Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011
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Onward/ By 2020, Calgary communities are resilient, complete and connected.
Table of Contents 1. Message from the General Manager
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2. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
2
3. Overview
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4. A YEAR IN REVIEW
4.1 FOSTERING GREAT PUBLIC SPACES AND PROGRAMS
4.2 ENCOURAGING ACTIVE, CREATIVE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
4.3
4.4 FOSTERING A COMMUNITY THAT CARES
4.5
Providing Services that Calgarians Value and Rely Upon
4.6
Building and Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Community Needs
4.7 FOSTERING A POSITIVE, INNOVATIVE AND SAFE WORKPLACE
5 5 10
PROVIDING AND PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY
13 16 18 22 24
5. 2011 Financial Information Summary 6. LOOKING AHEAD
27 29
Š 2012 The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services The information contained in this report is the property of Animal & Bylaw Services and is copyrighted. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written consent of Animal & Bylaw Services. Animal & Bylaw Services provides this information in good faith, but provides no warranty nor accepts any liability arising from incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information or its improper use. Information is maintained on a regular basis. For more information regarding copyright or Animal & Bylaw Services please contact 3-1-1 or call 403-268-CITY (2489) if calling from outside Calgary.
1
Message from the general Manager
Dear Council, Citizens and City Colleagues, Improving the quality of life in Calgary is at the heart of everything we do in Community services & Protective services. we deliver a broad array of social, recreation, leisure and public art programs and services that encourage active lifestyles, inclusive communities and vibrant neighbourhoods for all citizens. we protect, preserve and restore public safety through the programs and services of the Calgary fire Department, 9-1-1, bylaw education and enforcement, and emergency and disaster response systems.
Citizens have told us they value things like libraries, recreation facilities, culture and sport facilities, and fire services. we have listened. and we are responding. on July 25, 2011, City Council created a long-term sustainable funding pool to address both new and existing community
the community investment fund will allocate $252 million into tangible and useful community improvements over the next six years on things like libraries, recreation centres, swimming pools, arenas, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds and emergency services. while projects vary in scope, size and cost, every single one of them directly helps create more livable communities. I look forward to sharing more information with you on these projects in 2012! we are proud to share with you the major accomplishments and milestones we have highlighted in our 2011 annual reports. thank you to all the employees of our department who work in Calgary neighbourhoods every day to make our city vibrant, healthy, safe and caring.
erika hargesheimer general Manager Community services & Protective services the City of Calgary
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 1
we do all this with a staff of 5,200 hard-working, dedicated employees, in partnership with community agencies, community and social recreation partnerships, civic partners and a network of provincial and federal departments and emergency management agencies. and we do so with the needs and priorities of citizens in mind.
infrastructure needs. their foresight to create this fund demonstrates the City’s commitment to safe, sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods for all Calgarians.
2
Message from the Director
on behalf of the 138 members of animal & Bylaw services, I am pleased to present our 2011 annual report. as you will see in the following pages, there is much to be proud of. this report highlights just some of the outstanding work our people accomplished in 2011. animal & Bylaw services is committed to addressing the needs and concerns of the citizens of Calgary. the scope of our work is extensive: from leading Calgary’s Community addiction strategy, to providing shelter and safekeeping of lost and abandoned pets, to offering assistance with graffiti removal, to aiding in ending homelessness, to providing resources for community clean-ups, to providing emergency response during the recent wind storms. we believe in collaborating with stakeholders and engaging the public to ensure we are developing and maintaining policies and programs that reflect community values and that foster and promote peaceful relationships among neighbours. our people are constantly looking to raise the bar in terms of services provided and programs offered.
I invite all Calgarians to review this report and share in the successes of 2011. we could not have accomplished all we did without the input and support of our community. as we move forward we will continue to be accessible, accountable, transparent and responsive to Calgarians. we will continue to focus on citizens’ needs in 2012 and do everything we can to ensure Calgary is a great place to live, work, play and visit.
Bill Bruce, Director and Chief Bylaw enforcement officer
3
overview
Animal & Bylaw Services the 99 Peace and Bylaw officers and 38 civilian staff of animal & Bylaw services take great pride in responding to the needs of Calgarians and maintaining our reputation as a leader in animal and bylaw services in north america. our employees maintain the values of being accessible, accountable, transparent and responsive to all Calgarians.
we respond to neighbourhood concerns with our priorities on public safety and health, protection of the environment, and protection of public property. our approach is to stress compliance over enforcement through education and proactive involvement. our core business involves:
Operations: responding to citizen concerns with respect to municipal bylaws and provincial statutes.
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Administration and Shelter Operations: customer service and animal care.
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Policy Development and Public Education: developing bylaws and public education programs.
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Strategic Services: building sustainability and partnerships.
•
Community Relations and Crime Prevention: engaging communities in crime prevention and safety initiatives.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 3
the services we provide are aligned with Council Priorities and designed to support what Calgarians have said is important to them in terms of community standards. these community standards are not developed by animal & Bylaw services; they are developed by Calgarians.
•
VISION: To be recognized as world leaders in animal control, bylaw development and compliance. MISSION: To encourage a safe, healthy, vibrant community for people and pets through the development, education, and compliance of bylaws that reflect community values. MANDATE: Focus on voluntary compliance to Calgary’s bylaws through education and programs to support citizens and the community. Manage an animal shelter and provide animal control services. Ensure compliance with the community’s bylaws.
In delivering our services and programs, Animal & Bylaw Services operations are guided by Council policies and priorities, the Community Services and Protective Services business plan, as well as our own strategic and business plans, policies, operational guidelines and procedures. Accordingly, we are committed to: •
Fostering great public spaces and programs that enrich the lives of Calgarians and make Calgary an attractive, liveable city.
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Encouraging active, creative and healthy lifestyles and promoting a positive physical and social environment.
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Providing and promoting public safety.
•
Fostering a community that cares.
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Providing services that residents value and rely upon.
•
uilding and strengthening partnerships to meet B community needs.
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Fostering a positive, innovative and safe workplace that attracts, retains and develops motivated and talented people.
4.1
a Year in review: fostering great Public spaces and Programs
Building Safe Communities
Bylaws serve two roles: to set standards in the community and create a process to achieve compliance. Calgarians have told us they want a safe and orderly city. we understand what drives perceptions of safety and develop initiatives and programs both proactively and in response to citizens’ concerns. we work with the community to set reasonable standards and ensure Calgary maintains its reputation as an attractive liveable city that is a great place to live, work, play and visit. the Community Standards Bylaw reflects what Calgarians have said they want to see in their City in terms of acceptable standards
2011 Highlights In the summer of 2011, animal & Bylaw services collaborated with Parks on the Natural Areas Restoration Project in Douglasdale and Diamond Cove. Bylaw officers educated local residents on the inappropriateness of dumping waste and materials along the ravine and escarpment. the result was a stoppage of the illegal dumping activities which contributed to safe and clean surroundings for park users.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 5
animal & Bylaw services’ mission is to encourage a safe, healthy, vibrant community for people and pets through the development, education, and compliance of bylaws that reflect community values. our focus is on resolving citizens’ concerns through education and compliance and fostering and promoting peaceful relationships between Calgarians. 96 per cent of our calls for service are resolved successfully through education and compliance rather than strict enforcement.
and behaviours on private property. often referred to as the “good neighbour” bylaw, it helps people live together peacefully in neighbourhoods based upon agreed rules. Bylaw officers work with property owners and complainants to mediate concerns with regards to issues such as unsightly premises, noise, nuisances/accumulation of materials, weeds and grasses and snow and ice. addressing these issues through compliance rather than simply enforcing the law supports strong, healthy communities and leads to better voluntary compliance through understanding.
Stephen Avenue Mall is a focal point of the downtown core, experiencing high volumes of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. In response to citizen and business owner complaints, Animal & Bylaw Services teamed up with the Business Licence section of Development & Building Approvals to address the safety concerns posed by couriers not obeying the Stephen Avenue Mall Bylaw. Through education and enforcement, Bylaw Officers were able to address the public’s concerns and ensure this busy thoroughfare was safe for everyone. Calgarians have told us time and again they want a clean and safe city. We know perceptions of safety are influenced by the presence of graffiti and vandalism. Animal & Bylaw Services administers the Corporate Coordinated Graffiti Abatement Program (CCGAP). CCGAP provides assistance to private property owners who are victims of graffiti that either do not have the ability or resources to remove graffiti.
Under CCGAP, Animal & Bylaw Services and Parks combined resources to achieve significant cost and time efficiencies in the removal of graffiti from private property and Parks assets. All Calgarians benefit from CCGAP as research indicates the faster graffiti is removed, the less likely additional graffiti is to appear. In 2011, a total of over 206,000 square feet of graffiti was removed from private property and Parks assets through CCGAP. Feedback and support from the public for CCGAP has been overwhelming.
WARD 3
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WARD 4 WARD 1
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WARD 7
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WARD 10
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WARD 9 WARD 11
WARD 14
Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011 7
WARD 13
WARD 12
2011 Community Clean-Ups
Kilometers 0
1
2
4
animal & Bylaw services supports and provides funding for community-led public safety initiatives through the Community standards fund. our Community Clean-Up program allows communities to take ownership of their communities by addressing issues affecting them. supporting these community-led programs helps create a lasting sense of community pride and spirit. In 2011, 69 communities organized volunteers to clean up their own neighbourhoods. this number is up from the 57 community cleanups organized in 2010 and the 38 organized in 2009.
the success of the Community Clean-Ups is a direct result of the enthusiasm of community volunteers. More than 765,000 kilograms of unwanted material and garbage was removed from residential neighbourhoods in 2011. this figure does not include a significant amount of e-waste and metals that were also removed and recycled.
On behalf of our church congregation, I want to thank you for cleaning up our graffiti problem so quickly and professionally. We had an important church service this weekend and we are so grateful the graffiti was removed before congregants arrived. Reverend Simmons, Hillhurst United Church
Integrity – that is the benefit of having these services.
There needs to be someone to say, don’t do this.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 9
the removal of unwanted items, garbage and improperly disposed of materials is an important factor in addressing overall crime and social disorder. an accumulation of garbage and discarded items can have a negative effect on perceptions of safety. It can give the impression that no one cares about an area and that anti-social behaviours will be tolerated. Community Clean-Ups are just one way Calgarians build strong communities and send a clear message that they care and are willing to get involved to ensure safe, clean neighbourhoods.
4.2
a Year in review: encouraging active, Creative and healthy lifestyles
Supporting Community Values animal & Bylaw services plays an important part in maintaining Calgary’s reputation as a beautiful, vibrant, world-class city. each year we collaborate and leverage resources with partners to foster a healthy physical and social environment that reflects community values.
2011 Highlights the Centre City Team consists of 29 staff dedicated to address crime and social disorder in the downtown core. high visibility beat and bike patrols work with residents, business owners and community associations to address issues, fears and concerns. a new deployment model was implemented in 2011 allowing our officers to be more responsive to emerging issues and concerns and ultimately improve the quality of life in the downtown core.
“24 per cent of Calgarians say safety has improved in the Centre City in 2011” 2011 Centre City Citizens’ Perception Survey the Centre City team has contributed significantly to improving the quality of life and perceptions of safety for residents and visitors of the downtown area through a number of initiatives. our extensive and successful year-round Parks and Pathways Education Program is designed to educate users on safe activities, responsible behaviours, and the bylaws. officers educate park and pathway users on issues such as appropriate speeds for cyclists and roller-bladers, the use of bike bells when passing, off-leash dog rules, the importance of wearing life jackets while on the river, illegal alcohol consumption, and various other rules and regulations. the
goal is to create safe spaces that everyone can enjoy through a balance of education and enforcement.
our officers were able to gain compliance and ensure the safety of all pathway users.
In response to numerous citizen complaints, animal & Bylaw services deployed our bike teams to educate and enforce the rules in problem areas along the pathways. Cyclists were ignoring speed reduction and dismounting signs in construction zones which created a safety issue for everyone, including cyclists and pedestrians using the pathways. through a short-term operation,
Calgary is known for recreational opportunities on the beautiful and extensive river and pathway systems. In response to citizen demand and in an effort to ensure our pathways and rivers are safe for everyone, animal & Bylaw services undertook Operation Webfoot 3 and Project Best. operation webfoot 3, targeted dangerous and unlawful behaviour on the elbow river and adjacent pathways.
Citizen Compliment, July 2011
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 11
We wanted to thank you for your past and on-going efforts to control the boisterous and uncivil behaviour by rafters on the Elbow River. As residents, we have noticed a reduction in this type of behaviour and we really appreciate your concern and attention to this issue.
Project Best was a new collaboration between Animal & Bylaw Services and the Calgary Fire Department aimed at improving safety and reducing illegal activity on the Bow River. Both initiatives were extremely successful and well received by the public and focused on education first to gain compliance and enforcement when necessary. Bylaw Officers play an integral role in addressing the needs of vulnerable persons in our community. Considerable time and resources are dedicated to identifying, assessing and referring homeless individuals in illegal encampments and connecting these individuals with available resources. We collaborate with the Calgary Homeless Foundation, Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS), the Downtown Outreach Addition Partnership Team (DOAP), Alpha House, the Calgary Police Service and various other social agencies to transition these individuals into permanent housing arrangements and the provision of basic services.
Animal & Bylaw Services also promoted a positive physical and social environment through our continued involvement with the Safe Housing Inspection Program (SHIP), the Public Safety Task Force, and Operation DEEP (Downtown Entertainment Enforcement Project). During the Occupy Calgary movement we worked with the Vulnerable Persons Unit of the Calgary Police Service to identify and transition a group of homeless individuals to safe long term accommodations and successfully negotiated a peaceful removal of the Occupy encampment at Olympic Plaza.
4.3
a Year in review: Providing and Promoting Public safety
Encouraging Safe Behaviour our philosophy stresses compliance over enforcement. we do this by working with the community to educate them on the community standards that Calgarians have set for themselves. Calgarians have told us what they value in terms of public behaviour and personal and public safety. In 2011, 99 per cent of bylaw calls and 91 per cent of animal calls were successfully resolved through voluntary compliance rather than enforcement options.
animal & Bylaw services is the first responder for animal emergencies and aggressive animal incidents. we provide safekeeping for pets until owners can make alternate arrangements during times of emergency. we provided safekeeping for 196 animals in 2011.
Aggressive Dog Incidents 600
the total number of aggressive dog incidents, which includes bites, chases and damage to property, increased slightly in 2011. a review of the aggressive incidents reveals a shift from dog to stranger bites to dog to in-home bites. we are working with our partners to address this issue and to develop preventative solutions.
400
animal & Bylaw services will continue to closely monitor the number of aggressive incidents however, it is important to note that aggressive incidents are still very rare given there are over 111,000 licensed dogs in the city.
100
494
519
427 374 340 300 200
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 13
2011 Highlights
500
Around noon Sunday Nov. 27, Calgary experienced hurricane force winds. Within an hour, The City activated its Municipal Emergency Response Plan to deal with the extensive damage and chaos throughout the city. The downtown core was particularly hard hit and needed to be shut down because of the extensive damage and risk of serious injury or death from falling debris including windows, metal, and downed power lines. Within four hours, over 500 calls were made to 911 and an additional 300 calls were placed to 3-1-1. As a partner in the Municipal Emergency Response Plan, ABS Peace Officers assisted with road closures and traffic control duties in the downtown core. Bylaw Officers worked around the clock to ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles in the affected areas and to allow clean-up crews to do their work without interruption or distraction from on-lookers.
Derelict and abandoned properties can pose a real health and safety risk to neighbours and can even have a detrimental impact on the community as a whole. Living next to or near a derelict property where illegal activity is occurring regularly can be very frustrating and can negatively influence perceptions of safety. These properties can have an overwhelming impact on the quality of life in a community and can interfere with the lawful enjoyment of law-abiding property owners. Bylaw Services works with various City and provincial partners to identify and remedy these delinquent properties. We also work with property owners to try and resolve issues through voluntary compliance. Demolition of non-compliant properties is a last resort.
In 2011, 24 properties were demolished and the affected communities experienced significant improvement in their day-today lives, feeling safer and reducing repeated demands on City resources.
Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011 15
Our Public Education Team was very busy in 2011. They delivered 403 presentations to over 8,000 kindergarten to Grade 6 students. Students learn about safety and responsible citizenship and pet ownership through our various presentations. Our Public Education Team also attended numerous career fairs, trade shows, and cat and dog shows/expos in 2011.
Once again, Animal & Bylaw Services took the lead in organizing the 2011 Safety Expo. Over 3,300 students attended the two-day event which promotes the awareness and practice of safety. The goal is to promote safety at home, school, work and play.
4.4
a Year in review: fostering a Community that Cares
Setting New Standards we are constantly looking at new ways to improve service to the citizens of Calgary and pet owners. we are proud of our reputation as a leader in animal and bylaw services in north america and work hard to continually raise the bar.
2011 Highlights In november, the Cat-a-Rific Communal Cat Quarters was officially opened at our animal services Centre. the communal living space houses up to seven of our longest term cat residents and provides more room, sunlight and activities such as bird watching, tree climbing or simply lounging on a couch watching tv. the increased space and activities associated with the Communal Cat Quarters improves the quality of life for our long term residents and ultimately makes for happier, healthier, better socialized, less stressed and easier to adopt animals.
we also completed the new field turf in november 2011. three exercise areas were created and outfitted with astro-turf to allow for dog play sessions. volunteers and staff take adoptable dogs out into the play area and provide the necessary exercise, stimulation and socialization they require while they are waiting to find their forever homes. In august, animal & Bylaw services partnered with roads on a deceased cat and dog identification initiative. the remains of cats and dogs found on city streets are taken by roads’ workers to the animal services Centre. our animal health technicians attempt to notify owners through licence tags, tattoos and/or microchips on the animals. this program provides owners with some closure and the opportunity to make private arrangements for their beloved pets if they so desire. the City of Calgary does not put people’s pets into the landfills. the No Cost Spay/Neuter Program continued in 2011. this program helps remove one of the barriers to responsible pet ownership by providing free spaying and neutering of cats and dogs owned by low income Calgarians. In 2011, we processed 731 animals through this program.
the No Cost Spay/Neuter Program is funded entirely using revenues from cat licensing. tax dollars are not used to fund this program but all Calgarians benefit from the program as it reduces the number of unwanted cats and dogs in the community. the program also reduces the number of strays on the streets and the amount of resources required to deal with the increasing number of animals coming into our shelter and our partners’ shelters.
Being separated from a pet can be very traumatic for both pets and owners. animal Control officers who secure pets running at large will attempt to contact owners as soon as an animal is picked up. If successful, the animal will be driven home and immediately reunited with their owner rather than being transported to our shelter.
we are constantly looking for ways to improve service to Calgarians. In august, we launched the City of Calgary Pets Mobile App. the app provides up to date photos and listings of all the animals that come into our shelter facility as well as what to do if you have lost your pet. one of the goals of the app is to increase return to owner rates and adoption rates in general.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 17
In september, our cat shelter was nearing capacity. In conjunction with our partners the Meow foundation and the Calgary humane society, we ran our second annual Feline Frenzy. the goal was to find forever homes for the hundreds of homeless cats at shelters in the city. During the one week campaign, 41 of our 58 available cats were given a second chance and found their forever homes.
our Drive Home program is cost effective, reunites pets with owners faster and reduces our environmental footprint. almost 1,500 pets were returned home through the Drive home program in 2011.
4.5
a Year in review: Providing services that Calgarians value and rely Upon
we believe in focusing services on citizens’ needs. we listen to the community and pride ourselves in delivering services that are important to Calgarians. our goal is to develop and maintain programs, policies and initiatives that reflect community values.
and 886 cats. we have a 95 per cent live release rate for dogs and an 80 per cent live release rate for cats. 87 per cent of the dogs that come into our shelter and 49 per cent of cats were returned safely to their owners. another 8 per cent of dogs and 31 per cent of cats were adopted out to new homes and families.
2011 Highlights
Number of Dogs & Cats Licensed
the number of licensed dogs and cats continues to increase yearly. there were over 111,000 dogs and almost 51,000 cats licensed in 2011. revenue from our dog licensing program goes directly to covering the cost of the animal side of operations. our cat licensing program has grown each year with revenues going directly to fund the on-site spay/neuter clinic and support services for cats in the city.
120000
licensing allows pets to be returned to their owners faster and reduces euthanization rates. Calgary has one of the highest return to owner and lowest euthanization rates in north america. our shelter and administration staff were very busy in 2011. animal services officers rescued and provided safe keeping for 4,576 dogs
100000 80000 60000
Dogs
40000 Cats 20000 0
2008
2009
2010
2011
In keeping with our responsible Pet ownership philosophy, all adoptable dogs and cats are spay/neutered prior to being put up for adoption. the clinic performed 411 spay/neuters, 192 dentals and numerous other procedures on adoptable animals in 2011.
2011 Citizen Satisfaction Survey Citizen Importance Score 100 90 80
Prior to being put up for adoption, all dogs and cats are assessed by a member of our Behavioural assessment team. the assessment is part of a process to ensure a good fit between the animal and new family and ultimately increases the potential for success and decreases future problem behaviour.
Meeting Demands for Service Citizens continue to tell us we provide a valuable service to Calgarians. according to the 2011 City of Calgary Citizen
90 79
88 81
79
81
84
81
84
60 Animal Services
40
Bylaw Services
20
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 19
having the ability to treat medical issues and provide dental care prior to adoption removes the barriers to adopting the animals that come into our shelter and are not claimed by their owners. this translates into quicker adoption times and ultimately less stress for the animals.
satisfaction survey, 81 per cent of respondents said animal services provided a valuable service to Calgarians while 84 per cent said the same thing about Bylaw services.
Citizens also told us we are doing a good job at providing those services. 91 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the service Animal Services provided while 77 per cent held the same view of Bylaw Services.
The demands on Animal & Bylaw Services continue to increase. We responded to almost 87,000 calls for service in 2011. 82 per cent of Animal Services and 98 per cent of Bylaw Services calls were completed on time.
2011 Citizen Satisfaction Survey Citizen Satisfaction Score
Citizens’ Request for Service
100
100000
90 80
90 79
88 81
91
89 79
77
77
80000
60000
60 Animal Services
40
Bylaw Services
20
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Animal Services
40000
Bylaw Services
20000
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
The top five calls for service by type were:
Calls for Service by Type 2011
1. Waste and Sign concerns (discarded material, temporary signs, waste containment, etc) .
15000
14048
12000 10356 9511 9000 7387
3. Graffiti, Vandalism and Property Damage concerns.
3000
Waste
Graffiti
0 Property
5. Disturbance and Behavioural concerns (fire pits, littering, panhandling, etc).
5081
Disturbance
4. Trees, Vegetation, and Grass concerns (weeds, grass, obstruction or encroachment of trees, etc).
Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011 21
6000
Trees
2. Property and Maintenance concerns (snow & ice, slip and fall, structure maintenance).
4.6
a Year in review: Building and strengthening Partnerships to Meet Community needs
Working with Calgarians
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animal & Bylaw services believes in actively involving stakeholders in decisions affecting them. we work with citizens, other city business units, non-government organizations, and various other levels of government to achieve citizen driven goals. the result is a number of highly effective and successful collaborations.
12 Community safety Initiatives consist of 45 organizations committed to reducing criminal activity, increasing bylaw compliance and community involvement.
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Child and Youth empowerment strategy.
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Calgary humane society violence Prevention.
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Downtown outreach addiction Partnership.
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homefront society for the Prevention of violence – early Intervention & outreach Program.
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Boys & girls Club of Calgary.
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Calgary Drug treatment Court.
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federation of Calgary Communities – Building safe Communities.
2011 Highlights the Crime Prevention Investment Plan (CPIP) supports the development of new crime prevention initiatives and augments the capacity of existing programs in partnership with other agencies. CPIP received a return of almost four dollars for every dollar invested in crime prevention initiatives. funding was provided to the following projects in 2011:
In December, animal & Bylaw services partnered with Calgary transit and the Calgary Police service to form the Joint Graffiti Investigation Team (JGIT). JgIt is comprised of one full-time Bylaw officer, one full-time Calgary Police Constable and two members of Calgary transit Protective services. the team members are co-located and share resources and intelligence to improve investigations and hold offenders accountable for the damage they have done.
the I Heart My Pet rewards program has grown to include over 60 local merchants in 2011. Pet owners who licence their pets are eligible for rewards and discounts from these merchants. the rewards program is another incentive to encourage pet owners to licence their pets.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 23
significant progress was made on Calgary’s Community Addiction Strategy in 2011. animal & Bylaw services collaborated with various social agencies and mental health partners to effectively and efficiently address addiction issues within the community. funding was secured from the Council Innovation fund to hire a full time project manager and operationalize several community projects.
our Public education team and animal Control officers partnered with Parks to host two P.U.P.P.Y. (Pick up Pooches Poop Yourself) events this year. the purpose of P.U.P.P.Y. is to educate dog owners about their responsibilities under the responsible Pet ownership Bylaw and the health and safety impacts to humans, animals and the environment if they don’t pick up their dog’s waste.
4.7
a Year in review: fostering a Positive, Innovative and safe workplace
Our People our people are what make the City of Calgary animal & Bylaw services an industry leader in north america. a commitment to excellence and the dedication of our employees is part of what make us a model of best practices. our staff lunch-time dog walking and exercise program provides physical stimulation and socialization for adoptable dogs and a health and wellness opportunity for staff. In 2011, eight staff walked 310 dogs for a total of 256 hours. animal & Bylaw services’ employees are willing to go the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service and ensure the safety and well-being of the animals that come into our care. for example, many of our employees volunteer their own personal time to provide adoptable cats and dogs with the human contact they crave and require. It is not uncommon for staff members to foster special needs animals and take them home over night or on the weekends to ensure they get the medical care and additional attention they need to eventually be adopted.
renovations to our outdoor exercise area for dogs were completed in 2011. staff are able to play with adoptable dogs in a safe environment on their lunch breaks. these play-times are critical to ensuring the dogs that come into our care are healthy and properly socialized prior to adoption. and they provide a positive fun experience for our employees too.
Our Workforce animal & Bylaw services employees bring a wealth of experience and variety of skills to their job. we have a total of 137.6 equivalent full-time positions of which 99 positions are uniformed officers and 38.6 are civilian positions. 85 per cent of our positions are permanent or considered “core� staff, with the remaining 15 per cent being temporary or on-call. these percentages are in-line with Corporate figures as a whole. animal & Bylaw services has a gender balanced distribution of employees. Just over half (52 per cent) of our staff are females and 48 per cent are males.
animal and Bylaw services staff are slightly younger and have fewer years of service with the City compared to Community services and Protective services and the Corporation as a whole.
Core Staff by Age & Years of Service Yr. of Service
ABS
39.8
9.5
CS&PS
41.3
12.8
Corporation
44.6
12.5
*source: January 1, 2012 employee health and wellness is a priority at animal & Bylaw services. we encourage active healthy lifestyles through our bike and beat patrols. and we encourage and support our employees to take part in both Corporate and non-Corporate fitness opportunities such as lunch hour programs and courses and team activities.
animal & Bylaw services is committed to providing the best training we can and continuous learning opportunities to our employees. to this end, we undertook a number of training and learning initiatives including a complete evaluation and re-design of our internal training program. the result was a move to an adult learning training model that ensures our employees are better able to meet the needs and provide the best service possible to the citizens of Calgary. In 2011, we trained and re-certified our employees in subjects such as emergency vehicle operations, first aid, working in traffic, and animal Control tactics, to name but a few. we also provided 32 of our employees with a 12-month experiential leadership course. this leadership course is part of the succession planning for animal & Bylaw services and was designed to be exported to other City of Calgary business units in the future. as industry leaders, we are also looked to by other agencies to provide best practices training. In 2011, animal & Bylaw services personnel hosted and trained delegates from saskatoon and red
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 25
Age
Continuous Learning
Deer on our homeless encampment model and strategies and provided Peace Officer training for neighbouring municipalities.
Employee Satisfaction The annual Corporate Employee Survey provides a measure of how each business unit in the Corporation is doing in terms of providing a healthy, productive, safe and engaging workplace. The results are but one tool that provides management with information on how employees feel, what successes we had and any areas or opportunities for improvement. The employee satisfaction index combines eight separate survey indicators to provide an overall measure of satisfaction which can be tracked over time. There was little change in the 2011 Animal & Bylaw Services employees’ score from 2010. Management is committed to finding ways to increase our employees’ satisfaction scores and bring them closer in line with both Community Services and Protective Services and Corporate scores.
Employee Satisfaction Index 2010
2011
ABS
99.2
97.1
CS&PS
102.6
111.8
Corporation
118.4
119.5
Employee Appreciation STARS is the Corporate recognition program that rewards employees for outstanding effort and service. Many of our employees have been acknowledged through both individual and team STARS awards. The CCTV Pilot Project which was lead by Animal & Bylaw Services, received the Corporate Star of Excellence for Collaboration in 2011. In addition, we have an Animal & Bylaw Services staff appreciation program that recognizes and rewards employees for exceptional work.
5
2011 financial Information summary
animal & Bylaw services is committed to ensuring tax payer money is used efficiently and effectively to promote a safe and orderly city. to this end, we began a business process review in 2011. the goal of the review is to look at the internal and external services we provide as a business unit and enhance our effectiveness and financial sustainability. the review with recommendations will be completed in 2012. our 2011 Council approved operating budget was $11.6 million.
animal services operations are funded entirely from animal licensing revenues, primarily licensing. Bylaw operations are funded using tax dollars.
ABS 2007 - 2011 Budget ($Millions) 12
10.9
2010
2011
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 27
11.6
9.8
10 8
11.6
7
6 4 2 0 2007
2008
2009
57 cents of every tax dollar collected by The City goes towards municipal programs. The remaining proportion is collected on behalf of the Province. Of the 57 cents collected by The City, 13 cents goes
ABS Actual Revenue 2007 - 2011 ($ Millions)
toward Community Services and Protective Services programs. Of this, Animal & Bylaw Services receives 0.4 cents (less than 1 cent) of every tax dollar collected.
Proportion of Tax Dollar by Business Unit Provincial Government 43
12 5.0
10
5.1
5.4
CNS 0.1
4.4 8
Municipal Services & Programs 57
4.0
Parks 2.8
6
Recreation 1.5
4
ABS 0.4 Fire 6.5
2
PSC 0.7
0 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
*Based on the combined current municipal and provincial property tax rates as independently determined by each level of government.
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looking ahead
2012 will be a year of great opportunities and significant change at animal & Bylaw services. first and foremost, we will continue to listen to and work with Calgarians to ensure we are meeting their needs and expectations and maintaining our reputation as the standard bearer for animal and bylaw services in north america. some of the issues that are important to Calgarians will be addressed in the following projects in 2012.
animal & Bylaw services will take the lead on the Incivilities Project. this multi-agency initiative is designed to work with communities to develop long term holistic strategies to promote pride and safer neighbourhoods, and to reduce negative perceptions of crime and reduce resources required to respond to ongoing concerns.
we will continue to lead the Corporate Coordinated graffiti abatement Program and look to expand its scope to other business units and partners. and we will continue to work with our partners at Parks, recreation, Calgary transit and the Calgary Police service on the education and enforcement components of the program. animal & Bylaw services will work with the Calgary foundation to establish the City of Calgary Responsible Pet Ownership Fund. Donations received by animal & Bylaw services will be returned to responsible pet ownership groups and agencies through grants from the fund.
animal & Bylaw services annual report 2011 29
2012 Initiatives
animal & Bylaw services will move forward with the Business Process Review that began in 2011. the goal is to implement the recommendations to improve overall efficiency and business processes.
We will continue to provide training to our people to ensure they have the skills and competencies they require to offer Calgarians the outstanding service they expect and deserve. We will also continue to fund community-based and lead projects that address public safety and social disorder issues through the Crime Prevention Investment Plan and Community Standards Fund.
Animal & Bylaw Services is committed to raising the bar and constantly looking for ways to improve efficiencies and service. We will continue to work with the community to address the issues Calgarians tell us are a priority.
Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011 31
Animal & Bylaw Services Annual Report 2011
2012-0230