Score: +3
(3/2/0)
Ventura County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
Ventura County Animal Services Commission
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 12 findings
F01
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the Ventura County Animal Services Commission's core mission to advise, guide, support, and collaborate with Ventura County Animal Services has been undermined due to issues such as non-adherence to its bylaws, inconsistent meeting schedules, and ineffective communication.
No recommendations for this finding
F02
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that between 2015 and 2024, the Ventura County Animal Services Commission's advisory role, communication purpose, and collaboration process diminished replaced by a narrow focus on limiting or reducing contract costs.
No recommendations for this finding
F03
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the transition to an Open Admission shelter in 2014 increased financial pressure on both the county and Contract Cities, forcing Ventura County Animal Services to place budget considerations ahead of Best Practices for animal control, shelter care and field services. 5
No recommendations for this finding
F04
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the cooperative partnership between the eight Contract Cities and Ventura County Animal Services evolved from a collaborative partnership into a client-vendor relationship, leading to splintered purposes, conflicting priorities, and a decline in unified commitment.
No recommendations for this finding
F05
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the current Animal Services Agreements do not adequately address rising costs of shelter and field services, requiring Ventura County Animal Services to use funding, staffing, supply, and facility workarounds to compensate for budget shortfalls.
No recommendations for this finding
F06
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the Ventura County Animal Services Camarillo shelter, which opened in 1985, is aging, outdated, and consistently over-crowded with animals, as Ventura County Animal Services maintains its mission to be an Open Admission, 90% live-release model.
No recommendations for this finding
F07
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that there has been a significant decrease in the number of animals being taken out of the shelter by local rescue groups and foster options, adding another stress factor to the consistent over-capacity of the Camarillo shelter population.
No recommendations for this finding
F08
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that academic research deems spay/neuter ordinances insufficient without effective enforcement. In contrast, no-cost or low-cost spay/neuter programs have proven far more effective and successful as a long-term solution.
No recommendations for this finding
F09
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that compassion fatigue negatively impacts human animal welfare workers, and the consequences of compassion fatigue on the mental health and wellness of Ventura County Animal Services staff and volunteers are not being adequately identified nor sufficiently addressed.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that Thousand Oaks and Santa Paula are the only incorporated cities in Ventura County that do not contract with Ventura County Animal Services, leading to confusion and frustration for the public trying to determine which agency is responsible for their animal services.
Related Recommendations (1)
R07
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and Ventura County Animal Services open a dialogue with the cities of Santa Paula and Thousand Oaks regarding contracting with Ventura County Animal Services for potential cost saving and uniformity of service for residents of Ventura County. This needs to be completed by December 31, 2025. (F-10)
F11
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that the English-only Ventura County Animal Services website, written materials, and other communication with the public do not foster, and can be a deterrent to, engagement with the non-English-speaking population of Ventura County.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that an antiquated sanitation system, lack of necessary air-filtration systems, and the inability to quarantine contribute to viral medical issues. These conditions interfere with the safety and welfare of the population at the outdated shelter. RECOMMENDATIONS
No recommendations for this finding
Commendations 4
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CM1 Page 10The Civil Grand Jury commends the Ventura County residents who volunteer to work with Ventura County Animal Services at the Camarillo and Simi Valley shelters, work together with Ventura County Animal Services staff in education and outreach programs, and open their homes and hearts as foster havens for all kinds of animals. These volunteers are involved in daily animal care and companionship, help with medical and well-being support, and assist marketing and fundraising efforts. Ventura County Animal Services would not be able to function successfully without the hundreds of volunteers who give their time, effort, compassion, and love to animals under the care of Ventura County Animal Services. The Civil Grand Jury also commends the Emergency Volunteer Rescue Team (EVRT), an on- call volunteer group of Ventura County residents activated by Ventura County Animal Services during declared disasters. They assist in the evacuation of livestock and domestic animals to safe, predetermined locations. Most recently, in 2024, during the Mountain Fire, EVRT quickly mobilized and was essential in assisting Ventura County Animal Services rescue hundreds of animals of all kinds and move them quickly and safely out of the danger zone. These volunteers are giving of themselves, through selfless efforts, to provide comfort and care for animals in times of great distress. 8
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CM2 Page 11REFERENCES Ref-01. Interviews with various government officials and other interested parties. Ref-02. Ventura County Animal Services. (2022, February 10). Ventura County Animal Services Commission By-Laws. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://animalservices.venturacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/By-Laws- Feb-2022-Final.pdf Ref-03. Ventura County Animal Services. (n.d.). Services provided by City. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://animalservices.venturacounty.gov/services-provided- by-city/ Ref-04. Guenther, K. M., & Hassen, K. (2024). Coming to Terms with the Legacies of the Pound Model in Animal Sheltering in the United States. Animals, 14(9), 1254. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/9/1254 Ref-05. Ventura County Animal Services. Shelter Life Documentary. (2016). Becoming no kill. Episode 2. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_E-0sobL7k&t=18s Ref-06. Ventura County Animal Services. VCAS Commission Website. (2025, February 20). Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://animalservices.venturacounty.gov/vcas-commission/ Ref-07. County of Ventura. Auditor Controller. (2023-2024). Fiscal Year Adopted Budget. (pp. 174-178). Retrieved on October 31, 2024, from https://vcportal.ventura.org/auditor/docs/adopted- budgets/fy24/a.%20Expenditures%20Detail%20-%20All%20Functions.pdf Ref-08. County of Ventura. Auditor Controller. (2024-2025). Fiscal Year Adopted Budget. (pp. 172-176). Retrieved on October 31, 2024, from https://vcportal.ventura.org/auditor/docs/adopted- budgets/fy25/a.%20Expenditures%20Detail%20-%20All%20Functions.pdf Ref-09. Humane World for Animals. HumanePro. (n.d.). Determining and exceeding capacity. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://humanepro.org/page/determining-and-exceeding-capacity Ref-10. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shelter Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine. (2023, August 9). Overview of Capacity for Care (C4C). Retrieved on March 25, 2025, from https://sheltermedicine.wisc.edu/library/resources/overview-of-capacity-for-care- c4c Ref-11. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shelter Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine. (2023, August 9). Calculating shelter capacity. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://sheltermedicine.wisc.edu/library/resources/calculating-shelter- capacity 9
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CM3 Page 12REFERENCES – continued Ref-12. Shelter Animals Count. The National Data Base. (2024, June). Shelter Capacity: It’s not just about number of kennels. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/shelter-capacity-not-just-about-number-of- kennels/ Ref-13. UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. (2023, August 9). Calculating shelter capacity. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/resources/calculating-shelter-capacity Ref-14. Bushby, P.A. (2020) Deconstructing the spay/neuter debate. How can we address concerns about the health impacts of sterilization? Animal Sheltering Magazine, Summer 2020. Humane World for Animals. HumanePro. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/deconstructing- spayneuter-debate Ref-15. Rogue Valley Street Dogs. (2024, December 18). Limiting the Overpopulation of Cats and Dogs. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://roguevalleystreetdogs.org/overpopulation-of-cats-and-dogs/ Ref-16. Faunalytics. (2007, July 19). Programs to Reduce Overpopulation of Companion Animals Analysis. Retrieved on April 7, 2025, from https://faunalytics.org/analysis-of-programs-to-reduce-overpopulation-of- companion-animals-do-adoption-and-low-cost-spayneuter-programs-merely- cause-substitution-of-sources/ Ref-17. ASPCA. About Us/Policies and Position. (2025, Updated). Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws. Retrieved on March 15, 2025, from https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position- statement-mandatory-spayneuter-laws Ref-18. Stoewen D. L. (2021). Moving from compassion fatigue to compassion resilience Part 5: Building personal resilience. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 62(11), 1229–1231. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8543697/ Ref-19. Humane World for Animals HumanePro. (n.d.). Compassion fatigue. Retrieved on March 16, 2025, from https://humanepro.org/topics/compassion- fatigue#:~:text=Compassion%20fatigue%20is%20real%2C%20and%20the%20st ress%20of,support%20your%20team%20and%20strengthen%20your%20compa ssion%20resilience Ref-20. Mission Driven. (2022, April 25). What is Compassion Fatigue in the Animal Rescue Community. Retrieved on March 16, 2025, from https://missiondrivengoods.com/blogs/stories/what-is-compassion-fatigue-in-the- animal-rescue-community 10
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CM4 Page 13REFERENCES – continued Ref-21. Pfifferling, J-H, Gilley, K. (2000, April). Overcoming Compassion Fatigue, Family Practice Management. Fam Pract Manag. 2000;7(4):39-44. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2000/0400/p39.html Ref-22. CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute. (n.d.). 5 Pathways for Healing Compassion Fatigue. Retrieved on April 11, 2025, from https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/5-pathways-healing-compassion-fatigue/ Ref-23. Ventura County Grand Jury (2011-2012). Ventura County Animal Services Department. Final Report. Retrieved on March 7, 2025 from https://vcportal.ventura.org/GDJ/docs/reports/2011- 12/VC_Animal_Services_Department.pdf
Agency Responses 1
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 2
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
County Service Area No. 3 (Ventura)
Special District
Ventura County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office