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SALT LAKE COUNTY — Shawni Larrabee asked the same question over and over when she became director of Salt Lake County Animal Services about three years ago.
"I know I made a lot of people crazy. I spent a lot of time saying, 'But why do we do that?'" with respect the agency's policies and practices.
It's amazing what they've done. They've taken a little love and a little money and made it go a long way.
–Mayor Peter Corroon
What resulted was an open dialog with employees and community members that has resulted in sweeping changes in policy and practice. "The things people came up with were really stunning," she said.
For 2010, the agency chalked up a record number of pet adoptions and fewer pet deaths. Recently, the Salt Lake County Council passed an ordinance to regulate puppy mills. In the fall, the council passed an ordinance that prohibits shelter animals from being adopted for research purposes. That hadn't occurred for a number of years, but Larrabee wanted the policy to reflect the practice. "I never wanted that policy to change just because someone else is sitting in the director's chair," she said.
Perhaps one of the most significant benchmarks has been the 30 percent increase of traffic into the animal services facility at 511 W. 3900 South. Bit by bit, the community has come to perceive the agency as more of a community resource instead of a regulatory agency, Larrabee said.
A growing number of people come to the agency to adopt animals. They also come to attend training courses with their pets and to volunteer. They come to have their animals spayed and neutered (including days in which the service is offered for free thanks to private donations of money and volunteer veterinarians — a suggestion that came from the community).
In 2010, dog adoptions at the shelter increased 62 percent over the previous year. Cat adoptions increased by more than 45 percent for the same time period. That improvement was largely due to the county eliminating the $65 fee for cat adoptions. The revenue has been recovered by creating a sliding scale for the cost of dog adoptions — younger, high-demand breeds of dogs command higher prices.
In 2010, the shelter euthanized 481 dogs, compared to an average of 1,048 for the years of 2001-09. About 1,400 cats were euthanized, less than half the historical average for the facility.
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said he is impressed with the agency's progress.
"I think it's amazing what they've done. They've taken a little love and a little money and made it go a long way. Really, they've done a great job of collaborating with other agencies throughout the valley and throughout the state to make animal services a successful organization." Meanwhile, the county shelter cared for some 10,500 lost and abandoned animals.
Larrabee worked in the banking industry for 15 years before becoming animal services director in 2008. "It was a great job but this was a much better fit," she said. "I get a little uncomfortable taking credit for this. All I really did was open the door. They walked through it," Larrabee said of the contributions of employees and community members.
But Larrabee clearly has brought a new lens to the work of the agency. She worked in the corporate offices of a bank for 15 years before she was hired as animal services director in July 2008.
Animals had always been part of Larrabee's life but she had envisioned herself in the job. In fact, she said she laughed when a friend sent the job description to her. "Once I'd seen it, I kept going back and looking at it. I thought, 'I can't imagine they don't have someone in mind.' But things came into place and it was pretty clear this is where I needed to be."
Larrabee said she inherited an innovative and hard-working staff. In many respects, the agency was already serving the community well in many respects but the message had not been conveyed to the community. In the early days of Larrabee's helm, changes to practices and internal policies were coming down so fast and furious, the most effective means of communicating that to staff was posting notes on workstations. That pace has slowed as the agency had settled into a rhythm and new policies and practices have become standard practice.
But Larrabee still has a full "to-do" list. The agency must improve license rates for dogs. Presently, just 22 percent of canines in its jurisdiction are licensed. It is important to license a dog to help ensure its return if it is lost and for the county to keep on top of rabies vaccination rates.
Larrabee also wants to improve the return rate of lost cats, which is only about 4 percent. "That's just awful." As in the past, she's counting on staff and members of the community to guide her decision making.
"This is their shelter. This is the community's shelter," she said.
E-mail: marjorie@desnews.com
