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APPROVE RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH PREFERRED CARE PROVIDER LIST AND AUTHORIZE CONTRACTS FOR AFTER-HOURS VETERINARY HOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THE STOCKTON ANIMAL SHELTER
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council approve a resolution to:
1. Establish a list of preferred care providers for After Hours Veterinary Hospital and Emergency Services for the Stockton Animal Shelter;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year contract, with a two-year option, to Family Pet Hospital in an amount not to exceed $240,000; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year contract, with a two-year option, with All Creatures Veterinary Emergency Clinic in an amount not to exceed $240,000.
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Summary
The Stockton Animal Shelter (the Shelter) does not operate on a 24-hour basis, requiring provision for alternate arrangements for the care of injured animals. By contracting with after-hours and veterinary hospitals, the City can better manage its obligations to provide emergency after-hours care and respond to sick or injured animals when staff at the Shelter are unavailable. For the last few years, the Shelter has contracted with these type of service providers using a tiered veterinary care service schedule and associated fee structure. The current contracts are set to expire later this year, requiring a new competitive bidding process to secure new contracts. A Request for Proposal (RFP), PUR 18-015, was issued on July 19, 2018, to all Stockton veterinarians, animal hospitals, and emergency care veterinarians inviting their participation on a list of preferred after-hours veterinary hospital and emergency services providers. Proposals were due on August 9, 2018, and two were received. Staff is recommending the City Council authorize a three-year contract with each of the respondents in amounts not to exceed $240,000, respectively.
DISCUSSION
Background
Previously, the Shelter lacked the ability to control veterinary charges because there was not a set standard of care and pricing. In 2016, Shelter staff designed a tiered veterinary care service schedule and associated fee structure. Two veterinarian businesses responded to the City’s request to provide emergency, and after-hours care and contracts were established for a three-year term. With a set fee structure and services to be provided, expenditures were easier to predict and control. The total spent on after-hours and emergency and overnight veterinarian care in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 was $71,654; a decrease of approximately 27 percent since FY 2015-16.
The Stockton Police Department (SPD) receives calls of stray, sick, and injured animals after hours. Since law enforcement officers are required by law to respond to sick and injured animals, there could be a significant impact to their calls-for-service, which also results in lengthy wait times for citizens standing by with the sick or injured animals, without the ability to transport the animal to an after-hours emergency clinic. Also, while under contract, the San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA) provided after-hours emergency triage services for the Shelter animals housed in volunteers’ homes from one of their 24-hour clinics located in San Francisco. The Shelter no longer has access to that service since the termination of the City’s contract with SFSPCA in June 2018. This essential service and fee structure have been included in the proposed contracts with the providers.
The Shelter has successfully retained a live release rate of 82 percent since the calendar year 2016. The ability to maintain this level of live release is due, in part, to the accessibility of after-hours emergency veterinary care. The current contracts expire December 31, 2018.
Present Situation
To ensure that the Shelter can send sick and injured animals to off-site veterinarian’s after-hours for monitoring, the Shelter has adopted a three-tiered care structure for outside services attached to a set fee schedule. The RFP, PUR 18-015, published on July 19, 2018, included this tiered service and fee schedule. The RFP was sent to all Stockton veterinarians, animal hospitals, and emergency care veterinarians inviting their participation on a list of preferred after-hours veterinary hospital and emergency services providers. Proposals were due on August 9, 2018, and two were received.
The proposed service contracts include a thoroughly defined tiered care structure which specifies what services are included and at what price the Shelter will pay the provider. Tiered services and pricing will not change during the contract period. Included in the fee schedules, is the requirement of telephone triaging for animals that are currently housed in volunteers’ homes, the service previously provided by SF SPCA. There will be no fees if an animal is not seen by the provider.
Lastly, to decrease the impact to the SPD, citizens will be allowed to drop-off sick and injured animals at one of the participating providers; however, they will be required to present a valid identification card, just as they would if they were to drop the animal off at the Shelter during business hours. This will decrease the volume of calls for sick and injured animals to the SPD while also decreasing wait times for citizens and allow animals to receive treatment in a more timely manner. No payment will be made to the providers for animals taken in that are not sick or injured.
The two types of provider lists are 1) After-Hours Veterinary Hospital, and 2) Emergency Veterinary Services. A veterinarian may be on both lists if qualified. The Shelter prefers a minimum of three veterinarians for each list. However, since the City only received two responses to the RFP, the City Manager or designee reserves the right to add veterinarians as they become known and are willing to meet the pricing and qualifications set forth in the RFP while the contract is in effect. Each of the listed providers has agreed to abide by the Shelter’s fee schedule and stipulations and have been placed on the lists on the following page:
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After-Hours Veterinary Hospital |
Emergency Veterinary Services |
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Family Pet Hospital |
Family Pet Hospital |
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All Creatures Veterinary Emergency Clinic |
All Creatures Veterinary Emergency Clinic |
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The set pricing structure of the contracts has demonstrated its value from FY 2015-16 through FY 2017-2018 with a decrease in expenses by approximately 27 percent. Expenditures shall not exceed $240,000 for either vendor through the duration of these contracts and costs are still subject to available annual funding within the Animal Shelter’s operating budget. Based on previous years, the combined annual amount is estimated to be $80,000. In FY 2018-19, sufficient funding is available for the proposed Professional Services Agreements with Family Pet Hospital, and All Creatures Veterinary Emergency Clinic in the Animal Shelter’s General Fund (accounts 010-2466-530 and 010-2467-530). Costs for the subsequent years will be budgeted in the same accounts and subject to Council approval during the annual budget development process.