Item 13 - OC Grand Jury's Investigative Report, Findings, and Recommendations Regarding Group Homes and the Orange County Animal Care Shelter

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Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice indicate when or if a policy or procedure has been contemporarily reviewed and determined to be relevant, accurate, and applicable. Some policies and procedures in the manual were written as long ago as the late 1970s with revisions in the mid-2000s. There is no indication that any particular policy or procedure has been reviewed as current and appropriate, or by whom, or when. Operating a shelter without up-to-date, reliable policies, procedures, and guidelines make formal training difficult, if not impossible, and results in inconsistent operating protocols and practices. More importantly, when new staff are hired, training becomes "on the job training" and subject to inconsistency. With the high level of turnover at the shelter, it is all the more important to ensure policies and procedures are up to date. COVID-19 The impacts of COVID-19 on shelter operations should not go unacknowledged. Shelter operations were severely strained as state and county COVID-19 restrictions were put into place. The shelter was effectively closed to the public. Emergency protocols and practices were put into place to ensure the safety of the public and OCAC staff. Leadership had to manage a 24-hour shelter, with many members of the staff required to work on site. Work shifts and resources had to be juggled to ensure staffing was sufficient and personnel were kept safe. Within the limits of the shelter's staffing allocation, management created a Team A/Team B system that isolated one half of the staff from the other half of the staff. Staff came into work only during those days and hours their assigned team was scheduled. Extraordinary sanitation protocols were put into place. Nevertheless, when COVID-19 illnesses did occur, management and staff rose to the occasion, working flexibly and cooperatively to prioritize the care of the animals. Both shelter leadership and staff are to be commended for managing shelter operations through a difficult time. Unfortunately, the volunteer program was suspended during COVID-19 restrictions and engagement with rescues was significantly impacted. The volunteer program was slow to be restarted. Shelter management could and should have anticipated the end of COVID- 19 restrictions and worked toward reinstating the shelter's volunteer program much earlier than late 2022. ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 1 2023 PAGE 17 OF 51