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>> WELCOME TO "NORFOLK PERSPECTIVES."
WE'RE BACK AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT DOGS AND
CATS, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE ANIMAL CARE CENTER AND
THE REVITALIZATION WITH BARBARA HAYS.
HOW IT'S GOING. >> GREAT.
I'M BUSY OVER HERE. >> I KNOW.
WHILE WE WERE READY FOR THE TAPING, I GOT TALKING ABOUT DOGS
VERSUS CATS AND WE'RE NOT TAKING THAT CONVERSATION PUBLIC, BUT
THESE GUYS OF SOME OF YOUR FRESH LITTER, RIGHT?
>> WE HAVE PLENTY OF THEM. IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE
START TO SEE THE ANIMALS COMING IN IN GREATER NUMBERS THAN ANY
OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR. LAST YEAR IN JUNE, WE RECEIVED
700 ANIMALS IN 30 DAYS. THAT'S A LOT.
>> WHOA! >> YES.
>> OKAY, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PUBLIC
CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN OCCURRING ABOUT ANIMALS IN
NORFOLK AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND JAKE, HOW IS IT GOING? >> I'M GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?
>> YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THESE GUYS.
>> KITTENS, YES. I CAN CONTROL A KITTEN.
>> CAN YOU? SO YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES TO
PROVE TO US THAT YOU CAN CONTROL THESE KITTENS.
>> ALL RIGHT. >> BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME PICTURES WITH YOU AND A PAINT
BRUSH. WHAT IS YOU AND A PAIN BRUSH GOT
TO DO WITH THE LEVEL OF ANIMALS THAT ARE IN THE ANIMAL CARE
CENTER IN. >> WELL, WE RECENTLY -- OR WE'RE
ALMOST FINISHED WITH OUR NEW COLOR SCHEME.
>> IT IS AWESOME. >> ON THE SHELTER EXTERIOR AND
THE INTERIOR. >> AND WHY?
>> THE HOPE IS TO BRIGHTEN PLACE UP, TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STOP
BY, MAKE IT LOOK NOT SO INDUSTRIAL, NOT LIKE A
WAREHOUSE. A LOT OF PEOPLE OFTENTIMES DON'T
EVEN KNOW THAT WE ARE LOCATED THERE UNTIL THEY'RE INSIDE.
>> AND "THERE" IS WHERE? >> ON SABRE ROAD.
IT'S 5585 SABRE ROAD. A BLOCK FROM MILITARY HIGHWAY.
>> YEAH, NOT FAR FROM MILITARY HIGHWAY OR VIRGINIA BEACH
BOULEVARD. >> AND YOU MIGHT SEE THE GLOW
FROM MILITARY HIGHWAY. >> IT IS BRIGHT.
>> IT'S BEAUTIFUL THOUGH. IT WAS KIND OF AN OFF-YELLOW
COLOR, DIDN'T STAND OUT AT ALL, AND WE, ABOUT A YEAR AGO,
CHANGED OUR LOGO AND OUR COLORS AND WE TRIED TO MAKE THE COLOR
SCHEME WORK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AND IT'S BLUE AND GREEN AND THEY
WORK SO NICELY TOGETHER, BUT THE OUTSIDE LOOKS SO SHARP AND THE
MATERIALS FOR ALL OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY MADE POSSIBLE BY THE
DONATIONS TO FRIENDS OF NORFOLK ANIMAL CARE CENTER, SO THIS IS
ALL BEING DONE OR THE MAJORITY OF IT IS BEING DONE WITH DONOR
DOLLARS, SPECIFICALLY FOR FACILITY UPGRADES.
>> AND WE'VE KIND OF GOT A THEME GOING WITH STEPHEN IN THE LAST
SEGMENT TALKING ABOUT NAUTICUS AND THE REBURST AND REVITAL --
REBIRTH AND THE REVITALIZATION OF NAUTICUS BEING DONE THROUGH
THE CREATIVITY OF THE STAFF AND THE SAME THING HERE.
>> THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS GUY TODAY.
WE DO HAVE TO DO A LOT OF STUFF IN-HOUSE.
WE'RE AN ANIMAL SHALL TER, WE DON'T HAVE -- SHELTER, WE DON'T
HAVE MONEY FOR FANCY DESIGNERS OR CONSULTANTS, SO IT IS SIMPLY
THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF THE PEOPLE AND THE VOLUNTEERS
AND DONORS WHO ARE A PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION, AND OUR GOAL HAS
ALWAYS BEEN TO MAKE IT A FUN AND EXCITING PLACE TO VISIT BECAUSE
IT DOES MATTER TO THESE GUYS. THEY DON'T REALLY SEE THE COLORS
OR CARE ABOUT THE COLORS, BUT WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY
HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE, LITTLE GUYS LIKE THESE, BIG GUYS,
THEY'RE GOING TO GET A HOME. >> AND THAT'S A MAJOR PART OF
THE STRATEGY -- >> CORRECT.
>> -- TO REALLY KIND OF CORRECT THE POPULATION ISSUE.
>> YES, YES. >> LET'S TALK TURKEY.
WHEN WE START HAVING THAT PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
THE ANIMAL CARE CENTER AND WHERE IT SHOULD BE, WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT INCREASING ADOPTIONS, BUT ALSO TRYING TO DECREASE THE
RETURN RATE, RIGHT? >> NOT SO MUCH THE RETURN RATE.
I MEAN, WE WANT FAMILIES TO HAVE THE RIGHT MATCH AND IT'S NOT
ALWAYS THE RIGHT MATCH WHEN YOU GET HOME, SO WE SAY TO
EVERYBODY, IF IT'S NOT WORKING OUT, WE'LL TAKE THEM BACK.
THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TO DECREASE
ANIMALS BEING RETURN, BUT FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH AND
KEEPING NETCAM IN THEIR HOMES -- THEM IN THEIR HOMES FOREVER, BUT
ALSO REUNITING LOST PETS WITH OWNERS AND SIMPLY HAVING AN
AWARENESS THAT THE SHELTER EXISTS.
WE THINK THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE
ADVERTISING DOLLARS TO GET OUR NAME OUT THERE, SO WE HAVE TO
RELY ON A NICE CLEAN FACILITY, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND A
GOOD ADOPTION EXPERIENCE AND YOU WILL TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS AND THAT'S WORKED BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP
CONSISTENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
>> THE NUMBERS OF INTAKE, BUT ALSO THE NUMBERS OF ADOPTION.
>> YES, YES. >> SO IT KEEPS IT SOMEWHAT EVEN.
>> AND OVERALL, I MEAN, THE PERCENTAGE OF ANIMALS,
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO HELP THAT -- WE'RE AN
OPEN ADMISSION SHELTER, SO WE'LL TAKE ANYBODY IN.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> ANYBODY IS WELCOME. YOU WALK IN THERE AND THERE'S
RABBITS AND PARROTS AND ABOUT 120 CATS AND DOGS AND CHICKENS
AND -- JUST ABOUT -- >> THE HALF BLIND DOGS?
>> NOT JUST THAT, PUT PURE-BRED PUPPIES.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE CAST OFF AS A SOCIETY, SO THERE ARE
AMAZINGLY GREAT ANIMALS THERE AND WE SHOULD BE EVERYBODY'S
FIRST STOP WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GETTING A PET.
IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
>> I HAVE TO NOTICE THAT JAKE IS THE FIRST ONE TO LOSE ONE OFF
THE SOFA. >> WELL --
>> I KNOW. >> I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I GUESS IN LOOKING, I MEAN,
IF YOU COULD BE THE FIRST CHOICE -- AND I KNOW, ALL MY
PETS HAVE COME FROM THE ANIMAL CARE CENTER OR FROM A SHELTER
AND THEY HAVE BEEN AWESOME. >> OH, THEY'RE INCREDIBLE.
I MEAN, THIS LITTLE GUY -- HE HASN'T STOPPED MOVING, BUT HE
DOESN'T STOP PURRING EITHER. HE WANTS TO BE ON MY SHOULDER.
BUT FOR $75, YOU GET A GUY THAT'S STERILIZED, VACCINATED,
MICROCHIPPED, AND IF YOU STOP IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, THAT'S
WHY WE'RE PUSHING SO HARD TO GET THE PROJECTS DONE, IT'S THE
FIRST OF OUR THREE MAJOR ADOPTION EVENTS, KITTY PALOOZA
AGAIN AND I THINK EVERYBODY REMEMBERS LAST YEAR.
>> KAPT FLEW OUT OF THE -- CATS FLEW OUT OF THE PLACE.
>> WE RAN OUT OF CATS. WE HAVE CATS IN FOSTER HOMES AND
INDICATE WAITING AT -- CATS WAITING AT THE SHELTER.
THEY WILL BE $25 EACH AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING OUR ADOPTION
COVERS. PICK A FRIEND, YOU CAN HAVE TWO
TO 40 AND IF YOU WEAR YOUR TIE-DYE TO THE EVENT, WE CAN
GIVE YOU 20% OFF THE PRICES. >> AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE?
>> YOU CAN FIND OUT INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE,
WWW.NORFOLK.GOV/NACC. OR CALL IS AT 441-5505.
>> AND I HAVE TO END THE SEGMENT BY SAYING THEY HAVE BEEN
ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS, BUT SOPHIE, MY BEAGLE FROM THE SHELTER,
WOULD NOT BE HAPPY IF I BROUGHT ONE HOME.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY. >> OKAY, WE'LL END ON THAT.