A petition has been circulating that is backed heavily by Austin Pets Alive with claims it was formulated in collaboration with other organizations in Austin and that it represents the petition’s opinions are also that of the Austin rescue community at large. This is not true. APA is an organization that is very closely related to Best Friends Animal Society - an organization that has set back sheltering in city after city. Their strategy is to play to your emotions- pushing no-kill.

However, common sense tells us at least here in Austin, no kill doesn’t work. No-kill is defined as 90%+ live release rate. Austin requires 95% live release. Five percent amounts to a significant amount when looking at the numbers of animals at the shelter coming in on a daily basis. Kennels are full at the shelter, hallways are lined with crates. People who call 311 or 911 for stray or injured animals are told to leave them where they are, drop them back off where found, or take them to the ER vet on their own dime. This results in animals being hit and injured or killed by cars, or picked up by dogfighters. The solution is NOT to continue this no-kill moneymaking business by APA and Best Friends. The solution is to increase space so animals can be accepted at the shelter. Until that happens, nothing will change. What does this mean? Tough decisions have to be made- which means euthanizing animals. However, the current state is slow kill…”don’t euthanize to hit our numeric goal of 95% - so reduce the number of animals coming in by telling people to leave animals on the road.” How is this “no-kill” agenda more humane than euthanizing animals at a shelter? It’s certainly not. APA is so hyperfocused on numbers that they fail to remember the best interest of the animals should be top of mind. Animals sitting in a shelter for 6m-2 years is not humane.

This petition will let city council, the mayor, and city management know that APA doesn’t run this city and certainly doesn’t speak for the city. It will ask them to use common sense when selecting a director, and to not feel swayed by APA’s loud voices.