Specifications include, but are not limited to:The overall project goal is to provide expert animal care and adoption services to animals detained by the Delaware Animal Services team, an enforcement function within the Office of Animal Welfare. Additionally, through a strong partnership with a shelter partner(s), we aim to improve rates for lost pet reunification, adoption, and placement; prevent the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals; and expand sterilization and vaccination services for free-roaming but un-owned cats. STATE OF DELAWARE Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health 4 C. SCOPE OF SERVICES All components listed in this section are mandatory. The objective of this RFP is to find the best provider or providers available that can offer animal shelter services for the State of Delaware. Bidders may submit a bid for one or more counties or for a statewide contract. Services The housing and care of stray dogs and seriously injured/ill or seriously endangered stray cats that are brought to shelter from animal control officers, police officers, and Delaware residents. Pets that are voluntarily surrendered by their owners are not considered stray and, as such, do not come within the State’s responsibility under the proposed contract. Hold stray animals for minimum statutory holding period of 3 days, or 5 days when an owner has initiated recovery, to allow for the completion on the recovery process. Unclaimed stray animals will become the responsibility of the contractor at the end of the stray hold, and may be placed for adoption, transferred to an animal welfare organization, or euthanized provided no reasonable alternatives exists pursuant to 16 Del.C. §3004F. Provide lost and found opportunities to the general public for stray animals brought to the shelter. Contractor shall scan stray animals for microchips, check for lost reports and use all available methods available to search for and contact an owner, if one is identified. Report all found pets that are taken in by the shelter from members of the public to Delaware Animal Services (DAS) and post those animals on the shelter’s website within 24 hours of being received. The housing and care of animals which are the subject of certain animal cruelty investigations, to include companion animals, exotics and birds, livestock/horses, until such time as the legal proceeding is ended or the court overseeing the case orders the animal forfeited to the shelter, the owner’s rights are forfeited. If such forfeiture occurs, the State’s responsibility for the animal ends on the effective day of forfeiture and the contractor will be free to adopt, transfer or euthanize animal as appropriate in accordance with law. Impound and quarantine suspected dangerous dogs until final disposition per 9 Del.C. §922. Boarding expenses for animals held under this Delaware statute are the responsibility of the animal’s owner if he/she can be located. It is the contractor’s duty to collect these boarding costs from the owners of the animals. All boarding fees shall be submitted to the State. Impound and quarantine of domestic animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies in cases of human rabies exposure as directed by the Division of Public Health. Boarding expenses for animals held under the rabies statute are the responsibility of the animal’s owner if he/she can be located. It is the contractor’s duty to collect these boarding costs from the owners of the animals. All boarding fees shall be submitted to the State. Euthanasia and cold storage of animals that have exposed humans to rabies as directed by the Division of Public Health. Afford DAS personnel with 24/7 appropriate access to the shelter for the purpose of housing an animal secured after hours.
