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Animal services committee reports staffing, operations updates; council proclaims Second Chance Animal Rescue
Summary
Selma’s Animal Services Advisory Committee reported staffing increases, volunteer expansion and recommendations on ordinances and funding; the council issued a proclamation recognizing Second Chance Animal Rescue and asked for further shelter oversight steps.
The Selma Animal Services Advisory Committee presented an update May 6 reporting hiring progress, expanded volunteer programming and recommendations on ordinances and funding to support a more effective animal control operation.
Parveen, speaking for the advisory committee, said city staff reported six allocated positions as filled and expected the animal shelter to be fully staffed by May 19, including three animal-care technicians, a field services manager, a shelter manager and a director. The committee urged the city to ensure seven-day coverage and to adjust public access hours so the shelter is open on weekends when adoptions are likely; it recommended closing a weekday for internal work rather than closing Sundays. Parveen also recommended at least four kennel technicians and two animal care officers to achieve adequate overlap for seven-day service.
The committee reported steps to expand volunteers, including programs for 15–18-year-old students (with parental accompaniment) and an “adventure program” to take dogs out for socialization. The committee urged the council to adopt updated ordinances to create enforcement teeth for mandatory microchipping and spay/neuter rules and to designate an annual funding allocation to support spay/neuter vouchers and related enforcement.
Separately, the council presented a proclamation recognizing Second Chance Animal Rescue (formerly Second Chance Animal Shelter) for a decade of service providing animal control and rescue services in Selma. Representatives of Second Chance thanked volunteers and said they would deliver a shelter inspection report to the council.
The advisory committee also raised operational items for staff action: establish a dedicated shelter phone/landline so calls are reliably answered, use radio communications for field officers, implement a visible kennel-card program for animals on display, develop a fee schedule and post a dedicated shelter website listing animals available for adoption. The committee recommended a quarantine/intake area for sick animals and noted existing shelter space could be repurposed for improved cat housing if funding is identified.
Ending: The council accepted the advisory committee’s report, issued the proclamation to Second Chance Animal Rescue and asked staff to return with ordinance and funding proposals to support the shelter’s recommendations.
