Receive an update on operations, facility projects and program highlights provided at Yolo County Animal Services as a follow-up to the March 24, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting. (No general fund impact) (Fieseler/Amato) (Est. Staff Presentation Time: 10 min)

Receive an update on operations, facility projects and program highlights provided at Yolo County Animal Services as a follow-up to the March 24, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting.

On March 24, 2026, staff provided a presentation which included extensive information pertaining to the roles, responsibilities, legal mandates, partnerships, programs and services offered by Yolo County Animal Services (YCAS). As a follow-up to that presentation, YCAS continues with the commitment to improving outcomes for the animals in shelter care and increasing resources for owned animals in the communities of Yolo County. 

Animal Intakes 

Animal intakes occurring both over the counter at YCAS or through field services have steadily continued. YCAS continues to intake all stray dogs and sick or injured animals, including wildlife and livestock. Emergency owner surrenders for critical medical or severe behavioral reasons or immediate housing loss are prioritized over requests to surrender for less urgent reasons. Resources regarding outside veterinary care or re-homing information are provided for those owners seeking this type of assistance.

During the spring and summer months, YCAS experienced lower than average intakes with regard to dogs. However, kitten intakes have remained steady and consistent with prior kitten seasons.

Average Onsite Kennel Inventory June-August

Dogs total: 80 
Over half of dogs are available for adoption, remaining dogs are on legal stray hold or longer due to intake type. Intakes of stary litters of puppies has increased, one example being a large litter of 11 stray puppies was found in the town of Clarksburg. All were adopted with the help of social media and group showings for interested adopters. There has been a consistent increase in owner surrender requests due to loss of housing or moving where pets are not allowed. 

Cats total: 65 
In addition to the cats housed on site at YCAS, PetSmart currently houses 12 kittens and continues to relieve some of the workload at the shelter. YCAS and PetSmart staff and YCAS volunteers help to manage the cleaning, feeding and adoptions. Currently, 165 kittens are in foster homes being cared for until they are either of adoption age and weight or have resolved any medical conditions they are being treated for. YCAS provides the necessary supplies including food, litter, milk replacer and medical care. Generous community donations of wet food and milk replacer assist with the cost of YCAS purchasing these items.

Animal Outcomes 
Community Adoption Partnerships

YCAS has continued to increase pop-up type adoption events throughout the community. Woodstock’s Pizza in Davis has hosted multiple events allowing adoptable dogs to come meet people and volunteers have information regarding volunteering opportunities to share. West Sacramento Petco has recently partnered with YCAS to host monthly kitten adoption events. This is a new partnership with great potential to expand to more frequent events, including dog adoptions as well.

Adoptions: June 1-August 31, 2026
Total: 682  
Dogs: 162 
Cats: 520

Animals transferred to rescue partners:
Total: 118
Dogs: 61
Cats: 57

Community Spay/Neuter
Spay Neuter Imperative Project (SNIP) continues to partner with YCAS to provide low cost spay/neuter and other medical care to residents of Yolo County. YCAS has been utilizing grant funding to offset the cost to owners, and we have been collecting $100 which has reduced no shows and extends the use of grant funding.

Totals for June 1–August 31, 2026: 
Dogs: 180 
Cats: 330 (130 TNR)

Preventative Care Outreach
YCAS continues to provide weekly scheduled species-specific vaccines and microchips to community owners at the shelter. On August 22, 2026, YCAS hosted a free vaccine and microchip clinic in West Sacramento. This included free vaccines and microchips, and those needing spay/neuter services were provided information for future SNIP clinics. A total of 367 animals were served at the clinic (235 dogs/132 cats), including large groups of puppies arriving in crates and wagons. These high turnout numbers demonstrate a strong community need for expanded preventative care services and reinforces the need for more opportunities like this clinic to prevent common illnesses and hopefully reunite lost pets prior to entering the animal shelter system.

Facilities and Future Partnerships
As shared in March, multiple deferred maintenance projects have been completed. Staff are prioritizing two major efforts, the Clinic in a Can (CIAC) project and the request for proposals (RFP) to operate a no-cost/low cost spay and neuter clinic at the former Probation building, now referred to as the 2A building, across from the main YCAS campus. 

The CIAC bid process is currently underway and scheduled to close on September 10. The General Services Department (GSD) released the bid package on July 14 and conducted a mandatory pre-bid conference on July 22, attended by 7 potential bidders. During this process, staff determined additional electrical upgrades were needed and incorporated this added scope into the project to reduce change order risk and obtain cost savings.  The project goal is to complete CIAC by the end of the calendar year, barring any unforeseen scheduling issues. GSD Staff will provide further details when the contract is presented to the Board for consideration after contractor selection.

Regarding the 2A building RFP, staff have consulted with Procurement and County Counsel to assess the complexity of both the requested services and the lease of county property. Because the RFP process is active, discussions about the scope of work or potential respondents should be limited to ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the competitive process. Staff will return to the Board with a recommended operator and a contract once the RFP closes, evaluations are completed, and contract terms are mutually agreed upon.

Yolo Animal Services Planning Joint Powers Agency 
On August 17, CAO Webb and member agency city managers met to continue exploration of the joint powers agency governance model. During this meeting, all parties agreed to review their respective staffing resources and collaborate on mapping and aligning on a path forward. Additional information will be provided as discussions continue and participating agencies further evaluate roles, responsibilities, and operational implications associated with the JPA model.

This item is an informational item only, and no action is being requested by the Board of Supervisors at this time.

County Adminstrator's Office
General Services