Clear Lake hears animal-services report; shelter says live-release rate near 98% amid capacity strains

Director Scott, who presented the annual report for North Bay Animal Services, told the Clear Lake City Council on Feb. 15 that the shelter has adopted a 'no kill' philosophy and is achieving a live-release rate far above the no-kill threshold. "No kill equation is 90% live release rate or better. We're about 98 right now," Scott said in the presentation.

Scott reviewed intake and outcome figures for the most recent reporting period, saying the shelter handled roughly 260 field-seized dogs, 48 cats and 31 wildlife cases, and completed about 75 dog adoptions. He told council members euthanasia cases numbered six and that veterinary costs for services performed in-city exceeded $55,000 in the period covered. He said the shelter also completed 33 spay/neuter surgeries at the local clinic and provides low-cost clinics and microchipping to boost returns to owners.

Council members pressed staff about capacity and the shelter's ability to house trapped feral cats. Scott described the facility as better suited to ‘‘handleable’’ cats and said the city is buying shoreline cages to allow short-term holding (one to two weeks) for trap-neuter-release (TNR) work before animals are altered and returned. "We're trying to make space so that we can house more, maybe a week or two at the most, and then get them through the surgery process," he said.

On enforcement and licensing, Scott said citations are increasing but remain modest; he attributed part of the change to improved training for officers and said the shelter and dispatch are trying to channel reports through official lines rather than social media to ensure calls are logged. Council members and a Zoom commenter raised long-running complaints about packs of dogs on Park Street; a Zoom participant, Jesse Rawls, asked when the city will hold irresponsible owners accountable after seven years of repeated calls.

Scott said the shelter's strategy to reduce repeat stray incidents focuses on reunifying dogs with identified owners who are microchipped and licensed, and on continuing free clinics to register animals. "Most all the dogs we get don't have a vaccination record. They don't have an ownership. They don't have a microchip," Scott said. He urged community engagement and volunteers to expand foster capacity and reduce shelter stays.

The council did not take formal action on the animal-services report; the presentation concluded with staff offering to provide licensing numbers and other follow-up data on request.