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County officials are launching a process to take input and figure out how they can improve their procedures at OC Animal Care in Tustin.
The county-run shelter’s current strategic plan, which lays out the facility’s priorities, was created in 2018. Six years later, county officials say the animal care field has seen dynamic shifts after the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide staffing shortages.
In response, county officials are looking for a consultant to review the shelter’s operations and current trends in animal care to identify updated goals.
“This review provides an opportunity to align our goals with current standards, leverage emerging opportunities, and address challenges that may have emerged since the inception of the initial plan,” reads the call for proposals.
“By acknowledging and adapting to this evolving landscape, OC Animal Care can better position itself to meet the expectations of our partner cities and ensure we meet consistent, responsible standards of animal welfare,” it continues.
Fourteen cities across Orange County contract with OC Animal Care for patrol services and pet licensing.
The project also calls for more opportunities to receive feedback from the general public and mentions creating an annual internal review process for the shelter to continue evolving.
“Through this review, OCAC not only celebrates its successes but also acknowledge areas where the organization can improve,” reads the project description. “Learning from experiences, both accomplishments, and challenges, allows OCAC to refine strategies, optimize resources, and continuously enhance its ability to serve the community effectively.”
The project is still open and contractors can submit proposals until Sept. 5.
A contract is expected by January 2025 and the review is slated to be completed by September 2025.
A History of Criticism
Critics spent years calling for a more open shelter, arguing that OCAC’s practices prevented animals from getting adopted and increased euthanasia rates.
Animal shelter officials were slow to reopen kennels for public viewing after the pandemic. Even years after most county buildings and Southern California animal shelters were reopened to the public, OC Animal Care’s kennel areas remained largely closed off.
That changed in January when shelter staff reopened kennel areas to the public for three hours each day.
Currently, the shelter kennel areas are open for public access daily from 2 to 5 p.m. Visitors can schedule adoption visits from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily but can’t walk around the kennels outside viewing hours.
[Read: OC Animal Shelter to Allow More In-Person Visitors]
OC Animal Care has been the focus of numerous critical grand jury reports. From 1999 to 2015, the shelter warranted five investigations by the impaneled civil watchdog body — calling out issues like understaffing, problems with euthanasia decisions and lack of spay and neuter services.
In a sixth report released last year, OC Grand Jurors again highlighted an understaffing problem, especially for Animal Care attendants.
Critics have also emphasized a need for more staff members, saying a lack of kennel attendants results in dirty kennels or dogs without a daily walk.
Orange County Supervisors disagree, claiming the center is fully staffed. They publicly discussed the grand jury report earlier this month as they were looking to wrap up their response to all the grand jury investigations from the 2022-23 year.
[Read: OC Officials Again Claim Animal Shelter is Fully Staffed Despite Scathing Report]
The review also comes on the heels of a new leader hired at OC Animal Care.
The new director, Monica Schmidt, has been working at the shelter since 2020 as the assistant director. When former Director Andi Bernard stepped down last May, Schmidt took over as interim director.
In April, county supervisors formally hired Schmidt — the third director in the last five years for the agency.
[Read: New OC Animal Shelter Director Looks to Reconnect With Public]
During a previous interview with Voice of OC, she said one of her biggest goals is to reconnect with the public, volunteers, staff and rescue partners.
“All of those stakeholders, I’m committed to engaging with them, hearing from them, really finding where we have overlapping goals and can work together to really make life better for people and pets in our community,” she said. “That’s a huge goal for me.”
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
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