The Cleveland Animal Protective League

THE APL'S MISSION IS TO FOSTER COMPASSION AND END ANIMAL SUFFERING. THE APL PROVIDES SHELTER, CARE, AND MEDICAL TREATMENT TO ANIMALS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES AND/OR SUFFERED CRUELTY OR NEGLECT.

ANIMAL SHELTERING, CARE & OUTREACH*: THE APL OPERATES A 34,000 SQUARE FOOT SHELTER AND RESOURCE CENTER FOR ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN SURRENDERED BY THEIR OWNERS, IMPOUNDED BY OUR HUMANE AGENTS, TRANSFERRED IN FROM OTHER OVERCROWDED SHELTERS OR IN RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, AND FOR STRAY CATS BROUGHT IN BY GOOD SAMARITANS. ONCE AT THE APL, THEY RECEIVE SHELTER AND ALL OF THE CARE AND TREATMENT THEY NEED UNTIL THEY CAN BE PLACED FOR ADOPTION. WHEN THE SHELTER IS FULL OR WHEN ANIMALS HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS THAT WILL BE BETTER MET IN A HOME, THEY ARE PLACED WITH TEMPORARY, VOLUNTEER FOSTER FAMILIES UNTIL THEY CAN COME BACK TO THE APL FOR ADOPTION. IN 2021, MORE THAN 1,600 OF THE 4,515 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADMITTED TO THE APL RECEIVED CARE IN **************** (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION) **************** ...FOSTER HOMES. BY THE END OF 2021, WE HAD PLACED 4,172 OF THOSE ANIMALS THROUGH ADOPTIONS, BEING RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS, OR BEING TRANSFERRED TO OTHER RESCUE GROUPS OR SHELTERS FOR ADOPTION RESULTING IN AN OVERALL 91% SAVE RATE. THROUGH "PROJECT CARE" (COMMUNITY ANIMAL RETENTION EFFORT), THE APL HELPS INCOME-QUALIFIED PET OWNERS IN CLEVELAND BY PROVIDING THEM WITH ACCESS TO CARE AND RESOURCES, SUCH AS PET FOOD, GROOMING, BASIC VETERINARY CARE, THAT THEY WANT AND NEED FOR THEIR PETS. IN 2021, PROJECT CARE ASSISTED MORE THAN 1,300 DESERVING PETS IN THE CITY OF CLEVELAND. THE APL RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF PRIVATE DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE ALL OF THIS WORK POSSIBLE. THE APL DOES NOT RECEIVE GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR OPERATIONS. IT ALSO IS NOT GOVERNED BY AND DOES NOT RECEIVE REGULAR OPERATING SUPPORT FROM ANY NATIONAL ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION.

HUMANE INVESTIGATIONS*: THE APL IS THE LEAD AGENCY IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY FOR INVESTIGATING ANIMAL CRUELTY, NEGLECT, AND ABANDONMENT. UNDER OHIO LAW, THE CLEVELAND APL'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS AUTHORIZED TO APPOINT HUMANE SOCIETY AGENTS TO ENFORCE LOCAL AND STATE ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS. THOSE APPOINTMENTS MUST THEN BE APPROVED BY THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY PROBATE COURT. THE APL DOES NOT RECEIVE PUBLIC FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM; IT IS FUNDED SOLELY BY DONATIONS. IN 2021, THE HUMANE INVESTIGATIONS TEAM OPENED 1,622 NEW INVESTIGATIONS OF SUSPECTED ANIMAL ABUSE AND EITHER IMPOUNDED OR RESCUED 1,163 ANIMALS. THE APL'S HUMANE SOCIETY AGENTS ALSO SEEK JUSTICE FOR ANIMAL VICTIMS OF ABUSE BY WORKING WITH PROSECUTORS TO CONVICT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH **************** (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION) **************** ...ANIMAL CRUELTY OR NEGLECT. UNDER OHIO LAW, HUMANE AGENTS ARE MANDATED REPORTERS FOR CHILD AND ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THE EXPENSES SHARED IN THIS SECTION REPRESENT THE CORE COST OF OPERATING OUR HUMANE INVESTIGATIONS PROGRAM. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF CARING FOR THE ANIMAL VICTIMS OF CRUELTY THAT COME IN THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WHICH RANGES FROM BASIC DAILY CARE TO EXTENSIVE, SOMETIMES COMPLEX, VETERINARY CARE TO HEAL THEIR BROKEN BODIES AND SAVE THEIR LIVES.

SHELTER VETERINARY SERVICES*: THE APL VETERINARY CLINIC PROVIDES SPAY/NEUTER, MEDICAL, AND OTHER SURGICAL SERVICES FOR ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE APL FOR REHOMING. ALL CATS, DOGS AND RABBITS ARE STERILIZED PRIOR TO BEING ADOPTED FROM THE APL. THROUGH DONATIONS TO THE SECOND CHANCE PROGRAM, ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN SURRENDERED TO THE APL'S SHELTER AND HAVE INJURIES OR ILLNESSES THAT CAN BE SAFELY AND HUMANELY TREATED WILL RECEIVE THE CARE (MEDICAL AND/OR SURGICAL) THAT THEY NEED SO THEY, TOO, CAN FIND A NEW HOME. IN 2021, 3,096 SHELTER ANIMALS WERE STERILIZED, AND 2,854 SHELTER ANIMALS RECEIVED 8,139 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, TREATMENTS, PROCEDURES, AND/OR SURGERIES.

ANIMAL WELFARE CLINIC (AWC)*: THE APL'S AWC PROVIDES SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY CATS THROUGH TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN (TNR) AND SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES FOR ADOPTABLE ANIMALS FROM OTHER SHELTERS AND RESCUE GROUPS. IN 2021, 3,235 COMMUNITY CATS WERE STERILIZED THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM AND 1,727 ADOPTABLE ANIMALS FROM OTHER PARTNER SHELTERS AND RESCUE GROUPS WERE STERILIZED.* DURING 2021, DEMAND FOR PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND RESOURCES TO HELP PETS IN THE COMMUNITY SURPASSED PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. HOWEVER, CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL TRENDS, OTHER SHELTER PROGRAM AND SERVICE NUMBERS HAD NOT YET RETURNED TO PRE-COVID-19 LEVELS. THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A COMBINATION OF THE IMPACT OF ONGOING COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS DURING PART OF THE YEAR AND TO THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE IN ANIMAL WELFARE AND SHELTERING THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY PROGRAM SUCCESS. SOME ELEMENTS OF THE "CHANGING LANDSCAPE" WERE ALREADY IN MOTION. FOR EXAMPLE, AGGRESSIVE SPAY/NEUTER EFFORTS AND AN INCREASED FOCUS ON STRATEGIES THAT DECREASE PREVENTABLE PET SURRENDER ARE BRINGING ANIMAL INTAKE DOWN AND ALLOWING US TO PUT MORE RESOURCES INTO SAVING ANIMALS THAT REQUIRE ADVANCED, OFTEN EXPENSIVE, CARE. OTHER ELEMENTS CONSIST OF LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE SHUTDOWN THAT WE ARE TRYING TO APPLY LONG TERM. FOR EXAMPLE, KEEPING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS HOUSED IN THE SHELTER BELOW THE TIPPING POINT BETWEEN SUPPORTING ANIMAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS AND INCREASING STRESS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPING SHELTER-ACQUIRED ILLNESSES, SUCH AS UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS. WITH THAT SAID, BY THE END OF 2021, THE APL WAS FULLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND MOST PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WERE AT, CLOSE TO, OR TRENDING BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS DESPITE A FEW DIFFERENT APPROACHES.