AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council recently approved an audit for the Animal Services Office, which runs the Austin Animal Center.
In late July, the council approved a resolution calling for the Office of the City Auditor to report on the shelter's effectiveness and to bring in an expert on no-kill shelter policies to try to find solutions.
The resolution comes as the Austin Animal Center continues to deal with a large influx of animals and critical understaffing issues.
Since 2011, the shelter has been no-kill, meaning it is able to find adoptive homes for more than 90% of the animals in its care. However, recent overcrowding has put a strain on the facility.
"Despite the laudable efforts of Animal Services department staff, animal advocacy groups and volunteers to alleviate the strain, the Animal Services Office has released multiple media advisories and memos reporting on a severe shelter space crisis, and in one case in 2021, warned of the possible use of euthanasia," the resolution reads in part.
The resolution also notes that the last audit that the city auditor conducted on the shelter in 2015 identified state compliance issues and ongoing challenges, such as insufficient facilities and resources.
The Austin Monitor reports that Craig Nazor, the chair of the Animal Advisory Commission, spoke at the council's July 28 meeting in support of the resolution. He said he believes the audit will help "keep our shelter the most humane and forward-looking shelter in the nation."
However, the Austin Monitor also reported that some citizens expressed concern about who the no-kill policy expert will be, saying it would be unfair if the expert had ties to Austin Pets Alive!.
The resolution directs the city auditor to provide details on progress and a timeline for the project by Sept. 21.
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