Extra Post 5: Licensing Season: Glendora Animal Control

In the early stages of June to late August is the time period for licensing in Glendora Animal Control. Licensing is one of the key factors for the Glendora Animal Control to generate income for all the animals its holds. Depending on if you do is spay/neutered or not, the prices can vary from 50 dollars to 150 dollars. The point of licensing is in case your dog get out and animal control picks it up, the dog is in the system to be returned. If the dog is not licensed, it causes more fees on the owners part and the risk of their dog getting euthanized since there is no information on the dogs owner.

Glendora Animal Control and many other facilities solely rely on donations and fees they bring in for food ans shelter for the animals they bring in. Without these incomes, animal control officers would be out of luck. The money they're able to spend every year is decreasing more and more so it is very important to donate and license you dog during this time ever year!

Extra Post 4: Glendora Police Station Event

Once every 3 months a Animal Control training facility comes to the Glendora Police Department to help train police officers, cadets and other police department members on training police dogs and the job of an animal control officer.

 The picture above is the truck that is currently parked outside of the police station, where they hold classes and train. 

Extra Post 3: Animal Control Experience

On May 21st, after 9 months of experience, my animal control instincts set in and I rescued the most difficult dog of my life. 

My mom and I were in Covina driving the gas station on Arrow Highway, as soon as we turned in I spotted a dog running down the sidewalk. Of course I jumped out of the car after it, but it immediatlyey ran away from me, onto Glendora Ave, nearly getting hit by a car. She decides to start running down Arrow Highway towards Grand, and so did I.

As I begin running I was having trouble catching up because of my shoes, so I decide to run barefoot, down Arrow for almost a mile ending up at the Covina Thrift Store. She then runs to the back parking lot, scared to death and jumps a 5ft brick wall into someones back yard. 

After working with the home owners, my mom and I get the dog on a leash, but she would not come out from under the table, so we finally get a phone number and I call the owner  Within 5 minutes they show up to rescue their frightened dog after we had been chasing her for over an hour. 

Because of my adventure running barefoot, my feet were bleeding and still have tons of blisters all over, but it was worth it rescuing a dogs life and save a pet owner from heartache. My experience with animal control has not just taught me how to rescue an animal but has led me to develop a passion to help save any animals life. 

Extra Post 2: Glendora Animal Control Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic

Every few months Glendora Animal Control host a low cost Spay/Neutering clinic for all Glendora residents and other surrounding areas. To sign up for the procedure you can contact the Glendora Police Department at (626)-914-8250 or Glendora Animal Control at (626)914-8275. For more information please contact Jolean Miller or Vanessa Alvarez at the Glendora Animal Control phone number.

Part of the proceeds go towards funding for Glendora Animal Control!



The truck above is an example of where the spay/neuterings are held.

BLOG 25: Mentorship

Literal: 

Logged Hours- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvUf7yrwuYvwdHNxcU83Zko3OFJodzh4bU50VXlnM3c#gid=0

Contact Name & Number- Jolean Miller (626)914-8275

Interpretive:

The most important thing I gained from my mentorship experience was learning how to work with people better. Working at the Glendora Police Department, it has a very professional feel, you need to know how to respect each other, work with costumers correctly and get work done quick. To do all of this, I needed to learn from people already working in the station, whether it was from former police officers, cadets or the two animal control officers, it was always a group effort to perform as best as I could. So overall, learning how to better my skills when it came to working with others was a large part of my mentorship experience. 

Applied:

My mentorship experience has helped me answer my essential question primarily because of my mentor Jolean, all my interviews and having hands on experience in the field. I was able to develop most of my answers because of my mentorship, whether it was seeing how low adoptions were in the facility or how huge of an issue spay/neutering is in our communities. My interviews with both Jolean Miller and Vanessa Alvarez, animal control officers helped me answer questions I was having trouble with and they gave me tons of ideas to better my answers/back them up with research. After looking at all three of my answers, I came to the discision that my best answer would have to increasing adoptions. I chose this answer mostly because of what I saw in my volunteering. There were maybe 2 adoptions a month in their facility, with over 50 animals coming in a month. Most of those animals are taken to a kill shelter and euthanized within 3 days. My mentorship has had a huge impact on my senior project, especially when it came to discovering my three answers, developing my EQ and finding my best answer. 

Extra Post 1: Mentorship Event: Glendora Police Department Open House

This Saturday the Glendora Police Department will be hosting a Open House event with tours, games, food and other activities for kids. This tour will include a tour of the animal control department in the facility including meeting some of the animals held in the back. 

Here is the information:

Glendora Police Department open House

Date: 5/18/2013 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM

Cost:Free!

Location: Glendora Police Department
150 S. Glendora Ave
Glendora, California 91741

Add to my Outlook Calendar

Glendora Police Department Open House

Saturday, May  18^th from 10-2 pm. 

Police displays and department tours, SWAT equipment, K-9 demos, free hot dogs, music and more!

For more information contact Nita Ulloa at 626-914-8268

This is a picture from the last Open House event, Cadet Christina Verduzcu is pictured helping some kids pet the police dog, Robbie, a Belgium Shepard. 

Exit Interview Questions

BLOG 24

What is your essential question? What is the best answer to your question and why?

My essential question is, ‘What is the best way to reduce the overpopulation of animals in animal control?’ The best answer to my essential question is to increase adoption rates in animal control facilities throughout the United States. Only 20 percent of pets are adopted in the U.S. and over 4 million animals are euthanized every year in shelters. The adoption rate is at an all time low and there is nothing being done to help lower the intake from animal shelters. My other two answers are to illegalize and shut down puppy mills and lobby for spay/neutering legislation. Even though puppy mills are completely shut down and not all counties have mandatory spay/neutering, there still already are in the process of helping reduce overpopulation. There is no solution to get people to choose adopting over buying from a pet store or breeder. Although, if we work with animal organization and shelters more to reduce adoption costs, spread the word about the benefits of adoption and why not to buy from pet stores, adoption rates could possibly skyrocket.

What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

            At my mentorship, they primarily focus on spay/neutering, picking up animals and licensing dogs in the city of Glendora. After a certain amount of days what animals are left in the holding areas, are sent to the Inland Valley Humane Society, which is a kill shelter. Technically they do not adopt out animals from Glendora Animal Control, but they still can send the dogs to specific bred rescues or no kill shelters. Although I have nothing against my mentor o others in the animal control department, there isn’t much effort that they take to make sure the animals are adopted or not euthanized. If more shelters or people took the time to take strays to rescues like the german shepard rescue of OC or the lab rescue of LA, specific bred rescues, they do not kill animals and all animals end up getting adopted. If the word was spread out more about adopting, they would increase, just little things make a huge difference and I noticed that in my mentorship. I helped rescue/adopt at least 2 animals in shelter alone while I was there. Pet owners not adopted is becoming more common nowadays, so by increasing adoption rates it would reduce overpopulation.

What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

            One of the biggest problems I face was working with others during my mentorship. Of course my mentor Jolean was welcoming and helping me get used to things but it was extremely intimidating to work in the Police Department. Many of the cadets would get annoyed when trying to help me, not work with me because I was the “newbie”, and didn’t really think I could work well in the office. I resolved this issue by just showing them that I can work well and get the work done. I challenged myself to get as many dog licenses done every day I was there and work with costumers well. After Jolean and Vanessa, the other officer noticed my hard work, so did everyone else. It was a challenged but in the end, the respect I deserved was given to me.

What are the two most significant sources that you used to answer your essential question and why?

My first most significant source is my mentor Jolean Miller. She has been a animal control officer for over 7 years now at the Glendora Police Department. Jolean has tons of experience with everything that has to do with animal control. Jolean has gone through investigations with puppy mills and hoarding, having clinics for spay/neutering and adopted out many cats and dogs from the facility. She knows all aspects of animal control and because of that I’ve gotten a lot of hands on experience from working with her.

            My other most significant source is an article from the ASPCA animal organization called Pet Statistics. The article is give statistics on adoption rates, euthanizations, strays, spay/neutering, and pet owners. The statistics are primarily from the ASCPA, but if not and are found from other sources, the statistics are cited and legitimate. This article broadens on all aspects of animal control, my essential question exactly and my three answers by backing up all my statements.

What is your product and why?

The product of my senior project has to be working with people better. When I was volunteering at my mentorship, it was more of like a job. You were expected to get this done, work with others and understand things fast. At first the intimidation was hard, there were many strong personalities I had to work with, and go on calls with. Many of the cadets are in their early twenties so it was a hard age group to work with. I had to learn how to be respectful to the officers with higher rankings, work with costumers and follow the steps when working with them. There were many steps to learn in animal control when it came to working in the computer system and working with the animals in the back, and of course this meant working with others. I’ve learned how to work better with others in a professional setting, when learning new things and how to work with costumers.