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Animal Services highlights Community Animal Clinic, receives grant and seeks staffing support
Summary
Animal Services reported the new Community Animal Clinic provided low-cost veterinary care (122 pets July–Dec 2025), received a $79,552 ASPCA grant, and staff asked for a fee schedule and a proposed veterinary health-care technician position to support operations.
Orange County Animal Services Director Elizabeth Overcash briefed the Board on department history and the new Community Animal Clinic on Feb. 17, highlighting sheltering changes, emergency response and clinic operations.
Overcash said the Department shifted over time from a single dog warden model to an open-admission shelter with an emphasis on placement and community support. The Community Animal Clinic, opened in March 2025, provided care to 122 pets from July through December 2025; staff reported the Clinic saw just over 100 clients in its first year and that January–February 2026 brought as many clinic patients as the entire second half of 2025.
The Clinic serves pet owners who need low-cost services (staff estimated approximately 12,550 potential pet owners who may need low-cost veterinary services countywide). The Clinic received a $79,552 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to cover operational costs this year. Overcash shared client examples where veterinary care connected pet owners to additional human services supports, and staff proposed adding a veterinary health-care technician to sustain operations.
The Board approved a fee schedule for the Clinic as part of the consent agenda and discussed town contributions and the goal of achieving self-sustainability through grants, donations and client payments.
Why it matters: the Clinic expands access to veterinary care for low-income and unhoused residents, supports pet retention in households, and integrates animal welfare with human services referrals.
