From October 2021 to September 2022 the City of San Angelo Animal Shelter released 760 unaltered pets, 688 in returns to owner/guardian and 72 through adoptions. Of the unaltered pets returned to owner 672 or 97.6% were dogs.
Shelter leaders and adoption/veterinary service contractor PAWS have long cited "irresponsible pet owners." Yet, over 700 unaltered pets have been the responsibility of the Animal Shelter in the last year. A number of these had litters in the shelter.
The Shelter facilitated the widespread return of unaltered animals in the last year. Nearly 3 out of 4 shelter pets returned to owner/guardian were not fixed (72%). Only 28% of pets returned to owner complied with the city's mandatory spay/neuter ordinance.
When the city passed the spay/neuter ordinance in 2015 Shelter leadership told Council the city would take unaltered pets to veterinarians and get them fixed at the owner's expense. That turned into a multi-year hands off approach to citizen noncompliance.
Pets Alive does not prioritize spay/neuter in its "data driven" diversion
of pets away from animal shelters. Pet owners had few options if they could
no longer keep their pet due to life changes. The shelter only accepts
owner surrenders in natural disasters and if the animal is aggressive. Many pets get dumped into the community. Those not fixed have litters and the cycle continues.
Leaders calling citizens to "be the change" should have their house in order. City Council needs to ensure unaltered pets are not giving birth in the shelter, much less leaving the shelter yet again without spay/neuter surgery. It's long past time to make the Animal Shelter bad citizen proof by providing spay/neuter resources and holding pet owners and shelter leadership accountable.
Update 11-24-23: San Angelo Live summed up Animal Shelter problems as "big mean dogs are eating little dogs on Jackson Street." Why did the author compartmentalize San Angelo's widespread loose dog problem to one street? And why use an eating analogy?
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