South Florida Spay/Neuter Summit Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Fort Lauderdale, FL March 14-15, 2011 “Broward County Working Together”

Share of Tri-County Population “Broward County Working Together”

Socioeconomic Characteristics  Population 1,772,060 ↑ Under ,597 ↑ Over ,599 ↑ ↑  Non-Hispanic White 767,390 ↓  Non-Hispanic Black 435,437 ↑  Hispanic 446,975 ↑ ↑ Source: Broward County Population Forecasting Model 2010 estimates “Broward County Working Together”

Socio-economic Characteristics (Cont’d)  Households 1 676,125 ↑ Owner-Occupied 70% Renter-Occupied 30%  Household Size ↑  Unemployment Rate % ↓  Median Household Income 3 $51,731 ↑  Families Below Poverty Level 3 8.5% Sources: 1 Broward County Population Forecasting Model, 2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey “Broward County Working Together”

Trends Affecting Pet Ownership  Generation Y (late teens to early 30s) → renters  Increasing minority populations  Larger household size  Higher gas prices → less disposable income  Continuing foreclosures “Broward County Working Together”

Pet Population Characteristics  500,000 domestic dogs 1  450,000 domestic cats 1  300,000 feral/community cats 2  Hundreds of cat colonies  Minimal dog packs Source: 1 Pet estimates from AVMA calculator at based on Broward County Population Forecasting Model 2010 estimate. 2 University of Floridahttp:// “Broward County Working Together”

Challenges to Managing the Outdoor Animal Population  South Florida’s temperate climate  Abundant outdoor food supply  Numerous feral cat colonies  Year-round breeding “Broward County Working Together”

Factors Contributing to the Pet Over-population  Uninformed public regarding pet overpopulation  Denial of problem by activists through social media  Lack of awareness of shelter pet adoption opportunities  Indiscriminate back-yard breeding “Broward County Working Together”

Factors Contributing to the Pet Over-population (Cont’d)  Infrequent government enactment of spay/neuter laws  Minimal license fees for unsterilized animals  Limited availability of low-cost vouchers for spay/neuter services  Expensive private veterinary fees for spay/neuter services “Broward County Working Together”

Programs Servicing the Pet Population  Spay/Neuter low-cost vouchers (SPOT) for income-qualified families  Pets Mart Charities Grant to spay/neuter feral cats in colonies in and  Mobile spay/neuter unit providing lower cost services in the community  Spay/Neuter all pets adopted through our facilities and mobile units “Broward County Working Together”

Other Programs Offered by our Organizations  Off-site adoptions at Pet Supermarket, Petco and public events  Open access facilities accepting all owner-surrenders  Euthanasia, grief counseling and memorial services  Cruelty investigations  Emergency pet rescue and sheltering “Broward County Working Together”

Other Programs Offered by Our Organizations (Cont’d)  Disaster Pet-Friendly Shelter & ESF 17 Lead Agency  Low-cost vaccines, medical and rabies clinics  Behavior training programs  Teen and adult volunteer programs  Foster care programs  Partnerships with rescue groups “Broward County Working Together”

Wish List  Advertising campaign promoting spay/neuter of pets  Dedicated funding source supporting spay/neuter services “Broward County Working Together”

We are mutually supportive animal welfare organizations dedicated to achieving a healthy and sustainable pet population. “Broward County Working Together”