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Oct 06, 2021
There’s sooner or later left earlier than we all know whether or not town council has taken motion on our APA! Decision by including it to the subsequent metropolis council assembly agenda.
What retains rising to the highest of criticism of our decision from council places of work is that they don’t perceive why Austin Pets Alive! ought to be allowed to assist communities outdoors of the larger Austin metro space. They see and listen to about animals having lengthy lengths of keep at Austin Animal Middle(AAC) and the kennels being overcrowded there. Some consider that Austin Pets Alive!’s major operate, along with retaining Austin a No Kill Metropolis, ought to be to alleviate the strain at Austin Animal Middle for town employees. Some additionally consider that Austin Pets Alive!’s apply of serving to animals outdoors of Austin is definitely inflicting the overcrowding at Austin Animal Middle.
The issue with this line of pondering is that “relieving strain” is just not one thing the Metropolis of Austin compensates APA! to do neither is it in step with our mission. APA! has used the City Lake Animal Middle for the final 10 years to maintain Austin No Kill by pulling animals from Austin Animal Middle who will die if we don’t. Town council has awarded Austin Animal Middle with sufficient funding to alleviate their very own strain.
So then why is Austin Animal Middle continually crowded?
It’s as a result of Austin metropolis management has given little credence to analysis and knowledge that clearly reveals that Austin has, and has at all times had, greater than sufficient adopters to soak up each single animal at Austin Animal Middle AND to undertake each single animal that will get assist from APA!, Austin Humane Society and the a whole lot of rescue teams who soak up animals from throughout the state.
We consider that the explanation that credence is just not given is that it’s a lot simpler to say “there aren’t sufficient adopters,” which suggests that rising adoptions is outdoors the management of the shelter director and reinforces poor efficiency.
We consider it’s incumbent on us as shelter professionals, and we embrace Austin Animal Middle management in that, to take a look at knowledge when making any choice. We thought, however now understand we is perhaps unsuitable, that town supervisor and town council additionally used knowledge to drive choices. If AAC management, and metropolis council members, did that, they’d be capable to say “I see an issue with too many animals residing at AAC at one time” after which join that to the considered “what can I do to make this higher”. Now we have mentioned it earlier than however it’s price repeating: adoptions don’t simply occur. They’re the results of sources, time, and strategic planning to make sure that the animals housed at AAC are getting alternatives to fulfill folks and to be seen.
To place it in perspective, over the past 5 years, town has elevated Austin Animal Middle’s price range by $1M per yr. Tellingly, each single class of programming has benefited from that elevated funding EXCEPT “Pet Placement/ Pet Outcomes” which truly fell by 30% in budgeted monies. Why isn’t anybody in management, at any stage, analyzing and correcting that as an alternative of strongarming APA! into making up for it?
Austin Pets Alive! has by no means been curious about being the Metropolis of Austin’s “overflow” for a system that lacks oversight, lacks vital pondering, and continues to make poor choices and we’re standing by our mission to save lots of lives.
As particular person residents and as a non-public nonprofit, we’ve requested and requested for the federal government animal shelter to be run nicely as a result of it’s critically essential to Austin’s animals and to APA!. That has not labored. We hope this remaining try to get up our metropolis council will work and we, in partnership with the Metropolis of Austin, can lastly deal with ahead momentum. To maintain the assist robust by way of this remaining day of metropolis council consideration, please preserve emailing to specific your assist for the APA! decision.
Even when you have already got despatched an e-mail, we have to preserve the message prime of thoughts. Thanks!
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