Thursday, April 27, 2006

New Hope Arrives

After more than a few weeks of constructive collaboration with several representatives of LA’s animal welfare community, Animal Services is finally launching its New Hope Program. The New Hope Program is designed to help an entire community’s animal welfare organizations maximize their limited resources through a cooperative effort to save as many animal lives as possible!

The New Hope Program was unveiled at a widely publicized public meeting at the Beverly Garland Resort in Studio City on the evening of Tuesday, April 25th. The meeting was graciously hosted by The Rescue and Humane Alliance of Los Angeles. The Alliance is an association of over 50 animal welfare organizations dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of LA’s lost and homeless animals and is a valuable partner of Animal Services.

Over 150 individuals attended the New Hope meeting, representing over 60 local animal welfare organizations. The meeting began with many in attendance wanting to share their positive personal experiences with Animal Services’ new, enhanced emphasis on excellent customer service and animal welfare programs.

Over 25 employees of the Animal Services were in attendance. They were asked to stand up in proxy for the efforts of the entire organization as a grateful public applauded.

The New Hope Program was then unveiled in a dynamic, interactive presentation and idea exchange. Ed Boks explained the many benefits of the New Hope Program to partnering organizations. Benefits include:

1. A “personal shopper”, called a New Hope Coordinator, will help expedite the transfer of animals into the care of New Hope organizations and will be available to answer their questions and address their concerns.

2. A hotline phone number at each Animal Care Center and to each New Hope Coordinator to assist New Hope organizations in their life saving efforts.

3. 24 hour, 7 day a week access to all Animal Care Centers by appointment to view animals.

4. Daily color-coded New Hope Alerts providing valuable information and pictures of animals most in need of their help.

5. A sophisticated software program produced by HLP called Top View. This program, a magnanimous gift from HLP to New Hope Partners, will help partner organizations to better manage and more easily report on the animals in their care.

6. No fees for animals adopted from the New Hope Alert. New Hope animals will be spay/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated at no charge to New Hope partner. All medical care and lab testing fees will also be waived.

7. Pay only the $28 spay/neuter fee for an animal NOT on the New Hope Alert when an animal that is on the Alert is also adopted at no charge.

8. Pay only $28 for spay/neuter and $15 for microchip when animals NOT on the New Hope Alert are adopted and no New Hope animals are adopted.

9. If any non-New Hope animal is deferred for spay/neuter for medical reasons the New Hope Partner has the option to:
a. Take the animal to a City-contracted veterinarian at no cost, having already paid the $28 deposit; or
b. Take the animal to a veterinarian of their choice and submit proof of sterilization for a refund of the $28 deposit.

10. An easy “no waiting” in line adoption process that allows telephonic credit card transactions.

11. Animal Services will hold animals for specified time frames agreed to by Animal Services and a New Hope Partner while the partner makes necessary arrangements for picking the animals up.

(New Hope partners will continue to be responsible for purchasing dog licenses as applicable by law.)

Animal Services is very excited about the implementation of the New Hope Program. It is anticipated that New Hope will help increase the number of animals safely placed into loving homes and will play an instrumental role in Los Angeles becoming a No-Kill City!

Animal Services thanks all the organizations that have already signed up and we look forward to signing up additional organizations wanting to help Animal Services save lives. If you know of a non-profit animal welfare organization that may be interested in participating in the New Hope Program please encourage them to contact Animal Services for more information.

Together we can make Los Angeles the safest City in the United States for our pets!