San Luis Obispo County (pop. 253,600) is located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The County is a tourist mecca that includes the historic Hearst Castle and coastal village of Cambria, plus many inland communities that are now part of a growing wine industry.
The county seat is located in the town of San Luis Obispo, which also serves as the commercial and cultural hub of the County. Two colleges are located in San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University and Cuesta Community College. The town began with the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo by Father Junipero Serra in 1772.
In San Luis Obispo County, dogs and cats fall under the jurisdiction of the Animal Services Division of the Sheriff's Department. The Department is supported by the work of seven no-kill organizations and a mobile spay/neuter unit. The largest no-kill organization is Woods Humane Society (San Luis Obispo) which annually finds home for about 700 dogs and cats. Action For Animal's Rights/ North County Humane Society (Atascadero) and Feline Network of the Central Coast (San Luis Obispo) place approximately 350 animals while Second Chance at Love Humane Society (Templeton) adopts out roughly 150 pets. Six of the County's no-kill organizations have formed a collaboration with the Department of Animal Services called the San Luis Obispo County Animal Welfare Alliance.
The North County Humane Society was selected by the groups to be the lead agency of the Alliance. According to North County's Alicia Morin, "We formed the Alliance two years ago to create a cohesive relationship to pool our resources in order to reduce euthanasia in our county and to apply for a Maddie's Fund® grant. The formation of our Alliance has been extremely beneficial. Organizations that historically never worked together are now supporting each other in many different ways. For example, we recently did a major rescue of thirty-four cats being kept in unhealthy, inhumane conditions. Woods Humane Society gave us food, medication and syringes to help with the cat's care, and Happy Tails took some of the cats to their shelter. When any of us receive an oversized donation of animal bedding or food, we share with the other organizations. We all do a collaborative newspaper ad sponsored by the top countywide newspaper which features animals available for adoption from all of our shelters. And once a year now, we hold a county-wide adoption event in mid-May."
In 2002, only 116 healthy dogs and cats were euthanized in San Luis Obispo County. Here are additional numbers the Alliance shared with us:
| San Luis Obispo County |
Statistics: 2002
|
Statistics: 2001
|
| Total Impounds |
5,778
|
5,471
|
| Adopted |
3,809
|
2,950
|
| Returned to Owner |
883
|
810
|
| Total Euthanized |
930
|
1,318
|
| -- Healthy/Adoptable |
116
|
190
|
| -- Treatable |
234
|
728
|
| -- Non-Rehabilitatable |
580
|
400
|
| Percent Euthanized |
16%
|
24%
|
| Percent Saved |
81%
|
69%
|
| Impounds per 1,000* |
22.7
|
22
|
| Adoptions per 1,000* |
15
|
12
|
| Deaths per 1,000* |
3.7
|
5
|
* Per 1,000 human population (County population: 253,600)
Comparisons
Comparison with Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, New York, 2002 – an open-admission, no-kill county animal control agency with the best statistics nationwide:
| Total Impounds |
2,454
|
| Adopted |
1,837
|
| Returned to Owner |
332
|
| Total Euthanized |
185
|
| -- Healthy/Adoptable |
0
|
| -- Treatable |
0
|
| -- Non-Rehabilitatable |
185
|
| Percent Euthanized |
7.5%
|
| Percent Saved |
88%
|
| Impounds per 1,000* |
25
|
| Adoptions per 1,000* |
19
|
| Deaths per 1,000* |
1.9
|
* Per 1,000 human population (County population: 97,000)
Comparison with Maddie's Pet Rescue Project in Lodi, California 2001/2002 (Year Two):
| Total Impounds |
3,366
|
| Adopted |
1,558
|
| Returned to Owner |
422
|
| Total Euthanized |
790
|
| -- Healthy/Adoptable |
131
|
| -- Treatable |
230
|
| -- Non-Rehabilitatable |
429
|
| Percent Euthanized |
23.5%
|
| Percent Saved |
59%
|
| Impounds per 1,000* |
60
|
| Adoptions per 1,000* |
28
|
| Deaths per 1,000* |
13.9
|
* Per 1,000 human population (City population: 55,000)
