The City of San Angelo Animal Shelter released almost 1,500 unaltered pets over the last two fiscal years. The vast majority of intact dogs and cats (nearly 1,400) were in the return to owner/guardian category. Adoptions accounted for 100 unaltered pets.
Shelter management and adoption/veterinary services contractor Concho Valley PAWS have long complained about irresponsible pet owners allowing their pets to reproduce and run free. In some cases the shelter has facilitated reuniting shelter animals with those irresponsible owners.
This two year time frame is important because City leadership changed the time period for giving citations for failure to spay/neuter per city ordinance. It informed the public in a press release:
Effective Aug. 16, 2022, citizens who have failed to prove compliance for spaying or neutering their pets have received citations through a newly approved process that allows violations to be issued by mail rather than in person. This has replaced the shelter’s practice of allowing a 10-day grace period to collect proof of compliance for those in violation.Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden said citations would be written going back a "two year period" in the 10-20-22 Animal Shelter Advisory Committee meeting.
When asked why the switch from a two month to a two year citation period the city's public information officer found no responsive documents.
Hopefully, the Animal Shelter update for City Council will shed some light on this decision, as well as the myriad of issues raised during the roach infestation/horrific hoarding conditions crisis.
Update 10-26-22: The City issued a press release
on the plan to reduce shelter capacity,the very information it was
unable to share with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee last
Thursday. The press release did not address the large number of
unaltered animals that enter and leave the Animal Shelter. Animal Shelter staff will provide an update to the City Council at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1.
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