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Despite the Grand Jury's finding that there were 21 ACAs providing direct care to the animals at the time of their report in 2023, and despite the shelter's Strategic Plan consultants saying there should be 26 per day (which with two shift patterns actually means 52 total), the number has only gone DOWN since the Grand Jury Report was issued. Here's a little history (data drawn from Public Records Act requests): 2017-18: 2018-19: 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 29 Kennel 23 Kennel 19 Kennel 15 Kennel 13 Kennel 20 Kennel Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants 3 Sr. Kennel 5 Sr. Kennel 6 Sr. Kennel 4 Sr. Kennel 4 Sr. Kennel 4 Sr. Kennel Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants Attendants Total: 32 Total: 28 Total: 25 Tota L 19 Tota L 17 Tota L 24 pandemic year pandemic year How many ACAs does the shelter employ at present? Approximately 13! Yes, 13. How many animals are they caring for? Hundreds of dogs, cats, kittens, and other animals (rabbits, roosters, and occasionally reptiles, birds, etc.). Early 2024: there were approximately 16 to 19 ACAs Presently: approximately 13 6 new staff are promised to be coming on board (2 permanent, 4 extra help) That will bring us to approximately 19 Look at the numbers. We're gone from 32 in 2017 --- to 21 cited by the Grand Jury --- to not even 19 today (the new people still haven't come on board, despite the County postingthis job MONTHS ago). And don't forget, the Strategic Plan consultants call for 26 PER DAY. With two shift pattens (ACAs work Sunday through Wednesday, and another cohort works Wednesday through Saturday), that means the shelter needs to employ a minimum of 52 ACAs to complywith the guidelines set forth by the nationally respected experts in animal sheltering they employed to draft their Strategic Plan. 19 ACAs vs. 52 ACAs Despite us saying there will be 19 ACAs once the new staff on board, please know there are days there are just a handful of ACAs at the shelter. In fact, there were a few days within the last two months where only THREE Animal Care Attendants were working caring for HUNDREDS of dogs. Monica should be ashamed of her continuing failure to staff this position and also for lying about staffing levels at the shelter. Her failures negatively affect the ability to provide basic care for the dogs, handle adoption visits, and the myriad other duties performed by the ACAs.