The following is the complete text of Annex A of NYC's initial contract for animal management with the Center for Animal Care & Control, Inc.
ANNEX A
SCOPE OF SERVICES
September 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994
The period September 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994 shall be deemed a transition and start-up period. During this period the Corporation shall recruit and hire appropriate staff, including an Executive Director, and other executive staff which may include but not be limited to financial, personnel, administrative, and veterinary staff, to ensure a smooth and timely transition of municipal animal care and control services from the City's present contractor to the Corporation. Tasks to be completed during the transition period shall include but not be limited to purchasing and acquisition of necessary equipment and supplies, assumption of leases, installation of facilities, recruitment, hiring and training of employees, and in general to make ready to be fully operational on January 1, 1995 as further described below.
JANUARY 1, 1995 TO DECEMBER 31, 1995
The Corporation shall provide the following animal control and related public health services:
A. Animal Control and Seizure Services
The Corporation will provide the following services:
1) Routine Animal Surveillance and Capture - in response to complaints or other information concerning the presence of unlicensed or unleashed dogs, cats whose owners are not identified, vicious and dangerous animals, animals that have bitten, rabid or suspected rabid animals, prohibited, exotic or wild animals, and venomous reptiles and bats, conduct routine, early morning surveillance within the five boroughs of New York City and attempt to remove such animals as may be appropriate.
2) Animal Seizure - the Corporation shall, when directed by the Department or other agency of the City, assist in seizure, and shall seize and capture when appropriate, unlicensed or unleashed dogs, cats whose owners are not identified, vicious and dangerous animals, animals that have bitten, rabid or suspected rabid animals, prohibited, exotic or wild animals, and venomous reptiles and bats from persons in possession of such animals, and from places within the City both public and private.
3) Lost, Stray, Homeless, Abandoned Animals - The Corporation shall accept at its facilities animals which are lost, stray, homeless, unwanted or abandoned with professional caretakers.
4) The Corporation shall establish and advertise an emergency telephone number for receiving complaints on a 24 hour basis concerning animals described in paragraph (1) above. A recorded message will be placed on the above referenced telephone for the twelve (12) hour period from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, for the period from 8:00 p.m. Friday through 8:00 a.m. Monday and on all holidays on a 24 hour basis to record complaint messages so that complaint can be responded to. Forms and records must be utilized so that all calls are documented and the disposition of the action to each call is properly entered. Such telephone complaint system shall be subject to approval by the Department.
5) Seizure and transportation services shall be provided in accordance with applicable City, State, and Federal laws.
6) When a dog or cat is seized or accepted the Corporation shall provide shelter care to said dog or cat for a period of no less than forty-eight (48) hours after seizure. In the case of unlicensed dogs so seized or accepted, and in the case of not-exotic cats, if they are not claimed and redeemed within forty-eight (48) hours after seizure, they may be adopted or otherwise disposed of in accordance with applicable law.
7) The Corporation shall notify the owners of licensed dogs and cats with identification collars when such cats or dogs are seized. The Corporation shall specify and implement a procedure such that licensed dogs and owner-identified cats may be expeditiously claimed and returned to their owners.
8) All animal care and control and seizure personnel shall be pre immunized against rabies according to recommendations appearing in Table 3. Rabies Preexposure Prophylaxis Guidelines, United States, 1991, MMWR 1991;40:10-16.
9) The above specified Animal Care and Control and Seizure Services shall, except as indicated below, be provided Monday through Friday on the following schedule and basis:
a. The Corporation shall have dispatch personnel available to both receive telephone complaints from the public on a new telephone number listed as the The Center for Animal Care and Control Animal Emergency Service and immediately dispatch such emergency calls to the fleet of vehicles, or, when appropriate, to the A.S.P.C.A. or other entity for referral. Dispatch services shall be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, exclusive of holidays.
b. For the twelve (12) hour period from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, for the period from 8:00 p.m. Friday through 8:00 a.m. Monday and on holidays on a 24 hour a day basis, the Corporation shall provide personnel and equipment necessary for on-call animal emergency response services to handle special requests from the Department of Health (including the Poison Control Center) and police agencies to capture and seize animals specified in paragraph A(2) above, and have said animals held at an animal shelter for rabies observation or have the animal made ready for testing for rabies. Animal seizure services will be provided Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. exclusive of all holidays.
c. At the request of the Department of Health, the Corporation will use a vehicle stationed at the animal receiving facilities to respond to a call, if there is no other vehicle available. Each animal receiving facility will have an animal pick-up vehicle stationed at that location during normal operating hours.
B. Related Services
The Corporation shall provide related services as follows:
1) The City will continue an existing contract between the Department of Sanitation and a private qualified contractor for the removal of all animal carcasses from the shelter facilities. The Corporation shall properly and safely dispose of all regulated hazardous and/or medical waste pursuant to all federal, state and local laws.
2) The Corporation shall operate animal shelter facilities in the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Manhattan shelter will be open on a 7 day a week, 24 hours a day schedule, every day of the year, excluding major holidays. The Brooklyn shelter will be open on a 5 day a week, 8 hour a day schedule and will house animals on a 7 day a week, 24 hour a day schedule. Both shelters will hold animals and care for such animals in conformity with all applicable laws.
3) All professional care provided at the animal shelter facilities and at pet receiving facilities shall be under the direct supervision of a shelter veterinarian, who must be a graduate of an American Veterinary Medical Association accredited veterinary college and have a license to practice veterinary medicine in New York State.
4) Care of animals at the shelters shall include feeding, boarding (including bedding and cleaning of cages), watering, exercising, and provision for immediate first aid as required.
5) The Corporation shall provide at the shelters and receiving facilities spay, neuter, and adoption services and shall promote adoption as a means of placing animals. For all adopted dogs that will be kept within New York City the respondent shall dispense a dog license application and and administer rabies immunizations pursuant to the New York City Health Code.
6) The Corporation shall have the professional capability to humanely euthanize animals (using sodium pentabarbitol injection). Humane euthanization shall only be administered when necessary and shall be supervised by a New York State licensed veterinarian. The Corporation shall make every reasonable effort to place animals for adoption, and shall euthanize animals only when required as a last resort.
7) The Corporation shall have the professional capability to, and shall prepare specimens from all animals suspected of rabies or other zoonotic diseases for submission to either the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratories in Albany, New York or the New York City Bureau of Laboratories for examination as required by the New York State Sanitary Code, the New York City Health Code, and established guidelines and procedures of the State and City Departments of Health. Processing and taking of specimens for rabies testing shall include appropriate infection control, sterilization of all instruments and contaminated surfaces as a result of preparing the animal specimen for rabies examination, and proper disposal of hazardous, infectious, and medical waste.
8) The Corporation shall develop, implement and maintain an adequate records keeping system to ensure adequate identification of animals, location within shelter system, whether animal is candidate for adoption, and which shall encompass, at a minimum the following reports: recording the receipt and disposition of all animals by type, elapsed time at the shelter for each animal, return to owner or other placement, a clear description of animal's health status, and documentation of nature and level of care provided while at the shelter, number of animals captured or seized and their reasons for such actions The Corporation shall prepare periodic reports on these and other statistics and operating information as shall be specified by the Department.
9) The Corporation shall provide spay/neutering services as a means to control the animal over-population problems prior to placing animals for adoption.
10) The Corporation shall provide a lost and found program for dogs and cats with an advertised telephone number, which shall be available for leaving messages 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that lost pets can be returned to their owners. Corporation shall hold, by order or the Department or the Police Department of the City, any animal found by the Department to be vicious or a threat to the public health until a Departmental decision, pursuant to applicable law, is made regarding the disposition of that animal.
12) The Corporation shall whenever possible enlist the aid of volunteers and shall conduct education and community outreach concerning animal control and public health issues related thereto.
13) All shelter personnel who will handle or be in contact with animals suspect of rabies must be pre-immunized against rabies according to recommendations appearing in Table 3 annexed hereto. Rabies Preexposure Prophylaxis Guide, United States. 1991, MMWR 1991;40:10-16.
C. Animal Receiving Facilities Services
1) The Corporation shall operate and maintain animal receiving facilities to be provided by the Department, in the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, shall establish appropriate fee schedules for accepting other than dangerous, or unlicensed dogs or cats whose owners cannot be identified, lost, stray, or homeless or animals abandoned with professional caretakers, and shall care for such animals in conformity with all applicable laws. All animals accepted at receiving facilities shall be transferred at the end of the work day to the Manhattan and/or Brooklyn full service shelter facility. Receiving facilities shall be operated at the following sites, or such other suitable sites as may be designated by the Department:
Queens Animal Receiving Facility
92-29 Queens B1vd., Rego Park, NY 11374Bronx Animal Receiving Facility
1 Fordham Plaza, Bronx, NY 10458Staten Island Animal Receiving Facility
139 Veterans Road West, Staten Island 103142) The Animal Receiving Facility must be open to the public to accept animals on a five (5) day a week, eight (8) hours a day schedule on a year round basis, exclusive of all major and minor holidays.
3) The Corporation shall provide a healthy environment and humane care and treatment of animals kept at the animal receiving facility including adequate feed, water, space, exercise, light and ambient temperature.
4) The Corporation shall establish an advertised telephone number so citizens can call for a schedule of services.
5) The Corporation will cooperate with the City of New York by issuing dog license applications and completing related paperwork at this facility.
6) All animal receiving facility personnel who will handle or be in contact with animals suspect of rabies must be pre-immunized against rabies according to recommendations appearing in Table 3. Rabies Preexposure Prophylaxis Guide, 1991, MMWR 1991;40:10-16.