In October, Montgomery County announced a comprehensive strategy to evaluate all levels of operations at the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. The goal of this strategy was to improve shelter operations, increase our live release rate, and ensure that our services met the needs and expectations of our community.
As part of this strategy, Montgomery County hired Team Shelter USA to conduct an objective, independent best practice review of the shelter because we heard the concerns of our citizens and animal welfare advocates. We are committed to being transparent with the community about this process and sharing this report is a step in the right direction. The final report is now available here: Team Shelter USA Final Report: Montgomery County Animal Resource Center
The Commissioners and I were troubled and dismayed by the overall findings of this report. We care deeply about the well-being of people and pets in our community. We have made improving the Animal Resource Center and increasing our live release rate a top priority for our administration.
During this review, it became clear that the Animal Resource Center needed new leadership and direction. The County Commissioners took immediate action and appointed Bob Gruhl as Interim Director of the Animal Resource Center to improve overall shelter operations and ensure that the best practices recommended in this report are fully implemented. We trust Bob Gruhl’s ability to spearhead this effort.
We have already made progress on the 30 emergency action items listed in this report, which were provided by Team Shelter USA during their final review meeting, as well as updated our jurisdiction cat contracts and our euthanasia policy. Please click here to view a comprehensive progress report. Highlights from the progress report include:
Sincerely,
Michael B. Colbert
Montgomery County Administrator