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Animal control reports higher intake and foster numbers; new volunteer lead, scanners and parvo treatment discussed
Summary
Animal control staff reported rising owner surrenders and foster placements in early 2025, the appointment of a new volunteer lead, purchase of scanners for microchip reading and consideration of a new parvo treatment funded by the shelter fund.
Animal control staff reported increases in owner surrenders, stray intakes and foster placements in early 2025 and described staffing changes, new equipment purchases and program updates at the May 5 Animal Control Commission meeting.
Animal Control Manager Sandra Hill said the department named lead animal tender Brittley Calkins employee of the month for March and appointed a second lead — Becky McMahone — to oversee weekend shifts and the volunteer program. “That is Becky McMahone,” Hill said when commissioners asked about the new lead’s name.
Staff provided monthly program metrics. Kimberly, an animal control staff member who summarized volunteer and foster hours, said the department logged 90 volunteer hours and 10 foster animals in February, 89 volunteer hours and 24 foster animals in March, and 31.5 volunteer hours and 25 foster animals in April. Hill gave intake figures: February stray ACO intake 42, owner surrenders 111 and drop‑off cage intake 26; March stray intake 54 and owner surrenders 108; April stray intake 56 and owner surrenders 105. Hill said bite cases and bite quarantines were reported in those months and that enforcement activities remain substantial.
On equipment and outreach, Hill told commissioners the department bought 10 universal microchip scanners at $200 apiece and that the borough paid the purchase cost. “We got 10 scanners. They were $200 a piece,” Hill said. Commissioners asked whether a Rotary Club donation offer from earlier discussions had been used; Hill said the borough paid for the scanners and she did not believe a Rotary donation was applied to that purchase.
Hill said the shelter’s enforcement team recently attended the Alaska Animal Control Association annual conference in Anchorage, and staff are building a tiered volunteer training program using GivePulse software to post volunteer jobs. Commissioners asked whether volunteer training would also be required for foster households; staff said they currently try to keep low barriers for fosters but plan to make training materials and introductory guidance available as the volunteer program develops.
Hill also discussed a new parvo treatment the shelter fund is offering to pay for; Hill said the drug “is very expensive, but it stops the replication of parvo” and would reduce viral shedding, potentially improving outcomes for outpatient care and decreasing contagion.
Finance and donations: Commissioner Rosenberg, reporting on the Fairbanks Animal Shelter Fund, said the fund received a 100% rating from Charity Navigator, noted that recent vet bills topped $21,000 for the month, and said donations include out‑of‑area gifts after the fund received an inheritance in 2023. Rosenberg said typical fundraising events such as an August garage sale are planned and that donated storage or warehouse space would be welcomed.
No formal action was taken; commissioners asked for continued updates and asked staff to provide more detail if grant or donation funds are used for program changes.
