Apr 03, 2024

Shelters all around the United States are struggling, together with Austin Animal Heart and us proper right here at Austin Pets Alive!. In 2011, Austin grew to become a No Kill group and has remained so with growing save charges 12 months over 12 months. With the latest metropolis ordinance adjustments and AAC’s newest announcement stating that tough choices could must be made for 20+ canines who volunteers say ought to by no means be in danger, it is secure to say that we’re dealing with the true probability that Austin is dangerously near moving into the mistaken aspect of historical past.

We all know nearly all of our group members need Austin to be the most secure metropolis within the nation for shelter pets, which implies greater than protecting animals alive. We all know this to be true after combing by way of the outcomes of the survey we put out earlier this 12 months and from feedback splashed on many social media posts in regards to the issues we’re experiencing proper right here in Austin. We additionally know that there’s numerous blame going round and we’ve got been a part of that. We imagine that AAC is creating its personal issues and we’re listening to from those that suppose APA! isn’t doing sufficient to assist Austin as a result of we additionally serve animals all through Texas.

It’s true that APA! and AAC don’t all the time see eye to eye. In any case, we’re two utterly totally different organizations. AAC is the government-funded metropolis shelter and APA! is a donor-funded nonprofit animal welfare group that has a contract to assist the town by taking in not less than 12% of the pets that come to them yearly. We now have totally different missions, we absorb totally different populations of canines and cats, we even have totally different factors of view at instances relating to delivering companies and medical remedies. However right here’s the place we’re alike. We each have groups of passionate, educated employees and volunteers who really love and need what’s greatest for the animals in our care. We each need pets to seek out adoptive houses and by no means endure. We’re each working in a system that wasn’t made for No Kill and we’re each hurting due to it.

The present mannequin of animal sheltering wasn’t designed with lifesaving in thoughts and it additionally doesn’t serve as we speak’s view of the animal/human relationship. The mannequin frequently finds itself in disaster and if we don’t do one thing totally different we are going to all the time find yourself in the identical spot. The place animal sheltering is as we speak, threatening “exhausting choices” (aka killing for area) will not be the reply. It solely causes extra ache and the issue won’t ever go away. Constructing extra shelters will not be the reply. In the event you constructed a shelter that housed 10,000 animals, I assure you that it could simply be a matter of time earlier than all 10,000 kennels are full and extra animals are lined up on the door. Rescues like APA!, that have been constructed to assist shelters, now being accountable for being a security web for our metropolis shelter by swooping in to take extra animals from Austin isn’t the reply. This ongoing disaster has additionally taught us that the idea of No Kill by itself isn’t the reply. The saving isn’t over till they’re in a house.

We all know why that is occurring and we deeply sympathize with it as we additionally battle with transferring pets quick to adoptive houses. The town selected an id of innovation and treating every animal as a person 15 years in the past however the dedication to that id is waning. It’s not sufficient for our metropolis to say “no kill will not be in danger” when common choices are being made to undermine it. It’s crucial that our metropolis authorities select who they wish to be sooner or later. Do they wish to be like all the opposite massive cities in Texas, barely hanging on to lifesaving applications or do they wish to be just like the Airbnb in a resort world- breaking out past the historical past and right into a world the place pet guardians, shelter employees and volunteers and pets are happier, extra succesful and extra included. This received’t occur in a single day and it received’t be straightforward however it begins with a call.

In the event you’ve been following APA! you recognize that we face related struggles as AAC in some ways. And that’s the reason we’re taking a look at methods to unravel issues with out altering who we’re as a corporation. Our id is strong: We’ll by no means kill for area. Proper now- whereas shelters are full, together with APA!, and since we all know who we’re and what we stand for, we’ve got chosen to vary our enterprise mannequin – it’s not doable to only save pets and rapidly transfer them to adopters. Our personal bottleneck is actual. We will select to only shut our doorways and cease serving to others or we will select to vary what we accomplish that we will help different shelters much more. These adjustments should not straightforward and we’re making some errors alongside the best way however there is no such thing as a different selection however change.

The reality is we’re debuting new ideas as a result of we’re in a very exhausting scenario. That’s why you’re seeing us embarking on a rebuilding marketing campaign that may embody a hospital, transport hub, a rehabilitation facility and a brand new foster and adopter assist heart, however it received’t embody a humongous warehouse full of kennels. We’re additionally transferring towards a extra volunteer-and-foster centric enterprise mannequin. And we’re working exhausting to equip and empower our employees to be the beginnings of a real workforce career the place our business traditionally has solely provided “jobs.”

Change occurs when folks work collectively to make it occur. I’m usually requested how the group will help past fostering and adopting. You may assist by asking our metropolis leaders to make animal points one in every of their prime priorities. It’s fairly telling that the town supervisor candidates weren’t requested a single animal query within the discussion board earlier final week.

The plea for assist from the town is the correct time to not solely step as much as assist them with the area disaster but additionally loudly advocate for, first, the id that embodies the three legged stool of No Kill, Humane Care, and Group Security and, second, the trail to make it so. The progress made in Austin pre-COVID occurred as a result of folks spoke up and contributed concepts and time to assist to maneuver progress.

In the event you’d like to make use of your voice to assist shelter pets in Austin, please enroll to be taught extra about how one can assist!