Budget Question # 79 (CM Spelman)

2009-2010 PROPOSED BUDGET
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
DEPARTMENT: Health & Human Services
REQUEST NO.: 79
REQUESTED BY: Spelman
DATE REQUESTED: 7/30/09
REQUEST:
• What is the maximum number of spays or neuters that the TLAC vets (not the MASH unit) can do in a day?
• What is the average number of spays/neuters that the TLAC vet does in a day?
• Is it possible to increase the number of in-house spaying/neutering that the City does, potentially to the level of doing all RTOs/adoptees/rescue transfers? If so, what would that cost?
RESPONSE:
1) The maximum number of surgeries that can be scheduled per day is 20 animals. Limitations include cage space for recovery, only one surgery table, and one prep area. The prep area is used for treatments, emergencies, and medical work-ups after the surgery schedule has been completed.
2) The average number of surgeries per day for FY 2008 was 17.
3) In-house sterilizations could be increased by providing staffing for surgeries to be performed on Saturdays and Sundays, fully utilizing the surgery suite capacity. This would provide approximately 2,000 additional surgery slots and would increase total capacity from 3,600 to about 5,600 surgeries. The costs for this enhancement would be:
2 part-time vet tech leads @ 20 hours each - $33,700
16 hours of vet time - $26,890
Total Cost - $60,590
To sterilize all live outcome types, we would need capacity for approximately 11,000 surgeries. We could achieve this by implementing the above option and contracting for the remainder of the surgeries. The estimated cost for these additional surgeries would be $270,000 (5,400 surgeries@ average of $50 per surgery.) Total cost of these two options would be $330,590.