Reno Nevada Humane Progress

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I talked to Bonnie Brown, director of Nevada Humane who has taken Reno to No-Kill. Bonnie is a protege of Winograd.

Nevada Humane is the private side of a cooperative agreement with the Washoe County municipal shelter, much like the San Francisco agreement between SFACC/SFSPCA.

I didn't ask the question before, but the combined budget of the County and Nevada Humane is about $14,000,000 a year, while LAAS, who handles three times the number of animals has an operating budget of, what is it now, $20,000,000?

However, the LAAS budget, if we include retirement and a lot of other stuff is about $35-40,000,000 I do not remember the amount anymore. I don't know whether the NH/WCACC total is the deluxe tricked out version that includes retirement, or is strictly the operational budget.

In any event, their combined budget is in the same general ballpark as LAAS, as opposed to just the operating budget of NH of about $4,000,000 as being the budget for the entire NH/Washoe County.

There is a summary of the combined kill rate immediately below and below that a link to their stats through August of this year. Bonnie said their intake has dramatically increased because of foreclosures just as Boks claims for LA. So Boks is not all wet here like I thought. The increase in kill rate has hit Reno also.

Until June of this year they were saving about 90% of dogs and cats. June through August were bad for cats, reaching about a 20% kill rate, far, far lower than LAAS. Even then, the kill rate dropped by 35% over the year before.

In any event, except for these three months, NH/Washoe County is truly No Kill, and they have an impound rate per thousand people much larger than LA.

Bonnie's summary:

Nevada Humane Society Statistics for 2008 through July
Reduction in killing (dogs and cats combined, NHS and WCRAS combined):

• 2006: 31.7% killed
• 2007: 15.2% killed
• 2008 year to date (end of July): 10.8% killed

Current countywide save rate is 89.2% making Washoe County one of the safest in the country for homeless dogs and cats.

Increase in pet adoption at NHS (dogs and cats combined):

• 2006: 4,539
• 2007: 7,452 (Including all animals 8,030 adoptions)
• 2008 year to date (end of July): 4,365 (up 6% over 2007)

July 2008 was the best pet adoption month ever at NHS with 862 animals going to good new homes in the community. (Note: this includes all animals.)

Dramatic increase in volunteers at NHS:

• February 2007: 30
• December 13, 2007: 1,205
• August 7, 2008: 2,230 — including 679 people who have offered to provide foster care to animals in their homes.

Programs:

• Pit Bull Spay/Neuter $5 Rebate Program: 446 dogs over past 11 months

• Seniors for Seniors Pet Adoption Program (People 55+ adopt pets 6 years old or up for free.): 227 senior citizens adopted pets free this year. (We would love to get the word out about this program to increase the number of people who take advantage of it.)

• Animal Help Desk: Averaging 1,700 calls and e-mails per month. The Help Desk provides free information and assistance to people who have an animal-related problem.

• Low-cost and free spay/neuter for cats: Available through the NHS Clinic and voucher program on a sliding scale fee basis.

2008 Incoming animals, year to date: 75 more dogs, 294 fewer cats, than 2007.

NOTICE THE 679 FOSTERS.

Statistics worksheet September 2007 to August 2008:

http://itisnotreal.com/Reno2008Stats.xls