The city of Austin will soon take up the issue of banning the transfer of their shelter animals to any other shelter which has a higher kill rate than their own. The proposal is in response to a September 6 attempted transfer of 19 animals from Austin’s animal control shelter (TLAC) to the Houston SPCA. Animal advocates in Austin succeeded in causing the Houston SPCA bus to return all the animals back to Austin.
Austin rescue groups have been saving animals from the Bastrop County fires, resulting in a space crunch for Austin animals. Abigail Smith, the director of TLAC, made the decision to open up kennels by sending animals to the Houston SPCA.
According to their records, TLAC has had a 90% or better save rate for the past six months whereas the last reports produced by the Houston’s SPCA in 2005 puts their save rate at only 35%. The Houston SPCA refuses to make more current data public. Austin and Houston animal advocates protested claiming that it put Austin’s animals at risk of being killed by the Houston SPCA and also put Houston animals at risk for being killed to make room.
“Houston shelters kill 80,000 animals a year,” said Bett Sundermeyer of No Kill Houston. “It makes no sense to be killing our own animals and bringing in animals from Austin, especially when Austin is saving better than 90% of them.”
Ryan Clinton of Fix Austin, who succeeded in stopping the transfer, wrote in a letter to the Mayor of Austin that, “We should never allow our lifesaving values to be legitimately questioned by transferring animals to an organization that has less regard for life than we do.”
Of particular concern to Austin and Houston advocates is that, the Houston SPCA kills savable animals, has a breed discrimination policy mandating the killing of friendly dogs of certain breeds, and refuses to publicly release intake and disposition data, including rates of killing.
Because of the large outcry of opposition, the bus with the Austin animals, which was already on the road to Houston, was sent back to Austin. Both the Austin Animal Welfare Advisory Commission and the Austin City Council will consider enacting a policy banning the transfer of animals to high kill rate shelters.
“It’s another black eye for Houston, when an entire city in Texas says we will not send animals to you because you can’t even save the animals in your own community,” said Sundermeyer.
Link to story here.
Austin rescue groups have been saving animals from the Bastrop County fires, resulting in a space crunch for Austin animals. Abigail Smith, the director of TLAC, made the decision to open up kennels by sending animals to the Houston SPCA.
“Houston shelters kill 80,000 animals a year,” said Bett Sundermeyer of No Kill Houston. “It makes no sense to be killing our own animals and bringing in animals from Austin, especially when Austin is saving better than 90% of them.”
Ryan Clinton of Fix Austin, who succeeded in stopping the transfer, wrote in a letter to the Mayor of Austin that, “We should never allow our lifesaving values to be legitimately questioned by transferring animals to an organization that has less regard for life than we do.”
Of particular concern to Austin and Houston advocates is that, the Houston SPCA kills savable animals, has a breed discrimination policy mandating the killing of friendly dogs of certain breeds, and refuses to publicly release intake and disposition data, including rates of killing.
Because of the large outcry of opposition, the bus with the Austin animals, which was already on the road to Houston, was sent back to Austin. Both the Austin Animal Welfare Advisory Commission and the Austin City Council will consider enacting a policy banning the transfer of animals to high kill rate shelters.
“It’s another black eye for Houston, when an entire city in Texas says we will not send animals to you because you can’t even save the animals in your own community,” said Sundermeyer.
Link to story here.
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