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RESOLUTION CREATING THE �SAVE CHARLIE ACT�; ESTABLISHING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTER POLICY, WHICH REQUIRES THAT: (1) THE COUNTY PROTECT AND CARE FOR ALL ANIMALS IMPOUNDED AT COUNTY-OPERATED SHELTERS DURING THE PERIOD OF THEIR IMPOUNDMENT; AND (2) AN ANIMAL IMPOUNDED AT A COUNTY-OPERATED SHELTER MAY BE EUTHANIZED ONLY IF THE ANIMAL HAS PROVEN TO BE DANGEROUS WITH A POOR TO GRAVE PROGNOSIS FOR REHABILITATION OR IRREMEDIABLY SUFFERS WITH A POOR TO GRAVE PROGNOSIS FOR BEING ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT UNNECESSARY PHYSICAL PAIN OR SUFFERING, EVEN WITH PROMPT, NECESSARY, AND COMPREHENSIVE CARE

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WHEREAS, through the County�s Animal Services Department, the County operates an animal shelter where the County impounds dogs and cats that have been abandoned, voluntarily surrendered, found astray, or otherwise taken into County custody; and
WHEREAS, on July 3, 2012, this Board adopted Resolution No. R-583-12, directing the County Mayor or designee to develop and implement a financially feasible, actionable No Kill Implementation Plan, with measurable goals and due dates, to achieve a 90 percent save rate at the County�s animal shelter; and
WHEREAS, the County Mayor subsequently developed an Animal Services Department Strategic Plan, a multifaceted plan with the �ultimate goal� of �[r]eaching and sustaining the �No Kill� 90 percent save rate or higher�; and
WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan identified numerous varied practices to achieve the plan�s goal, such as conducting adoption events, providing adoption counseling, recruiting volunteers, neutering free-roaming cats, operating low-cost or no-cost sterilization clinics, and creating programs for surrender prevention and pet retention; and
WHEREAS, this Board accepted the Animal Services Department Strategic Plan in Resolution No. R-476-13, which was adopted on June 18, 2013; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Services Department first achieved the goal of the Strategic Plan in 2015, when the Department saved greater than 90 percent of animals entering the shelter; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Services Department continues to employ various practices to continue to strive to achieve the goal of the Strategic Plan, including but not limited to partnering with animal-rescue organizations, promoting adoptions, and providing high-quality veterinary care to animals in the shelter; and
WHEREAS, while the Animal Services Department has made great strides in meeting the Strategic Plan�s goal of obtaining a 90 percent save rate, the County should endeavor to protect all animals in its shelter without regard to whether a certain save rate has been obtained; and
WHEREAS, dogs and cats are sociable living beings with complex emotions and therefore deserve compassion, protection, and care from the community in which they live; and
WHEREAS, treating animals with compassion promotes animal welfare but also has the benefit of teaching people how to be more compassionate in their own lives; and
WHEREAS, given that seven years have passed since the Strategic Plan was established, the time has come for this Board to establish a more rigorous County policy requiring that the County protect and care for all animals impounded at County-operated shelters during the period of their impoundment; and
WHEREAS, this Board recognizes that some animals must be euthanized because they have proven to be dangerous [[to public safety]]1 >>with a poor to grave prognosis for rehabilitation<< or [[suffer from medical conditions that cause severe long-term pain and suffering]] >>irremediably suffer with a poor to grave prognosis for being able to live without unnecessary physical pain or suffering, even with prompt, necessary, and comprehensive veterinary care<<, and therefore this Board also wishes to establish a County policy that an animal impounded at a County-operated shelter may be euthanized only for one of those reasons; and
WHEREAS, for the health, safety, and welfare of the animals and people of Miami-Dade County, this Board wishes to create the �Save Charlie Act� and establish the foregoing policies as the official Miami-Dade County No Kill Animal Shelter Policy,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are incorporated into this resolution and are approved.
Section 2. This resolution shall be known as the �Save Charlie Act.�
Section 3. This Board establishes the Miami-Dade County No Kill Animal Shelter Policy, which requires that: (1) the County protect and care for all animals impounded at County-operated shelters during the period of their impoundment; and (2) an animal impounded at a County-operated shelter may be euthanized only if the animal has proven to be dangerous [[to public safety]] >>with a poor to grave prognosis for rehabilitation<< or [[suffers from a medical
condition that causes severe long-term pain and suffering.]] >>irremediably suffers with a poor to grave prognosis for being able to live without unnecessary physical pain or suffering, even with prompt, necessary, and comprehensive veterinary care.
Section 4. This Board directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to commence full implementation of the No Kill Animal Shelter Policy in the Fiscal Year 2021�22. This Board further directs the County Mayor to include funding for full implementation of the No Kill Animal Shelter Policy in the proposed Fiscal Year 2021�22 County budget.<<
1 The differences between the substitute and the original item are indicated as follows: Words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] shall be deleted, words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< are added.