Austin’s “no-kill” shelter designations are causing new problems for animal volunteers.
90{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1}, that’s the rate in which dogs and cats are saved and not euthanized at local shelters, and volunteers say even at that rate, staff, resources, and overall space is critically sparse. Nevertheless, the city council passed an ordinance raising the rate to 95{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1}, and volunteers like the Austin Animal Center’s David Loignan say that’ll be nearly impossible unless the city takes broader action:
To the business community Loignan said, “If Austin’s Developers to sell Austin as the most pet friendly city, they must stop refusing housing based on breed.” Loignan then shifted his focus on City leaders, “If Austin wants to be the ‘No-Kill’ Leader, then Austin is going to have to lead.”
He said quality of life is becoming a prblem for these animals, and explained, “8 years ago when Austin set the bar at 90{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1}, the solutions were shelter based, there was a no-kill road map for making this happen. It has become painfully obvious that to sustain this effort, in a humane manner, we must change the way this community operates.” Current shelters have no space, dogs are kept locked in cages with minimal interaction for years, and staff turnover is massive.
(Photo:Shutterstock/By Sergio Foto)
