Animal Services chief addresses overcrowded shelter after alarm from Kelly

Weeks after City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly expressed alarm at finding “dogs housed in temporary crates at the truck port” behind Austin Animal Center with scorching temperatures on the way, Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland has responded.

A subsequent memo from Kelly asked interim City Manager Jesús Garza about overcrowding, the number of large dogs at the shelter and the frequency of walks for dogs living in the wing of the shelter that serves as a rabies quarantine area. 

Bland opened his June 26 response with good news, saying, “We are excited to report that between June 11, 2023, and June 18, 2023, (Austin Animal Center) received 259 animals and found outcomes for 390 animals. This is the first time in several months that outcomes have exceeded intake. We appreciate the support from our volunteers, partners, staff, and the community for coming together to assist us in our time of need.”

The shelter, which opened in 2011, originally had enough space for 309 dogs and 165 cats. As Bland noted, that capacity has been stretched to a breaking point, and as of mid-June, it was a temporary home to 562 dogs and 669 cats.

To make that possible, he explained, the center “has been forced to utilize non-kennel areas to house impounded dogs. In the past, these areas have included the facility’s truck port, a large conference room, hallways and in some instances, offices. These dogs are housed in large crates and have limited area to move comfortably. Although these measures are meant to be temporary, the reality is that some of the dogs will stay in these crates for a number of weeks. When available, (the center) will also utilize half of the nonpublic kennels designated for rabies quarantine cases and law enforcement cases to maximize space.”

Complicating matters, use of the truck port was compromised when evaporative cooling fans failed this summer, making the area unsafe for animals. Bland explained that there is no date yet to replace or repair the fans.

However, he wrote, a plea to help animals temporarily housed in a storage room during Austin’s recent heat wave was quite successful, reducing the number of dogs in crates from 40 to 10 within a week. 

Responding to concerns about dogs in the rabies quarantine area not being walked, Bland said that limited staff was allowed in the wing, due to state law, and volunteers are prohibited. At the moment:

• Ten animals are currently off hold/quarantine and are walked by paid dog-walking staff. These dogs also are provided in-kennel enrichment. 
• Seven dogs that cannot be walked are being held for rabies quarantine observation. 
• Five dogs that cannot be walked are being held for serious bodily injury investigations.
• Sixteen dogs are on court hold with active investigations. Some of these may be walked by staff when the center is not open to the public.

In terms of large adult dogs, Bland said that the number of dogs taken into the facility was consistently higher than those adopted out, even after intake of the demographic was restricted in September 2022.  

“(Animal Services) will continue to waive fees as we work to find forever homes for all animals,” Bland wrote. Anyone wishing to adopt an animal from the city can learn more at the city website.

An audit of the Animal Services Office is currently underway, and it is scheduled to be completed in August. According to Council Member Leslie Pool, the audit “should provide Council, the City Manager, and department leadership with a comprehensive examination of the operations, management, and effectiveness of the department, as well clear pathways for improvement.”

Photo by Jnncreatives, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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