Before the Stockton Animal Shelter made its unprecedented partnership with the San Francisco SPCA, shelter conditions could be described as deplorable.
"There were multiple animals housed to a cage, which was inhumane. There were bad cleaning practices and just not a sufficient staff, either shelter staff, coupled with veterinary care and additional support staff to do the work to save this amount of animals," said Phillip Zimmerman, manager of Stockton Animal Shelter.
Zimmerman says the live release rate dramatically improved from 32 percent to 82 percent in the five years under the SF SPCA partnership. The partnership will wrap up at the end of June.
However, a new partnership begins with the Animal Protection League of Stockton. It's a five-year contract with the city of Stockton at $1.3 million a year.
The last two years are option years to continue the contract.
"APL stepped up to the plate to take on this huge endeavor that the San Francisco SPCA came in and started in 2012 and we've had amazing results," said Zimmerman.
About 11,000 animals come to the shelter each year. On average, there are 150 dogs and 200 cats at the shelter daily.
Zimmerman says before the partnership with the SF SPCA, there were just two voluntary veterinarians and now there is a medical staff of 17, including two full-time doctors and two full-time and two part-time veterinarians.
"I think people can expect the same level of service that the San Francisco SPCA provided all these years," says Jackie Ronzone, Executive Director, Animal Protection League of Stockton.
Through Sunday, the shelter is waiving all adoption fees, which is valued at $100.
The City of Stockton Animal Services Center is located at 1575 S. Lincoln Street near Downtown Stockton.
For more information, call (209) 937-8274.