Salt Lake County Animal Services has literally gone to the dogs; cats are next

SALT LAKE COUNTY — Shawni Larrabee asked the same question over and over when she became director of Salt Lake County Animal Services about three years ago. 

"I know I made a lot of people crazy. I spent a lot of time saying, 'But why do we do that?'" with respect to the agency's policies and practices.

What resulted was an open dialog with employees and community members that has resulted in sweeping changes in policy and practice. "The things people came up with were really stunning."

For 2010, the agency chalked up a record number of pet adoptions and fewer pet deaths. Recently, the Salt Lake County Council passed an ordinance to regulate puppy mills. In the fall, the council passed an ordinance that prohibits shelter animals from being adopted for research purposes. That hadn't occurred for a number of years, but Larrabee wanted the policy to reflect the practice. "I never wanted that policy to change just because someone else is sitting in the director's chair."

Perhaps one of the most significant benchmarks has been the 30 percent increase of traffic into the animal services facility at 511 W. 3900 South. Bit by bit, the community has come to perceive the agency as more of a community resource instead of a regulatory agency, Larrabee said.

A growing number of people come to the agency to adopt animals. They also come to attend training courses with their pets and to volunteer. They come to have their animals spayed and neutered (including days in which the service is offered for free thanks to private donations of money and volunteer veterinarians — a suggestion that came from the community).

In 2010, dog adoptions at the shelter increased 62 percent over the previous year. Cat adoptions increased by more than 45 percent for the same time period. That improvement was largely due to the county eliminating the $65 fee for cat adoptions. The revenue has been recovered by creating a sliding scale for the cost of dog adoptions — younger, high-demand breeds of dogs command higher prices. 

In 2010, the shelter euthanized 481 dogs, compared to an average of 1,048 for the years of 2001-09. About 1,400 cats were euthanized, less than half the historical average for the facility.

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said he is impressed with the agency's progress.