How the pandemic, internal conflicts, and the housing crisis have left Austin’s animal services system stretched too thin.
of the current,"more equitable agreement" for another year as it continues to negotiate the contract, and as it looks for a new building.
APA!'s reluctance to take in more of AAC's dogs, and its commitment to move toward a model centered on community fostering, contributes to a"sense of overcrowding" at the Town Lake Animal Center, Jefferson told us."We are currently using about 60% of our kennels at TLAC due to the extreme conditions there of an old building that needs to be replaced.
Some at AAC worry that sending dogs with significant behavioral issues to APA! might also raise the city's euthanasia rate:"There are dogs that we absolutely know APA! is not going to take. So we put them on the [euthanasia] list so they can say no, and then we can put out a notification.
Reporting on the city's Open Data Portal shows that 90% of out-of-state transports involve dogs that have stayed in the shelter fewer than 63 days, and that local adoptions have decreased since these transports were initiated. Partners that have historically helped AAC place behavior dogs that would otherwise be euthanized include groups like Final Frontier, which was an official rescue partner of the shelter but recently dropped out of the contract due to disagreements with AAC leadership, as well as the Orange Dot Crew, which was formed six years ago by AAC volunteers to help behavior dogs. ODC told theits feedback has fallen on deaf ears.