City Council Inaction Reduced Shelter Services Even Further

San Angelo's City Council took no official action on the Animal Shelter in its November 2022 meeting.  Their inaction green lit cutting off dog intake, which city management did the next day at 8:16 am.  This change had a significant impact on citizens wanting to do the right thing for San Angelo's legions of stray animals.  Historically, 70% of shelter intake came from concerned citizens.  No more.

The Animal Services webpage recently dropped its monthly recap reports.  The report started after the bad hoarding/roach infestation conditions.

 It lasted two months.

For the last four months of 2022 the Shelter took in nearly 1,000 fewer pets than it did in 2017.

Mayor Brenda Ginter was first elected in May 2017.  After winning Gunter said "It will always be about the citizens."

I wonder how the citizen threatened with arrest for expressing their intent to take to the shelter two large stray dogs that killed two of their cats felt.  Did they feel unserved, even abused by city officials while trying to manage their predicament?

In November City leaders offered to come back to Council in thirty days and let them know how things were going, but most of December was no better as the shelter remained full.   No member of Council asked for an update in January.  Council's next meeting is February 7th.  Will anything animal be on the agenda?

Concho Valley PAWS plans to roll out a new low cost spay/neuter voucher in February after dropping their $60 dog/$30 cat voucher for the last two months (December/January).  

It makes it hard for citizens to do the right thing when the shelter and its adoption/veterinary services partner are dropping services simultaneously.

Update:  The Animal Services monthly recap reports were temporarily removed by the city's Communications Director and will soon be restored.  Also, new months will be added shortly.  

Update 2-7-23:  City Councilman Larry Miller said he believes Animal Control will have an update at the next Council meeting.  It is scheduled for 2-21-23 at 8:30 am.

Update 2-10-23:  The city posted nine dogs that will be euthanized if not adopted or placed into a foster home by 5 pm today.   The City's Facebook post said:

 "The shelter must be under 180 dogs by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10."

 Comments provided a new development:

 

It's long past time for City Council and Animal Services to take a strategic long term approach to San Angelo's loose pet situation and a shelter operation that no longer serves citizens.  The City's Bob Salas noted the science behind a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance in 2015.  Animal Services largely ignored adopters failure to spay/neuter their shelter pet until the roach infestation, horrific hoarding situation last August.  The City Attorney focused on writing citations for owners guilty of not fixing their pet but no data has been shared with City Council on that effort to date.  Animal Services will give an update to City Council on February 21st.  

Update 2-12-23:  Shelter intake for January was 193 animals.  Animal Shelter Advisory Committee will consider the proposed No Naked Dogs QR code tag program at an estimated budget of $6,025.