Press Release from the Mayor’s Office Regarding Shut Down
OAKLAND ANIMAL SHELTER WILL NOT CLOSE DURING CITY’S MANDATORY BUSINESS CLOSURE
Oakland, CA — Mayor Ron Dellums announced today that the Oakland Animal Shelter will be exempt from part of the mandatory business closure scheduled for December 24, 2008 through January 5, 2009 to protect the welfare of animals and the community.
“It was always our intent to maintain staffing of the Oakland Animal Shelter during the mandatory business closures so that neither the animals in our care nor our community would suffer,” said Mayor Dellums. “Still, I applaud staff and the animal welfare community for coming together to arrive at a creative solution that balances the need to sustain the vital services provided by the Oakland Animal Shelter with the economic reality that we must cut costs to close a $37 million budget deficit.”
The Oakland Animal Shelter will remain open as usual on the two weekends during this holiday closure period, as well as Monday, December 29 – Wednesday, December 31, 2008, when other City facilities are closed. The Oakland Animal Shelter will close on all the remaining, regularly scheduled mandatory business closure days in 2009, and may close on an additional three (3) Fridays spread out over the remainder of the fiscal year (through June 30, 2009).
Oakland Animal Shelter Schedule During Citywide Business Closure
Date
Open or Closed
Reason for Closure
Wednesday 12/24/08
Closed
City Holiday
Thursday 12/25/08
Closed
City Holiday
Friday 12/26/08
Closed
Citywide Mandatory Business Closure
Saturday, 12/27/08
OPEN
Sunday, 12/28/08
OPEN
Monday, 12/29/08
OPEN
Tuesday, 12/30/08
OPEN
Wednesday, 12/31/08
OPEN
Thursday 1/1/09
Closed
City Holiday
Friday 1/2/09
Closed
Citywide Mandatory Business Closure
Saturday, 1/3/09
OPEN
Sunday, 1/4/09
OPEN
“This is really a win-win solution,” said Adam Parascandola, Director of the Oakland Animal Shelter. “We are grateful to the many animal welfare and advocacy organizations as well as community members who have committed their support and resources to help us through this difficult period and ensure that animals don’t needlessly suffer the ravages of the economic crisis the City is facing. I am pleased that we will be fully operational on all the days we are open during the holiday period.”
