The Nevada Humane Society (NHS) and Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS), partners in northern Nevada working to improve animal welfare in the region, are hosting a Town Hall event on February 28 beginning at 6 p.m. at the NHS facility. The NHS is an independent nonprofit and is entered into a professional services agreement with the County of Washoe Regional Animal Services, a regional operation focusing on animal welfare and public health through sheltering, field services and regulation enforcement. This professional service agreement stipulates that NHS serves as the official public surrender agency for Washoe County. The Town Hall will begin with brief remarks from NHS and WCRAS leadership who will discuss a brief history of the partnership and provide an update on how operations are moving forward presently.
“We are unified in our commitment to improving animal outcomes in northern Nevada and are looking forward to connecting with the community,” said Jerleen Bryant, CEO of Nevada Humane Society. “We’re excited to highlight some of the changes we’ve made in an effort to integrate the highest standards of care into our organization, but we also recognize we must communicate how these daily operations function for both NHS and WCRAS, and better illustrate how our organizations work with each other.”
While the two organizations are separate, both prioritize animal welfare outcomes in the region. Animals taken in at WCRAS are evaluated and held for five days to provide their owner time to reclaim. After five days, if not reclaimed, they are made available to NHS and other rescue partners to transfer into their adoption programs in hopes of finding a new home. In information shared to the Washoe County Regional Animal Services Advisory Board on January 26, both entities indicated they noticed patterns around rising animal surrenders in northern Nevada after the pandemic.
“This town hall is an important step in clarifying processes and procedures so that the public has a greater level of understanding around how our agency serves the county,” said Shyanne Schull, director of Washoe County Regional Animal Services. “This is an important step in the deepening of our working relationship with NHS, but also in reminding the community of the respective stipulations and parameters that each of our organizations must adhere to.”
The Town Hall will take place in the Education Room shared by both organizations at their shared facility at 2825 Longley Lane, Suite B. Individuals are invited to attend to listen and engage in a question and answer period at the close of opening remarks. To RSVP, click here.
To learn more about NHS, visit www.nevadahumanesociety.org. For media inquiries, contact Rachel Gattuso, APR at rachel@gattusocoalition.com or (775) 336-9453.
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About the Nevada Humane Society:
The Nevada Humane Society (NHS) is a non-profit, charitable, animal shelter whose work is made possible by donations. The organization’s mission is to care for pets, find them homes and save lives. Their vision is that all pets should have a healthy, happy life. Their guiding principles are to promote humane treatment, relieve suffering, operate no-kill shelters, and educate and engage the community. To learn more, visit www.nevadahumanesociety.org.
About Washoe County Regional Animal Services:
Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS) focuses on animal welfare and public health, through sheltering, field services, regulation enforcement, and proactive outreach programs that support responsible pet guardianship and pet retention. We are the only lost and found pet shelter in Washoe County and an average of 13,000 animals come into our care each year. WCRAS dispatch and field services are provided to the community 365 days per year from 8:00 am -10:00 pm. Dog licensing, free microchipping, permitting, and other services are available 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday and 9:00 am-3:00 pm Saturday.