Pit Bull Committee Meeting Agenda for 8/31/2010

Pit Bull Task Force/Committee
Agenda for 8/31/10 meeting; TLAC, 6 – 7:30 pm
1. Sign-In/Welcome/Introductions around the room (5 mins)
2. Clarification of committee mission and goals (10 mins)
3. Overview of Committee Structure and Expectations (10 mins)
4. Review key issues that emerged from last meeting (See below) and identify top three priorities (20 mins)
5. Brainstorm ideas and outline strategy to address top three priorities (20 mins)
6. Formulate next steps and set regular meeting time/day (20 mins)
7. Adjourn

Key Issues that Emerged from Last Meeting
Strengths
Love-A-Bull as a free resource 13 votes
-Trainings 1 vote
-Community get togethers 3 votes
Trail dog program 6 votes
Love-A-Bull’s program objectives meeting goals 5 votes
Education efforts; Love-A-Bull 4 votes
Raising awareness with groups 4 votes
- Education programs
- Marketing
- Business plan for dog (pit bull)
Facebook groups- cross postings 2 votes
Billboards, posters, Facebook (Shelter Pet Project) 1 vote
Shelter adopts out pit bull types rather than not 1 vote
Love-A-Bull / Shelter relationship 1 vote
- Fosters
- Strategic
- Working relationship with other groups, nationally and locally
Grassroots education 1 vote
Representation from all groups especially after implementation plan
Respected/renamed nationwide
Community groups, schools, gang prevention units, rescues
Problem of breed identification (How to use terms to let public know pit bull is good)
-Adoption (housing) banning dangerous dogs

Opportunity
Hire behaviorist who knows about pit bulls 22 votes
Positive news stories 19 votes
Post-adoption training 11 votes
Free spay neuter 8 votes
Incentives for rescues to take pit bulls 7 votes
Evaluation public on breeds 6 votes
- At schools
PSA’s, general education 5 votes
Neighborhood association outreach 5 votes
Utilize spay/neuter funding identified in implementation plan for Emancipate designated for pit bull use 5 votes
Spay/Neuter Incentives 5 votes
Hold Love-A-Bull event @ TLAC 5 votes
Outreach to high risk neighborhoods 4 votes
Donation fund 3 votes
Outreach to all neighborhoods 3 votes
Outreach to businesses 2 votes
More funding 2 votes
Enhance computer to identify mix breeds 2 votes
Fund-raiser event (picnic?) to show dogs in different light 2 votes
Talk to neighborhood groups (turnout is low, though) 1 vote
Enhanced opportunities for non pit bull rescues to rescue pit bulls 1 vote
Get other areas of the City involved 1 vote
Speak/ do activities at churches 1 vote
- Churches with youth groups (kids could train with volunteers dogs)
Partner with other organizations for outreach
Crime Meetings
Training fliers from Love-A-Bull
Educate shelter workers/volunteers
Use meet up groups to do outreach areas

Weakness
No pit bull rescue group 14 votes
Advertising – Not enough 11 votes
Restrictiveness of apartment complexes 7 votes
-Insurance companies
Breed misidentification 5 votes
Lack of city support to adopt pit bull’s 5 votes
Expand outreach to East Austin/Other “well off” parts of City of Austin 4 votes
Education
Bad publicity 4 votes
Tendency of over-identification 3 votes
Lack of knowledge on the issues 3 votes
Redevelopment Project 2 votes
Mission Statement 1 vote
Efforts specifically general towards pit bulls
- Spay/ Neuter 1 vote
Education and outreach to children 1 vote
Identification issues 1 vote
Pet of the Week
- No images
- No pit-bulls 1 vote
Only one advocacy group – Love-A-Bull
Information focuses on negatives of pit bulls
Low manpower to set up training/outreach (volunteers)
Perception problem with pit bulls
Lack of dialogue between neighborhood groups (including but not limited to Neighborhood groups, associations, Property Managers, Owners, Landowners, Mueller

Challenges
Better utilization of volunteers 13 votes
- Utilize for maximum benefit to shelter
- Saves money
- Lack of coordination, education, training
Educating public 8 votes
Money 6 votes
Media (bad) 6 votes
Housing 6 votes
Media-Bias 5 votes
Difficulty in having a focused message 4 votes
Reputation/ Long held beliefs 4 votes
Housing/ Apartment Issues 4 votes
More off-site adoption events 3 votes
Locating pit-friendly insurance 2 votes
More Spay/Neuter 2 votes
Not enough people 2 votes
Misidentification 2 votes
Prejudice 1 vote
Misinformation 1 vote
More support needed from decision makers in community 1 vote
Image 1 vote
Need more volunteers 1 vote
Exposure 1 vote
Momentum (maintaining it)
Better protection for puppies
No kill equation needs No. 11
Clarify breed ban/ no kill
Continued challenge to overcome public perception
- Catalyst for change
Failure of city staff to understand and promote foster-to-adopt program
History of breed/dog fighting

Groups represented at the Pit Bull Task Force include:

Love-A-Bull
TLAC Volunteers
Confident Canines
Austin Pets Alive- Healthy Dogs, Healthy People
Training by TARA
Branding
APA/ APA Volunteers
Animal Issues Forum
LAB
Vision Hills Sanctuary
Animal Trustees