Animal Intake in Austin & The "Too Many" Misconception

The Austin community is being presented with a series of false choices regarding shelter pets. First, in the recent Austin Animal Center (AAC) audit it’s implied that we must choose between a shelter that saves pets and a shelter that can provide appropriate, humane care. And now being told that we must choose between a safe community and a safe shelter for pets.? The simple fact of the matter is that we can have safe communities for pets and people.? Not only is shelter pet lifesaving and public safety not mutually exclusive, Austin has previously proven itself to be successful at both.??

What’s changed then?? One increasingly popular but misinformed narrative circulating in Austin asserts that it’s the perfect storm of increased intake, mirroring a national trend in animal shelters, and the unfair expectation for the shelter to save dogs and cats in need.? It is true that intake is increasing in animal shelters across the country.? What is not true is that shelters, including Austin Animal Center, are taking in historic numbers of animals leaving them no choice but to euthanize.? While shelter intake is increasing year over year post-pandemic, it’s not higher than 2019, which means the number of dogs and cats entering the shelter is still several thousand animals fewer than it was in the years leading up to Austin City Council’s decision to mandate the shelter maintain at least a 95% save rate.? Many city council seats have turned over since then, but that decision was made in part because the council had the confidence in shelter leadership and programming to support lifesaving.? They had confidence that the shelter, through programs, processes, and positive community engagement, could manage capacity and length of stay without compromising public safety, animal care or services to the public.???

Last month, a dog running at large severely bit a small child in the child’s front yard.? Instead of working to meaningfully address very real public safety concerns about loose dogs in this neighborhood, a false narrative has been spun by trying to argue that there are “too many” animals in the community and not enough space at the shelter.? The argument being made is that if the shelter were allowed, by ordinance, to euthanize more animals, they would be able to pick up loose dogs and make the neighborhoods safer. There is no evidence to suggest that the current shelter operator would be able to 1. Make enough space through euthanasia to first clear an 800 waiting list for strays to enter the facility and 2. Be organized enough to pick up all the loose dogs.??

Curtailing services, like intake of dangerous animals, in the name of lifesaving is not a solution and isn’t endorsed as one by any major animal welfare organization.? In 2010, when the city’s municipal shelter was told it could no longer euthanize for space to manage capacity, it didn’t close intake or stop Animal Protection Officers from bringing in aggressive dogs.? Instead, staff, supported by volunteers, local non-profits, and the general public focused urgency and creative thinking on lifesaving.? During this time, AAC built some of the largest local adoption, foster, and volunteer programs in the country. And again, it’s worth noting that these programs supported thousands more animals than Austin Animal Center is currently intaking. ?Put another way, policies, processes, programs, and resources were better aligned with lifesaving and public safety goals.??

Enough is enough.? No kill isn’t a failed experiment that it’s time to pull the plug on.? We know how to save lives and simultaneously have a safe community because we’ve done it.? Austin has proudly been one of the largest No Kill cities in the country for over a decade and looked to as a national leader in engagement-based animal protection and lifesaving sheltering.? This work was sustained by elected and municipal leadership being firm in expectations and policy, the shelter’s commitment to its mission, non-profits and other partners providing wraparound services, volunteers and fosters supporting homeless pets, and Austin residents supporting values in action.? But, we as a community can only save lives and innovate new programs to respond to the evolving needs if everyone plays their part. Austin cannot allow the shelter to refuse help to pets in need or kill homeless pets as the “easy” answer.?