners, this is mostly showing for our rescue partners, but also foster. Since we started expanding our foster fostering program, you can see from 2020 the animals that were transferred to foster and in 2021 the animals that were transferred, um so blue is birds, and then we have the greenest cats, dark, blue dogs and then brown is other and then um foster animals. You can see that we've had uh how many once we started tracking it in our system. Here have gone out to foster over those years.

E

Those are animals that stayed in our care, but we're in our foster homes, not somebody else's right and that's a brand new program for.

A

Us yeah, we did it on a very small scale, but this larger piece is partially due to expanding as well as us, adding in our found a foster program that has actually been more successful than we thought it would be with the animals that people are finding in the community and then um choosing to foster in their home during that stray period and then either turning it in for adoption or then um turning it back in to get spayed neutered, usually and then either they adopt or it goes up for adoption.

A

I can't say that we've had more than maybe two that were ever not adopted by the person that found them, um but it kind of.

D

A

Like inside process and keeps them out of the shelter.

B

E

Usually successful, I think it's great yes,.

A

Yes, um animal wellness: this is showing our vaccinations, so what we've done for the public as well as just showing how much we've done in the shelter itself. So these are animals that for our shelter um that were in our care and then these the ones we did for the public vaccine clinics between 2020 and 2021 and then also showing our spay neuters numbers over the years here and then obviously, with like 20 20 and covered our intake was down.

A

So our sterilization numbers were down, but just showing all the animals that we've been doing in-house.

A

A

Public health and safety, so that's a crazy map there, but you can actually um pare it down too, as you look, but it's showing you know the types of calls that we're getting so at large calls or that dark, blue, an assist would be like a police or fire or ems, or something where an animal's involved, somehow they're calling us out barking calls bites or incidences uh a deceased animal, so a doa that we're picking up a declared animal.

A

So usually it's, like you know, a check on the making sure that they're in compliance hold being an animal, stray or owned. That they're, asking us to pick up or take in an inspection would be like a permit. Investigation, obviously, is some sort of like welfare, typically or other type of call, then the gray being the wild, and you can see year over year, 2020. These are the diff. You know by same color.

A

The number of those calls that we got as well as then in 2021, the number of calls total and how we they kind of broke up in there. So.

B

You click on those. Does it reduce everything else, so you can just see brown or just see pink or.

A

Yes, you can do.

B

A

So yeah you can do. I want to just see brown the dead animals or I want to see animals at.

D

A

So it it makes it a little easier to look at so kind of fun. Cool thing to look at would still encourage you guys to check it out where this is a fluid thing for us, so it is absolutely something that we can add to as we go, especially as we find um you know more things that we want to share about. Our programs, as well as when we um you know come up with part of this, is also alleviating some of our data requests.

A

People will call in about a specific animal that they want to follow up on. They can go right online as long as they have that animal id number and find that animal to look up exactly what happened, what day et cetera, so it kind of alleviates some of that additional work load that wasn't time consuming.

A

It was time consuming, but it was like okay, you know you could easily get it if we just put it up there, so that's pretty cool that we've got that up and going now and then the other piece they we wanted to do was a little again statistic for you guys.

A

um So live release rates again similar to what we just saw on the dashboard, but just showing from 2014 through 2021, as well as in the first two months of 2022 here and then from january of 21 through thus far into february of 22. What our live release rates have been.

C

What amazing progress you guys have made.

A

Thank you heather. It's been a lot of hard work, but good work, um animal intakes so for last year: 986 dogs, 828 cats, 387 others, 135 birds and one livestock. I think that was a pig if I remember right um that we got in last year, so definitely still lower. We've been continuing to work on the managed intake um model of bringing animals in and only trying to again bring in what truly really needs to be there if at all possible.

A

um Just between the time that we last met our intakes: um 349 dogs, 284 cats, 105 others and 23 birds. um There we go between 2020 and 2021. You can see our um outcomes so just pay in mind. It goes from largest to smallest. So it's not the exact same necessarily.

A

I don't think on there, although this happens to look fairly close, so adoption was still our highest in both years. For the um outcome types transfer was. Our second rto was the third euthanasia was fourth and then the home expired. That is what the animals that are like put on our um lost and found pages that are now being tracked in chameleon. So we can, when we are putting or encouraging the public just to do their own postings of animals, they've lost or found.

A

um That is something we now track and that's what that is showing just how many that we've expired out of that system. Relocate is for wildlife disposal would be a deceased animal request, pickup, as you can see other. So it's typically wildlife.

A

Died in the shelter numbers returned to field numbers and missing means something didn't code right or it means that we actually an animal was lost out of our care and I cannot recall in 2020, I want to say we did have one cat that got away from an officer in the field, so I think that's how it ended up getting coded um and then kennel outcomes. Just for the last.

A

You know kind of three months since we last met so adoptions return to owner euthanasia transfer again the home expire disposal relocate and null means someone didn't enter something. So we've got some looking at to do to figure out who'd forgot to code, something in there bites between 2020 and 2021.

A

So you can see the types up here. Animal to human exposure is a wildlife exposure. Typically a bat not always could be some sort of wildlife that a human or other animal was exposed to an animal to animal bites. An incident between two and you know between animals or an incident between humans, so no bites, but there's some sort of aggressive incident and then same things just in their different categories.

A

Here and then this is showing the severity levels um between the two years, so bodily harm, which is usually considered like a minor bite, is this blue exposure is the orange, which is our second highest on here incident? Is the red substantial harm? Is that teal, which unfortunately, last year, we had about double the amount of substantial harm in there? So can you just tell what.

E

That means, by definition, substantial.

A

Harm would be trying to think how we word it between so bodily harm is a pretty minor injury like a you know, scratch a minor puncture, substantial harm would be something that leaves um temporary marks. You know like, but longer term, so it could be or permanent, and then um great bodily harm is like perm, permanent disfigurement or loss of an appendage, or things like that um and then fatal is obviously where it resulted in something passing away. Now that includes animals.

A

We have not had a human fatal, um but we had did have some animal to animal fatals, um and then we have had you know a small amount of the great bodily harms as well over the years, so that just kind of shows the different levels of uh cases that we're dealing with.

D

Here, where it says.

B

Incident incident in that situation does not mean the same thing as incident in the other situation incident. This situation means there's no by incident in this situation means that there's some fight, but it's not that bad.

A

No nope, this just incident is actually literally still an incident. We.

D

Just have to put.

A

It in our system, so there is no bite that occurred in the incidences. That's just.

E

A

E

So an incident would be your dog got loose charged me down the street, but I managed to jump the fence and didn't get bit. So that's really an incident um versus you know. You actually nailed me so yeah. That's really the difference. Yeah.

A

D

A

Evasive action yeah. So, if you look, I believe these two numbers added would equal this one, so yeah incident there is no bite that occurred um and exposure does not mean. Obviously a bite occurred. Often it's just there's a exposure to a wild animal and we have to observe a quarantine out of abundance of caution.

A

If we aren't sure if the animal was you know bitten if they had a little scuffle or if the people were actually directly, you know in contact with the bat or not since they don't always know, and that kind of thing citations and warnings. So in 2020 you can see our administrative citations and warnings and then in 2021 again administrative citations and warnings.

A

um Heather had a question.

C

I can't see the stuff. Sorry! Oh sorry, um I you actually answered my question. So oh okay yep, I figured it out. While you were explaining and I'm like. Oh I got it now.

A

Perfect, um so this just shows our um you know: just differences and citations over warnings. um We've been moving to more warnings in the kind of the human animal social services model that we've been working on in working with folks to get into compliance versus immediate or more harsh enforcement actions.

A

So when we can education and getting them doing what we can to support them and getting into compliance so getting their vaccines updated getting a rabies or you know the license taking care of that kind of stuff, um so you can see most commonly or a lot of it is. We do see a lot of the license required unleashing those are two really big spots and then public protection being the next.

A

A public protection is usually involved in what happens in a bike case. So it's where their animal has. You know, violated someone's right to be safe kind of you know in the in public, um so you do see typically there's going to be more citations on those than warnings um due to the bike cases, correct um and then rabies vaccine required permit. You know if they need a permit, don't have one an animal declaration, violation, animal and motor vehicle, so occasionally we're writing those ones.

A

But you can see a lot more again. Warnings on permits oopsies than there are on citations and stuff, so just showing kind of what we've been doing there our calls. So uh this is all different activities that had just their first sequence, so they could have gone out 20 times on.

A

One of these calls, but just the initial call itself of what we got to count all those numbers in 2020, our animal control officers got 9156 calls 2021, we got 12 215 and you can see um the different types broken up here, so gray, being our aco investigation, so those are typically welfares could be aggressive animals, lots of different things, kind of fall in that bucket. These ones are our bites.

A

This is doa or deceased. Animal pickup. These reds are the hold so again a whole stray or a owned animal they're asking us to pick up at large, so we've got loose dogs on there. Typically, the pink is the wild animal. So again, it's typically an injured wild animal they're, asking injured or sick they're asking us to pick up um barking complaints are that color, the declared animal.

A

So again, if they're going to be coded this way, this is the all the usually the compliance checks or complaints that we're getting if they're, not following the regulations needed to maintain their dangerous animal. um An assist again is when we're getting requested by the police or fire ems, etc. To come out and work with them. um Green is inspection. So that's when we're doing inspections for like permits and different things like that, then it gets really small and so obviously not as big but again declared animal stuff criminal um cases.

A

A doa follow-ups uh community calls so we're going out and do something community of course, 2020 kind of ruin that a little bit and then bite incident um ones are on there as well.

B

Is there a way for this type of graph like it has a legend, but that legend does not mean a lot to most people? I would this like people, don't know what doa means et cetera. Is there a way of having like a what that means like a glossary like a yeah, a glossary or just like a little like if you hover over it, it explains like what this is like. This is a like a dead on arrival animal. That was, you know whatever.

A

Yes, that is something like in our in the dashboard where we have some of this stuff. Obviously not all of this is on there right now, but in those in the tableau that it's coming from it that's done. This was just a powerpoint that they put together for me, so I can't hover, unfortunately,.

B

Okay, thank you great yeah,.

A

And then admin calls so we started tracking in 2020 when we got calls um coming over since we weren't able to just warm answer or warm transfer calls to us from three-on-one a lot of times or even 9-1-1, and then when we move to appointment-based, obviously lower staffing levels or you know, still low staffing levels as well as our officers being dispatched by uh 9-1-1 dispatchers. We started tracking those administrative calls, so we could get them in the system and then call folks back um so x-other is was it's kind of our catch-all?

A

I mean that can be everything from. I would like a vaccine appointment.

A

I want to know about this case, which is really a data request, but you don't even it's kind of the catch-all we've since then broken them up a little bit as we moved into it a little bit more. So you can see we added an rto which is the return to owner. So we added that later in 2020. So that's why there's not very many, but that is a good chunk of our admin calls. So you can see in 2021. Our admin calls that recoded that and then the really ugly color is our permit request.

A

So we do get a lot of those admin report that is typically or was typically utilized by our officers when they needed to take specific time to sit and write a longer report, um a license request. So this is people calling about. I want to renew my license. I need to get a license. I've never done this before I want you to mail me an application. I want you to do it over the phone, whatever it is.

A

Those are what those green calls are for um when their staff, when our acos have hearings- that's coded in there, as well as one of their. What they're responding to so that's in there and then the little orange is the data request that typically goes down to city clerk's office or is supposed to occasionally come through us. So we end up having to code them and send it over and then the blue is the adoption request calls. So that was one that we added later in 2020 and then had all of 2021 on.

A

So you can see lots of um lots of different calls that our admin staff is handling that we never tracked before um just to help show a lot of the work that they're doing. So. That's all that does anyone have any questions on anything else on there.

D

Not about the website, it's awesome, I'm very glad that you guys have made that nice work.

E

So I just want to make one statement: um the chameleon control group. Let me just fix this: it's going to drive me crazy. The million control group um was tasked several years ago with telling our story through data, and this is a result of that and it's it's going to continue to grow and I think they've done a phenomenal job and I just wanted to recognize them for the work they're done.

E

Danny happens to be on that team um and it's uh john kellner melissa, mathis, danny jorger and thielen and nick brambill I was did I miss anybody. I don't know. Oh and jay young now has been added to the team, so those are the five people that um are really making a difference here and and getting our story out there and being trans, transparent and making sure our data is clean and I think they've done a phenomenal job.

E

So thank you. Danny.

D

A

D

A

Anyone else anything on there, questions or anything.

A

All right, then, I think we're good to move on to number five, a staffing update, caroline you want to take it or you want me to.

E

Well I'll start with mine and then I'll, let you take over from there. So mac is, um you know, with danny's promotion into the the uh shelter supervisor position. She's done a great job with that she pri previously sorry, my brain isn't a fog, I think uh was our volunteer coordinator and that's left us a void there. We have recently done interviews and we have uh hired a woman by the name of madison, it's their last name. Johnson. I can't remember right now: it's tough! She.

A

Got married it's now, why isn't born.

E

Wise yeah used to be johnson anyways. She comes to us. She has a background in zoology, as well as a background working with the volunteers there. She helped develop the program that they still utilize today in tracking all the the health of the animals at the facility not just background and veterinarian.

E

Business management yeah- I guess- and also uh of course, volunteer coordinating and all kinds of stuff she brings so much talent to the table and she's super outgoing. She kind of reminds me her personality, a little bit of megan maui, just that kind of outgoing personality. She loves community outreach. I think she's going to be a real asset to our team and she starts on sadly valentine's day. I don't know how that ended up happening, but she starts her.

A

Choice, her choice february 14th. She thought I was the mean one, but she chose.

E

Yeah danny uh I'm super excited about this and having her on our team and then there's been. We also are hiring for three officers that so don and tony aren't here to talk about that for you, but uh we have three vacant officer positions and then danny. You want to talk about your.

B

So the three officer positions are those because people have left or are those additional officers.

E

So what are the things yeah two of them are because nancy ingberg promoted.

E

Well, I don't know if it's a promotion, but she was ready to get off the street and so she's now in a csr position um and the other one um had had a baby recently and with the situation, the environment that we're being forced to work in um she felt very unsafe and so she's moved on to another position, and I think that you're, seeing that all over the city right now with people, especially people who are in the field they're really moving around right now, because it's it's it's dangerous out there for us.

E

So it is what it is. um And then we have a third position that is vacant, because it's a brand new position so.

D

A

Suspect here you.

E

Know I don't know, what's gonna happen, but it's it's when and also directors like me are poaching off of each other to be honest because there's not a lot of people applying. So it's a lot of poaching going on in the city, um so danny we have some exciting, maybe exciting. I don't know if you like it or not, but we're excited we'll.

A

Start with, we did also lose uh tila at our front counter, so we.

E

F

A

C

A

Coming up in uh the next month, or so we will be starting that process. um We also, let's see, we lost one of our full-time ects, so one of our part times moved into full-time, um and then we lost another part-time ect, so we're right now at three full-time acts in one vet, tech for all the care.

A

However, with that we were budgeted for a full-time as it was called pet case coordinator or what we were calling our animal safety net coordinator to bring on uh permanently in this year.

A

Looking at everything as it is right now, with our staffing, we felt it was more beneficial to take that position and actually fill it with a veterinary technician. So we could have a second vet tech on staff and because that was under filling the position, it was a lower grade.

A

We were also able to get another part-time animal care technician out of the deal, so we will have three part-time animal care technicians coming on board in the very near future that we're working on hiring, as well as a full-time veterinary technician coming on board, in addition to the one that we already have. So it is showing shoring up our shelter, a lot better and hopefully going to help support um the internal, obviously things that we need to do on a day-to-day that we struggle with when we have lower staffing um and from there.

A

At this point, we feel like we are able to manage and maintain the the start of the programs. We've begun for this asn program um between myself, who's been doing it and then, hopefully, with madison in the volunteer coordinator position that I was already kind of juggling it there too continuing to keep that going and then eventually expand, as we also start to bring in more volunteers in different capacities, with madison on board um and kind of use, volunteers a little bit more to help us expand and run that program.

E

A

E

Want I want to just add we had to we had to stabilize our capacity care for care in the shelter and and we've gotten to this critical point now where we did not have the capacity to care for very many animals at the facility at the standards in which um the community has ex become expected. They expect us to do right.

E

I mean we could certainly wear house animals and euthanize them like it used to be, but I don't think that's where the community wants, and so um you just reached this critical situation where this this particular it didn't makes it just didn't, make sense on a business level to cont. Have somebody in a position. That's going to continuously build this program, but we couldn't sustain what we had.

E

Does that make sense, so we we pivoted, which you know you guys that know me well know that I'm I can pivot on a dime when I need to, and this was one of those moments and I could think danny and tony schindle. They actually brought this to me and said we need to rethink this, and I wasn't happy because this is the you know. Let's face it. The asn coordinator is the is the more politically.

B

It's the dream.

E

Yeah, it's the dream right so, um but sometimes your dream has to wait a minute and that's where we're at it doesn't mean that that position went away. It just means that we've reallocated the money for now and hopefully we'll we'll re-ask for more money next year in next year's budget. For this, but it just wasn't it it just didn't make sense anymore, so it what it was barely making sense to begin with. So we're that's where we're at heather. Did you have a question.

C

Yeah that that was my, I think you answered it, which is that um that means that you won't be able to fill that position this year. But you'll go back and ask for money to fill it next year. Right right, right.

E

And it doesn't mean that the program stops. I think it just means that we're going to move forward with the with the foster program, the volunteer coordinator position will have some very clear direction on what we want to build. The foster program, I think, is key right now to to be having sustainability within the esn program and that's something the volunteer coordinator can actually do for us.

E

We don't necessarily need another person, but what I do need are bodies in the shelter that can actually build capacity of care into our system, and it's just I mean literally. We are with the amount of time that we spend on every animal with the staffing that we have, even when we're full staffed we're limited to about 50 animals in the shelter at any one time that we can care for, and that's when you think about a shelter that can house 300 animals, that's crazy, that we can actually only care for 50 at a time.

E

Does that make sense, not that I want 300 animals in the shelter by any means, but dina.

A

Do you have a question.

E

Our capacity can grow even more.

G

I will say you guys hide it well that you're uh you're stressing behind the scenes, because I don't feel it when I'm there on my shifts, but um I just wanted to sometimes thought about. You know how uh it's everywhere, that it's so hard to get vet techs hired, has the city, specifically our shelter, ever ventured into a program where we would basically- and maybe we don't have capacity to take something like this on, but we could actually train.

G

um You know especially more at need. Maybe citizens, some of our marginalized groups, where we're offering an ability to kind of be a mentorship and train into a position with the city in uh animal care with us, whether it be one of our officers or a vet, tech or animal care, some type of program where they're interested they can come, find out what it's all about and then get into a program, or maybe we can help certify them.

A

We do have like that first makes me think of we do have um the city in general has the step up as well as the urban scholar programs.

A

So step up is for high school kids and they can get internships with the city in various departments, wherever they're kind of interested to work over the summers and they are paid for that and they can kind of get in. We have had step ups at the shelter where they worked primarily in the kennels learning, animal handling and care, and all that good stuff, and then urban scholars is a little bit more abroad where they can come.

A

They are either in college, so working on their bachelor's or they can be post college or just graduated from bachelors. I think they can even be further out in their college endeavors as well to get into the program. But again it's looking at um you know where their interests are, although they don't specifically, let you sorry, I'm just having to readjust uh pick your person so that they get to pick. They actually put.

A

We had one last year and she actually specifically helped us with um helping us kind of build and research, some of our um community stuff for the safety net. Looking at what you know, what kind of places and do we need to reach out to, or should we start working with or partner with, um and that kind of thing, so it's possible in those avenues, but I I don't think that's quite exactly what you're saying, though, as far as um making it more, I.

E

Hear what she's saying making it more but we've all we have worked with the? U of m and tried to get um students and internships and stuff here, but I think a lot of it comes down to capacity and probably the type of um veterinarian work that we get we're able to do at our facilities right at the time. Anyways it's expanded, probably since then, but at the time they wanted more diversity and a little bit more complex cases where we send a lot of our really really ugly cases out.

E

They either go on to rescue or they will send them to a specialist on the field. So I think that was some of it. There wasn't a lot of interest interest there and then, as far as I know, with the health.

G

Yeah like starting out, you know um it would be awesome to be able to promote something in those communities in the neighborhoods that distrust us the most as an organization um to be able to reach out and offer them a pathway to a really good city job. I mean, let's face it, working for minneapolis. I see the benefits you guys get compared to what's on the market out there, and I mean you guys are doing really really well and it would be awesome to be able to pathway someone who wouldn't normally have that direction.

G

Maybe um whether that's our aoc officers in the field, doing outreach and saying you know, you'd make a really good or going out into the schools and getting somebody in while they're young and you know be able to. I think you'd have an attachment to the community that they wouldn't want to break down the road. So it's kind of a win-win for all of us in terms of some longevity.

G

But it's just one of the things I think about all the time when I'm out in our community- and I think about uh how great it would be if we could get more of those community members into our shelter to really see the proud work that goes on there and being.

D

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G

E

Department has a reserve program and I think they do right danny a reservist program, and it's funny that you bring this up because tony um one of my field supervisors- and I were just talking- and I've talked about it for a long time- is creating a reservist program for animal control and maybe that's a project that the board could help us with, because we um that's a huge project, though just so you know, there's a lot a lot of moving parts, and that's that's probably one of the reasons it hasn't we haven't tackled.

E

It is that you know we had more pressing projects that we had not that it's not pressing but more pressing projects in the sense that we had. You know animals dying in the shelter that we had needed to figure out how to like, stop that and and um just the ascend program in general, which is doing exactly what you're saying.

E

But I think it's a great idea and I think I actually think it's a great idea if you had a reservist program like that, where it would give us a pool of people that we've already trained to be able to step right into these vacant positions when they happen or when we get new positions, a pool that we could pull from to hire independent jobs. So we actually, I will say the city really does embrace um internship type programs.

E

I mean in the the programs for the high school students and stuff it's harder on a group like us, because we're so small staffed, especially when you have the more immature people um that need more hand holding and supervision. That can be um quite taxing for my staff, but I do think that that there's certainly opportunity there. I don't know if that's a the board has appetite for that project or not, but I would be game for it.

E

We're going to talk about that in a minute, though, so, let's bring that back up in a few minutes, all right, danny.

A

um I don't know that I have anything else. Staffing-Wise am I missing anything.

A

D

Don't think so: oh csr, vet.

A

Tech acts, yes, heather.

C

Yeah, so I just have a question of why we do three part time, as opposed to one full time in a part-time.

A

We have better ability to for scheduling, so I can schedule a part-timer up to 28 hours a week on average give or take um so even two part-timers give me more hours than one full-timer and I don't have to pay benefits, so it does help out as far as schedule coverage, um even though I think hiring wise. It might be easier. I have had it's been a little more difficult to find applicants or, as.

C

Many applicants.

A

C

Positions, I would, I would say that that could be an issue.

A

So we did post yeah, so we did post uh initially a while. I remember it closed just a little bit ago. We did some interviews, so we have a couple that we're working on right now um getting on board and then we're going to reopen because we didn't have a ton of apps, but we did post so we did actually have a few decent candidates that seemed like a good fit and were specifically interested in part times.

A

That's in the posting so we'll see we're hopeful, but that is one of my concerns too heather that it might be hard to fill three part-time positions right now.

E

But we've done that before and we have to give us more flexibility. You gotta remember heather, we're trying to schedule for seven days a week and we're scheduling for more than eight hours a day. So when you have, you know only have four position, which is basically what we have.

E

It's really hard to schedule that I mean people have to have a day off and they call in sick and they need vacation and um the part-time allows us to kind of it gives us a ton more flexibility in scheduling.

E

That's just that's the simple truth and we do people do apply for it and- and is you know it's a great stepping stone to get in because you know everybody knows it's hard to get into the city. So this is a great stepping stone to get into the city and once they're in they can move around. But it's just.

A

A lot of our care, techs go to acos or, like one of ours, just went to a full-time position that opened up um but yeah. It is super helpful because I can give them a four to five hour shift. Only you know and they're helping us in the morning and then I, when I don't eat them as much in the evening, so yeah there's just curious yeah, there's a little give and take on both ends.

A

Thank you. Am I supposed to raise my hand? First sorry, oh you're, fine yeah. I don't think you can on yours. So go ahead. I can't on my phone.

H

um I'm trying to switch over like I can see your faces on my computer. Now I got that point, um but I was wondering if we had tried to do any recruiting from the u of m like veterinary school of saying, like hey, you got, you can do like.

H

I don't know, 15 hours a week at mac and then like recruit a bunch of students um for.

A

A volunteer for for work like hired work for.

H

Work yeah like a work study, kind of thing like work with the professors, because I think, if we have, if we had veterinary students in their supporting too, that would be really amazing.

A

So we have had some um when we first started our vaccine appointments. There is on a volunteer basis, but they would come and assist our vets with our vaccine clinic appointments, um and then we've had some that would come and shadow us and uh watch like surgery days, and then we've been trying to figure out.

A

How do we bring them in to be another like set of hands, helping on like surgery days or vaccine clinic days, so our staff, especially when we only had one bad tech, even though we're super pumped to have two pretty soon. um You know it was like the only one there and I was like okay, we're always pulling a care tech to come help with vaccines or to help with surgery, and that's there in the middle of cleaning and blah blah blah.

A

So we have used that, but I think that's a great idea for me to post, because my hr was actually asking me what else could I post? So if you have ideas for this part-time, alma care tech stuff that we're putting out there, um any extra ideas would be awesome. I've got some ideas, but I think u of m is a good one.

B

For the veterinary students.

A

B

Think about like having just a weekend only position because they don't have a lot of flexibility but like first through third year, they'd, be like able to pick up weekends almost every time and then uh for posting. I'm sure that you, probably it probably gets posted on the friends of mac facebook page. Is that correct.

A

We have, in the past, uh put them up on the friends of mac and then we've the city does do social media as well as far as like different social media avenues that the city has that we'll post um our jobs out on there, too.

B

And it might be worthwhile megan has uh much better current rescue um connections than I do. um It might be worthwhile asking to see if he can put it on, um like sometimes there's like internal um message boards for different rescues to talk or whatever it might be worthwhile to look for people through there too.

A

Love it perfect.

A

This is one of my to-do's for tomorrow to follow with hr on this, so I love it you're helping me guys.

A

um But yeah as far as staffing updates- that's really it for now. um No one has any other questions on that. We can go to our unfinished business number six. um So finalize our quarterly meeting schedule one. I have to apologize that I totally dropped the ball for stuff in january and thank you matt for being like super on on it, like I threw out a date, I'm like oh yeah. I did say that didn't I um so sorry um about that. One. Thank you guys all for joining this evening.

A

um Looking at the little survey that I sent out, we only had a few replies, but what I got out of it was um people. The preference majority was sticking to the kind of january april july october. um Schedule like we already have, and then I had um like a couple votes for the like mondays. Some were like any day but monday, um so those were a little bit all over.

A

So what I was going to propose for our next meetings um was doing kind of similar to what we have, and actually I think this is funny make a little easier, so april july october would be our next three.

A

So a little shorter between um for this one and then sticking to our second week of the month at monday april, 11th monday july 11th, and then because the week of october happens to be a holiday on the 10th, it would be october 11th, which is a tuesday, so those next three months, they'd all be on the 11th.

A

If, if everyone thinks that works or is good, we can proceed with that. If not, we can talk further on how we want to go um for the rest of the year. As far as quarterly meetings go.

F

That works for me.

B

A

Cool all right, so I will put that out as well uh once I do um minutes but so plan on april 11th july 11th on october 11th, so not always on a monday, but always on the 11th.

C

It's a really good way to remember it.

A

That's what I thought when I saw it worked out that way, I'm like all right, I think we can do this myself included um all right and then all right next, next and last thing for now is the board priority special project ideas? Caroline, are you wanting to step back in here.

E

I'm sorry julie brought me my dinner all right sex, I'm sitting here, shoveling it down. So um yes, so one of the things that you know, I've always preached to those who who know me have known me for at least six years that I really want the board to have some autonomy and have projects that you know what's important to the board. And so we wanted to just kind of talk to you guys about what kind of projects did you want to see the board take up in this next year or two and danny?

E

I had suggested something, but I can't remember what was now she wrote it down.

A

All right from my notes, special project ideas, um volunteer program, moving forward creation of complementary positions that will help us provide a better customer experience um and can the board assist with researching best practice, slash job descriptions and recommendations.

E

The next four volunteer positions, so thank you danny. I'm sorry, I just completely had a was the tortellini. My partner just gave me so anyways. I um one of the things right now are our volunteers. Mostly, we have some that do a few other things, but mostly they're dog, walking cat cuddling. That kind of thing- and I feel like there's a huge amount of talent in our volun within our volunteer core, that's not being utilized that could really help us.

E

And so many different aspects and and providing you know, just help. The the customer experience with mac improve whether it's community outreach turning phone calls providing them information.

E

um You know following up with adopters, you know just all kinds of things that that volunteers can partner with us and and help us with, but I'm not sure what the best practices are or what the job descriptions are. So I thought that might be. Excuse me an interesting project and it kind of not exactly but uh deanna had us.

E

You know that idea that she had is different, but it it aligns with that right and how can we utilize all of our resources so that we provide the very best care and customer experience that we can for the residents of minneapolis and the animals that we serve?

E

So that was my idea.

E

A

G

I answered to all, but it is dina. um I love that and as a volunteer and somebody who's out in the community all the time and has been with ahs, and currently you know with rescue um it's the one area of mac that my husband who also volunteers.

G

We talk about all the time that I know that we could offer more, but our discussion behind the scenes always is kind of what you're talking about a little bit, which is best practices tied into um you know uh not getting in not crossing boundaries with city policies and laws, and you know so so wanting to expand upon that complete adoption, experience and being a resource um for those adopters when they run into trouble in the first two weeks or being able to offer some um really free training on the weekends in our dog runs like if you've ever wanted to own a pit bull and you just love them, but you see them and they're cray-cray like how do I deal with a cray-cray pity who's, one years old and just got neutered yesterday right?

G

It's not that hard. If you want to learn about it and there's a bunch of us up there, who would you know, we would spend our entire day teaching you and I look at our runs, and I think you know we could take advantage of that. You know we could do little sessions on the weekends, and so I'm just throwing it out there that I'm all on board.

G

For that, I I think that you're right, the talent there's a lot of volunteers that are like my husband and lyle and dan, and they just want to come in and walk, and I love them because they take every single dog that none of us can handle and they just walk them to death. um But then there's others in there who uh you know. We've got the time. We've got the knowledge and we would like every.

G

I think the thing that breaks my heart, the most is the number of residents who I think would like to be better dog owners, even if it's just knowledge of how to feed or care, and it's just too expensive to do it. If you get a young pity out of mac- and you want to go train that dog, it has cost you a fortune, it's a fortune and for people who are on a budget, it's it's unreachable, and then you wonder why we get these guys back.

G

You know out in the field, and so if we could offer whether it's you know you coming together with best practices that say these are the types of training videos we want to send a link to that. Once you adopt with us we've, you know the city has signed off on it. It's great. um These are some tips on on. You know each of these behaviors that you know your data and statistics are telling.

G

You are issues out in the community with the animals and us being able to be that resource without charging our residents a fortune, and I think that if we could that's why I was so excited to see our volunteer coordinator as well. How you know just expansive her depth of of knowledge is, is that I do think there's a lot to build on, and I would love to be a part of that, because I think we could do great things at mac.

G

B

I agree uh with you dina about um especially the training, uh I think is really uh that's a great idea. Just because I've been I've gone to training um sessions like through animal control, animal control, every uh in there's. I think it was in um pennsylvania, one of the spcas there. They have a trainer that comes out every saturday or whatever people pay five dollars or something it's very small, and then they can bring their animal and they train for an hour.

B

And so that's like the city, paying you know or potentially subsidizing for the trainer, but maybe not just like an hour of trainers times what probably ninety dollars or something in 115 whatever. But it's something that would be uh probably pretty helpful, especially if, when people have problems with their animals and they don't if they can catch them before they become that issue, like dina said, that's, that's a good way to try and keep them. Keep them happy out. The shelter.

A

Can I add something sorry yeah? This is my random, like idea, I've had for a while that I just have to share now, and maybe someone can help me do something with it all ties into the training thing is, you know, there's the cannon good citizen. I think it would be fabulous to have like a canine good resident for our animals in our city, but also tie that into helping landlords accept more animals into their rentals like when they like, hey they've, gone through our good residence.

A

They might not be a good citizen for whatever that is well they're, a good resident and here's why you know- or this is what we know- they've learned or worked on.

D

C

A

You know, and then not only is it just better for their home life, but also in general teaching them to be a better neighbor and to be a better. um You know little canine resident.

E

Go ahead, I I just want to spend, I think, guys, now's the time, because we have come so far. We have this incredible. Thank you danny this incredible relationship with our volunteers. Now I really do feel like they're partners. I think, there's a trust there between.

E

um I think I think, there's a mutual trust there between my minneapolis animal control and our volunteers and our staff and just the whole thing, and that I just think now is the time this is was the whole point of the asn program was to to pivot and create this resource center um dina for our residents and and to keep pets in their homes and, quite frankly, keep them out of the shelter and keep them alive right that every life.

E

I don't want to say that, because that's going to be a little something but anyways, but but you know, animals are important and um I think now's the time and this board played such an important role in um helping us to become helping us to the point where we're at now, and I think it's an opportunity for you guys to take it to that next level with us.

E

G

E

Hand there I just.

G

Wanted to say um danny you, you nailed something that that is really it's out there in the community, a lot about landlords being afraid to accept pities and it's such a hindrance, because obviously that tends to be our predominant breed.

G

So many people want to own them and know that they can't and if there'd be a program, we could look into in other cities that we could build upon where we, like you said, can get these landlords a good good, a good bully breed whatever that we could get past that you know, and maybe there's insurance laws that we have to look into all of that. But that would be fabulous if we could get landlords involved in this too.

B

And bad rap has a really good program that they do right now, with their they've done a lot of work with landlords, and I think part of it is incentivizing the landlords to make it like a good position like honestly. If people knew most pit bulls like mines just lay on the couch, all the time, they're like completely benign, so it's like the best kind of resident.

B

You know, one that you don't know is there, but I think it's just all about um having landlords that are open to that and having helping them realize that if you have like when I rented out my house in minneapolis, I put it like that was the thing I put on my craigslist ad is pitbull friendly.

B

um You know reactive dog friendly, you know place because I really wanted somebody like that, because, honestly one it's good, because I love pipples and I love reactive dogs, and I want to help out people who can't find a place but two if people can't find a place, those are really dedicated. Renters that are do not want to lose. Where they're at. Like that, I mean it's.

B

It's kind of traps you so if they can make it I mean it does like honestly, I have the german shepherd had pitbulls and you don't have a lot of options and so, like you want to be good like I was really good for my landlords, because I wanted to be able to stay and keep my dogs there. So I don't know.

B

I think that that's a great idea about trying to figure out maybe how the city can incentivize landlords to be good, because I don't think it's so much about the individual dogs, because it's really I mean it could be about the individual dogs later but like right now, it's just that they don't even have policies that will accept them and you know they're. So that's really where you have to kind of that's.

E

A huge global issue that I mean you're talking looking globally and I think you know, there's the renter's first programs that we have in the city and stuff, and maybe we could partner with housing, to help develop some of these policies. Yeah.

D

B

About mac rent, what about minneapolis housing? Do you guys.

D

B

I mean, like our pit bulls allowed, there.

E

B

Public housing, yeah.

E

I have no idea, I don't know.

B

I mean that's something that we should look into because yeah.

E

That would be something that could.

B

Actually, potentially change, you know.

E

We should uh we'll write that down get talked to kelly uh yeah because.

A

I don't know about.

E

B

A

Mean I'm not sure.

B

If they, you know how, how maybe I.

A

Don't even know if they allow pets, I think they do, but I don't know if there's restrictions.

E

B

There's restrictions and I think.

E

There's a 20 pound restriction to be honest, but I'm not.

B

And then you should talk to them about that too, because 20 pounds it really does not matter how much the dog weighs like I mean honestly, it really doesn't like most of the time bigger dogs are lazier. In my experience, um so it's like, I would rather have a 150 pound mastiff, uh that's quiet than like a chihuahua that barks all the time, not sure. Let's say like a beagle, you always get picked on a lot.

B

They're good dogs too, but like a beagle that marks all the time and goados all the time you know like there are. There are different things and it's just people think that the breed of the dog is so important, but it's really the individual dog and you can do like people do meats for dogs like little.

A

Interviews, yup.

B

Yup and so like that's like we did that with our you know, I think that's a way to do it.

A

H

Yes, I just googled the restrictions for uh housing and tests, so it's one cat or one dog weighing not more than 25 pounds or two caged birds or an aquarium of 30, gallons or less or two caged dribbles or hamsters.

B

All right: well, we know what we need to work on 20 pounds or less is unacceptable.

E

The minneapolis, the minneapolis house, housing.

D

Public housing.

E

They're not necessarily controlled by minneapolis. I did learn that recently. So that's a that's a bigger picture, but then.

A

Housing that works with, like the rental, with all the landlords and the rental properties and rental units and uh licenses, that is in our division or department or department which thank you. I can never remember which, if I'm a department or division. I don't know, but.

E

I don't think it's an initiative we should. We should take on. I think.

A

That's I do think we could also work with our housing in general. With our you know, the landlords and the you know those things and I mean I do know. I think public housing has started becoming better about requiring their tenants to make sure that they're like rabies, vaccinated and licensed so that as a thing of going. Yes, you know you've done these things or whatever, whereas like that's not even standard across all of our landlords and rentals.

A

You know type of thing and that's like I feel like that's another place where we could partner um yeah.

B

You know with an offer low cost.

A

Like like yeah, it's not a barrier, we can help them get vaccinated and licensed and look they've done these things and you know that's one step in the direction of a you know. Obviously, someone who's trying to be the do the responsible thing with their pets.

A

C

G

To build on that, my other idea with that has always been like a color coding chart for our pitties and our bully breeds. um It.

D

Really could be for.

G

Animals where you just um basically it's that level level of experience of owner so, like you could almost say like, and maybe it's too hard, um because I know one of the things I find when I train is a lot of my um a lot of my animals will, especially my bigger dogs, will change at 24 months a little bit in personality, so we could run into trouble, guaranteeing a personality profile, but even making it easier both for people to find a dog that fits or maybe get a requirement for that particular building to say we would take all green level dogs out of mac.

G

Like let's say you know, you're going to be in public housing, and you know your family wants to own a dog. Well, if you go on mac's website, you know with any any green, any green tagged. Animal is has been approved for public housing or something like that just to simplify it. But I know we can talk about this more if we venture into it with our little mini breakout groups for brainstorming. But I think this could be a massively awesome thing. So thank you.

E

Yeah, I can think of at least one other organization that would greatly love to see something like this.

F

E

Through the um city, but I also think, though, that we need to we do need to focus on the internal pieces and markings of mac 2 and then expand. I think we need to get that foundation built and expand, and we.

A

Have so many awesome ideas I just want to do them all.

E

A

E

I'm just thinking my thoughts are the the ball. I keep falling down with my volunteers because I feel, like you guys, are our backbone and some of these these ideas. Could the volunteers could really help us develop once we get that foundation built there, I'm not sure whose hand is up savannah. Okay,.

H

Yeah, sorry, the only other. um I just want to pitch my idea that I've been thinking about. So I'm going to tell a story. uh Over the summer, my husband and I took a road trip with our dogs to colorado. We stopped at many cities, dog parks um and one thing that I found that was really impactful since we're it feels like we're.

H

Putting the care back in animal care and control um was that there was well water, um so there's pump wells available for water, for the dogs at the park and also like very limited but like cheaply, made agility equipment, and it just made the like experience. The dog park a lot better, um and so if people have a place to go to get those like high-energy dogs on agility equipment running around having water, so you're we're not bringing like garbage and plastic bottles to the dog park.

H

um I think that could help pet owners a lot as well.

B

The agility equipment's an awesome idea, I mean really that's that gives people something to be able to try and work with their dog on, even if it's just like right outside the park. I don't know well.

E

We could approach them and see what their appetite for that is, I mean that's. I think I personally could approach them um and see if they would be interested. I don't I don't know why they don't have them, because it.

A

Could be something that, like our volunteers or groups, could come in and help make those types of the agility?

A

Yes and then it can be like you know, the community and mac brought to you by type of thing, yeah and.

H

If you let, the community participate, yeah like homemade stuff, like things you make in your backyard, and I think that would be really cool to see.

E

And you know you might be able to get like home depot or places like that to donate the lumber. They have a lot of lumber that they call out, because it's getting old and starting.

A

A lot of it's pvc.

E

Yeah, it would be fine for building a you know, a bridge or you know whatever they use on this. Obviously you can see I've done agility so much with my dogs but anyways some of the stuff they use the teeter-totters and stuff. You know that's out of wood, so it could be done. That's a good idea. Gina.

G

I love that savannah because that's something I've been thinking about is and carolyn you'll you'll be able to make the magic happen. I just know it, which is how do we partner with the minneapolis park board? Because you know one of the things I think all of us in animal care firmly believe is that you know a free-for-all.

G

Dog park is not our ideal uh setting for most of our animals- and I know golden valley started something with their ice rinks where in the summer, since the boards are already up, they basically allow you to come in. The rule is one at a time some of them they've divided up and halved it.

G

But uh it's you know on your honor system, but you go up there and you can just run your dog and you know for those dogs that end up in our shelter, because they just don't have enough hours in a day to run that dog hard. You know a good, a good 20-minute, non-stop tongue hanging out. That's a dog who's, not gonna, run out of their backyard tomorrow. Right he's gonna have a good 24 hours to recoup that energy and but there's just not enough places.

G

When I think people go to dog parks, I think they're thinking I need to get the energy out. We need more places and there's a lot of spots in the city. I can tell you I scout them all the time when I'm driving that we could put up these little mini places where people could have a protected area and just let those dogs run in the evening in the morning.

G

Whenever um the rules, though, maybe you can't have it for more than 30 minutes, it would require partnering, I'm sure, with space with park board, but um I think that would be. I think that would be a game changer for some of those young dogs that we see end up coming in either in the field or on a stray.

C

E

That you're, seeing or.

G

I'm gonna guess any land that I see is most likely gonna be park board like over here in bryn mawr, when the tornadoes came through.

G

What was that ten years ago, or whatever, through theodore worth there's this amazing spot that used to be tennis courts that has sat vacant now for the entire time the trees are gone, everything and every time I'm walking, I'm like my gosh, the things I could do with that for somebody who owned- and I and I go up in north minneapolis, not as much anymore, because I just have to watch myself but there's a couple spots in north minneapolis to keep it.

G

You know in the communities that would serve even you know some of the greater need for that and they need it too. Well, they.

D

Need it, you know anybody within this.

B

Apartment can't give it to.

G

B

That's that's a really awesome idea. Dina. uh I think that that's like that could be a total like. I literally wanted to cry when you were talking about it, because I was like thinking about like when I was in my apartment.

B

I had my german shepherd who was dog reactive and, like she didn't walk well on the leash, so I couldn't like- and I didn't have a place where I could really work to train her in a safe way like you know, so that would be like awesome and I did like I would run her up and down um in the in the hallway of the apartment, which is you should not do that? Don't do that?

B

It's terrible um well, because if somebody pops open and they have their little dog there, you know it could have been horrible, but it was. It was fine. She was a great dog but like that, could have been like so it would, it would have helped so much so I think that's an awesome idea. Good work.

A

Love it also on this, I would just like brainstorming. This would be where we could also potentially hold training classes for people.

G

A

We support is at the parks or park boards, or these open areas.

G

Yeah, yes, okay, because.

A

E

Obviously, doesn't have a great space, unfortunately,.

A

I wish we did. What are you writing this down?.

E

Oh yes, all right.

E

What else does anybody else have anything else? Yeah.

B

I think you have one.

E

Face to be honest, what you got.

B

um So the I think it might have been a danny. Did you add it to an addendum for this? I can't I don't know if you guys.

A

Think we have to add it now. So if, if we want to pause and or go, we've got a good chunk of stuff to to muddle our brains on for ideas, then, yes, we can do an addendum.

B

Okay, well so it's I mean it's kind of basically, in the same vein like I was um I've been talking with a couple of the couple. um You know board members and talking about mac and trying to like figure out what kind of right like I feel like the board. We have been very active in the past and we're not as active now and we're trying to figure out well.

B

How can we kind of you know get back in there and be useful um and then the one one of the things there's a couple of things that um have come to like my attention like number one uh and I've experienced this myself and I not recently because I haven't volunteered at mac recently, but as a volunteer at mac um it can it is it isn't? It is a hard experience, sometimes um just because uh it's like when I'm there and I'm the only dog walker there I feel so incredibly guilty.

B

If I cannot get every single dog out, but then you can't be there for four hours, five hours every time you're there, you can't always take every dog out, and so that becomes like a negative volunteer experience for someone and then they don't like they would rather just not go in. They don't think about it, but they would just not go into the shelter versus coming in and being disappointing.

B

All these dogs, you know or all the cats that could get cuddled- and I do know like it looks like about like 52, it looks like a volunteer shifts, are being filled.

D

B

That's what I have so I mean it depends on. You know what type you know: dog walker, cat, color et cetera, um but it sounds like it's between 50 and 60 um and I think that we're counting filled as one volunteer, which I don't really think is probably I mean I don't think it's what where it should be. I think minneapolis has a has a great um animal thing and I'm super excited about this volunteer coordinator that you're going to have, and so I was I was thinking.

B

Maybe the board could help with the volunteer coordinator or the new. You know position or whatever, to try and work on the things that would make it a better experience. You know for volunteers at mac, because really it's so it's it's so dumb, but because, like I go, I'm like I want to volunteer for the animals, but really I also want to have fun for myself. You know, and so it's like it's. It's got to be positive.

B

To make people come back and I think right now it's not as positive as it could be, because there is that time crunch um and you know there's you know other things too, but I think that not being being the only one or you know that that's really devastating to volunteers. So.

E

Yeah and we, I think we found the right person for that and she will be actively participating at the board. So I think that's gonna definitely be a gonna happen situation, so.

B

Other thing the other thing um I've had uh so this is kind of not I don't know how the board can like interact with this or if we need to, or we just have to kind of figure out where the what's going on, um but I've had reports of people waiting so long on hold to try and adopt an animal like two hours on hold without getting answered and like lots of people dropping uh you know, I do know like they.

E

B

Okay, yeah so like that is horrific. I mean.

E

So I don't want one.

B

E

Not mac, um we don't actually have anyone really answering phones at mac and that's something that's one of the areas that in the future, I want to see if we can find volunteers to help us with so that we can have. um I don't know it's it. Everything we have goes through 3-1-1 right now. It.

B

Seems it's all over the city.

E

And they're just overwhelmed.

B

Yeah I mean like the so it seems like there should be a way to have like okay, if you're calling about xyz, whatever um you know have them, you know call into 311 or whatever or 3-1-1 could like rout. All of the. I don't know all the adoption ones to you. I don't think 3-1-1 it. They shouldn't be.

A

Waiting on hold yeah, no, so.

B

D

A

It goes to 3-1 and they wait in that queue. Unfortunately, until.

F

A

Agent can answer, and then the agent is putting the call through for us, so once it gets to us typically.

D

A

Taking us, depending on the day less than a day to call back, but yes at that point, they've called they've left their info and we have to call them back because we.

D

Aren't able to.

A

Take we don't get direct calls period.

B

Any direct calls, and so I find that extremely problematic, because you're doing aren't you doing like like uh adoption.

D

B

So there's really no great way for people to make appointments. I guess they could walk in um well.

E

We're looking at self scheduling programs right now, we're actually.

D

E

Ways around this, um and but right now it's handled through, I hate to say it, but through a smartsheet I think you can sign up for.

A

Just vaccine clinics, so our vaccine clinics right now is a smartsheet form that they can put the request in again. That is, unfortunately, because we're staring at chameleon, which is where all of our calls come in every day, um and then we have our boxes and the admin box is what fills up with adoption and return owner requests and things like that. um Those often get on the sideline.

A

Unfortunately, like the vaccine requests like I can tell you, I've got probably a good 30 people that we haven't even had a chance to call yet that have requested a vaccine appointment and they tend to actually get through faster when they call through and one and wait and hold and get the call in, because I'm looking at chameleon more than I'm looking at a smartsheet.

A

But I know yeah they're working on different bookings, things that we can utilize that the city is already utilizing where they can put in.

E

Their requests and you can go online and and and file a request for 311 that will come automatically to us online. You don't have to sit in that two-hour queue. I don't know if everybody knows that or not.

D

A

E

Don't know that.

A

It comes automatically to us.

E

Well, you can file a complaint through 3-1-1, which you.

A

Can you can put an email, you can do a text, but it pretty much three and one vets, everything and then it gets eventually emailed or sent over to us in some fashion. Is everything.

E

B

Okay, I'm super glad that you guys are aware of that.

E

B

Getting them out when less stays, it's just that's healthier for everybody. It's safe.

E

B

E

It's amazing that we've done as well as we have you know we have. Basically, I have a very well. You know what I have. We have nancy ingberg now at the front counter and who's trying to cover as much and trust me. I I don't. Even if I ask that woman to do one more thing, she may actually explode but she's. You know she does all kinds of stuff and she doesn't just she's, not a front counter person anymore.

E

So she's, you know she's, writing up um criminal complaints and sending them in and and different things for for us. So there's just there's.

B

A lot that goes on.

E

And, and so I don't really have the staff to answer phones and that's what 311 is for you know, but unfortunately, with covet and everybody being home and um our their call volume is just crazy through the roof and they've hired people. It's not that they're not hiring they're, constantly hiring it's just it's insanity for for them. I think I'm not trying to be too defensive, but I am at the same time drives me crazy, because we're dealing with the anger from having to sit on the phone.

A

Yeah once we call them, I got angry about it.

H

um So my comment: I actually um tried to bring a dog that was found the mac this weekend um and then I was on hold um for about 45 minutes and then I ended up finding their home, and so it all worked out happy ending. That was the plan. Yeah yeah.

A

H

A

When one doesn't work, weekends.

H

Yeah, okay, that makes sense so like um the one thing was that I had a my friend actually found it, and then he brought it to me because he was like you know what to do with dogs. um He went to mac and it just the website says: they're open on weekends.

H

So, even if we can like update the world.

B

You can change the hours that are on there all.

A

Right because yeah google is causing a lot of confusion for us.

B

Yeah all right.

D

A

B

311 doesn't work on the weekends. How in the heck, is she able to wait 45 minutes to not find that out? I think that couldn't.

A

B

A

B

It doesn't automatically.

D

A

D

Like that, no not.

B

Even yeah, just like we are not working call back on monday right having people wait.

A

For them you can leave because did you ever? Oh, you hung up. Did you ever even get a voicemail option?

A

Okay, because I've.

D

Had some folks tell me, I don't know how long they've had.

H

A

I've had some folks like tell me they can actually leave a voicemail and that's how eventually we get notified of something. It's like. Oh yeah, on our voicemails. We've got this, but it could have been. You know three days ago by the time they're getting it to us from a weekend voicemail or whatever, and.

B

So yeah, like people with bite like dog, bites and things they're still they. I guess they still probably are waiting on 3-1-1 for time.

A

B

A

We tell them to call 9-1-1 or.

D

A

D

On the weekends.

A

Is the only way we're getting calls? Okay.

D

A

You know a dog but we'd. Consider that a priority one call to get to dina. Did you have something else.

G

Oh, I just thought um because, yes, everything you guys said is correct about that. um I was thinking an easy solution um and I know confidentiality.

G

uh You've brought up a bunch danny as far as certain things have to stay within the parameters of the systems, but you know utilizing us volunteers who you know, have our phones available all the time to be able to shoot that email out so like you're, getting like you said, I've got 30 people who are needing a vaccination appointment or something if you you know with this new coordinator, coming on board or even in the interim saying you know, who'd like to be one of those people I reach out to right and um and then that person can at least make that first contact like oh, I see you're interested in peach and you know anything that, like we like everyone's aware, you know I.

E

G

Our first job, probably as a city impound, is not adoptions right, that's just the luxury that we've been given because we're in minneapolis and we're doing things differently, and we have a new new culture in society, but I'm sure when it was originally set up that wasn't the thought of a city, impound and so to be able to both manage the needs of the city and what our first practices are.

G

But what also at the end of the day is the feel good story, which is that second chance happy ending, which is why our community is now really starting to support us. um If you could tap into those volunteers. I know there's a bunch of us who would be happy to reach out and at least get those first conversations started. So you guys don't feel so backlogged, but.

B

Yeah- and I mean there's absolutely no way that danny as the shelter director should be scheduling people for vaccine appointments. I mean, I know you're underscored you're understaffed. I understand that. But if you got to have this sheltered director doing that you need volunteers, you need something. Something's got to give there. You can't you got other things. You got to do.

A

Yeah, that's for sure.

B

B

But thank you guys for being open. That's all. I had.

A

Thank you adam anybody else, anything moving backwards back to our projects and or um what the board's priorities are for this term or anything any additional addendums or anything. Yes, savannah.

H

um Just to offer my help, so I do user experience research, so I will probably be pretty helpful with um like any time. We need to do some research on a topic or lots of experience like interviewing people and and digging in and getting more information from them. So um very happy love. It.

B

That could be really cool for the volunteer program too. Like there, it's a different user experience than.

A

B

But they're, probably the ones that we care about the most because they're recurrent and adopters just come once or twice. You know I mean it's still important for the adopters to have a great experience, but that's cool savannah.

H

Yeah, that's what I thought of when you said the volunteer experience like let's find interview, past volunteers, future volunteers like what would make the experience better for you looking at other rescues and adoptions, like I volunteer for two rescues and I have frustrations with both of them, and so how can we erase those and create a create a joyful experience because of what people want.

A

That's fabulous, I love it. The other thought that came to my mind was too is working um with our rescues.

A

As a group, um you know, like we've, been trying to do yearly meetings which of course, covet has kind of derailed, but, like we've done trying to do surveys and different things like how do we engage them more and get them to pull from us over somewhere else over texas or whatever? um You know, and I feel like we've hit a bunch of brick walls a little bit.

A

um You know as far as why or whatever, and we may never be able to fix that, but I do think uh you know that would be another area that you might be really helpful for us in it's kind of being someone that is not like.

A

I mean you're volunteer for us in a way because you're on our board, but you're kind of also a non-biased party in a way that can kind of talk to them and go all right because they were hesitant to like talk to our other, even non-animal control staff, but like downtown staff about stuff like like. No, we just want you to bear it all out and say it like what what what is it? What can we do, and I think that's gotten better, but it's still something we struggle with.

E

You know we we are so transparent with our rescue groups now, and I've actually heard that that actually hurts us, because now they know so much about the animals that they don't want to deal with the problems and that's kind of sad. It's really sad because you can't you can't win so.

H

B

Those are really.

E

H

Skills of like getting people to tell me all their secrets, um and so hopefully that can come in handy um so happy to help anyway again savannah.

B

You should talk with the director of every single rescue, that's on max board or on mac's list that has not pulled recently. I've tried talking with directors of big rescues, there's a big rescues to see why you know what's happening. Why isn't it happening but like if we can just let them know like hey? If you have things that you want, what do you want from us?

B

We can give it to you in this animal like you, don't have to do anything like we will make it easy, I mean, and you guys are already making a lot of them. You know or all of them free.

A

We haven't charged yeah I'll, tell you how long and.

B

Some of them have like 200 incentives and stuff like that. You guys are doing aw like when I get those emails, I'm like. Oh, my god. I love you so much like they're, so good um I mean they just they really are what people need like they give people the information that they need to make it a successful placement, for you know for an animal and it's so you guys are doing such good jobs on that um but yeah.

B

I I just wish that I think that there should be, and there probably is a way for us to just like. I know I don't want to come at like a like, almost like cow towel, like what. How can we help you? You know like it's not a. I know.

E

But I think so. Some of it is the fact that animals are not as at risk as they used to be at mac.

B

E

They're not as as there's other shelters, where they're much higher risk and they're going to go, try to help the ones that are at the highest risk.

D

E

And sorry- and it almost is, like I swear to you- this is how it feels like we have to threaten to kill a dog sometimes before we can get him out of there and it shouldn't that's stressful. I mean it just shouldn't.

B

E

B

E

B

The dog, because they're waiting and getting stressed out and becoming less and less so.

A

Easy to that's the other part like we're, trying to put it out there before we're at that point. But then they wait and wait and wait and now we're at really getting to a bad point. And then it gets worse. And it's like we told you a month ago.

E

Suddenly everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon social media and wants to save this dog who's completely lost their mind in our facility and is starting to attack staff and volunteers, and it was a perfectly nice dog. That's just I mean it's crazy. It's crazy town, I think matt had something to throw.

A

E

We're ignoring that, I'm just kidding.

F

uh No, I just wanted to weigh in when we're talking about the priorities. I think uh right now to me. uh The the top priority is is for sure the volunteer program and helping um the new coordinator in any way we can. As far as that goes, and then the second thing is, I know that we talked about the rescues and our and our partners out out there, and I know that still the bulk of them come from just a small population of who we have and just trying to reach out.

F

So, if I'm talking about this term, I think that the those would be the two top priorities that that I would see uh that way as well. So just wanted to weigh in on that part.

B

What for that can can minneapolis like buy somebody dinner like? What can you do? I mean I don't know you can't. Okay,.

E

Actually we can, we can actually, um if it's open to the general public we can buy you today.

B

E

But we I can't buy my staff dinner, okay.

B

A

uh I saw dina and then I saw savannah yeah.

G

Oh, I was just gonna say that, as far as you really don't need to wonder, what's going on with your rescue partners, I can tell you, as somebody who's very involved and if megan was here, I'm sure she would have. You know the exact same words, which are um the majority of the rescues.

G

Their money comes from adorably cute mid-sized, american popular breed, and that's just that. There's a reason: there's a reason that we put that a lot of them pull them. Okay and it's an easy adoption and it's easy money in the pockets, and they don't think about it ever again, and we have such a small number of fully breed rescues with so few foster homes that we're really struggling, even you know as large as rough start is right.

G

Now we struggle with anything that is a bully breed and I've got amazing amazing homes out there, um and so carolyn is right when you say that you, you kind of shot yourself in the foot by being such an advocate for these animals, because it's the word on the street and rescue is you're right.

G

Mac is that's why everybody loves mac, because mac's not going to use these animals like saint paul is and pups is for space, and so um it is down to the wire it's that last minute, like oh, my gosh, they might actually use this animal and they're right by then.

G

We've already been dealing with so many behaviors that have just been amplified, but it's a hard position to be in what we're doing as a group is, is the right thing to do and it should be commended every single second of the day, but it's hurting us because we're not going to be the first place they go, and pups and saint paul have been euthanizing non-stop for the last few months, they're just so full um and in rescue there aren't enough foster homes.

G

So that's one thing that maybe um if we could look at building on that foster program that we dipped our toes into there when coveted started. You know I look at it as a money thing um and in you carolyn and danny only you guys can speak numbers to this. But to me it seems like it would benefit us to have say even 10 foster homes out there for kittens during kitten season and- and we don't charge very much but to me most of the time minus some.

G

You know anti biotics here and there that you know aren't relatively very expensive.

G

It would seem that we're actually going to put money in the coffers during certain times of the year by having our own fosters and not dealing with rescue, not having those mama cats sit there for five plus weeks when really, if somebody didn't have to deal with the nonsense that some of us rescues give to people like a savannah.

D

G

I'm irritated with both my rescues, I'm involved with, and I you know all of us who are in rescue we put up with it, because this is what we believe passionately in, but I'll tell you what danny 100 times a day over. I would rather come pick up mama and kittens from you than deal with the nonsense that goes on in rescue, so just a little food for thought, for you guys that that really is what's going on behind the scenes.

G

There's not enough adorables and there's not enough foster homes um and- uh and you know we're doing the right thing. But it's hurting us because other shelters are euthanizing every day.

E

Well, it's pretty amazing how many foster homes uh I'm just going to jump in savannah. I apologize, but it's amazing how many foster homes came out and said we're here. If you need us they're here in minneapolis, the minneapolis residents, won't they want to partner with us they they really do. I mean we've we've it minneapolis has problems, but animal being animal lovers is not one of their.

E

I mean they love animals in minneapolis, and I know that they're out there and one of when we did our uh I hate to use the word state of the union, but state of the union address that I did to my staff. One of our goals for 2022 is to try to have at least 50 percent of our animals in foster homes by the end of the year. So that's one of my priorities and I do think I think you're right. uh It's it's going to be key.

E

It is just it's a key element um for for moving forward in in the sheltering world that we're in and and you can't, the city cannot afford to just keep throwing money at it and let's face it, we do make really good money and they can't afford to just keep throwing money at positions.

E

We have got to partner with the community to make this happen and to really make this the organization that it should be, and I think the animals deserve it in minneapolis and I think the citizens the residents, deserve it in in minneapolis savannah you're waiting so patiently with me. Thank you for letting me interrupt you adam and.

H

E

H

I was, I was just gonna say that um it sounds like the problem is not the rescues. The problem is, we should be the ultimate foster like people, and so I know of a person that fostered for a very high end, uh most famous rescue in all of minneapolis minnesota, and she started uh fostering for mac instead because it was a better experience. So how do we pull from other groups?.

E

To create that really good experience yeah, and we want to make that happen and- and I'm really thinking, I'm really hoping that this volunteer coordinator position, this person that we hired is going to really help with that, especially since she's not going to be somebody that I can just go hey you already know: you've you've been an animal control officer.

E

Let me put a uniform on you, we're short today, so uh danny unfortunately, was one of those people and, and anybody that's volunteered at mac- has seen her back there doing not doing surgeries but helping with surgeries uh doing exam. I mean she's, just everything, and so I'm hoping this coordinator. This new coordinator will be able to completely focus on this um and not be distracted by all these other things that you know. I can't pull her into because she hasn't experienced it. So that's my hope. um Who's.

A

Next, I think adam's next, but I was going to say dina with what you said I do agree. Foster is huge and, like we've already said, that's a big priority, so any help the board can or will give us with.

A

That will be amazing, because that is not something I personally have a lot of experience in other than with what I've read and then kind of just done at mac um in regards to running or upkeeping one- um and I know our new person coming in- has a little bit with working with the rescue before, but not as much, but I the other piece with that with the rescue piece is I I feel that what we need to or what we're trying to do- and I've talked to this with my staff- is move into.

A

We have to be more self-reliant, our rescues are inundated and or have other priorities or whatever, and we have been really trying to think out of the box um on things we can do, and I still struggle with that. I caroline had a. She was right moment with evie this past week um and we found a fantastic home for her.

A

Even though, literally a week ago, I felt a deadline for euthanasia was 100 appropriate because of what we were seeing and dealing with in the shelter, but a few days in the office and doing a hail mary ended up being, I think fantastic. As far as I know, she's been doing great. I talked to the as she said: unicorn she did. She found the unicorn homes. I said carolyn unicorns on art, they're all everywhere, and then the unicorn showed up um to the shelter.

A

So it happens and I'm we're trying I'm trying to get my staff to think of okay. What can we do and when get it to our rescues that we are only asking in those cases really where it is something we can't deal with right now for whatever and it could be, you know sometimes less minor and more severe depending on. If we've got you know, 100 foster homes, full of kittens. We might ask them for taking a mama and kittens because we don't have another one.

A

You know- or it might be those really really tough medical or behavioral that we're at a point where we can't do anything else for them or whatever. So just so, you guys kind of know, that's something also percolating there adam go ahead.

B

um Percolating, on top of that, uh this is basically just related. Do you guys do foster to adopt.

E

That's what the founder foster is that's kind of what.

B

C

Not yet we're getting there, we've done a.

B

Few really, what foster homes are, are just regular people that it could also just be adopters. Adopters could just be foster homes. You know so like.

B

I know that there can be like some pretty great programs, especially like so some of the dogs that you have that you are going out to like you're talking about becoming more self-reliant like some of the dogs, you, if you had like a picture of them, you know in the lobby with these are like my medical needs, I'm looking for someone to help keep you know, keep me during this time, and you know if you, if you want to or you know, if you want to see if we're a good match, you know you can take me home and either foster me, and you know, help me find a home or you know, keep me.

B

You know like stuff like that, um where people can feel like they can choose their animal. That's a that's a really. When I'm looking to adopt an animal, I always try to foster to adopt. Just because I want my other animals are so important to me. I want to make sure it's a perfect fit, um so I don't know if you can, if you can make that even if you just focus foster to it up for like you, don't want.

B

No, you don't have to do it for the kittens, because everybody can adopt a kitten, but if you've got you know, animals that have like these health issues or behavior issues. It's not like. It's not like the faultless. It's not like the fosters are all like amazing. At behavior issues I mean we all hope that they are, but you know really they there's a lot of people that have you know issues or they learn as they go, uh and I think that you know adopters can do that too.

B

If they're, you know, if they're willing to do it.

A

Yeah, we definitely have done some like foster to adopt situations. We've had a few dogs and we've had a few more dogs on cats that we've offered like folks, if they've been on the fence, usually, if I'm doing it I'll go in and go all right, if you're really not sure, let's do this a week or two see you know to start with and see how it goes and if it's horrible bring it back and the worst thing that happens. She's.

E

Like I know, you're the right owner and you're shaking this dog home.

A

Find the paper dang it.

E

Part of the pushback, I think, from staff with really launching this. Is that there's not enough? We don't have a support. We don't have the support that we can give to these fosters that we feel like they so desperately deserve, um and that's something I think that I think that's a volunteer thing that could happen right and and so right now. You know that hasn't happened, but one of the things and I'll tell you what happened with evie danny. Is it okay.

A

E

I've seen it with the volunteers too, with these guys is they start to see them deteriorate. They're start these animals are starting to deteriorate. These are people who are laying their soul down every day for these animals, I mean they really do put their heart and soul into them, and they're watching these animals start to deteriorate, and it really starts to weigh heavily on their hearts right because they know what's coming.

E

They know they know what it's like to have feces stuck to the ceiling, because the animal has completely lost his mind and anybody who's worked in the old shelters remembers those days and and they start to panic, and they next thing. I next thing I know I end up with a deadline on a dog because he's suffering and we can't get. We know he needs to get out of here right and rescue.

E

Just won't help us they're, not they're, focusing on saint paul dogs or whatever right and one of the things that staff are really learning and we all are actually is.

E

Being able to say today's not a good day to die, and I'm not going to do that, I'm going to figure out what the next thing is that I need to do to make help this dog be successful, even if he has to stay at mac for a little longer. What does he need to be successful?

E

And what do I need to get him out, and I think evie was a good example of that right. Annie, evie lived in the office for a couple of days she needed to get out of her kennel. You know she's a great dog a little bit of a jerk with other dogs, but we found her somebody who got german shepherds and she she doesn't live in the city. She lives on five acres.

E

It's all fenced in and she's got a jerk brother that she lives with and when she realizes he just wants to hump her leg. She just finally started ignoring him everything's good right, so I mean they're out there you just we had to think we had to look somewhere else for for that perfect home, and it's not always easy when the emotions are playing. I've even had volunteers going. Why are we keeping this dog here?

E

I mean you know what I mean. We expect that from staff sometimes, but not from your volunteers, but I mean they do dana. We have completely ignored you. Oh you're, good.

G

Just stuck yeah my hair yeah, I have chickenpox by the way, that's why you can't see my face tonight. Yeah I could. I have chicken pox, oh, come on.

E

G

Years old- and this is obviously the second time in my life because I actually had shingles too so, oh, how is that possible? That's what everybody's saying you can they're like twice yeah.

E

G

I know that my husband has shingles. He was up at the shelter dying by himself this weekend and when the dogs jumped on him he's a strong guy he's like I had tears in my eyes, he's like I've got on the ground and almost started crying and, of course the pities are like. What's up we're gonna have fun with this one.

G

It was horrible. I felt so bad for him, um but obviously I'm in quarantine. So, um but so I lose my train of thought with this, but the one part with the atom so building on that one of our biggest programs at rough start.

G

That's really popular is the foster to adopt, but I would want to tag that with what we've been talking about, which is building up that community support that community, that we're touching every corner of our city and maybe what we're doing is we're putting programs in place for families that are considering adopting a dog, especially our young.

G

You know everybody falls in love with our pities because they just they're adorable, but any of our dogs and I hate to keep bringing up the bully breeds, but um where we actually have like you know- and we could save time by doing something where once again, it's an online. You know video that you watch as a family, and maybe you know, volunteer, helps out in person at the adoption, but let them test run that dog, um but also have a program in place that really lets them know.

G

um This is the type of dog we should be looking at. You know and if we're not quite ready, these are the things we can learn to be ready for that dog and then have that volunteer support system in place. You know a volunteer leader who's like hey you're, having behavior issues, no problem.

G

Let's talk about this, and so I think that could be one of our ways out of this, but the other part that I would love to touch with base on, and I know danny I I brought this up with you a long time ago.

G

I would really like to follow the lead of mesa and phoenix arizona where they have had so much success with uh treadmills in their shelter for their dogs. I mean they, they will. I don't know their numbers, I'm not a numbers girl.

G

I just know that I flipped out when I read the success of it, but they cannot. They just talk about how many lives have been saved because they could get some of their more intense dogs on that treadmill. For 20 minutes and danny said, where would we put it and every time I'm in the shelter.

G

Well, up in the front run, you know up in the small cameras.

G

um You know, thankfully, we're not that full right now and I know that things could change and then they're full. And what do you do and then maybe you're not running that treadmill, but you know on the weekends we're not open anymore, so we can use that lobby.

G

We could put it in front of the window and if it's successful, that could be just one more thing that you're showing the public on on inexpensive, because I looked him up on amazon 350 dollars to get your dog's mind calm, so you can live with that high energy first, three years. What am I going to do with it? All breeds can enjoy that. But I would love to see us experiment with that and see if how carol- and you said this- isn't your day to die. What's that next step?

G

Well, maybe we have a treadmill and somebody says: look: does anybody have an extra volunteer hour this week to come up and do two dogs on the treadmill that are really struggling and I guarantee you've got you've already got the volunteers? Who'd run up there and help? Do you.

E

Think putting the treadmills inside kennels would be a bad thing like, but they'd be facing a wall.

B

Don't do the kennels, but you could do it in the in the runs or you could do it in that place where you have that adoption room right in the front where people can watch like I'm just saying like that's. That would be that. I think that.

A

Would we would, I will tell you, we'd, have to sell it a little bit. I do have stuff.

G

For this very hesitant.

A

Because of dog fighting that, what is it going to look like when animal control is putting dogs.

B

Oh, my gosh seizing treadmills.

A

From dog fighters.

B

A

E

Already have red milk.

B

No, but I mean yeah, you don't need that was inappropriate. I'm sorry, but.

H

Like I was gonna suggest a webcam, but definitely not anymore after that.

B

Just would just be curious, what's going on with this dog and that could get us started. Conversation.

E

We also wanted I've been trying to, and I this is, I don't even know I don't run unless if I'm running you better run too because something's chasing me big right. So you know what I mean.

E

If I'm running your direction, you better get in your car and lock the doors so but there's a bear behind you yeah more than that, so, but but there's a lot of runners out there and there's a lot of programs that where the runners come and pick up a dog and go running through the city with it, I want to get involved in that. I think that would be.

B

E

We actually talked about megan maui actually asked to bring a treadmill. I don't know whatever happened to that, but I guarantee you- and I said yes, we'd find a home for it, but I guarantee you. We could get people to do how many people want to get rid of treadmills that have been sitting in their bedroom. They bought that nice treadmill thinking they were going to run on it and it became a close where all the clothes went. You know, unfortunately,.

G

Caroline, I oh sorry, I did some research on that because that's what my first thought was and the more research it sounded like that. um You have to get the ones that are specially made to do this with animals and it's based on the ability to adjust the height at which the animals tethered to it. Now I know when you watch.

D

G

What's his face out in california, I mean he just goes in their home and says. Let me use your treadmill with your dog and but we'd have to research it more, but the research I did do said that you really should get one that you can adjust.

E

Anyway, you would have services to weld something across the front of them, for that.

C

So I have a I have a friend who raises malinois and um she uses the treadmill because of course, if you're breeding and raising malinois you need to be exercising them daily and you you have to get a dog version for it to be safe. Okay, so you do need to get one of those. I understand completely.

C

No, no, they have ones that aren't flat, but I'm gonna do something where you're coming from danny, and I think we need to be super careful with that. You know good, but the other thing I wanted to break in and say I've got a hard stop at eight o'clock. All right, because I have another conference call.

E

By the way, the treadmills aren't super expensive, I'm looking at them for 500 bucks.

A

Yeah dina said 350 come on, find us cheaper.

B

Well and your your thing about the runners thing um there are different groups like. I think that if you had some like one volunteer, that was a mac like volunteer.

B

um If you, if they didn't, have to go through the like here in asheville, they have a program, you it's called outward bound or something you can go and hike with uh animal control volunteer or it's a it's, not an animal control hike. You just pick up a dog, you take it and you walk it and there's someone there that can help you, but you don't have to go through the whole rigmarole of going into town to get your.

B

You know to that you're just there to get one dog walked and you can have somebody to help you. So if you had one runner that was the leader, you could have quite a few people just go on uh like what a twice weekly run at mac. You always meet at this time. There's tons of runners that are, I don't know, I think it's something to think about not to have to be a full volunteer to be able to exercise animal.

B

If maybe you pick which animals are appropriate, you know for that and that's what they did at the at the shelter they were just like. Okay, this one's this one's fine, you know, go you go, go take him. You know.

B

Think about it.

A

A

I just need them to be better on their leashes.

B

A

We can work on that, though, all right, so with our nine minutes left of our meeting, I feel like we should so a again remember april 11th will be our next meeting at 6 pm. I will send out, um invites and things for that once I do. The um meeting minutes likely get those back out to you guys um in the next couple days at the most, um but I think we're all in for pretty good consensus that I think board focus will be assisting with rounding out volunteer um program um capacities.

A

You know the additional and or new ideas, or you know, uh positions or assisting um our new coordinator in growing foster too, since that that is one of our really big pushes for this year's foster for sure, um as I do think, that'll be a huge piece for us in managing our capacity in the shelter as well as what we can do.

A

Additionally, because we don't have as many animals in the shelter um all the time and more of them out in the out in foster homes, where, hopefully they're less stressed and um either getting adopted by their fosters or they're helping get them set up to be the good pet that they can be in a home.

A

All right, so I don't know where caroline anything I feel like we should like. I don't know if there's anything, if we, I know.

E

We have to do this is, um I think, we're I'm just super excited for this board. I think this is an opportunity for this new board to really um step up and continue on with what the old the other board had done. um You know we you've set the ground. The other board set the groundwork for what's good, not.

C

All of you, we've had new people same people, but you.

E

Set the you set the tone and- and you set the foundation for what's to come and now's the time now's the time to let's build it. Let's make it happen and um I think all the players are are coming together. Yes, mac is short staffed, that's nothing new right, but the players are coming together. You're going to have you know danny in her new position. You've got me.

E

You've got john and tony a little bit further away from us, but they're super supportive and you've got this new volunteer coordinator position coming in and what's really cool the way, we're planning to structure with the new position of the the extra vet tech position. um That's gonna actually enable us to do a little bit better vet work, because, right now we have one person trying to work with two vets and it's insanity back there.

E

um So I think we're going to be able to do a little bit more with our vets as well, and I'm excited about that. So I just think there's a lot of exciting times coming up and we won't be able to do it without you guys. So you bring.

A

It I'll send out sorry go ahead. No I'm done I'll, send out follow-up stuff, like I said, and then also I'm thinking um prior to, if I can april 11th, especially depending on where I've got kind of uh ideas of where I want madison to start on different things coming in. um So I might reach out and or you know, send out a you know introductory thing to madison for those of you that haven't gotten one, um but also depending on what we're working on. I know.

A

Obviously some of you guys have experience in working with foster-based, rescues and stuff, so I might pull in and maybe that's the way that we kind of jump into some of these sideline projects we're just trying to go. Oh, let's meet every other. You know every month at this time and maybe not do anything like as we're as staff is ready to maybe jump on that particular piece having you guys like reaching out going all right. This is where we're at let's jump in and get.

A

Does that sound good as a good way to kind of do those projects.

D

A

E

Cool are we gonna vote on because they sent out a lot of ideas? Are we gonna send that out? Let them vote on what the top you know what their top. I.

A

Will send out the meeting minutes and um for some of the bigger stuff, I think we if we want to try to do like one of the bigger projects or things this year. We might have to do a vote on that. But, as far as like the I think, volunteer program as a whole is a priority, is just in general and that'll be, like I said, moving on with you know as I in madison reach out to go all right.

A

Here's we're working on foster right now, so, let's jump in, and this is what I need from the board for foster stuff and whatever. Yes, heather.

D

C

I wonder if we shouldn't be considering um the foster homes as part of the volunteer program. Yes,.

D

Absolutely if you are a foster.

F

C

You are a volunteer and yes.

E

I think that's where we're at yeah.

C

E

A

Yeah they've been.

C

Always a volunteer.

A

The hardest piece is like: we had to figure out how we want to track them in our program, because we can actually track them in chameleon and stuff. So we've got a little bit of like behind the scenes, worked on our end to figure out on that piece, but they've always been considered like people that I have that have repeatedly fostered. I've always been a volunteer just their role.

C

A

Versus dog walker.

C

A

And I think we have that.

C

As an option where people who can't come in and volunteer within mac can.

B

I think that we should send out like when you're sending out the stuff for this. This, maybe ask which small group like make up a couple small groups and so that people can actually work on stuff, instead of just waiting until april to kind of figure.

E

Out what to do all right so april 11th, I may not be back just so. You know yep, um but you may be, but I may be, but dan because I'm I surprised them all and came back early this last time, but I'm having the other knee replaced. So danny, um though, will will happily take charge of this, I'm sure, with madison by the then yep actually and he's going to be like shoveling it to madison. But that's all right.

A

I'll still be around I'll still be around all right cool. Well, if someone wants to move to adjourn, if we don't have anything else,.

E

B

E

All in favor aye, thank you, hi all.

C

D

Everyone have a great evening.

B

Good night.

D