AUSTIN, Texas — Volunteers with the Austin Animal Center (AAC) are calling for change.
Dozens of volunteers and organizers gathered at the Congress Avenue Bridge on Saturday, demanding city leaders remove Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland.
The gathering comes as the center faces issues with overcrowding and operational failures.
Demonstrators said they hope to keep Austin a no-kill city.
"Austin made a promise to us that we would stay a no-kill city. And in order to protect that no-kill city, we need management that respects the policy and who will try to work within that policy," animal advocate Heather Myers said.
Advocates say in 2022, the Austin Animal Advisory Commission passed a vote saying it had no confidence in Bland to do the job. The vote of no confidence is a recommendation and, ultimately, it will be up to the Austin City Council to instruct the city manager to make any changes in leadership at the AAC.
If you find a loose pet, AAC says the best thing you can do is to try to find its owner by walking around the neighborhood and posting on Nextdoor and Facebook. Most pets are found very close to their homes and have a higher chance of being reunited with their families if they stay in the community. More tips can be found here.
If someone finds a sick or injured pet on a Sunday or believes their pet is at the shelter, they can call 311 or 512-974-2000 to be connected to an animal protection officer.