Placer County Grand Jury 2022-2023 Final Report Interventions

The grand jury found that: Placer County schools have numerous free mental health services available

to staff, students, and families. School districts focus primarily on two types of intervention programs: Multi-Tier System of Support and Positive Behavior Intervention and RecomSumppeonrtds.a tions TChoep gireansd s juernyt h taos :n o recommendations. Placer County Office of Education Superintendent 360 Nevada St APluabcuerrn C, CoAu n9t5y6 B0o3a rd of Supervisors 1 75 Fulweiler Ave Auburn, CA 95603 48 SIBP SSTM rehtO ecaloS eraC supmaC nO stsiparehT retneC ssenlleW noitneverP ediciuS gniniarT TSISA KLATefaS ssenlleW lautriV margorP latneM rehtO ro secivreS htlaeH smargorP lanoitiddA setoN/ofnI ESSER (Elementary & Ackerman Secondary Y Y Y Y Y Charter School Emergency Relief) Alta Dutch Y Y Virtual Y MH Funds Flat Auburn Virtual Chill Y Y Y Y Y Unified Zone Colfax Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Elementary Dry Creek Joint Y Y N Y N Y Y Y N Elementary Eureka PCGJ did not receive a response from the school district Union Foresthill PCGJ did not receive a response from the school district Intervention Loomis Y Y Y Y (including risk Union assessments) Newcastle Elementary PCGJ did not receive a respo nse from the school district 1.6 School Placer Hills PREPaRE Y Y Y Y Y Y Psychologists for Union Trained two schools Placer GritX, Mental Resources for Union High Y Y Y Health Parents and School Newsletters Teachers Rocklin Y Y Y Y Y Y Unified Roseville Y Y Y Y Y Y City Roseville Joint Union Y Y Y Y Y Y High Tahoe Truckee Y Y Y Y Y Y Unified Western Y Y Y Y Y Y .ca.us/district/health-and-wellness Alta Dutch Flat www.alta.k12.ca.us/our-school/pbis Auburn USD www.auburn.k12.ca.us/departments/education- services/student-support/mental-health Colfax Elementary www.colfax.k12.ca.us/article/944271 Dry Creek Joint Elementary www.drycreek.k12.ca.us District (search Multi-Tiered System of Support) Eureka Union www.eurekaausd.org (Instructional Programs – select Interventions and Supports) Foresthill School District There is no direct link to mental health services for students, parents, or staff Loomis School District www.loomis-usd.k12.ca.us (Board Policy 5030) Newcastle Elementary There is no direct link to mental health services for students, parents, or staff Placer Hills Union SD www.husd.k121.ca.us/school-board/board-goals Placer Union HSD www.sites.google.com/puhsd.k12.ca.us/puhsd-mental-health- services/home Rocklin Unified SD www.rocklinusd.org/Departments/Health-Services/Mental- Health-Supports Roseville City School District www.sites.google.com/puhsd.k12.ca.us/puhsd-mental-health- services/home Roseville Joint Union HSD www.rjuhsd.us/Domain/14 Tahoe/Truckee Unified www.ttusd.org (Parents & Students – two options: Wellness Centers and Wellness Resources for Parents and Students) Western Placer SD www.wpusd.org/in-our-schools/programs-resources/mental- health-resources 50 . The report was titled, “Placer County Animal Services Facility—in a Perfect World.” The report recommended the original facility be “fixed versus replaced” and disagreed with a proposal presented to the Placer County Board of Supervisors to build a new facility. Given it has been nine years since the last report, and a new facility was constructed in 2016, the 2022-2023 Placer County Grand Jury determined it was time to revisit Placer County Animal Services. This report focuses on the new facility, animal shelter operations, and animal control procedures in the greater Placer County community. Placer County Animal Services faces unique challenges due to the growth of Placer County’s Wildland Urban Interface and increased occurrences of wildfires. Their motto, “Saving people from animals and animals from people,” drives Animal Control Officers and Animal Services personnel to provide the best care and services in its daily and emergency operations. The grand jury found that Placer County Animal Services lives up to its motto while administering the many dGultoiesss oaf rthye ir department. ASPCA: CalifornAiam Seernicaatne S Boiclile 1ty7 8fo5r (t1h9e 9P8re):vention of Cruelty to Animals. The Bill addresses stray animals and the Cduhtaimese olfe poonu:nds and shelters. Software application used by animal shelters to manage daily oFpEeMrAat:ions. Federal Emergency Management Agency, the operation of FEMA is to lead ANmexetrdicoao tro.c pormep: are for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. PawBoost.com:A hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods. A website designed to assist people with lost pets by raising local aPwetacroe nLeosvse o Lf othset: missing pet. A program sponsored by Petco retailer to help reunite pets with tWheilidr lpaenodp lUer bbya uns Iinntge ar fpahcoet:o of the pet. A zone of transition between wilderness and land d eveloped by human activity . Board of Supervisors (BOS) in September 2008. During the next five years, several more revised proposals were presented to the BOS. The 2013-2014 Placer County Grand Jury (PCGJ) report focused on the proposed construction of a new shelter to replace the existing shelter. At that time, the PCGJ found the existing shelter met many of the goals defined in an assessment report prepared by an outside consulting firm. It was recommended that before the county move forward with the construction of a new facility, a “fix versus replace” cost analysis be completed for the existing animal shelter. The grand jury, at that time, found the consultant’s report to be too broad-based, lacking focus on Placer County’s specific needs. While the 2013-2014 BOS agreed with the PCGJ’s findings, they concluded the existing facility did not meet Placer County’s twenty-five-year, long-term needs and a new facility was warranted. On February 5, 2013, the BOS gave approval to 14 proceed with a new Animal Services facility. The BOS approved the construction of the new animal shelter on August 26, 2014. The newly built Placer County Animal Services (PCAS) shelter complies with a set of 15 standards put in place by California Senate Bill 1785 (1998) which expanded the policies related to stray animals and the duties of animal shelters. Senate Bill 1785 prov• ides that animal shelters shall: • Provide a safe, healthy environment to house lost animals. • Have adequate capacity to hold the animals. • Facilitate reunification of animals with their caregivers. • Promote good health and prevent the transmission of contagious diseases. • Provide an adequate opportunity for each adoptable animal to find a home. • Reduce the killing of shelter animals. • Increase shelter holding periods. Enable rescue groups to take shelter animals scheduled for death. 12 www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26935/bosd13020507ap49p52-PDF. Accessed March 20, 2023. 13 www.placer.courts.ca.gov/sites/default/files/gj_final_report_2013_2014.pdf. Accessed March 20, 2023. 14 www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30571/11-PDF. Accessed March 20, 2023. Senate Bill 1785 (1998). SB 1785 Senate Bill - Chaptered (ca.gov). Accessed March 20, 2023. California State Association of Counties which spotlights the most innovative programs developed and implemented by California counties • 16 (PetSmart Adoption Partnership). • 17 LEED Gold Certification for the Animal Shelter Facility (2017). National Animal Care and Control Association 2016 through 2019 Awards 18 Winner; 2020-2021 Award Nominees. Placer County Animal Services is divided into three operational units: Field Services Division, Animal Shelter, and Administration (see Appendix A). In addition, there are currently 150 volunteers, a number which has tripled since the opening of the new fMaceiltihtyo ind o20lo16g. y The• 2 022-2023 Placer County Grand Jury: Attended a presentation of overall services offered to the public by PCAS • staff. • Participated in a tour of the new facility, led by PCAS staff. o Reviewed: o Previous Placer County Grand Jury reports. o Other counties’ grand jury animal services reports. Newspaper and web articles, as well as community postings on social • media sites. o Interviewed: o Representatives of PCAS. • Private citizens who have interacted with PCAS. Attended a hands-on demonstration of Chameleon, the software • application used for internal management and reporting by PCAS. Utilized Chameleon in gathering information for this report. 16 https://www.placer.ca.gov/8472/Placer-County-HHS-programs-receive- state#:~:text=Placer%20County%20HHS%20programs%20receive%20state%2C%20nati onal%20awards,innovative%20programs%20developed%20and%20implemented%20by %20California%20counties. Accessed March 24, 2023. 17 www.dreyfussblackford.com/press-release/placer-county-animal-services-center- receives-prestigious-leed-gold-award-from-u-s-green-building-council/. Accessed March 24, 2023. 18 www.nacanet.org/2021-award-nominees/. Accessed March 24, 2023. 19 https://chameleonbeach.com. Accessed March 8, 2023. B Ave, in Auburn, opened in October 2016. The building sits on 4.3-acres of county land and can house approximately 80 percent more dogs and 75 percent more cats than the previous facility (see chart below). The modern, 29,500 square- foot facility was built in compliance Photo credit: Richard Ferguson with 2016 Humane Society Standards.Placer County Animal Services also worked with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program for guidance and 20 facility design. The new center has the capability to house more than twice the capacity of animals during large incidents, such as wildfires, than the previous shelter. The grand jury found the facility to be clean, well-organized, and inviting to potential animal adopters. In addition, the grand jury observed the standards set forth in Senate Bill 1785 (1998) are being followed. This state-of-the-art facility showcases a large public lobby and reception area with touch screen informational kiosks, as well as a small retail store. Past the reception area there is a veterinary clinic/operating room and administrative offices. The dog enclosures and cat condos, and their respective exercise courtyards, are in opposite areas from each other, reducing the stress on the animals. Housing for feral cats is in a separate section of the facility. A barn and pasture are available for livestock. The facility’s multipurpose room serves the employees as well as outside groups. Community education classes are offered at the new facility with a focus on responsible pet ownership. This room is available for non-profit organizations and volunteer partners to use for training, meetings, and other activities that are 21 beneficial to the animals. A comparison between the old and new shelter shows that capacity has doubled, and there is now a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic with on-site veterinarian and medical technicians. The facility provides offices for Animal Control Officers (ACOs), field services, and administrative offices all under one roof. 20 https://www.sheltermedicine.com/uc-davis-koret-shelter-medicine-program-awards- animal-shelters-more-than-5-8million-dollars-through-california-for-all-animals-spring- grant-cycle/. Accessed March 19, 2023. 21 www.placer.ca.gov/1037/New-animal-services-center. Accessed November 7, 2022. 56 animal capacity. 193 kennels, many of which provide group housing (adoptable cat and feral cat areas) or opportunity to double up animals that prefer companionship. Shelter has housed upwards of 225 animals during the busy summer season and nearly 400 animals during the Mosquito Fire. Received Receives more than 3,400 animals annually. approximately 2,300 animals per year. Contracted State of the art, 2,105-square-foot veterinary clinic. Contracted veterinarian on-site veterinarian on-site three days per week. Contracted registered three days per week. veterinary technician on-site three to four days per week. All full- time animal care attendants trained to vaccinate, perform diagnostic testing for heartworm, FIV/FeLV, giardia, parvo, and panleuk and have received the Certification for the Veterinarian Assistance Controlled Substance Permit to provide medication to shelter animals. Did not euthanize Does not euthanize for time and space, only if sick and animals for time and untreatable, aggressive, and untreatable, or declared vicious and space, only if sick or unadoptable. Live release rate has increased to 94 percent. vicious and unadoptable; live release rate 77 percent. Six-stall stable for Ten-stall stable for horses and other livestock and a large pasture horses and larger area for routine exercise of large animals. animals. Portable, modular In-house state of the art, 2,105-square-foot veterinary clinic unit type building includes exam room, surgical suite, wet table and prep area, for the veterinary dental cleaning and treatment machine, and dental x-ray unit. All clinic. spay/neuter surgeries now done on-site along with specialized treatment and surgeries. Portable, modular A 1,409-square-foot ACO work area and dispatch office attached unit for animal to the administrative offices within the building. Secured parking control staff and area for Animal Control vehicles. Covered 1,320-square-foot sally dispatcher. port for unloading animals into the shelter. 57 ,500 animals each calendar year. In 2022, PCAS had a live release, or save rate, of 94.2 percent, higher than the no-kill threshold of 90 percent. The national animal rescue organization, Best Friends, considers a shelter “no-kill” when it consistently euthanizes no more than 22 10 percent of all the animals coming in the door. Progress in national save rate and number of animals killed, 2014-2019 23 22 www.aol.com/news/no-kill-animal-shelters- 100000560.html#:~:text=To%20account%20for%20these%20cases%2C%20animal%20r escue%20organization,down%20is%20referred%20to%20as%20a%20kill%20shelter. Accessed March 9, 2023. The State of U.S. Animal Sheltering, 2019 | Network Partners (bestfriends.org) https://network.bestfriends.org/research-data/research/state-us-animal-sheltering- 2019#key. Accessed March 11, 2023. 58 . Collect information, history, and circumstances for intake. 2. Enter information and photo of animal into Chameleon database, creating a unique identification number. 3. Full body scanning of animal for a microchip. 4. Physical examination of animal, with a follow-up veterinarian visit, if necessary. 5. Administer intake vaccination(s) and preventative treatment, depending on age and medical condition of animal. Throughout this process, Chameleon is continuously updated with detailed information on the animal. Information entered in Chameleon, including location found, photo, and description of the animal, will appear on the shelter website within one hour. The PCAS volunteers post stray and found animals on Nextdoor.com to the four closest neighborhoods where the animal was Photo credit: Placer County Animal Services found. Animals will also appear on Petco Love Lost and PawBoost.com. The PCAS uses an electronic billboard on Interstate 80 in Placer County to alert passersby of animals being held at the facility. After the intake process is completed, the animal is housed in a clean kennel with a bed, blanket, food, and water and held anywhere from four to ten days for the owner to claim. See Appendix B for a summary of the Intake and Release totals for calendar y ear 2022. 59 complaints per week which are processed by a dedicated dispatcher. All calls are logged and categorized. Calls are dispatched to the appropriate officer(s) based on location and complaint type. The county is separated into geographic areas, or beats, which are assigned to individual ACOs. Generally, the ACOs stay assigned to their beats throughout their tenure with the county, assisting fellow ACOs when needed. When a new officer is hired, they shadow a senior officer to learn protocols and procedures. Once trained, the new ACO will be assigned to their own beat. Map courtesy of Placer County Animal Services Coverage in the cities of Roseville and Rocklin is managed directly by each city. Placer County Animal Services provides assistance to these cities when needed. Placer County Animal Services has contracts with the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, and Loomis to provide field services (see Appendix C). Placer County Animal Services’ goal is to provide optimum coverage throughout the entire county. All ACOs are required to have PC 832 Certification before they are hired. The PC 832 24 Arrest and Firearms Course is the minimum training standard for California Peace Officers as specified in Commission Regulation 1005. All Placer County ACOs obtain National Animal Care & Control Association certification within the first two years 24https://post.ca.gov/pc-832-arrest-and-firearms-course. Accessed March 19, 2023. 60 after hiring. In addition, all Placer County ACOs are Certified Animal Control 26 Officers by the California Animal Welfare Association, having completed the approved sixty hours of training in Animal Care and State Laws. After certification, personnel participate in continuing education courses throughout their tenure with PCAS, the most recent being tranquilizer training sponsored by the San Diego Zoo. Placer County ACOs receive an average of 7,000 to 10,000 calls for service each year. The average ACO response time during 2022 for priority calls was twenty-five minutes. Priority levels are assigned a range from one to five, with one being the most urgent (i.e., an animal bite) to five being the least urgent (i.e., a dead animal on the ro ad). Calls are also assigned a category as noted below: 1. INV (investigation) 2. STRAY 3. BITE 4. BARK 5. ASSIST (assistance required) 6. WILD (wild animal involved) 7. KENINSP (kennel inspection) 8. DEAD According to PCAS data, from January through December 2022, ACOs responded to 7,36•2 calls for service: o 2,327 Investigations including: o 1,171 Bite and Quarantine Calls o 513 Welfare Checks o • 517 Barking Complaint Calls 55 Neglect Calls o 1,893 Stray Animal Calls including: o 763 At large/loose o 589 Aggressive o • 309 Confined or housed with finder 64 Repeated/habitual stray • 1,374 Calls to assist other Animal Control, Police, Sheriff’s department, and • other agencies • 820 Deceased animal pickups • 191 Animal Transport Calls • 96 Patrols 58 Kennel Inspections 41 Protective Custody Calls 25 https://www.nacanet.org/naca-aco-certification/. Accessed March 19, 2023. 26 https://www.calanimals.org/certified-animal-control-officer-pr. Accessed March 19, 2023. 61 :00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., calls are answered directly by the Animal Control Dispatcher. After- hours and weekend calls are answered by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch and transferred to an on-call ACO. The Animal Control Dispatcher, or on-call ACO, logs the date and time the call was received and the date and time the call was dispatched. The responding ACO logs the date and time they began working on the call, as well as the date and time the call was completed. The ACO inserts notes, attaches pictures (if applicable), and documents outcome information on each call when completed. If a call requires a follow-up visit, the ACO or dispatcher creates a call for the future date of follow-up to be assigned to an ACO. Some examples of calls that require follow-up are barking complaints, rabies quarantine re-checks/releases, kennel inspections, follow-up patrols, animal cruelty/neglect, notice to comply, and feeding at a location during evacuation. Depending on the type of complaint, an ACO may do the follo• wiPngro: vide education or resources to address the issue, o for example: o Suggest adequate shelter solution if animal is housed outside. o Offer to spay/neuter if animal frequently gets loose. o Offer a free microchip to assist in reunification. o Connect with a trainer for animal behavior problems. o Refer to a veterinarian or rescue for assistance with medical care. o Discuss methods to control barking. • Give owAndveirs ea onwotniecre otfo t choem expplyec wtaittihoinn t ao fiisxoeladt eti amne a fnriammale during a bite quarantine. , allowing owner to obtain a license, seek veterinary care, provide grooming, repair a fence, etc. Usually, this is a period of ten to fourteen days, with a follow up by an • AIsCsOu.e I fa c coimtaptiloiann ctoe iosw nnote rforthcoming, an ACO may issue a citation or seize the animal. . This occurs if owner refuses to comply, or has been given a previous opportunity to comply, and has not done so. Citations • mIssauy ea las oth bier dis-spuaerdt yif c tihtea tmioantt teor oisw sneveerr.e and education and/or a notice to comply would not effectively resolve the situation. This is used when the ACO is not a witness to the incident and another party would like to be a witness and • eSneiszuer ea na icmitaatli.on is issued. This is generally done for barking and nuisance complaints. There are very specific situations where PCAS is legally allowed to seize an animal. It is done only when it can be proven that it is immediately necessary to protect the health and safety of the animal and/or the public. The owner of the animal is entitled to a post-seizure hearing and opportunity to appeal in some of these situations. Seizure would be used in the following situations: 62 or require it be housed at the shelter. Cases that involve the district attorney may result in increased sentencing. The PCAS must respond to citizen complaints that are received by their office. While PCAS has a presence on social media, posting a message on social media does not constitute a complaint to Animal Services. Animal Service’s Field Services division has a robust information tracking system for responding to and investigating complaints. It is the policy of PCAS for ACOs to follow up with the originating party when possible. At times, the public does not see the full scope of a PCAS investigation and its resolution. Therefore, they may submit a public records request with PCAS to learn what steps were taken regarding a specific complaint. The PCGJ noted the amount of work, due diligence, rules, regulations, and legal procedures each ACO must follow aEnmde drogceunmceyn Rt feosrp eovnersye c—omThpela 2in0t2 r2e cMeiovseqd.u ito Fire The PCAS has a written disaster response plan, which is reviewed and updated regularly. Staff completes national training developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). In addition, there is targeted training depending on staff position. All officers are required to take FEMA’s National Incident Management Training courses and ASPCA disaster Photo credit: Placer County Animal Services 27 https://california.public.law/codes/ca_penal_code_section_597.1. Accessed March 19, 2023. 63 , 29 preparedness training courses. Disaster response supplies are restocked annually to ensure that Animal Services response vehicles, trailers, and supplies are adequate and in good working order. The capacity of the new shelter was challenged during the Mosquito Fire in September and October of 2022. The Mosquito Fire burned in Placer and El Dorado Counties and was California’s largest wildfire in 2022 30 and Placer County’s largest in history. All Placer County ACOs are fire-line trained by CAL FIRE and allowed to go behind established fire lines during a 31 wildfire. During the Mosquito Fire, PCAS received between 150- 200 calls a day, compared with an average of forty to fifty. Calls for field services by ACOs for the period September 7–October 22, 2022, increased to 1,707, compared with 842 during the same period in 2021. The Photo credit: Placer County shelter was open for extended hours and PCAS staff Animal Services stayed overnight at the shelter and Gold Country Fairgrounds to provide care for animals and assist customers that needed immediate sheltering. From September 7 through October 22, 2022, 851 animals were received by the shelter (373 during the same period in 2021), of which 485 animals were Mosquito Fire evacuees. In addition to dogs and cats, other types of animals were received. These included livestock, horses, birds, bunnies, guinea pigs, lizards, and fish. The animals were housed at the shelter and fairgrounds. Due to the Avian Photo credit: Placer County Animal Services Influenza, Animal Services was unable to accommodate poultry, but of fered 28 https://training.fema.gov/nims/. Accessed March 19, 2023. 29 https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/disaster-preparedness. Accessed March 19, 2023. 30 https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/55478/Appendix-G-Fire-History. Accessed March 7, 2023. 31 www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/state-fire-training/. Accessed March 19, 2023 64