The City of Austin closed dog and cat intake to the public. Their news release states:
Intake is now restricted to emergencies only which includes animals that have life-threatening injury or illness, or animals that present a clear public safety risk.
How is a citizen to know if a found pet has life threatening injury or illness? Instructions to the public include:
AAC asks that residents who need assistance with an injured animal take the following steps:
- Call 311, advise them that you need assistance with a sick or injured animal and ask to speak with an Animal Protection Officer.
- Wait for the Animal Protection Officer to pick up the animal. Do not bring the animal to the shelter.
- If you have found a loose pet that is not injured, please visit AAC’s Lost and Found Pet website for guidance.
The City of San Angelo closed shelter intake in November 2022. "Community sheltering" means a drastic increase in unaltered, loose dogs in city neighborhoods. Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden informed City Council during public comment that Animal Control self-initiated a search for an unreported animal pack near Bryant Boulevard and Knickerbocker Road. The officers were unable to locate the pack during patrols but had "an initial contact" where the dogs appeared to be owned and socialized.
Morgan mentioned that people are not calling for services but sharing information online. People don't call for services as Animal Control is frequently unresponsive to requests because the shelter is full. The city's strategy is effectively "let them roam unaltered." Anyone who finds a loose dog is put on a "path to shelter acceptance." San Angelo citizens can thank Pets Alive (which originated in Austin) and Best Friends Animal Society for making shelter services inaccessible.
The City of Austin just entered the "Intake Closed" zone. It may result in fewer shelter deaths but dogs die from lack of food, water and shelter, as well as environmental hazards (cars, dog packs and cruel people). The numbers game just shifts the location of death and imparts much greater suffering.
How long before Austin becomes like a third world country with loose dogs packing up and roaming? It's widespread in San Angelo.
Mayor Gunter responded to Morgan's update on the Bryant Boulevard dog pack. She said she would ask two nearby restaurant owners to stop their employees from providing food and water for the dogs (in the midst of numerous heat warnings).
San Angelo followed Austin which got us into a loose dog mess. Now Austin is following San Angelo in leaving them out on the streets. Can various city leaders stop playing a numbers game and deal with what is?
1 comment:
Morgan is lying one way or another. In her message in response to Shanna Shay Burleson's notification about these dogs Morgan says:
"Thank you for this information. We've self-initiated patrol for that area seven times in June 2024 but have NOTobserved the dogs yet"
Shana's message to Morgan was dated on or before 1 July 2024. Morgan's comment to council was 2 July 2024 and she refers to the "initial sighting" within the seven purported patrols.
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