1999
ANIMAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES
OVERVIEW
FOR
PUERTO RICO and U.S.V.I.

*************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION	Page 2	
The PROBLEM and its IMPACT	Page 2	
GOVERNMENT EFFORTS	Page 3	
VETERINARIAN ACCESS	Page 4	
PET SHOPS and BREEDERS	Page 5	
THE CARIBBEAN RECYCLING FOUNDATION	Page 5	
ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS	Page 6	
GENERAL OPERATING RESULTS	Page 8	
SHELTER OPERATING RESULTS	Page 9	
NON-SHELTER OPERATIONS	Page 11	
COST FACTORS	Page 12	
ANIMAL WELFARE WORKFORCE	Page 12	
CONCLUSION	Page 14	

1999
ANIMAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES
OVERVIEW
FOR
PUERTO RICO and U.S.V.I.

INTRODUCTION
	The new millennium brings with it the hope and aspirations of all for a better world and improved quality of life. For those working to improve the welfare of animals in those Caribbean Islands under the US Flag, there is the desperate need for a heightened awareness by the general public and government officials about animal welfare in general and what can be done to improve the conditions for our animals.
	Mahatma Gandhi, the great leader from India, once said: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” To understand how we measure up to this profound philosophy, we need to better understand the actual situation relative to Animal Welfare in our world.

The PROBLEM and its IMPACT 

	The problem of unwanted or stray animals remains unchecked despite the efforts of those dedicated to Animal Welfare and the roughly 65,000 animals picked up annually by these groups. There remains on the streets of Puerto Rico alone at least another 100,000 animals by best estimates. This would suggest that the combined efforts of these groups is at best resolving only about 1/3 of the problem. This is not helped when one considers that even the largest of the Municipally owned and operated shelters has taken in 1/3 less animals than it did a few years ago. While costs have risen, the amount of resources dedicated by the public sector to this problem is not keeping pace and the private organizations find it more and more difficult to raise funds while finding themselves overwhelmed by the demand for their services.
	The unwanted pet population is fueled in part by social attitudes which tend to look upon sterilization with dismay. In addition, the general populace is reluctant to take an unwanted animal to a shelter because they know it will almost certainly be euthanized and the high cost of veterinarians deters them from pursuing that alternative. However, the basic problem is one of education and awareness of the responsibility that accompanies pet ownership. For example, few people realize that getting a puppy means among other things an economic commitment of about $7,500 during the lifetime of that puppy which is roughly equivalent to the annual per capita income average in Puerto Rico.  

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS

	On the 3,000 square mile island of Puerto Rico there are 78 Municipalities charged with the responsibility of animal control for a population approaching 4 million. Of these Municipalities, only four have an animal control facility and perhaps only another 10 have some sort of arrangement with an existing shelter regarding animal control. Last year, these Municipalities spent less than $2 million on animal control related issues - that is less than $.50 per inhabitant or 1/10th of 1% of the Annual Public Budget of Puerto Rico. It is estimated that there are 6 million pets on the Island and at least one unwanted stray animal for every 5 households. There is no Animal Control Officer Corps and no required pet registration. Leash laws are few and far between and rarely enforced. Animal cruelty is common but the laws against it are rarely enforced and the penalties insignificant.
	Municipalities are generally poorly financed yet by law are charged with the problem of Animal Control. The central Commonwealth Government controls exotic animals through its Department of Environment and Natural Resources but although it has an enforcement branch, it has no place to take such animals seized from violators of exotic pet ownership laws depending instead on a Zoo and an animal park as a temporary holding site. The number of exotic pets in Puerto Rico is truly astounding and include Tigers, Lions, Bears, Pythons, Monkeys, Crocodiles and even Wolves.
	Several Legislators have introduced Bills to address the Animal Control Issue but none of them go very far. One Bill called for the construction of 7 Regional Shelters but failed to appropriate any funds. Another Bill recently introduced sought to establish an Animal Control Office in the Central Government and appropriated $500,000 for its establishment. In general, the Government denies there is a problem with strays and even denies there is a rabies problem despite being inundated by thousands of letters from angry, disgusted and concerned citizens and tourists visiting the Island.

VETERINARIAN ACCESS
 
	The number of veterinarians licensed to provide animal care in Puerto Rico is about 135 of which at least 5 are non-practicing and another 15 are dedicated exclusively to large animal practice. This equates to an average of one veterinarian per 35,000 inhabitants or 52,000 pets. However, there are only 101 veterinary clinics open for business on the main Island of Puerto Rico and none on the offshore Islands of Vieques and Culebra. Of the 101 clinics, about 55 are in the Greater Metropolitan Area of San Juan serving some 1.5 million people. This equates to an average of one clinic per 27,000 inhabitants while the rest of the Island’s population is subjected to a ratio of double that per available clinic. These figures suggest that a clinic could devote about 15 minutes per year for each potential pet - hardly enough for vaccinations much less a sterilization never mind something more serious.
	A reasonably active clinic will average some 3 - 4,000 patient records which could represent a universe of some 350,000 potential animal patients of the dog and cat variety. Using this as an average, it is clear that less than 10% of the estimated pet population enters a veterinary clinic. Given that these clinics perform 25 - 30,000 sterilizations annually, only ½ of 1% of the pet population in Puerto Rico is being sterilized through veterinary clinics annually. However, this is not surprising given that the average cost per animal falls between $120 and $180 - nearly one week’s take-home wages for the average citizen.
	This year for the first time eight veterinary clinics offered a 50% discount off normal rates during the month of March in support of the Doris Day Spay Day Program. While a handful of veterinarians are active in providing somewhat lower cost sterilizations for low income residents, the overwhelming majority see such efforts as competition to their practices and have continuously resisted such initiatives. Only one Municipality has implemented a voucher program for its residents while San Juan provides very affordable rates averaging $30 per animal at its shelter. However, in both cases, the programs are only for the residents of the Municipality, are limited to one pet per year and according to many participants there are many limitations with respect to the age, condition, scheduling etc of the animals to be sterilized. All in all, these programs have only accounted for a few thousand sterilizations and fall far short of the mark to make a real difference in reducing the overpopulation prevalent in Puerto Rico’s pet population.

PET SHOPS and BREEDERS

	A contributing factor to the overpopulation of pets in Puerto Rico is the unbridled proliferation of pet shops and “backyard” breeders. There are some 450 pet shops and agrocenters registered which as a group add some 100,000 new, unsterilized pets into the “at-large” animal population annually. Pet Shops selling live animals are not subject to any regulatory fees or special licenses and capitalize on Puerto Rico consumer “impulse” buying habits.
	The “backyard” breeder is another source of pets who finds this part time hobby very lucrative. A litter of 5 puppies can mean the equivalent of one month’s additional tax-free income for the average breeder. As a result, unregistered roadside “pet shops” have proliferated selling everything from birds and rabbits to puppies and kittens while the newspaper ‘animals for sale” classified advertisements have also grown. Such animal entrepreneurs may be responsible for injecting yet another 100,000 unsterilized pets into the market annually.
	Unfortunately, after a short time, puppies and kittens become less than cute and wind up being abandoned on the side streets and rural roads. Though many don’t survive the mange, starvation or onslaught of automobiles, the gentle weather in our Islands is kinder than elsewhere resulting in a huge population of strays being created every year. It doesn’t take much for such an unsterilized population to reproduce at an alarming rate.

THE CARIBBEAN RECYCLING FOUNDATION

	The Caribbean Recycling Foundation was founded in 1992 and a Division to address the Animal Welfare issues was created shortly thereafter. Since then, the Foundation has undertaken a number of activities to promote the development of the many groups in Puerto Rico and the USVI dedicated to Animal Welfare. Through several Forums held by the Foundation to bring together the disparate groups fighting so valiantly on behalf of Animal Welfare, the Foundation was able to generate a communication among those of common interests and goals. From these Forums a common sense of what was needed arose and gave birth to an omnibus plan to address these issues. Early issues promoted by the Foundation included legalization and structure of Animal Welfare Groups as well as Internet connectivity. Throughout the years, the Foundation has provided food, training, guidance, support, education initiatives, hurricane relief and often just a helping hand to those in the trenches dealing with the hands-on problems faced by animal care givers every day. 
	In cooperation with the ASPCA, the Foundation has implemented an animal awareness education program for third graders in 1,200 elementary schools. Together with the American Humane Association it has sponsored various training seminars and conducted two animal control programs involving Municipalities and the Civil Defense. It is currently preparing a 45 foot mobile, low cost sterilization clinic to travel the Island and has coordinated a program with Happy Paws and the Saving Pet’s Lives Program to provide 19 of the 33 animal welfare organizations with a free computer and digital camera to enhance their adoption and lost-and-found programs.

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

	There are now 33 bona fide animal welfare groups providing service to the Community - two in the USVI and 31 in Puerto Rico. About 50% have access to the World Wide Web. The Foundation set about in early January of 2000 to document their activities in order to have a clearer understanding of Animal Welfare activities. The bona fide groups operational today include:
	
	Municipally owned and operated Shelters:

		Arecibo Municipal Shelter
		Carolina Animal Control Facility
		Ponce Municipal Shelter
		San Juan Animal Control Center

	Privately owned and operated Shelters:

		Guaynabo Animal Shelter - Humane Society of Puerto Rico
		Caguas Animal Shelter - P.A.R.E.
		St. Croix (USVI) Animal Shelter
		St. Thomas (USVI) Animal Shelter
		Vieques Animal Shelter
		Villa Michelle - APAYPA

	

	Privately owned and operated non-Shelters:

		Albergue de Los Angeles
		Alianza Animales (*)
		Animal Rescue Foundation of Rincon - ARF
		Asociacion Pro Seguridad de Animales (*)
		Ciudadanos Pro-Albergue de Aguadilla (*)
		Ciudadanos Pro-Albergue de Moca
		Ciudadanos Pro-Albergue de Salinas
		Fundacion Benefica de Gatos (**)
		Fundacion Valentina Este
		Mascotas Jibaros (*)
		Noah’s Ark (*)
		PARE Este (*)
		PASO		
		Ponce Humane Society
		Save-A-Gato
		Save-A-Sato
		Save-A-Sato Este (**)
		Sociedad Amigos Unidos por Animales Abandonados (*)
		Sociedad Protectora de Animales de Guayama (*)
		Stars and Stripes Rescue League

	Others:

		Caribbean Recycling Foundation (Animal Division)
		Federacion Protectora de Animales de Puerto Rico (FEPA)

		(*) Organizations not submitting statistics
		(**) Organizations submitting statistics in combination with another Organization.

GENERAL OPERATING RESULTS		

	These organizations are either private nonprofit or Municipally owned and operated operations. Of the 33 Organizations, 2 of them provide support to the other 31 and are not involved directly in hands-on care and control of animals. While 10 of these groups operate as traditional Shelters, the remaining 21 rely on fostering to house the animals they take in.

	Together, they processed last year over 65,000 animals at a cost of just under $3.5 million. They were able to reunite 972 lost pets with their owners while adopting out 9,948 unwanted animals to new owners. The darker side of this story is that nearly 51,000 animals were euthanized - 79% of all the animals taken in. This work involved nearly 250 dedicated employees and volunteers as well as countless concerned citizens. 

OVERALL OPERATING STATISTICS

ITEM DEFINITION	ALL	P.R.	USVI	
Total Animals handled	64,216	54,502	9,714	
    Average per day	247	210	37	
Total Animals Adopted out	9,948	8,452	1,496	
    Average per day	38	33	6	
Average Adoption Rate	15%	16%	15%	
Total Animals Euthanized	50,839	43,985	6,854	
    Average per week	978	846	132	
Average Euthanasia Rate	79%	81%	71%	
Pets Reunited with Owner	972	828	144	
Total Workforce 	241	227	14	
Average # of Animals handled per worker per week	5.1	4.6	13.3	
Average # of Animals Adopted out per worker per week	0.8	0.7	2.1	
Total Expenditures	$3,412,226	$2,787,226	$625,000	
Total Expenditures per worker	$14,159	$12,279	$44,643	
Total Expenditures per animal handled	$53	$51	$64	
Total Cost per Adoption 	$343	$330	$418	

SHELTER OPERATING RESULTS		

	Among the 33 groups addressing animal welfare issues, there are 10 with full scale shelters operating on a full time basis. These are the classic animal welfare providers and account for approximately 90% of the animals processed. Of these 10 shelters, only 4 or 36% are Municipally owned and operated. The other 6 shelters - 2 in the USVI and 4 in Puerto Rico are private organizations depending mostly on volunteer effort and private donations.
	The 4 Municipally owned and operated, publicly funded shelters, account for 46% of the animals handled by all the shelters but only 38% of the adoptions made by these shelters. When compared to all the animals handled by the 33 animal welfare groups, the Municipally owned and operated shelters account for only 42% of those animals and a mere 15% of those adopted. Both the Municipally owned and operated shelters and the Private shelters have a euthanasia rate of 88% but the Private Shelters have a 40% higher rate of adoption and produced double the number of lost animals reunited with their owners.

ITEM DEFINITION	ALL	PRIVATE	PUBLIC	
Total Animals handled	57,205	30,819	26,386	
    Average per day	220	119	101	
Total Animals Adopted out	3,768	2,341	1,427	
    Average per day	14	9	5	
Average Adoption Rate	7%	8%	5%	
Total Animals Euthanized	50,173	27,009	23,164	
    Average per week	965	519	445	
Average Euthanasia Rate	88%	88%	88%	
Pets Reunited with Owner	498	343	155	
Total Workforce 	126	48	78	
Average # of Animals handled per worker per week	8.7	12.3	6.5	
Average # of Animals Adopted out per worker per Month	2.5	4.1	1.5	
Total Expenditures	$2,895,000	$1,445,000	$1,450,000	
Total Expenditures per worker	$22,976	$30,104	$18,590	
Total Expenditures per animal handled	$51	$47	$55	
Total Cost per Adoption 	$768	$617	$1,016	

	Most shelters are accused of not keeping unwanted animals long enough to either reunite them with their owners in the case of lost animals or find new adoptive owners. Based on the above figures, to keep the average animal in a run for 5 days would require 1,096 available runs. The fact is that the actual available number of runs is less than 400 among the 10 shelter organizations which reduces the average potential holding time to barely 2 days per animal surrendered or picked up off the streets. Increasing the capacity of existing shelter organizations would help alleviate this problem but would require additional funding to offset the corresponding increase in operating costs.

NON-SHELTER OPERATIONS

	The Non-Shelter Organizations are often perceived as being unimportant and many times are passed up when dolling out grants and financial assistance. However, these groups account for 62% of the adoptions and are very active in providing for low cost sterilizations. It is difficult to adequately compare their operating results with those of shelter organizations because the non-shelter groups are more able to pick and choose the animals they treat. In addition, many of them deliver unsuitable animals to the shelter organizations for euthanasia thus skewing the euthanasia rates to the disfavor of the shelter organizations.

ITEM DEFINITION	ALL	SHELTER	NON-SHELTER	
Total Animals handled	64,216	57,205	7,011	
    Average per day	247	220	27	
Total Animals Adopted out	9,948	2,341	6,180	
    Average per day	38	9	24	
Average Adoption Rate	15%	4%	88%	
Total Animals Euthanized	50,839	50,173	666	
    Average per week	978	965	13	
Average Euthanasia Rate	79%	88%	9%	
Pets Reunited with Owner	972	498	474	
Total Workforce 	241	126	115	
Average # of Animals handled per worker per week	5.1	8.7	1.2	
Average # of Animals Adopted out per worker per Month	3.4	1.5	4.5	
Total Expenditures	$3,412,226	$2,895,000	$517,226	
Total Expenditures per worker	$14,159	$22,976	$4,498	
Total Expenditures per animal handled	$53	$51	$74	
Total Cost per Adoption 	$343	$1,237	$84	

COST FACTORS

	When it comes to expenditures, these same 4 Municipally owned and operated shelters spent approximately $1.5 million last year - the same amount as the 6 private shelters and about three times the amount spent by all the non-shelter groups combined.  Together, all the groups are spending nearly $3.5 million per year in providing animal welfare services to the community and on average an adoption cost $343.
	The overall average cost per animal handled by an Animal Welfare organization is $53.  Individual costs range from a low of $17 to a high of $333 per animal handled. Public shelters average $55 while the Private shelters average only $47 per animal handled. The non-shelter groups have an average cost factor about 50% higher than the shelter groups and average about $75 per animal handled. However, the non-shelter groups account for 60% of all adoptions and enjoy only a 10% euthanasia rate. This can be explained by the fact that the non-shelter groups have a much lower ratio of animals handled per worker - 61 per worker per year - which allows for more time and attention to the adoptive process. This also demonstrates why the non-shelter groups combined accounted for about 50% of all the lost pets reunited with their owners. 
	Several of the Private Shelters receive payment for their services by Municipal Governments. Typical fees per animal delivered to the shelter by Municipal employees range from $15 to $20. In addition, many of the Private Groups receive annual donations from the Legislature of between $5,000 and $15,000. Even so, the combined total of these funding mechanisms barely cover 25% of the needs. 

ANIMAL WELFARE WORKFORCE

	There are about 250 people dedicated to Animal Welfare services. Of that number only about 170 can be considered full-time participants in the Organizations. The shelters account for 52% of the workforce averaging 12 workers each while the non-shelter groups account for the remaining 48% or 9 people each and involve nearly all the volunteers.
	When it comes to workers in the shelters, 62% of them are employed in Municipally owned and operated shelters.  It is interesting to note that on a per employee basis, the total expenditures of the shelter organizations is about 3.5 times that of the non-shelter organizations while handling over ten times as many animals as their non-shelter counterparts.
	Overall, the ratio of animals processed per worker averages 266 per year or just over one animal per day. When this figure is broken down by category, the level of effort per employee reveals that among Municipally owned and operated shelters the average is 1.3 animals per day, among Private Shelters the number nearly doubles to 2.5 animals per day, while the non-shelter groups only average about one animal every four days.
	Adoptions per worker on average equal just under one animal per week or 41 animals per year. The Private shelters average just under one adoption per week and non-shelter groups average just over one adoption weekly but the Municipally owned and operated shelters average one adoption every TWO weeks - twice as long as their counterparts. 
	Finally,  total expenditures of the Animal Welfare Organizations on a per worker basis reveal that the average is just over $14,000 per worker. However, the figure for Municipally owned and operated shelters is $18,600 per employee while Private Shelters are nearly twice as much at $30,100 per worker. The total expenditures of non-shelter groups when divided among their workers is only $4,500 per worker.
	To attract more professional personnel and maintain a high morale in the process, more economic resources need to be available to the management of these Organizations.

CONCLUSION

	These are the true facts concerning the state of Animal Welfare in Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I. While the statistics may have a margin of error of +/- 5%, the portrait painted is one of neglect towards this important issue that truly affects the quality of life of every citizen.
	The publicly financed organizations have the tools but lack the motivation, while the smaller private organizations lack the tools but make up for it through their intense motivation. Correcting this imbalance would help significantly in improving the problem resolution.
	The three “R”s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - that apply to waste management to some extent can be applied to the problem of pet overpopulation. The figures clearly show that there is a need to increase the number of animals handled by the existing organizations. This will require adequate funding - particularly to the private groups. An aggressive, truly low cost sterilization program and a temporary moratorium on the importation of unsterilized pets will help in reducing the size of the problem as will education programs. More emphasis on rehabilitation and adoption will recycle existing animals and reduce the demand for new pets as well as reduce the dependency on euthanasia.
	The answer does not lie in building more huge animal control shelters which will only become “white elephants” over time as the unwanted and stray animal problem is reduced and will also only add to already inflated public expenditure programs. Throwing money away on yet another bureaucratic office to “oversee” the problem will also provide few results. On the contrary, what is required from the Government are registration laws and enforcement procedures supported by affordable sterilization programs and broad based education programs to reinforce the understanding of the responsibilities involved in pet ownership. 
	Perhaps most important at this point is the need for funding mechanisms to be developed to support the existing organizations rather than create new ones. These 33 Organizations have shown through their efforts that they have the will and the ability to effect  improvement in animal welfare conditions under the worst conditions and deserve support from the very society which gives rise to the problem and suffers most from its continued existence.
	The responsibility to effect a meaningful improvement cannot rest on these 33 dedicated animal welfare groups alone. True change will come about by a combined effort involving the Municipal Governments, the Commonwealth and Territorial Administrations, the Legislatures, the Judicial Branches and finally, of course, the citizenry. In this way, the treatment of our animals will be greatly improved and their suffering as it exists today will diminish accordingly. In so doing, our greatness as a nation and our moral progress will be greatly enhanced.