Austin Pets Alive threatens to leave town over disagreement with city – Austin American-Statesman

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In a move that couldjeopardizeAustin's commitment against killingsheltered animals, the nonprofit Austin Pets Alive has threatened to pack up and leave town unless changes are made to itslicense agreement with the city.

Since 2011, Austin Pets Alive has partnered with the cityby taking in stray and surrendered animals from the Austin Animal Center, which is Austin's taxpayer-funded shelter.

Austin Pets Alivedoes not accept money from the city, but is allowed to operate a downtown shelter on city-owned land on West Caesar Chavez street.

With the nonprofit's help, Austin has managed a 97% save rate through adoptions,, which is above the 90% national standard needed to be considered a no-kill city and also above the city's 87% save ratein the year prior to the partnership begining. The only pets now being euthanized have incurable medical conditions or were responsible for severe injuriesin an unprovoked attack.

But the partnership between Austin Pets Alive and the city has deteriorated, raising questions about if the city can maintain no-kill standards should its longtime ally go elsewhere.

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The fight is overrestrictions that prevent Austin Pets Alive from housing animals that come from outside five Central Texas counties Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Williamson. The nonprofit wants to expand that reach to bring in animals from other jurisdictionsthat do not have no-kill protections.

Austin Pets Alivealso wants to discontinue an annual requirement that it accept 3,000 animals from the city shelter that are at risk of being killed.

The cityhas refused both demands, suggesting Austin Pets Alive should continue to serve only local pets as long as it continues to operate on city-owned land. That has led to a stalemate that neither sideseemsconfident will be resolved by thecontract's expirationon Nov. 23.

"More and more resources are added to the city budget, so fewer and fewer animals should fall through the cracks and onto our plate," said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, president of Austin Pets Alive.

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She said Austin Pets Alive would bewilling to accept any animal on the city shelter'seuthanasia list typically about 1,500 to 2,000 per year but objects to accepting animals not on that list, preferring to reserve kennel spacefor at-risk animals from outside of the immediate area.

"We'd rather take ones that are actually going to die, because that's our mission," she said.

After negotiations broke down with city staff, Austin Pets Alive recently turned toMayor Steve Adler and requested that the Austin City Council direct the city's shelter to agree to the changes sought by the nonprofit. Adler's office declined to comment for this story.

Council Member Leslie Pool said she is pushing to schedule an executive council session to determine the legality of Austin Pets Alive's proposals.

"If what staff is saying is indeed correct then we will have to in fact part ways," Pool said. "I see that as more of a negative for the city than APA because APA is going to be successful wherever with their mission. Their leaving would be a big void for the city of Austin."

As of Monday, the city shelter had taken in 9,241 dogs and cats this year. During that same period in 2019 the most recent year not impacted by the coronavirus pandemic it tookin 14,109 dogs and cats. The shelter's budget for next year is $16.4 million, a 20% increase from three years ago. Jefferson saidit's the highest budget for animal services per capita in the country.

In rejecting the demand to expand Austin Pets Alive's reach outside of the five-county territory, Don Bland, the city's chief animal services officer, said the protection of Austin-area pets must continue to be the focus.

"The citys primary goal is to ensure that city taxpayer investments are focused on supporting animals found in the citys jurisdiction," he said.

As for the 3,000 pet intake requirement: "Removing that provision entirely would negate the reason for free use of the property," city spokeswoman Jennifer Olohan said. "The city values its partnership with APA, which is why we have been open to negotiating that number of animals."

Olohan said the city made a counteroffer in July after rejecting Austin Pets Alive's demands. Austin Pets Alive then rejected the counteroffer, which Jefferson said would have required the nonprofit to accept 2,000 dogs with behavioral issues. Austin Pets Alive declined, she said, because she thought it was important to protect a wider selection of animals that were at risk of being killed.

The disagreement comes just months after the city sounded alarms over a spacing crises at the city shelter. In late June, Bland wrote a memo to the City Council saying the shelter had no additional capacity to house animals and discouraging residents from bringing in stray animals. Bland threatened euthanasia for animals with behavioral concerns that have been housed in the shelterfor a long period.

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At the time, the city said it was forced to house about 30 animals in back rooms at the shelter, out of public sight. That number was down to 16 this week, the city said.

A city ordinance approved in 2010 requires the city to have a 95% save rate. Austin Pets Alive's departure could make it difficult for the shelter to hit that mark without assistance, Jefferson said.

"If our agreement expires and a new one doesn't go into effect there is no formal mechanism on the books to comply with the ordinance," she said.

Olohan, the city spokeswoman, said the city has tentative plansif it fails to reach a renewal agreement with Austin Pets Alive, but said "we are not ready to release those just yet."

If it can resolve the dispute with the city, Austin Pets Alive says it is looking to sign a 75-year agreement. The nonprofit said it has plans to renovate the downtown shelter but first needsassurances it would be there for a long time.

Jefferson said that even if Austin Pets Alive ends up leaving the city, the nonprofit hopes to continue to assist Austin in a informal relationship by accepting animals from the city shelter that are at risk for euthanasia. She said Austin Pets Alive is looking at properties on the outskirts of the city, a challenge, perhaps, for some of the nonprofit's volunteers who are accustomed to a short drive downtown.

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Austin Pets Alive threatens to leave town over disagreement with city - Austin American-Statesman