Statesman comes out strong for No Kill

COMMENTARY: ALBERTA PHILLIPS
To make Austin a no-kill city, Town Lake Animal Center must increase adoptions
Alberta Phillips,
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Every day the Town Lake Animal Center kills cats and dogs largely to make space for new arrivals. It does not pause its euthanasia machine on weekends or holidays, though it limits the killing when the center is closed to animals that are sick or suffering. Nearly half — about 48 percent — of animals that are put down are classified as "unnecessary euthanasia."
Those are mostly healthy pups and kitties whose only offense was that no one came to claim or adopt them. No group rescued them. During the past year, the center euthanized 6,362 animals of which 3,036 were unnecessary.

That is too many. Given Austin's goal of becoming a no-kill city, I thought there would be a vigorous effort on adoption. But I was disappointed to learn that the city will continue to rely heavily on the status quo — spaying, neutering and putting down animals — to manage Austin and Travis County's pet population rather than ramping up adoption efforts.
As I reported previously, the city-run animal center has made tremendous progress in reducing its kill rate to about 32 percent. About two-thirds leave alive either through adoption or rescue groups. Just two years ago, the kill rate was 52 percent, meaning that animals had less than a 50-50 chance of leaving the place alive. Last week, the Austin City Council, led by Council Members Bill Spelman and Mike Martinez passed a resolution to expand spay and neuter services to weekends in a move that would treat 2,000 more dogs and cats.
A good move, but it won't in the short run reduce the center's kill rate. Clearly, the city needs a more vigorous adoption initiative. But those in charge of running the animal center have no plans to do that.

I asked Dorinda Pulliam why the center does not invest more in adoption efforts or why it does not divert money used to kill dogs and cats to the rescue groups that put them up for adoption? She is assistant director of the Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services Department that oversees the animal center.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," she said. "I think we have a good program. To give them money to take animals ... it's part of their mission to help us."

She talked about Austin's model animal programs, about not relying on government to fix the whole problem, and about striking a balance in which nonprofit rescue groups and Austin residents step up to fill more of the gap. But that avoids the question of why the center will not divert more of its $5.5 million budget (from our tax dollars and fees) to adoption efforts. Doing so would immediately affect the kill rate. And isn't that the goal?

It's a point not lost on Spelman, who said the center falls short when it comes to adoption. The center, Spelman said, should take pets to the people, showing them on weekends at public places around town to increase their chances of being adopted. That is a good idea. It is especially important, he said, because the animal center will lose visibility when it moves from its downtown location to a site in East Austin.

On the day that I recently visited the animal center, 15 dogs were on the kill list. There was a female pit bull mix and her male offspring. He jumped, yelped and played while she looked from the kennel with a cocked head in a stare my boxer gives when he is confused about my commands.

Twenty-four hours later, all but three of the 15 dogs had been put down. The three lucky ones were rescued by Austin Pets Alive.
I still remember them — some were still playful despite their ordeal. Others were listless or curled in fetal positions and obviously depressed. Twelve were injected with a lethal dose of phenobarbitol.

Local attorney and former Travis County Judge Bill Aleshire said the county and city have been too slow in reaching the no-kill goal, which has been talked about since 1997, when he was a member of the Travis County Commissioners Court.
"This heartless situation does not have to exist," he told me. "The city and county have plenty of money to implement a no-kill policy. They just chose to spend that money on bureaucracy instead."

To be fair, the animal center, which gets funding from the city and county, has dramatically improved its adoption rate since 1997. But its own figures prove how vital adoption is in decreasing the kill rate, along with spay and neuter services. In 1997, the center completed adoption for 8 percent of its animals. It put down 69 percent of center animals that year. This year, the center's adoption rate is 22 percent and its kill rate has dropped to 32 percent.
If Austin is going to be serious about reaching its no-kill goal, then it must get serious about adoption.

aphillips@statesman.com; 445-3655

Agenda for Tues. Sept. 29 Animal Issues Forum

1. What's happening and what's coming up at Austin City Council?
a. Animal Welfare Summit
b. Adoption Center
c. S/N resolution and City Manager's plan (due November 5)

2. What's happening and what's coming up at the Animal Advisory Commission?
a. Donations Fund (October, November and December meetings)
b. Health and Safety Code (staff response to AAC question about using other city buildings to house sick animals)

3. What's happening with non-profit animal organizations?
Still working on this. Email me at patvt5 at gmail dot com if you have "happenings" you'd like to talk about or hear about.

City Council Adopts Resolution to Increase Spay/Neuter Services

At today's City Council meeting (9/24/09), Council Member Spelman (sponsor) and Council Member Morrison (co-sponsor) proposed a resolution directing the City Manager to develop a plan to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries by 2000 surgeries per year. Mayor Pro Tem Martinez added an amendment related to increasing live outcomes. The amended resolution passed.

The draft of the original resolution (without the amendment) and the fiscal memo are posted on the City website and read as follows:

WHEREAS, the City Council has adopted the goal of becoming a no-kill city, and
WHEREAS, increasing the capacity for spay neuter services at Town Lake Animal Center for animals leaving the shelter would help to achieve that goal,
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN:
The City Manager is hereby directed to develop a plan to increase the frequency and number of spay/neuter surgery services to:
1. provide service seven days a week without decreasing the number of surgeries done during the existing service days, and

2. thereby increase the number of spay and neuter surgeries by 2000 surgeries per year, consistent with the plan suggested in budget question response #79, Fiscal Year 2010.
To present the plan to City Council by November 5, 2009, including any necessary budget amendments.


TO: Marc Ott, City Manager
FROM: Ed Van Eenoo, Budget Officer
DATE: September 24, 2009
SUBJECT: Fiscal Memo for Item #70

Item #70 on the September 24, 2009 Council Agenda is to approve a resolution directing the City Manager to develop a plan to increase the frequency and number of spay/neuter surgery services and present the plan to Council by November 5, 2009, including any necessary budget amendments.
At this time, this item has no fiscal or staffing impact. Staff from the Health and Human Services Department (HHSD) will be available to work on this item. Upon completion of plan, the details, including any fiscal or staffing impact, will be reported to Council.

Class at Southwestern U. "Going to the Dogs"

Dogs teach students about real world
Southwestern University offers unique class
Updated: Thursday, 17 Sep 2009, 9:04 AM CDTPublished : Thursday, 17 Sep 2009, 5:35 AM CDT
Kate Weidaw
GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - A class at Southwestern University in Georgetown has gone to the dogs.
That's because the dogs are teaching freshman about life outside of the classroom.
"The idea of these classes is to segway between high school and college," said Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster, professor of religion and environmental studies at Southwestern University.
The freshman seminar Hobgood-Oster is talking about is called "Going to the Dogs," and for this class, students are literally going to the dogs at the Georgetown Animal Shelter.
"You get to interact with the dogs," said Southwestern University freshman Hannah Brock. "It's not just sitting in a classroom."
Students are required to spend at least one hour a week volunteering, in addition to learning about dogs in the classroom. It might make some wonder, "What's the connection between dogs and freshman adjusting to life in college?"
"On the surface, it may seem like a trivial topic, but if you think about what dogs are, they have been associated with humans for the last 10- or 15,000 years," said Dr. Jimmy Smith, a professor of kinesiology at Southwestern University.
Smith and Laura Hobgood-Oster have been teaching the class for eight years and believe dogs can teach students a lot about the real world - like a dog that had to be surrendered due to a domestic violence case.
"They begin to see how we are interconnected and see what happens to humans, happens to dogs," said Smith.
Students are able to see the hardship of giving something up because you cannot afford it.
"Every family this guy ever knew is gone," said Smith.
And this class is about finding solutions for homeless dogs, like a great pyrenees that was surrendered by its owner.
"Hopefully a livestock dog group will be able to take that dog out of the shelter to open a run for another dog," said Hobgood-Oster.
And lets face it . Who can complain about a class that gives lots of love by just showing up?
The class also uses dogs to incorporate lessons on culture, environment and religion.

Agenda for Tuesday, September 29 Animal Issues Forum

The agenda for the for the Tuesday, September 29 Animal Issues Forum has not been finalized, but here are some of the possible agenda items we have to choose from:

1. Do we need another Animal Welfare Summit?
City staff is planning another all-day Animal Welfare Summit to get community input on animal welfare programs in Austin. Do you think we need an all-day Animal Welfare Summit? If so, why? If not, why not? The Animal Advisory Commission (AAC) has not been included in planning the agenda for the Animal Welfare Summit. Does this make sense?

2. Adoption Center
What's happening with plans for an Adoption Center on Lady Bird Lake when the city-run shelter moves to Levander Loop? Mayor Lee Leffingwell (when he was Council Member Leffingwell) sponsored a resolution to keep the current shelter location site open as an Adoption Center. What has been done so far and what is being done to move forward on the Adoption Center?

3. Staff's proposed budget for next year's Donations Fund:
City staff have proposed a budget for expenditures out of the Donations Fund for next year. (Fiscal year 2010 begins October 1.) Thanks to Council Member Shade and the entire City Council's vote in favor of a resolution directing the AAC to review and make recommendations to Council, the AAC will review the City staff's proposal at its next meeting October 21. If you'd like to give your input to the AAC before or at the October 21 meeting, come to the Animal Issues Forum on September 29 to learn more about and discuss the staff's proposed budget. (You can also give input without coming to the forum, but you'll have less information.)

4. Health and Safety Code issues and lawsuit
At the September AAC meeting, there was a long discussion about the cleaning and other protocols relating that have an impact on the health (or lack thereof) of animals at TLAC. The AAC recommended looking into other City buildings that could be used to house sick animals. The AAC also discussed a lawsuit filed by Austin attorney Seth Smith, who made a presentation at the meeting describing the violations of the Health and Safety Code that he included in his lawsuit.

5. Coalition for a No Kill Austin
Austin Pets Alive has proposed the creation of a Coalition for a No Kill Austin. What's happening with that? Do you think it's a good idea? If so, how can you get involved?

Please send me your comments, if you have any. Thanks.
Pat Valls-Trelles
patvt5@gmail.com