HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10032 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10032
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council August 1, 2017
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SUBJECT: PUBLIC EDUCATION: RESTRAINED AND FENCED PETS
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The City Council has requested information about the City's efforts to educate the public on the
importance of restraining and fencing pets.
The Code Compliance Department, Animal Care and Control Division (ACC), is charged with
ensuring the public safety of residents and animals. Animal-related public safety is a combination
of enforcement and education. Enforcement actions include rabies control, dangerous dog
prosecutions, cruelty investigations and removing stray animals from the streets. Educating the
public on responsible pet ownership is key to combatting stray and unrestrained dogs by
eliminating or minimizing culpable human behaviors.
Fence Them In — It's The Law
In 2014-15, ACC implemented a strategic public education campaign in English and Spanish to
address stray animals within the city. The "Fence Them In — It's The Law" campaign specifically
addresses City ordinances regarding proper enclosures, vaccinations and spay/neuter activities.
The campaign continues today with a goal to significantly decrease incidents in ZIP codes where
dog bites and stray animals are the highest:
• East: 76119, 76104, 76103, 76105
• North: 76102, 76106, 76164, 76111
• Northeast: 76117, 76118
The campaign uses an integrated approach for the delivery of the message: collateral materials
such as door hangers and postcards, City website, social media, neighborhood billboards,
messages on the back of ACC trucks, Community Engagement Office and the media.
Partnership organizations assisting in the distribution of educational materials include:
• Internal partners: FWPD, ACC Officers, Code Officers, Community Engagement Office,
Fort Worth Libraries and Park and Recreation community centers.
• External partners: Urgent Animals Fort Worth, Texas Alliance for Homeless Pets,
Spay/Neuter Network, Texas Coalition for Animal Protection and Saving Hope.
Campaign Recognition: In 2017, the campaign won a distinguished international award for
excellence in marketing and communications from the Communicator Awards. Winners are
recognized for work that transcends innovation and craft —work that makes a lasting impact.
Resident Interactions
ACC is focused on direct interactions between residents and animal control officers. These
include conversations during enforcement actions as well as a new focus on returning caught
pets (strays), which can be identified through tags or microchips, to their owners rather than
bringing them to the shelter.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10032
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council August 1, 2017
po- V ¢
Page 2 of 2
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SUBJECT: PUBLIC EDUCATION: RESTRAINED AND FENCED PETS
01
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The Numbers
In 2014, the Department created the first Stray Team and it was so successful that a second
team was added in 2016. These teams focus on stray capture in high risk areas during the hours
that strays are most active, when pedestrian school traffic is the highest, where there are large
public events, etc.
8,000 Full Year with 2 Stray Teams
7,000 2nd Stray Team 6,896
6,000 5,940
1st Stray Team Deployed
5,000 4,634
4,000 3,622
3,000
2,000
1,267
1,000 616
91 127
2013 2014 2015 2016
■Stray Dogs Captured Returned to Owner in Field
Conclusion
As the success of the teams grow, there are fewer stray animals on the streets; however, the
effort to capture the remaining strays is more time consuming and difficult because most are
typically owned animals that the owner lets out to briefly run the neighborhood and then return
home before staff arrive or are longer term strays that have adapted to a wildlife behavior of flight
from humans except during periods of hunger or territorial aggression/pack behavior. The City
encourages all residents to report stray animals to the City Call Center at (817) 392-1234.
If you have any questions about this information, please contact Code Compliance Director
Brandon Bennett at 817-392-6322.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS