ASAC Public Comment Insightful

Several Concho Valley PAWS volunteers provided public comment in yesterday's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.  A PAWS foster volunteer submitted public information requests regarding spay/neuter enforcement.  She found:

"44 out of 650 pets provided proof of spay/neuter after impound.  Of the 606 unaltered 400 had a complaint filed and all had been released to owners.  206 are out there unaltered, more than the shelter's current capacity."

"In 2022 and 2023 (year to date) ten breeders permits were issued total, most to a single breeder of dogs that provides a high percent of shelter numbers. And they were issued to individuals who had an impounded dog."

A PAWS volunteer who fosters primarily large dogs reminded the committee of former Shelter Chief James Flores words before City Council when the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance passed on 2015.

"We have to do a better job with dogs running loose all over the community.  It's not just one or two neighborhoods anymore."

She encouraged promoting the city's spay/neuter and microchip requirements while upping enforcement.

A longtime PAWS board member closed the public comment.

"San Angelo has turned a blind eye to the plight of shelter animals far too long."

Concho Valley PAWS is the City of San Angelo's shelter contractor, responsible for veterinary care and adoptions.  The City also relies on PAWS for counseling for citizens wishing to surrender their pet to the Shelter (see above graphic). 

"...We can spay/neuter our way ou-t.  Humans created this situation and we must find a solution."

I found these comments interesting given my prior public information requests regarding shelter spay/neuter compliance.  City statistics showed vast numbers of unaltered animals entering and leaving the shelter (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021-2022.)  

"PAWS employs a licensed veterinarian to spay and neuter all shelter pets upon adoption."

An unaltered Husky gave birth to seven puppies on her third stay in the Animal Shelter.  The shelter and PAWS had two months to conduct spay/neuter surgery before the dog gave birth in June 2022.  Her puppies contributed to the gross shelter overcrowding condition. seen last year at this time.

PAWS stopped issuing low cost spay/neuter vouchers twice since it launched a public relations campaign on "being the change, spay/neuter your pet."  The first stoppage covered December 2022 and January 2023.  PAWS stopped again in July and is yet to restart the program as of today (also in above graphic).

I am glad other members of the community are using public information requests to obtain shelter data the city could easily provide.  It's ironic it's PAWS volunteers.  I consider PAWS complicit in the widespread release of unaltered shelter animals.  

PAWS Executive Director has said many times that all shelter pets had been spayed/neutered.  The focused audit started in the midst of the shelter crisis throws doubts on those assertions.  Results of the City Attorney's audit should be shared with Council and the community.

When the aim is not to serve, some information is best unshared.  As for the signposts to "the path to shelter intake" most say "Do Not Enter."

Update 8-19-23:  Here's another insightful comment from a longtime contributor in the animal welfare community:

For every one dog picked up by a Good Sam "program", there hundreds more without this safety net. We have no real animal control. City of San Angelo can not or will not pick up strays as needed, and won't let anyone bring them to the shelter, "let them roam" is the motto. It is virtually impossible for the average owner to surrender an unwanted pet to the city shelter. Almost no one can follow the proposed intake policy. Forms, appointments, counseling, waiting, etc. another euphemism for "program" that doesn't fly. So they are gonna end up being conveniently dumped in our streets. City powers and its exclusive vendor can continue to blame the irresponsible public instead of taking accountability for its own obligations according to state health codes.

Update 8-30-23:   City Council discussed an incident on Jackson Street over the weekend in which loose dogs killed at least one family pet, possibly more.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden spoke about data but failed to share any.  The Shelter added an office assistant to assit with data compilation.  One might expect the Shelter to share all "this data" with the public via the city's website.  That has not been the case.