2026 Cobb County Animal Welfare Survey

Kevin Redmon

District 3 Candidate

Survey completed

Question

Kevin Redmon Response

1. Name

Kevin Redmon

Kevin Redmon

District

Kevin Redmon

3

2. How important should reducing preventable shelter intake be as a dedicated priority within Cobb County Animal Services' budget and programs?

Kevin Redmon

One of the County's highest animal-services priorities

3. Would you support establishing a dedicated portion of Cobb County's Animal Services funding for prevention programs designed to reduce shelter intake?

Kevin Redmon

Strongly support

If yes, what percentage of the Animal Services budget or approximate dollar range do you believe would be appropriate?

Kevin Redmon

I'd want to closely assess the current budget breakdown before naming a number. I'd sit down with Animal Services leadership, local rescues, vets, and advocates like this group to understand what's actually needed. My approach would be to create a dedicated prevention line item, set clear intake-reduction targets, and increase funding as results come in.

4. Which preventive services would you support Cobb County funding or helping expand?

Kevin Redmon

Affordable spay/neuter for pets belonging to Cobb residents
Additional assistance for residents unable to afford sterilization
Spay/neuter of free-roaming community cats through TNVR
Contracts or grants to qualified nonprofit/high-volume spay-neuter providers
Pet-retention programs that help keep animals with their families
Microchipping and owner-reunification programs
Community vaccination services
Expansion of pet food pantry program
Transportation or other assistance that improves access to veterinary services

5. TNVR —Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return — is a population-management strategy for free-roaming community cats that, when enough cats are sterilized and colonies are actively monitored, stops reproduction. Over 80% of kittens entering animal shelters are born to unowned, free-roaming cats, and municipal programs in operation around the country have proven that TNVR reduces future shelter intake. Would you support Cobb County providing funding for community cat sterilization when doing so can prevent reproduction and reduce future shelter intake?

Kevin Redmon

Strongly support

6. Would you consider changes to Cobb County ordinances that would facilitate an effective, humane community-cat program, including TNVR and return-to-field practices when appropriate?

Kevin Redmon

Yes, provided appropriate safeguards and program standards are included

7. Please explain any concerns or conditions you believe should be considered for questions 5-6.

Kevin Redmon

My conditions are practical ones, as I support TNVR. Set clear standards for managing and monitoring colonies. Track the number of cats sterilized, kittens taken in, and community reports. Give residents a simple way to raise concerns and get a response. When the data shows it's working, we iterate and expand it.

8. The current shelter is understaffed and under-resourced. Would you commit to funding Cobb County Animal Services' operating budget at a level commensurate with the new facility's operational needs — covering staffing, medical care, and programming — from the time the facility opens?

Kevin Redmon

Yes, subject to the annual budget process

9. How important is it that resources at the new shelter (i.e. veterinarian time and surgical appointments) be allocated to prevention-oriented spay/neuter services for the public (including TNVR and low-income spay/neuter for Cobb residents' owned pets) — in addition to treating animals already in county custody?

Kevin Redmon

Essential

10. Animal cruelty case volume at Cobb County Animal Services has approximately doubled since 2023. What is your position on resourcing the Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit to match caseload growth?

Kevin Redmon

I would support adding investigator positions proportional to caseload growth

11. Difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified animal care and veterinary staff is a documented national challenge for municipal shelters. Would you support a compensation study to ensure Cobb County Animal Services salaries are competitive with peer jurisdictions and private-sector equivalents?

Kevin Redmon

Yes, and I would commit to acting on its findings in the budget process

12. Effective animal-services programming often requires dedicated staff roles beyond shelter care and veterinary capacity. Which of the following positions or functions would you support Cobb County Animal Services establishing or expanding?

Kevin Redmon

Intake diversion coordinator (to help residents resolve animal situations without surrender — i.e., behavior helplines, owner-support referrals, temporary care options)
Adoption counseling staff (to improve adopter-animal matching and reduce returns)
Volunteer and foster program coordinator(s)
Community outreach and prevention liaisons (to connect residents with services such as low-cost spay/neuter, TNVR, pet food pantries, and vaccination clinics)

13. Fulton County Animal Services — operated by nonprofit LifeLine Animal Project — reported a 90.7% live-release rate in 2025 on over 20,000 annual intakes, through an integrated approach spanning shelter care, prevention, and community partnerships. Which statement most closely reflects your view of Cobb County's animal-services strategy?

Kevin Redmon

The county should place greater emphasis on prevention and community partnership while maintaining strong shelter operations.

14. Rescue-first policies — which require sheltered animals to be offered to licensed rescue partners before euthanasia decisions are made — are standard practice at high-performing regional shelters. Would you support adopting such a policy at Cobb County Animal Services?

Kevin Redmon

Yes, for animals that meet defined rescue-eligibility criteria

15. Would you support partnerships with qualified veterinarians, nonprofit organizations, rescues and community groups when those partnerships can expand services or achieve animal-welfare goals cost-effectively?

Kevin Redmon

Strongly support

16. Which outcomes do you believe Cobb County should measure when evaluating Animal Services programs and funding?

Kevin Redmon

Total shelter intake
Dog and cat intake separately
Kitten intake (under 8 weeks old - the group currently least likely to have a live outcome recorded)
Number of owned pets sterilized through county-supported programs
Number of community cats sterilized
Live-release rate
Return-to-owner rate
Average length of shelter stay
Foster and rescue placement
Euthanasia and reason for euthanasia
Cost per animal served
Cost and results of prevention programs
Post-adoption spay/neuter compliance rate (percentage of adoption agreements verified complete)
Number of open animal cruelty cases and average time-to-resolution

17. What do you believe is the single most important action Cobb County could take during your term to improve animal welfare and/or reduce unnecessary shelter intake?

Kevin Redmon

Provide genuine and serious funding for prevention by expanding access to affordable spay/neuter and TNVR, working in partnership with the non-profit organizations and vets who are currently carrying out this work, and making public the results of these efforts. Each animal that does not end up in a shelter is one that we won't have to house, treat, or put down.

18. Would you be willing to meet with Cobb Animal Services leadership and local animal-welfare stakeholders to review shelter-intake trends, available spay/neuter capacity, community-cat management and opportunities for prevention?

Kevin Redmon

Yes

19. Is there anything else you would like Cobb County voters to know about your position on animal welfare or Animal Services?

Kevin Redmon

Cobb is building a shelter that will be nearly twice as big as the current one. If we don't invest in prevention, it will fill up even faster. I believe prevention should be a top priority for the county's animal services, with enough staff and clear goals. I plan to meet with the people doing this work now and make sure the county meets real targets.