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.
31 Comments
Their policies are also in breach of the Texas Health & Safety code. Local ordinance does NOT override state law. They should be prosecuted for failure to pick up and impound also also for telling people to go dump the dog back where you found it.
There are too many adoptable animals dying in the streets and unadoptable animals in the shelter. Some animals have been kept at APA for years deteriorating, yet easy to adopt animals are dying after being hit by cars because they don't know how to survive outdoors. People are now no longer willing to help stray animals because they will be financially and physically responsible for the animal.
A shelter’s number one priority is public safety. A rescue’s number one priority is saving dogs from euthanasia. Why is a city funded shelter trying to operate like a rescue non-profit? Hire a shelter direct who understands this difference. Return the live release rate to 90% (still no-kill), open intake, and hirer a shelter director NOT affiliated with APA or BFAS.
Far too often, dogs are roaming the streets with people feeling lost on how they can be helpful as the city shelter doesn’t take in new dogs. This leaves dogs out on the street with a high chance of injury or death. People should not feel “stuck” with a stray dog because the city doesn’t have the capacity to help. “No kill” is not humane for a city run shelter.
I hated this when they first declared this. How many thousands of animals have died because of this ridiculous designation for a supposedly open door shelter. Open door shelters know they have to euthanize. Unfortunate but true until spay neuter laws are tightened and actually enacted.
Return the shelter to open intake
I've been rescuing for 30 years and have received many calls from people who found stray and injured animals. We need an animal shelter with enough capacity to take in these animals without just leaving them to die on the side of the road.
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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.
31 Comments
Austin needs an open intake shelter, even if that means lowering the live release rate to 90%. The community is drowning in animals with no where to take them. Please select a director who is not swayed by APA and the extreme, inhumane no kill propaganda. It’s not working and animals are suffering.
Their policies are also in breach of the Texas Health & Safety code. Local ordinance does NOT override state law. They should be prosecuted for failure to pick up and impound also also for telling people to go dump the dog back where you found it.
There are too many adoptable animals dying in the streets and unadoptable animals in the shelter. Some animals have been kept at APA for years deteriorating, yet easy to adopt animals are dying after being hit by cars because they don't know how to survive outdoors. People are now no longer willing to help stray animals because they will be financially and physically responsible for the animal.
A shelter’s number one priority is public safety. A rescue’s number one priority is saving dogs from euthanasia. Why is a city funded shelter trying to operate like a rescue non-profit? Hire a shelter direct who understands this difference. Return the live release rate to 90% (still no-kill), open intake, and hirer a shelter director NOT affiliated with APA or BFAS.
Far too often, dogs are roaming the streets with people feeling lost on how they can be helpful as the city shelter doesn’t take in new dogs. This leaves dogs out on the street with a high chance of injury or death. People should not feel “stuck” with a stray dog because the city doesn’t have the capacity to help. “No kill” is not humane for a city run shelter.
I hated this when they first declared this. How many thousands of animals have died because of this ridiculous designation for a supposedly open door shelter. Open door shelters know they have to euthanize. Unfortunate but true until spay neuter laws are tightened and actually enacted.
Return the shelter to open intake
I've been rescuing for 30 years and have received many calls from people who found stray and injured animals. We need an animal shelter with enough capacity to take in these animals without just leaving them to die on the side of the road.
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Austin needs an open intake shelter, even if that means lowering the live release rate to 90%. The community is drowning in animals with no where to take them. Please select a director who is not swayed by APA and the extreme, inhumane no kill propaganda. It’s not working and animals are suffering.