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DRAFT Community Adoption Program Cabarrus County Guidelines and Standards It is the intent of the Board of Commissioners to end the killing of adoptable animals in the Cabamzs County Animal Shelter. In order to accomplish this, the Board of Commissioners is establishing the following guidelines to be used in the establishment and operation of a community wide adoption program: • No animal should be killed if the animal can be placed in a suitable home, if a private sheltering agency or rescue group is willing to take care and custody of the animal for purposes of adoption, or, in the case of feral cats, if they can be sterilized and released to their habitats; • Animals held in shelters deserve proper care and humane treatment including prompt veterinary care, adequate nutrition, shelter, exercise, environmental enrichment, and water; • The shelter and private rescue organizations have a duty to make all adoptable animals available for a reasonable period of time; • Owners of lost animals should have a reasonable period of time within which to redeem their animals; • All efforts should be made to encourage the voluntary spaying and neutering of animals; • When euthanasia is necessary for an animal, it should be done as humanely and compassionately as possible; • The Cabamis County Animal Shelter and community adoption program should be operated in a transparent manner at all times, to include reporting procedures and shelter operations, thereby building trust with the community; • The Board of Commissioners further encourages any rescue organization operating in Cabamts County, and participating in the community adoption program to: • Commit themselves anew to ending the killing of savable animals in their care and custody; • Work cooperatively with other animal adoption organizations to the fullest extent to promote the adoption of animals and to reduce the rate of killing; • Provide every animal in their custody with individual consideration and care, regardless of how many animals they take in, or whether such animals are healthy, unweaned, elderly, sick, injured, traumatized, feral, aggressive, or of a particular breed; • Not ban, bar, limit or otherwise obstruct the adoption of any animal based on arbitrary criteria, such as breed, age, color, or other criteria except as to the individual animal's medical condition or aggression, or the adopter's fitness to adopt. • If needed, adjust operating hours to be open to the public for adoption in the evening to allow for greater contact with the public; • Implement and/or strengthen their programs to save lives, including free and low -cost spay /neuter services for animals, including feral cats; a foster -care network for animals needing special care, including unweaned, traumatized, sick and injured animals; comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include adoption venues other than the shelter; medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs; pet- retention programs to solve medical, environmental, and behavioral problems and keep animals with their caring and responsible owners; and, volunteer programs to help socialize animals, promote adoptions, and assist in the operations of the shelter. -3- Attachment number 1 E -1 Page 27