Animal Services Promotes Shelter Intake Cutoff

SALive interviewed Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden and PAWS Executive Director Jenie Wilson the day after the city announced dog intake would be closed for November as long as the canine census remains over 170.  

Morgan continued her exclusive promotion of PAWS, saying the net reduction of over 100 animals through life saving measures was "entirely due to our relationship with Concho Valley PAWS and their life saving programs they offer."  

The City is extremely appreciative of all of the people and organizations that have stepped up in this time of need to help with temporary fosters and relocations of animals.

Chegwidden made no mention of other area rescues who took shelter animals during the roach infestation/horrific hoarding conditions.

Morgan said "we want to be answerable to citizens that invest in us.."   Shouldn't that be citizens who invest in the mission of animal welfare?  Otherwise, the shelter is just part of a political apparatus.

Citizens interested in attending the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee meeting had four opportunities to do so in the last seventeen months.  On 10-20-22 the ASAC stopped answering questions from citizens in attendance as public comment is not a question/answer session, especially for items not on the agenda.  The same thing happened at City Council on 11-1-22.  So there really isn't a forum to get answers from Shelter leadership for people committed to animal welfare.

There is SALive, where Joe Hyde and Yantis Green get to lob softball questions for Morgan and Jenie to answer.  Shelter capacity will remain an ongoing problem due to the city's charging pet owners for their animal's shelter stay ($86) and microchip fee ($13).  If their pet is unaltered, add the cost of a citation ($150) and court fees ($76).  Those fees and fines total $325.  Irresponsible pet owners may leave their pet in the shelter rather than pony up hundreds of dollars. 

City Council did not act on staff's recommendation for a monthly amnesty day on shelter fees or putting $10,000 towards low cost spay/neuter for low income residents.

Cats everywhere, dog packs, all made worse by the shelter releasing nearly 1,500 unaltered pets the last two fiscal years.  And the answer is to close dog intake?  San Angelo's pet problem will be as impressive to area employers as the condition of the streets where stray dogs roam. 

Update 12-13-22:   A dog attacked a neighbor on Oxford Avenue and the dog was shot with a gun during the attack.  Someone in local rescue posted:. 

Please let’s do something to open the city shelter back up at least for aggressive dogs. Citizens of this city should not have to deal with this

....this is what happens when animal control doesn’t take action for stray dogs.