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Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice <br />Facilitating Adoption <br />During COVID-19, most animal shelters, including OCAC, closed or restricted their <br />shelters to public access, including stopping all public walk-in visits. <br />Prior to COVID-19, the adoption process at the shelter was relatively open. The public <br />was at liberty to visit the shelter at their convenience without an appointment. The cat <br />and dog kennels were mostly open to public viewing where a potential adopter could <br />experience first-hand the size, look, and manner of a potential adoptee. Volunteers and <br />staff were available to facilitate an intimate meeting where humans and animals could <br />interact and bond. The experience was unconstrained, spontaneous, instinctive, and <br />natural. <br />OCAC previously had an animal behaviorist who worked with stressed animals to <br />facilitate their adoptability. OCAC eliminated the animal behaviorist position. Other <br />-- - animal shelters in Orange County have animal behaviorists working with their animals to <br />facilitate adoptability. <br />During COVID-19, public adoptions were carried out by appointment only and computer <br />facilitated. The public was required to schedule an appointment to visit the shelter. Up to <br />three animals could -be selected on the shelter's website from photographs and <br />biographical information about the animals. A one-on-one meet -up with the animal(s) <br />__. followed. People without computer access could use the shelter's computer kiosk to <br />select an -animal, but by appointment only. If a suitable animal was not found among the <br />animals selected via computer, kennel staff might make recommendations to the <br />potential adopter. <br />Currently, the adoption process is less restrictive than during COVID-19 but remains <br />more restrictive than pre-COVI D-1 9. The current appointment system is restrictive and <br />ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 12023 PAGE 18 OF 51 <br />