[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT IS 6:00 PM IT IS 6:00 PM THE MAGIC TIME
SO I USUALLY GIVE IT UNDER CONTROL.
UM, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE JULY 13TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 6:00 PM IF I MAKE ANY MISTAKES, PLEASE
ALL RIGHT, SO THE FIRST THING WE'LL DO, I BELIEVE IS ROLL CALL.
COMMISSIONER AHMED? NOT, NOT HERE.
COMMISSIONER NELSON IS NOT HERE.
IT'S THE SPACE THAT TRIPPED ME UP ON THAT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SHARON, DO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO JUST JOINED? OH, I'M SORRY, WHO JUST JOINED? COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON.
SO I THINK WE'RE JUST MIS MISSING COMMISSIONER AHMED AND NELSON AND I AM HERE PRESENT FOR THE MOST PART.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
WE WILL BEGIN WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.IS THAT THIS LIST HERE? ALL RIGHT.
SO, UH, THE FIRST, UH, SPEAKERS THAT SIGNED UP PRIOR TO THE MEETING BEING CALLED, YOU'LL EACH HAVE A THREE MINUTE ALLOTMENT TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING, UM, ANY ITEMS. AND SO THE FIRST PERSON WE HAVE, I BELIEVE IS REMOTE.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I GET YOUR NAMES WRONG.
UH, THE FIRST NER THE FIRST PERSON IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT CONCERNS REGARDING AUSTIN PETS ALIVE DOG TRAINING.
AND IF ESA HAAS IS PRESENT, GO AHEAD.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
UH, I APOLOGIZE IT WASN'T LETTING ME ON MUTE.
UH, MY NAME IS VANESSA HAAS AND I'M A FORMER DOG BEHAVIOR TRAINER AT A PA LONGTIME ADOPTER AND A VOLUNTEER.
I SPEAK TODAY TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS REGARDING CURRENT BEHAVIOR TRAINING PRACTICES AT A PA AS IT APPLIES TO THE PARTNERSHIP OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES WITH AUSTIN PET WIFE.
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, ADVOCATES HAVE RAISED SERIOUS CONCERN, UM, ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF A EIGHTH BEHAVIOR PROGRAM.
DURING THAT TIME, THERE HAS BEEN A CLEAR SHIFT TOWARD DIVERSIVE TRAINING METHODS, INCLUDING PINCH COLORS, VIBRATION COLORS, AND NOW ELECTRIC SHOCK COLORS.
I HAVE SHARED WITH THE COMMISSIONERS BY EMAIL A RECENT TRAINING PLAN WRITTEN BY THE DOG BEHAVIOR SYSTEM MANAGER PROPOSING THE USE ELECTRIC SHOCK COLOR ON THE DOG NAMED SCOTTY.
WHAT IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING IS THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS PROMOTED INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE AFTER JOINING THE PROGRAM ONLY A YEAR AGO.
[00:05:01]
DESPITE HAVING NO FORMAL EDUCATION AND RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATION IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, YET THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING BEHAVIOR DECISIONS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE WELFARE OFPRO PROVISIONS IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE HELD BY INDIVIDUALS WITH THE EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERTISE NECESSARY TO APPLY MODERN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES.
INSTEAD, APAS BEHAVIOR PROGRAM IS BEING SHAPED BY SOMEONE WHO ACTIVELY PROMOTES DIVERSIVE TRAINING, TRAINING METHODS, UH, THAT ARE INCONSISTENT WITH CURRENT PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
AS A PROGRESSIVE ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION, A PA SHOULD BE SETTING THE STANDARD FOR HUMANE SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING.
THAT MEANS RELYING ON QUALIFIED BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS AND USING METHODS SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE, NOT OUTDATED TECHNIQUES THAT INCREASE FEAR, STRESS AND ANXIETY.
THE AMERICAN VETERINARY SOCIETY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RECOMMENDS THAT REWARD-BASED TRAINING BE USED FOR OLD DOGS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS. THEIR POSITION IS CLEAR AVERSIVE METHODS OF NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON ANIMAL WELFARE AND ON THE HUMAN ANIMAL BOND.
AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY'RE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN REWARD-BASED TRAINING BECAUSE OF THESE RISKS.
THEY RECOMMENDED, UH, THEY RECOMMENDED THE REVERSE METHOD NOT BE USED FOR TRAINING OR BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
TODAY I ASK THE ANIMAL ADVISOR PERMISSION TO WORK WITH, UM, UH, RESCUE PARTNERS TO REQUIRE GREATER TRANSPARENCY REGARDING TRAINING PRACTICES AND THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE INDU INDIVIDUALS MAKING BEHAVIOR DECISIONS.
ORGANIZATIONS ENTRUSTED WITH AUSTIN, UH, SHELTER ANIMALS SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW HUMANE EVIDENCE-BASED STANDARDS AND ENSURE THAT THOSE LEADING BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION AND EXPERTISE.
THE DOGS IN OUR COMMUNITY DESERVE TRAINING THAT IS ETHICAL, COMPASSIONATE, AND GROUNDED IN SCIENCE.
I URGE LEADERSHIP TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH REVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICES AND TO PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY, WELLBEING AND DIGNITY OF EVERY ANIMAL IN AUSTIN.
OH, CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION IF SHE'S STILL ON? YEAH.
ARE YOU STILL ON THIS? DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A QUESTION? SURE.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND A TIMEFRAME.
UM, WHEN I VOLUNTEERED AT A PA FROM 2016 TO 2018, UM, WE WERE TAUGHT AS VOLUNTEERS TO USE METHODS LIKE SPRAY BOTTLES IN THEIR FACE AND, UH, SHAKING COIN BOXES IN THEIR FACE TO GET ANIMALS TO DO, UM, WHATEVER.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT AT SOME POINT THAT STOPPED AND THEY WENT TO FEAR FREE TRAINING AND IT RESTARTED, AND DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT HAPPENED? NO.
UH, THE SPRAY BOTTLES AND SHAKE HANDS ARE STILL BEING USED, ESPECIALLY IN PLAYGROUP.
BUT, UH, THEY STOPPED, UH, THE USE OF PINCH COLLARS OR SHOCK COLLARS, UM, OR ELECTRIC COLLAR.
AND THAT HAS BEEN, UM, TALKED ABOUT AND, AND, UM, PUSHED BY THE, UH, ASSISTANT MANAGER TO, UH, COME BACK AND TO USE ON DOGS AND THE PINCH COLORS HAVE BEEN USED ACTUALLY IN MY TIME THERE.
I HAD ONE, ONE QUESTION AS WELL.
OR DO YOU KNOW, ARE THEY USING, ARE THEY, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW IF THEY'RE USING THIS ON JUST VERY PARTICULAR DOGS THAT ARE HAVING SPECIFIC ISSUES OR DOES IT SEEM TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD? UH, IT SEEMS, NO, IT'S NOT ACROSS THE BOARD.
THEY ARE TRYING TO USE IT ON BEHAVIOR DOGS WITH BEHAVIORS THAT ARE, UM, A LITTLE BIT, UM, IT REALLY DO, DO REQUIRE MODIFICATION.
HOWEVER, IN A STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT, REGARDLESS OF ENVIRONMENT, ACTUALLY, THOSE, UH, THOSE TOOLS HAVE PROVEN TO CREATE MORE STRESS AND FEAR IN ANIMALS.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY, UH, THAT FEAR AND ANIMAL, UH, THAT FEAR AND ANXIETY DOES ESCALATE AND, AND TURN INTO A BITE, WHICH HAS HAPPENED.
UM, SO YES, SO THEY ARE, IT, IT'S ONLY ON BEHAVIOR DOGS.
UM, AND THESE DOGS ARE ALREADY PAST, LIKE, THERE'S, THEIR STRESS LEVELS ARE SO INTENSE THAT ADDING MORE FEAR AND PAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
UM, ANY OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ESA.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WE HAVE UP IS, HAS TO DO WITH, UH, TRANSPARENCY AND SOPS.
AND, UH, THIS PERSON WILL BE CALLING IN REMOTE, UH, FOR SANDRA MUELLER.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THE SOPS REGARDING SCREW WORMS AND HOW IT RELATES TO TNR.
AND I'M ALSO CURIOUS WHEN INTAKE WILL BE FULLY OPEN, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE
[00:10:01]
WERE TOLD ABOUT 60 DAYS OUT BACK IN APRIL.BUT THE REASON FOR MY CALL TONIGHT REGARDING TRANSPARENCY, IT'S A STORY OF TWO DOGS HERE IN AUSTIN.
BOTH OF THEM AROUND TWO TO THREE YEARS OLD, BOTH UNALTERED AND WEIGHING 60 POUNDS, BOTH ARRIVING AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
ONE HAS A DUNBAR BITE OF THREE, WAS PLED TO A PA AND WAS SLATED TO BE EUTHANIZED THIS PAST SATURDAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAPPENED.
I'M PRETTY SURE A PA DECLINED.
THE OTHER HAS A DUNBAR BITE OF FIVE AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO A PA.
THIS MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CITY ORDINANCE THREE DASH ONE DASH 26, AND IT'S HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
DUNBAR FIVE MEANS SEVERE INJURIES, DEEP BITES, AND HIGH FATAL RISK.
THIS SCALE ONLY GOES TO SIX AND SIX MEANS FATAL ATTACK AND THE PERSON IS DEAD.
THE SAFETY IS THIS CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WHY IS A A C TRANSFERRING DUNBAR FIVE DOGS? THE STAFF IS AT RISK.
OTHER DOGS IN PLAYGROUP COULD BE AT RISK.
ANY FOSTER, ANY PERSON ON THE, ON THE CAMPUS, ANY TRANSPORTER, THEY'RE ALL AT RISK.
THE CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER AND THE BEHAVIOR TEAM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY AS COMMISSION MEMBERS.
THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE RELAYED TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO EVEN WORSE, THE WORD AROUND TOWN IS THE DOG WITH THE DUNBAR FIVE IS PREGNANT AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO A PA PREGNANT DOGS USUALLY GO TO FOSTER AND THEY MAY BE EVEN MORE PROTECTIVE AFTER GIVING BIRTH.
IT'S A TERM CALLED MATERNAL AGGRESSION.
IF THE RUMORS ARE TRUE THAT A PREGNANT DUNBAR FIVE IS IN FOSTER, WAS THE FOSTER MADE AWARE OF THIS BITE HISTORY? WILL THE ADOPTERS OF THESE PUPPIES BE GIVEN THE MOTHER'S HISTORY WITH PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT GIVEN TO A PA SO THEY CAN SELL PUPPIES? THERE'S TOO MANY QUESTIONS GOING ON WITH THIS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A RUMOR, BUT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON BIRTH.
AND LASTLY, BIRTHING LARGE TO MEDIUM DOGS IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SPAY ABORT IN THE EUTHANASIA, NOT A RISKY AND DANGEROUS TRANSFER TO A P SO THEY COULD SELL SOME PUPPIES.
AND AVER IS BROUGHT UP AT CITY COUNCIL A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WHOEVER, ESA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND MIGHT LOOK INTO THAT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER HOLT.
I I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE BEFORE I KNOW, HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, YOU SENT A RECENT EMAIL OUT SAYING THERE TIMES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO ASK DIRECTOR LER QUESTIONS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN OUR PREVIOUS UNDERSTANDING.
AM I ABLE TO ASK HER A QUESTION IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF THIS DOG? THE DUNBAR FIVE ONE THAT IS RUMORED TO BE PREGNANT AND TRANSFERRED TO A PA OH OH.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
UH, THE THIRD PARDON ME CHAIR? UH, YES.
MAY I ASK, MAY, MAY I ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR COMMISSIONER DANIEL? YEP, GO AHEAD.
UH, THE DOG'S NAME IS CHEETAH AND I HAVE THE NUMBER IF YOU NEED IT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER NORTON.
ANY, ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE? ALRIGHT, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER THREE ABOUT THE STATE OF ANIMALS IN TEXAS BY, UH, ROBIN KATZ.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M IN DISTRICT SEVEN, OR ROBIN KATZ GONZALEZ.
[00:15:01]
DI DISTRICT SEVEN.I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE LAST, UH, CALLER, UM, AND COMMENTER.
AND YES, THE, THE DOG'S NAME WAS CHEETAH.
UM, MY COMMENTS FOCUS ON THREE AREAS, ANIMAL CRUELTY, THE STRAY DOG CRISIS, AND THE PROPOSED NEW ADOPTION SOPS.
THE FIRST TWO SLIDES SHOW A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE INDIVIDUALS ACCUMULATING ANIMALS THAT THEY CAN'T CARE FOR, BREEDING THEM AND ATTEMPTING TO SELL THEM WHILE BEING, UH, WHILE REPEATED CALLS COME INTO 3 1, 1 AND 9 1 1.
RESULT IN LITTLE OR NO MEANINGFUL INTERVENTION UNTIL THE MEDIA OR SOCIAL MEDIA BECOME INVOLVED.
IN THE FIRST CASE, A WOMAN HAD TWO ADULT DOGS IN A SHOPPING CART FULL OF PUPPIES AND OVER 100 DEGREE WEATHER ALONG A HIGHWAY.
I SUBMITTED A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 'CAUSE I WAS ONE OF THE CALLERS AND FOUND THAT MORE THAN A DOZEN CALLS FOR SERVICE CAME INTO BOTH A PD AND THREE 11.
CONCERNING THIS RESPONDERS REPEATEDLY COUNSELED HER AND THAT'S APOS AND TOOK NO ACTION.
DESPITE THE OBVIOUS LACK OF ADEQUATE SHELTER AND WATER, A PIECE OF CARDBOARD OR METAL WAS OVER A SHOPPING CART, AND THAT'S LEGALLY NOT ADEQUATE SHELTER UNDER THE LAW.
SHE WAS EVENTUALLY ARRESTED FOR AN UNRELATED OFFENSE BY A PD ONLY AFTER PEOPLE TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTACTING CITY COUNCIL.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THESE DOGS MAY BE RETURNED TO HER, INCLUDING THE PUPPIES.
I ALSO URGE THE CITY TO ENSURE THAT CRUELTY DETERMINATIONS INVOLVING AN ANIMAL'S CONDITION ARE REVIEWED BY A VETERINARIAN WITH CURRENT CLINICAL OR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE.
WHEN I SHARED THESE FACTS ABOUT THE DOGS IN THE SHOPPING, THE PUPPIES IN A SHOPPING CART IN THIS WEATHER, UM, WITH A FORENSIC VET WHO USED TO TESTIFY IN MY ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES, WHEN I SERVED AS A PROSECUTOR PROSECUTING THESE CASES, THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THESE CONDITIONS WERE NEITHER APPROPRIATE NOR LAWFUL.
THE SECOND, UM, PHOTO OR THIRD PHOTO HERE SHOWS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL LIVING WITH MULTIPLE DOGS NEAR A MAJOR ROADWAY.
ONCE AGAIN, THE RESPONSE WAS EDUCATION.
WE NEED ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW, NOT SIMPLY COUNSELING.
TURNING TO THE STRAY DOG ISSUE.
THE NEXT SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE CONSEQUENCES, OR I'M SORRY, THIS IS, THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY.
A DOG IN A CRATE ON A PATIO WHERE NOTHING WAS DONE.
THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY UNDER THE LAW, UNDER THE PENAL CODE 42.092, ALONG WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE VIOLATIONS TURNING TO THE STRAY DOG ISSUE.
THIS ILLUSTRATES THE CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSING INTAKE OR RETURNING ANIMALS TO UNSAFE SITUATIONS.
AUSTIN'S MOVING CLOSER TO THE CRISIS WE'VE SEEN IN SAN ANTONIO AND WITHOUT MEANINGFUL INTERVENTION, THIS IS GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
FINALLY, I WANNA ADDRESS THE PROPOSED ADOPTION, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THAT, UM, THE DIRECTOR SENT OUT.
ELIMINATING BASIC SCREENING QUESTIONS IN THE NAME OF REDUCING BARRIERS PUTS ANIMALS AT RISK.
YOU SHOULD BE ASKING WHETHER AN ADOPTER CAN LEGALLY AND SAFELY KEEP THE ANIMAL THAT INCLUDES WHETHER THEY LIVE WITH SOMEWHERE PETS LIVE, SOMEWHERE WHERE PETS ARE ALLOWED, WHETHER THEY HAVE A REALISTIC PLAN TO CARE FOR THE ANIMAL, AND WHETHER THERE ARE FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO THE ANIMAL BEING SURRENDERED OR ABANDONED.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO REVIEW TEXAS PENAL CODE PROVISIONS THAT PROHIBIT INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF CERTAIN ANIMAL CRUELTY OFFENSES FROM POSSESSING ANIMALS FOR FIVE YEARS.
IF NO BACKGROUND REVIEW IS CONDUCTED, HOW IS THAT LAW BEING ENFORCED? ASKING THEM, MAKING THEM SWEAR ON THEIR
THESE ARE NOT UNNECESSARY BARRIERS.
THEY'RE COMMON SENSE SAFEGUARDS THAT PROTECT BOTH ANIMALS AND THE COMMUNITY.
THE JOB OF THE SHELTER IS NOT TO PROTECT PEOPLE, IT'S TO PROTECT ANIMALS AND PUT ANIMALS FIRST.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN SAN ANTONIO RECENTLY WHEN THE SHELTER REFUSED INTAKE AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE HELP FOR SOMEBODY WHO TRIED TO TURN IN ANIMALS AND PUPPIES AND ASK FOR HELP, HE KILLED THEM.
THIS IS SOMEBODY, THIS IS DEXTER, WHICH IN THE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, THIS IS DEXTER'S LAW IN FLORIDA, THIS GENTLEMAN WHO LOOKS LIKE A VERY NICE GUY WITH THE HEADPHONES ON, THAT'S HIS PICTURE WHEN HE WAS ON TRIAL, UM, WOULD'VE BEEN ADOPTED TO HERE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE WE DON'T DO BACKGROUND CHECKS.
YES, THEY'RE LEGAL TO DO, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DO THEM.
WE DO THEM AT THE PE THE CITY DOES THEM ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT TO BE INVESTIGATED.
I WOULD ALSO ASK REGARDING THOSE TRAINING PRACTICES, THOSE AVERSIVE METHODS.
I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU PUT THAT ON AS AN AGENDA ITEM IN THE FUTURE AND ASK, UH, THE DIRECTOR TO INVESTIGATE AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO YOU REGARDING THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THE SHELTER HAS AND WHAT TRAINING METHODS THEY USE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE METHODS AREN'T USED.
AND NEXT PERSON WILL BE, AND I'M SO SORRY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE READING THE HANDWRITING.
SO, ROCHELLE, I KNOW THE FIRST NAME.
AND MY, MY MAIN CONCERN IS SPAYED AND NEUTER.
[00:20:01]
MM-HMMAND I HEARD THAT THE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, NOT AUSTIN PET.
I MEAN, UH, E PET EMANCIPATE IS NOT GONNA DO VERY MANY LARGE DOGS WHO HAS LARGE LITTERS LARGE DOGS.
AND I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'VE GOT A NEIGHBOR WITH TWO FEMALE PIT BULL MIX.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE PIT BULL MIX.
'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE SAID BEFORE BECAUSE I'M HAVING TO DEAL WITH THEM.
AND I TOLD THEM SHE'S COMING IN HEAT, THEY'RE COMING IN HEAT, THEY GOT BANGED.
SO, AND I TOLD HIM WHY, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THAT LAST, UH, GOOD FIX.
AND SO, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REAL UPSET BECAUSE THAT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 16 OR 15 PUPPIES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEY'RE GONNA RUB WILD, JUST LIKE THEY'RE RUNNING WILD.
SO I'M, I WOULD LIKE TO GET 'EM FIXED WHILE THEY'RE PREGNANT BECAUSE THEY JUST GOT PREGNANT IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF IT.
I'VE TOLD THEM TO GO TO
AND THAT'S, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY ARE LARGE DOGS AND WE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF, IF, IF MONICA COULD TELL US IF THEY'RE GONNA MAKE A, A REQUIREMENT OF HOW MANY OF THE LARGE DOGS THAT E PET'S GONNA DO.
I MEAN, THEY GET A BIG SUM OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND WE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE BIG LITTERS AND I'M REAL CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GO HUNGRY.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT GETTING FLEA MEDICINE AND HEARTWORM MEDICINE, THEY GOT CATS AND I'M PUTTING FOOD OUT FOR THE CATS, YOU KNOW, FOR 'EM.
AND I'VE GOTTEN A FEW OF THEIR CATS FIXED.
BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND I WAS HOPING SOME OF Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND, AND LET, LET, LET THE PUBLIC LET ME, BECAUSE I DO SEE PEOPLE, I HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR DOGS.
THERE, THERE WAS A GUY STANDING ON THE CORNER AT THE AIRPORT RIGHT THERE BY THE SHELL STATION.
AND I WENT AROUND AND, 'CAUSE I FED MY CATS AT THE AIRPORT AND I GAVE HIM A BAG OF, UH, DOLL FOOD.
IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR POUND BAG OR WHATEVER IT IS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, I CARRY FOOD IN MY CAR FOR THE DOGS, FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE CORNER.
AND I NOW I GIVE HIM SOME WATER 'CAUSE THE DOG'S GOTTA HAVE WATER.
BUT I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, WONDERING IF SOMEBODY WILL PICK THIS UP OR MONICA WILL TELL US OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, ABOUT THIS, WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THEN FOR OUR NEXT PERSON, NUMBER FIVE, THIS IS REGARDING AUSTIN PETS ALIVE AND PLAYGROUP SAFETY FROM, UH, ANNALY SKILL.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRWOMAN AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.
I'M ALSO A LOCAL VOLUNTEER FOSTER AND ADOPTER.
I ALSO RUN DOG, DOG PLAYGROUPS AS PART OF MY FULL-TIME JOB.
I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE DOGS.
CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE PLAYGROUP PROGRAM AT AUSTIN, PETS ALIVE, A PA VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF HAVE REPEATEDLY OBSERVED THAT MEMBERS OF THE BEHAVIOR TEAM ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TRAINED TO SAFELY SUPERVISE PLAYGROUPS.
THIS INCLUDES AN INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE, PREVENT AND DEESCALATE DOG TO DOG CONFLICTS, EVALUATING DOGS ELIGIBILITY FOR PLAYGROUP AND SAFELY INTERVENING WHEN FIGHTS DO OCCUR.
THE INCIDENTS OF CONCERN HAVE RANGED FROM INJURIES REQUIRING ONSITE VETERINARIAN TREATMENT TO SURGICAL INTERVENTION, HOSPITALIZATION.
AND MOST RECENTLY, THE DEATH OF MERLOTT.
A YOUNG BLACK AND WHITE PD TRANSFERRED FROM A A S WHILE A PA HAS MADE THE DISTINCTION THAT MERLOT DIED FROM THE STRESS OF A MULTI DOG PLAYGROUP FIGHT.
THIS DIFFERENTIATION IS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO DISREGARD THE REAL CONCERNS I'M SHARING HERE TODAY.
NOT JUST FOR MERLOTT, BUT FOR EVERY DOG THAT ATTENDS PLAYGROUP AT TLAC.
VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF HAVE WITNESSED THE SAME DOGS REPEATEDLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE CONTINUING TO PARTICIPATE IN PLAYGROUPS, INCLUDING THE VERY DOG WHO BEGAN THE SCUFFLES AND FIGHTS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO MERLOT'S DEATH.
A PA VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF HAVE WITNESSED A DOG BEHAVIOR ASSISTANT MANAGER, HELICOPTER AND KICK A DOG TO BREAK UP A FIGHT.
THE DOG WHO, SORRY, EXCUSE ME.
THE STAFF MEMBER WENT ON TO BRAG ABOUT THEIR SKILLS AND BREAKING UP DOG FIGHTS.
IN THE ABSENCE OF TOOLS, HELICOPTERING
[00:25:01]
IS A HIGHLY DISCOURAGED AND UNPROFESSIONAL TACTIC OF LIFTING A DOG OFF THE GROUND AND SPINNING THEM BY THEIR LEASH.THAT INHUMANE AND UNSAFE TACTIC CAN CAUSE EXTREME FEAR, PAIN, AND PHYSICAL INJURY, INCLUDING STRANGULATION, BRAIN DAMAGE AND DEATH.
ON JUNE 23RD, DURING A PLAYGROUP SUPERVISED BY ONE OF THE DOG BEHAVIOR ASSISTANT MANAGERS, MERLO WAS INVOLVED IN SCUFFLES WITH NO FEWER THAN FIVE DOGS.
ALL HAD KNOWN CONFLICT DRIVE ACCORDING TO APAS OWN TERMINOLOGY AND DOCUMENTATION CONFLICT DRIVE AS DEFINED BY A PA CATEGORIZES DOGS THAT HAVE SHOWN A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF AROUSAL AND WILLINGNESS TO JOIN CONFLICT.
A PA POLICY STATES THAT THE NUMBER OF CONFLICT DRIVE DOGS IN A YARD AT ONE TIME SHOULD BE IDEALLY LIMITED TO TWO, BUT NEVER MORE THAN THREE MERLO FACED.
FOLLOWING THESE INCIDENTS, MERLO DID NOT RECEIVE A VETERINARIAN EXAMINATION DESPITE THE POLICE FROM VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF THE FOLLOWING DAY, MERLOT WAS FOUND IN A PUDDLE OF BLOOD DECEASED IN THE MANAGER ON DUTY OFFICE.
HE HAD BEEN MOVED THERE DUE TO SIGNS OF DEPRESSION, WHICH WE CAN ALL ASSUME WAS MISCATEGORIZED.
LETHARGY FROM HEMORRHAGING PLAYGROUP PROTOCOLS EXIST TO PROTECT DOGS.
YET THOSE SAFEGUARDS ARE NOT BEING CONSISTENTLY FOLLOWED AND ARE REGULARLY FAILING, RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAUMA TO STAFF AND DOGS ALIKE.
I URGE THE COMMISSION TO EXAMINE THE WELFARE OF THE DOGS CURRENTLY ATTENDING PLAYGROUPS AT A PA, INCLUDING FORMER A A S DOGS.
AS A A S'S LARGEST RESCUE PARTNER, WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT DOGS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED TO A PA RECEIVE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AND MEDICAL CONDITION THEY DESERVE.
UM, IT MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH TO HEAR THAT.
UM, I MEAN THIS WITH LIKE ALL THE GOOD INTENTION, WE HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LIMITED AND NO OVERSIGHT WHATSOEVER OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
AND IT IS A DISPROPORTIONATE RELATIONSHIP WHERE UNFORTUNATELY, NOT UNFORTUNATELY, OBJECTIVELY WE NEED THEM MORE THAN THEY NEED US.
UM, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS INFORMATION, GIVEN THAT CONTEXT? AND IT IS FINE IF YOU NEED TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT AND EMAIL ME, BUT I I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS AND ALSO FEEL LIKE THERE IS NOT A WHOLE LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S, UM, IN A SIMILAR VEIN TO WHAT ANESA SPOKE ABOUT WITH THE USE OF SHOCK COLORS BY BEHAVIORS, BY AUSTIN PETS LIFE BEHAVIOR TEAM.
I BELIEVE AS A SHELTER, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES HAS A DUTY TO ACTUALLY VET THE RESCUES WE'RE SENDING THESE DOGS TO.
UM, WE'VE SEEN STARK EXAMPLES OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON'T, WHEN WE LET ACCOUNTABILITY SLIP AWAY WITH MIRANDA'S RESCUE BEING IN THE NEWS AT THIS MOMENT, UM, I THINK IT'S UP TO OUR CITY SHELTER TO DO A BETTER JOB AT VETTING AND SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE FOLLOW UP QUESTION? YEP.
UM, TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING, IS AUSTIN PETS ALIVE PROPERLY DOCUMENTING THE CASES OF AGGRESSION THAT ARE BEING SEEN? UM, SO, AND THIS MIGHT BE MY OWN IGNORANCE, BUT LIKE, IF THERE IS, IF MY DOG WAS TO GET ATTACKED BY A DOG, I HAVE RECOURSE TO LIKE FILE A COMPLAINT IN SOME SORT OF WAY TO CLASSIFY THEM AS A DANGEROUS DOG.
ARE YOU SEEING ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING WITHIN AUSTIN PETS ALIVE SO THAT THE DOG'S BEING INJURED? I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT, UM, I THINK I WOULD NEED CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE DANGEROUS DOG IS A TERM THAT THE CITY GIVES DOGS.
IT'S NOT A, LIKE A DESIGNATION OR RESCUE COULD GIVE A DOG, RIGHT? UM, USING MERLOT AS AN EXAMPLE, THE DOG THAT BEGAN THE SCUFFLE THAT WAS MELES LAST, UM, HE HAS BEEN IN I THINK, THREE TO FIVE OTHER SERIOUS INCIDENTS INCLUDING THE PUNCTURE OF A DOG NAMED NITRO, WHICH RESULTED IN HOSPITALIZATION.
UM, SO THERE ARE CLEAR DOCUMENTED PATTERNS OF THE DOG DOG AGGRESSION THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE DOGS AND CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED.
BUT THE DOCUMENTATION'S HAPPENING INTERNALLY.
INTERNALLY, NOBODY IS LIKE BRINGING REPORTS, NO REPORTS TO THE CITY.
I ALSO BELIEVE, UM, IT'S STILL THE SAME AS IT WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
AUSTIN PETS ALIVE DOES THEIR OWN RABIES QUARANTINES ON SITE.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF BITES TO HUMANS ARE REPORTED TO THE CITY OR NOT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE BITES TO DOGS ARE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE CITY.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, REGARDING A, A C, UM, DEBBIE ELLIOT.
OH, DEBBIE, I WAS JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS GROUP MORE.
I'M NOT, SHE'S GONNA AGENDA ITEM
THE NEXT STEP WE HAVE, UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO SAY THIS
[00:30:01]
CORRECTLY.UM, THANK YOU CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
EVERY MONTH I SAY IT, BUT EVERY MONTH I APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE AND DOING THIS WORK.
I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF AUSTIN SINCE 85, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ANIMAL WELFARE AND ANIMAL ISSUES SINCE 1991 OR 92, UH, 16 OF THOSE YEARS I WAS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND ONLY ONE YEAR WAS I CHAIR.
UM, BUT I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT ON AND I APPRECIATE YOU.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON SPAY NEUTER, UH, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING LARGE FEMALE DOGS SPAYED.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROPOSE THAT, UM, WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME DATA NEXT MONTH ON THE NUMBER OF, UM, LARGE FEMALE DOGS THAT ARE BEING SPAYED.
AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE NEED A WORKING GROUP ON THAT, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU LOOK AT THAT ISSUE IN PARTICULAR.
SO I'M JUST REQUESTING IT BE AN ISSUE OF HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH THAT? AND MOST, MORE SPECIFICALLY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE TIME IT TAKES FROM THE TIME A PERSON MAKES A PHONE CALL TO EMANCIPATE OR TO THREE ONE ONE.
UM, TALKING ABOUT, UH, A NEED FOR A, A LARGE FEMALE DOG TO GET SPADE.
UM, AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO THROW OUT THE COST.
UH, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET A LARGE FEMALE DOG IN AUSTIN SPADE? IF YOU, UM, DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT, WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU? SO THESE ARE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UM, IN THE PAST I'VE COME FORWARD AND ASKED FOR WORKING GROUPS, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH WORKING GROUPS RIGHT NOW,
I'M JUST GONNA ASK FOR YOU TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT, UM, I, I THINK THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT MEETING FOR YOU TO HAVE PUT THE BUDGET ON THE AGENDA.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT IT'S NOT ON THERE.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS JUST RELEASED THE BUDGET AND I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IT AND SEEING HOW DID YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
DO YOU KNOW YOU HAD A MEETING IN MARCH, UH, WHERE YOU DISCUSSED THE BUDGET.
AND HERE WE ARE IN JULY, THE CITY MANAGER HAS JUST RELEASED IT.
HOW MUCH OF WHAT YOU RECOMMENDED IS IN THERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN CUT AND WHAT ARE Y'ALL GONNA DO ABOUT IT BETWEEN NOW AND THEIR VERY SHORT TIMEFRAME? AND I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A RIDICULOUSLY SHORT TIMEFRAME THAT COMMISSIONS GET TO DISCUSS WHAT THE CITY MANAGER RELEASES.
BUT GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE THIS LITTLE TIME, THIS IS THE TIME TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT.
DID MY TIMER NOT GET SET OR SOMETHING? DO I STILL HAVE MORE TIME?
I WAS, I WAS JUST WEIGHING IT.
SO UP NEXT, NOW THAT CONCLUDES, THAT INCLUDES THE LAST SPEAKER FOR, UM, FOR GENERAL TOPICS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO NOW I WILL ASK FOR THAT.WE MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, COMMISSIONER DEL SECOND, THE SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTAINING? ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE APPROVED B MINUTES FROM LAST
[00:35:01]
MONTH.[Items 2 & 3]
AND NOW WE WILL BEGIN THE, UH, STAFF BRIEFINGS.AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STAFF TO PRESENT, UH, REGARDING THE MONTHLY REPORTS.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR DANGLER.
AND LET'S SEE, ARE YOU ALONE TONIGHT? ARE YOU OKAY? UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING THE REMOTE AND TALKING AT THE SAME TIME, SO BEAR WITH ME WHEN I MESS UP.
WE'RE GONNA MIX THIS UP A LITTLE BIT AND KIND OF COMBINE THINGS TOGETHER.
SO, UM, AND WE'LL STOP AND, UH, HAVE QUESTION TIME BREACH OF THE BIG TOPICS.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST WE WANNA GO INTO OUR UPDATES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
FOR THIS LAST MONTH, WE HAD OUR, UM, FIRST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, MEGA VACCINE, UH, FREE MEGA VACCINE AND MICROCHIP DRIVE THROUGH CLINIC WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY ON JUNE 10TH.
UM, WE DID IT ON OUR STAFF TRAINING DAY, UM, SO THAT THE MAJORITY OF STAFF COULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
UM, WE WERE REALLY AGGRESSIVE IN WHAT, HOW MANY WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DO.
WE ENDED UP DOING FAR LESS, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
WE STILL, UM, VACCINATED AND MICROCHIPPED, UM, A HUNDRED AND 197 DOGS, 76 CATS, 27 KITTENS, AND 21, UM, PUPPIES.
WE HAD PEOPLE BEGINNING TO LINE UP AT, UH, AS EARLY AS 6:00 AM BY 7:00 AM THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT WAS FULL AND DOUBLE PARKED
UM, SO WE'VE STARTED JUST IN TIME TO GET THEM THROUGH.
UH, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EVENT.
WE GOT TO SEE, UM, UH, WHAT KIND OF NEED THERE REALLY WAS.
UM, ACROSS THE COUNTY, OUR VERY FIRST PERSON IN LINE HAD SEVEN CATS AND THREE DOGS AND HER, UM, LIKE TO TOYOTA TUNDRA, UM, AS WELL AS TWO PEOPLE AND A CHILD.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY ALL FIT IN THERE, BUT THERE WAS A LOT IN THERE.
UM, SO IT WAS REALLY, IT, IT WAS A GOOD, UM, EVENT.
UM, GOOD FOR TEAM BUILDING, UM, AND GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE TWO LARGEST ZIP CODES WERE, UM, 7, 8, 7 5, 3, WHICH IS TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN 7 8, 6 5 3, WHICH IS MANOR.
UM, WHICH IS A NO SURPRISE THAT, UM, OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS WHERE RESOURCES ARE LESS, THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE A HIGHER NEED.
UM, BUT IT WAS A REALLY NICE EVENT.
UM, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ALL THE, UM, DATA AND NUMBERS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER DANIELS HAD ASKED FOR, JUST BECAUSE OF THE REPORTING STRUCTURE THROUGH SHELTER BUDDY, I'M SORRY, UM,
BUT YEAH, IT WAS A, IT WAS A VERY NICE EVENT AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO DOING ANOTHER ONE, UM, IN THE WINTER, UM, WITH, UH, AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN WE'LL UTILIZE THOSE, UM, VACCINES FOR, UM, OTHER VERY SMALL, UM, NOT SPAN NEUTER, OTHER SMALL VACCINE CLINICS, UH, FOR THE ANIMALS.
THE VACCINES WERE ALL DONATED THROUGH, UM, PET COLO.
UM, AND EACH, WITH EACH OF THE DHPP OR FE RCPS DONATED, WE GOT $3 AND WE USE THAT TO PURCHASE THE, UM, RABIES VACCINE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CLINIC? COMMISSIONER DANIELS? UM, WHAT WAS THE GOAL AGAIN? WELL, WE WERE HOPING LIKE 800 TO A THOUSAND ANIMALS.
SO WE, WE GOT, WE GOT ABOUT A THIRD OF IT, UM, BUT WE WERE FULL THE ENTIRE TIME.
UM, AND NOW THAT WE'VE USED THAT, UM, LOCATION AND WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN BACK IN PRACTICE, I THINK THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF LEARNING SO WE CAN DO MORE, UM, AS PEOPLE COME TO THE EVENTS.
DO YOU THINK THE NEXT ONE WILL BE ON A WEEKEND OR WILL YOU DO IT AGAIN DURING THE WEEKDAY? UM, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
WEEKDAYS ARE EASIER FOR US TO DO, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON A STAFF TRAINING DAY, WEEKENDS, RIGHT? THOSE ARE HIGH VOLUME ADOPTION DAYS, SO WE DON'T WANNA FOREGO ADOPTIONS FOR VACCINE CLINICS, BUT IT'LL BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT ON, UM, AVAILABILITY OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
SO WHERE WAS THE CLINIC? OH, WHERE WAS IT AT? IT WAS AT, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT ADDRESS.
IT WAS RIGHT THERE AT ANDERSON LANE AND I 35, UM, AT, UM, AUSTIN HUMANE SITE, UM, FUTURE HOME.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY RED ROCKS CHURCH, SO IT HAD A HUMONGOUS PARKING LOT THAT WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND AROUND, UM, THE SHELTER.
[00:40:01]
TO 200 CARS IN LINE AT 7:00 AM UM, AND THEN WORKED THEM THROUGH.THIS IS THE WAY I DO QUESTIONS, WHICH IS GONNA BE A COMMENT AND I CAN PUT A QUESTION MARK AT THE END.
UM,
UM, THEY'RE PHENOMENAL PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO, TO BE ABLE TO FIND FREE HOSTS FOR THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION IS, BUT THANK YOU,
OH, I GOTTA HIT MY LITTLE THING NEXT.
UH, WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL DAY FOR EMANCIPATE SURGERIES.
UM, AS YOU GUYS MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, WE HAD, UM, CHALLENGES WITH SCHEDULING, FINDING A PLACE THAT WAS A, THAT MET ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPAY NEUTER EVENT THAT WAS AVAILABLE ON THE SAME DAY THAT THE DOCTORS WERE AVAILABLE.
SO COORDINATING THAT WAS CHALLENGING, UM, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND, UM, DATES THAT MATCHED UP WITH, UM, THEIR, WITH, WITH THE NEEDS AS WELL.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND HAD EMANCIPET, UM, ADD AN EXTRA SPAY NEUTER DAY, UM, UH, EACH WEEK, UH, TO, TO DO THOSE SURGERIES.
THEY ARE ON THEIR MOBILE BUSES, SO THEY ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UH, KENNELS THAT ANIMALS GO INTO SPECIFICALLY FOR LARGE DOGS.
THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN BECAUSE LARGE DOGS ARE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE MET THOSE NEEDS.
UM, SO WE'VE ALSO CREATED A, UM, SIGNUP FORM, UH, THAT WAS AVAILABLE.
IT WENT OUT, I DON'T HAVE THE FORM WITH ME, SORRY.
UH, IT WENT OUT ON THE PUBLIC MEMO ABOUT IT.
OUR STAFF HAVE, UM, THAT, UH, SIGNUP FORM, UM, AS WELL AS EMANCIPATE.
SO AS WE COME ACROSS ANIMALS OR PEOPLE WITH LARGE DOGS THAT WANT SPAY NEUTER, WE CAN ADD THEM TO THE FORM.
AND EMANCIPET IS PULLING ANIMALS OFF OF THAT FORM AND BRINGING THEM IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, THAT THEY GET SPAY NEUTER, ANY ANIMALS COMING, SPECIFICALLY LARGE DOGS COMING TO THE MOBILE EVENTS THAT THEY CAN'T FIT ON.
THEY'RE GETTING THEM VOUCHERS AND SCHEDULING THEM IN, UM, SOMETIMES SAME DAY, UM, AT OTHER LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING THOSE, UM, ANIMALS IN.
BECAUSE LARGE DOGS IS A PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US.
UM, WE DO ALSO, AND I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE COMMISSION PACKET, BUT I MAY BE WRONG.
UM, WE DO GET MONTHLY, A MONTHLY REPORT FROM EMANCIPET, UM, BREAKING DOWN, UM, HOW MANY ANIMALS, UM, THEY SPAY AND NEUTER AND PROVIDE, UM, WELLNESS SERVICES TO ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, WHAT ZIP CODES THEY'RE COMING FROM.
AND I BELIEVE WHAT SEX OF ANIMAL POTENTIALLY SIZE, I NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BUT I CAN MAKE SURE IF WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY SHARING THAT WITH THE COMMISSION, I CAN START SHARING THAT WITH THE COMMISSION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 35% OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE SPAYED OR NEUTERED, UM, THROUGH THE FREE DAYS ARE, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY PETS.
UM, ABOUT 50% OF THE PETS GETTING WELLNESS SERVICES ARE TRAVIS COUNTY PETS.
UM, SO I DO KNOW THAT, UM, SO, UH, THIS WAS THE QUICKEST WAY FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE SPEND THAT MONEY.
THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO US BY ADDING THIS FREE DAY.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH EMANCIPATE, DEPENDING ON, UM, WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FOR NEXT, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THE BEST WAY TO SPEND THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, UM, SPAYING AND NEUTERING, NOT JUST ANIMALS, BUT THE ANIMALS THAT IMPACT, UM, SHELTER INTAKE THE MOST.
SO I, THROUGH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS I VOLUNTEER WITH, HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH WHOEVER RUNS THE EMANCIPATE VANS, AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS AN UPPER LIMIT ON THE SIZE OF DOG THEY CAN TAKE.
I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT'S LIKE WEIGHT OR HEIGHT OR WHATEVER THE THRESHOLD IS, BUT THERE ARE DOGS THAT ARE YEAH.
ARE NOT POSSIBLE ON THEIR VANS.
AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THOSE DOGS ARE SEEN SAME DAY AT OTHER CLINICS FOR FREE? HOW'S THAT EXPLAIN? YES.
UM, SO ANY DOGS, IT'S BY WEIGHT AND IT'S TYPICALLY ABOUT 50, 60 POUNDS.
OR ABOVE, UM, MAY NOT FIT ON THE BUS AT ALL.
OR THEY'RE, THEY MIGHT ALREADY BE FILLED.
AND IN THOSE CASES, WE'RE, UH, WELL, NOT WE, BUT EMANCIPET IS EITHER
[00:45:01]
ONE, GIVING THEM ABOUT VOUCHER TO USE AT THEIR, UM, FREESTANDING CLINIC WHERE THEY HAVE A LOT MORE, UM, FLEXIBILITY WITH SPACE.UM, AND, OR SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THE DAY, THEY'RE ABLE TO BOOK THEM IMMEDIATELY AT ANOTHER CLINIC TOO.
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING BOTH ENDS OF THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS BASED ON RIGHT, THE, THE A HUNDRED POUND GREAT DANE THAT SHOWS UP IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A FREESTANDING CLINIC MM-HMM
UM, THEY'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO DO IT ON THE BUS.
UM, AND ALSO ON THIS, UM, THE QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT HOW LONG ANIMALS HAVE TO WAIT FOR SPAY NEUTER FROM THE TIME YOU CALL.
UM, AND THAT IS ALSO ON THAT REPORT THAT THEY GIVE US.
AND I BELIEVE FOR LARGE DOGS, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST WON'T SAY 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA MISQUOTE, BUT I WANNA SAY IT'S MAYBE SIX WEEKS, UM, FROM THE TIME YOU CALL UNTIL THE TIME YOU CAN GET IN.
AND THAT JUST, THAT FLUCTUATES BASED ON PEOPLE'S AVAILABILITY AND ABILITY TO BRING THEIR PETS IN.
SO SOME CAN GET IN MUCH FASTER.
LAST ONE, UM, DOES EMANS PET SPAY PREGNANT ANIMALS, WOULD ANYBODY BE TURNED AWAY IF THEY BROUGHT A PREGNANT ANIMAL IN? I BELIEVE THEY WILL.
THAT WOULD BE WHO, WHO WOULD I QUOTE ON THAT I CAN FIND OUT? I CAN FIND OUT.
ANY OTHER EMANCIPATE QUESTIONS? YEAH, AND JUST TO CONFIRM, WE DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE THAT AS PART OF OUR PACKET FROM EMANCIPET FOR THE MONTHLY MEETINGS.
I CAN MAKE SURE NAVA HAS THAT SO WE CAN, YOU GUYS CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, UH, AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT THING GOING ON, BISSELL PET FOUNDATION HAS GENEROUSLY, UM, OFFERED US, UM, NEX GUARD THROUGH WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY REGIONAL ANIMAL SHELTER WAS NICE ENOUGH TO INCLUDE US IN THEIR LARGE DONATION.
UM, AND, UH, I BELIEVE THE FIRST, UM, SHIPMENT IS JUST FOR DOGS.
AND THEN WE ASK THEM TO GIVE US NEXT GUARD COMBO THAT ALSO PROTECTS CATS.
UM, FOR THE SHELTER, WE'LL BE USING THE NEXT GUARD COMBO, UM, IN THE FIELD.
UM, BRENDAN GRAL, WHO WORKS WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION, THOSE DOGS ARE MOST AT RISK OF POTENTIAL SCREW WORMS. SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
THE SHELTER ANIMALS, THE DOGS IN THE SHELTER ARE ALREADY GETTING PERICO TRIO, WHICH, UM, PROTECTS THEM FROM SCREWWORM.
UM, AND THEN THE CATS, UM, WE'LL GET THAT NEXT GUARD COMBO THAT WE'LL USE BOTH IN SHELTER AS WELL AS, UM, SHARE WITH AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY FOR THE COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE, AND WE CAN USE THOSE WITH ANY CATS OUT IN THE FIELD AS WELL.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS KNEW THAT.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING LOTS OF GUARD AND PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY ANIMALS.
ELLIOT WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE LOTS OF OTHER GREAT THINGS ABOUT SCREWWORM.
I HAD A QUESTION, BUT IT WAS BACK TO EPED.
SO
SO WHAT IS THAT LIKE AN ADDITIONAL 14 DAYS THAT WE'LL HAVE? IT'S, YEAH, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL DAY PER WEEK THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND WHAT, HOW MANY ADDITIONAL ANIMALS FROM THOSE CLINICS DO YOU EXPECT TO GET SPAYED, NEUTERED? SO AT JUST THE MOBILES RIGHT.
THEY'RE LIMITED TO ABOUT 50 ANIMALS, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, SO I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THAT.
HOWEVER, THEY ARE ALSO SPAYING AND NEUTERING ANIMALS AT THEIR STATIONARY CLINICS, UM, AS WELL.
SO IT, IT'LL BE A COMBINATION.
I'M ANTICIPATING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, GET IN ABOUT 1500 ANIMALS TO THROUGH EMANCIPATE THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND FUNDING ALLOWS, OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, IS TO EXHAUST THAT FUNDING.
WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY MONEY ON THE TABLE.
JUST MY NEURO SPICY BRAIN WON'T LET ME DROP THIS 1500 MORE OR 1500 TOTAL 1500, UH, MORE THAN WHAT THEY CURRENTLY DO THAN WHAT WE HAD DONE.
WHAT, WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, WHAT DO WE NORMALLY DO? BECAUSE GREATER GOOD THREW OFF THAT MATH FOR A WHILE.
SO 1500 MORE THAN WHAT, SO SORRY.
1500 WITH THAT GREATER GOOD FUNDING, RIGHT? YEAH.
GREATER GOOD WAS DOING ABOUT A THOUSAND A CLINIC.
WE WERE GONNA BE, WE WERE TRYING TO DO ONE MORE CLINIC IN JULY.
UHHUH
SO IT'LL BE ABOUT THE NUMBER THAT GREATER GOOD WAS GONNA FULFILL.
GREATER GOOD WAS DOING A LITTLE LESS THAN A THOUSAND PER POPUP.
[00:50:01]
DID FIVE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.UM, FOUR OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
WE, I BELIEVE FOUR DO NOT, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT.
LET'S SAY IT WAS FOUR, BUT I BELIEVE WITH JULY WAS GONNA BE OUR THIRD.
THIRD AND WE WEREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE A FOURTH IN THIS FISCAL YEAR DUE TO SCHEDULE CHALLENGE.
SO 1500 FROM EMAN EQUALS 4,000 FROM GREATER GOOD.
1500 FROM EMANCIPET WOULD BE 2000 FROM GREATER GOOD.
AND IF WE CAN SQUEEZE MORE OUT, THEN WE WILL DO THAT.
AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT'S NOT ABLE TO MAKE THAT MATH? MATH? WE'RE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE CLINICS THAT AREN'T GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON IT VERSUS THE ADDED DAYS.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR? YES.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GETTING LOST.
SO FOR TOTAL, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, SAME NUMBER OF DOLLARS AS BEING SPENT.
ARE WE GETTING MORE SPAYS AND NEUTER OUTTA THAT? YES.
OR ARE WE GETTING LESS OUT OF THAT? WE SHOULD GET MORE SPAY NS OUTTA THAT.
THANK THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA GET MORE SPAY NEUTER OUT OF EMANCIPET THAN GREATER GOOD.
WE ARE HOPING TO YES, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO ABOUT 150 PER CLINIC, PER EXTRA ADDITIONAL CLINIC TO HIT 1800.
SO WE, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WE WERE GONNA BE DOING, IF THEY'RE DOING LIKE 50 PER CLINIC MM-HMM
YOUR ADDITIONAL CLINICS EACH WEEK, EACH DAY IS GONNA HAVE TO SHOOT FOR LIKE ONE 30 TO ONE 50.
AND THEY'RE DOING, SO THERE'S THE CL THE MOBILE CLINIC DAY THAT THEY'RE DOING EXTRA.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO, AND THEN THEY'RE DOING MORE, UM, ALSO AT THEIR STATIONARY CLINICS, THEY'RE PICKING UP THOSE VOUCHERS.
SO THEY'RE GONNA DO, AND THOSE OTHER ANIMALS, THEY'RE GONNA ANOTHER HUNDRED PER WEEK AT THE BRICK AND MORTAR TO REACH THE 1500.
I MEAN, THE EMAIL THAT CAME IN TO US COMMISSIONERS THAT IT WAS GONNA BE 1800 TO 2000 MORE.
SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE MATH MAP.
I'M LIKE, I AM TRYING TO MAP IF ON THE SPOT WITHOUT A MATH MACHINE UNDERSTAND THAT.
I THINK, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL IF SHE CAN, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO SEND A CLARIFYING EMAIL SO THAT SHE CAN HAVE SOMETIMES TO JUST LOOK THROUGH THE NUMBERS.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO DO STUFF ON THE SPOT.
WE, IF WE COULD GET THE, THE MATH TO MATH AND SEND THAT TO US, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ANY OTHER THAT DID THAT? GOTCHA.
WHO'S GONNA BE MY MATH MACHINE?
UH, UH, SOME GREAT THINGS THAT WE JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SURVEY, UM, THAT JUST STARTED ON THURSDAY.
UM, THEY'RE POSTED THROUGHOUT THE SHELTER, UM, AT THE, AT ADOPTION DESK ON THE, UH, DOORS WHEN YOU'RE COMING IN.
ALSO, PEOPLE WORKING OUT IN THE FIELD WHERE THEY'RE APOS OR OUR EVENTS TEAM ALSO HAVE LITTLE, UM, BUSINESS CARDS WITH THE QR CODE THAT WE CAN PASS OUT TO PEOPLE SO WE CAN START BENCHMARKING WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, HOW ARE PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE WHEN COMING INTO THE SHELTER? UM, UH, SO WE CAN DETERMINE WHERE TO GO NEXT.
UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S A A ONE TIME.
LET'S GATHER INFORMATION, UM, AND THEN STOP ASKING FOR IT.
WE MAY, UM, CHANGE THAT SURVEY, UM, TO BETTER FIT OUR NEEDS AND FIND INFORMATION.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST ASKING REALLY BASIC CUSTOMER SERVICE, UM, OR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? WHY DID YOU COME IN? WHAT SERVICES DID YOU COME TO GET? UM, WE'RE, UH, DO WE EXPLAIN EVERYTHING CLEARLY? WERE YOU ABLE TO GET THE INFORMATION EASILY? AND HOW WAS YOUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE SHELTER? UM, AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE AREA WHERE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HAVE US CALL THEM BACK, THEY CAN LEAVE THEIR INFORMATION, THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION SO WE CAN CALL BACK, UM, AND GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM.
UM, OTHERWISE IT'S GONNA HELP US CREATE THAT BENCHMARK TO START MOVING FORWARD ON.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS WE CAN ASK AND OR, UH, WAYS TO IMPROVE, UM, PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE COMING INTO THE SHELTER.
UM, WILL THIS ALSO BE OUTSIDE THE PRC? YES.
EVERYBODY VISITING WITH US OR INTERACTING WITH US, WE WANT THEM TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK.
'CAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S JUST OPTIONS, IT'S ANY WAY THAT YOU'RE INTERACTING WITH US.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD TO HELP, UM, ESTABLISH CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT THE SHELTER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO HELP US WITH TRAINING IS START IMPLEMENTING POLICY AND SOPS AND OR REVISING SOPS.
[00:55:01]
CREATING NEW ONES.UM, SO WE STARTED WITH OUTCOMES PATHWAYS, UM, AND CREATED AN OVERARCHING POLICY, UM, THAT REALLY JUST OUTLINES, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WANNA INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY AT THE SHELTER.
UM, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR GETTING THE ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER? MEANING DO RETURN TO OWNER ADOPTION TRANSFER, UM, WHICH WAY DO WE WANNA GET THE ANIMALS OUT FIRST, WHEN IT'S SAFE AND, UM, RESPONSIBLE.
UM, AND, AND THEN JUST HOW WE'RE GONNA INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE DID INTRODUCE THAT ADOPTIONS, UH, UH, POLICY OR THAT OUTCOMES POLICY, SORRY, NOT ADOPTIONS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, UH, FRAMING OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA ACHIEVE, UH, POSITIVE, TIMELY, AND HUMANE OUTCOMES.
UH, AND THEN THE FIRST SOP WE STARTED WITH WAS THE RETURN TO OWNER SOP.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE FIRST WAY WE WANT ANIMALS TO GET OUT, IS IF WE HAVE A FAMILY THAT HAS AN ANIMAL IN THE SHELTER AND IT'S THE RIGHT WAY FOR THEM TO GET OUT OF THE SHELTER.
UM, AND A SAFE WAY FOR THE ANIMAL.
WE WANT THAT TO BE THE FIRST WAY FOR PETS TO BE LEAVING THE SHELTER.
SO WE STARTED WITH THAT SOP, UM, WHICH REALLY JUST SAYS, UM, LET'S WORK WITH PEOPLE.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION AND LET'S MAKE SURE WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WANT THEIR PETS, UM, AND THEIR GOOD FAMILIES, UM, THAT WE'RE GETTING THOSE PETS BACK TO THEM.
THEIR FINANCIAL RESOURCES, UH, THEIR HOUSING SITUATIONS, UM, AND THOSE VARIOUS THINGS AS OPPOSED TO KEEPING THEM IN THE SHELTER AND CREATING, UM, AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, UH, WE ARE OVER FULL IN THE SHELTER.
ANIMALS THAT, UM, UH, PEOPLE WANTING THEIR ANIMALS BACK THAT ARE, UH, CONVICTED OF ANIMAL CRUELTY, UM, HAVE BEEN, HAD THEIR ANIMALS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM FOR NEGLECT.
UM, THE, THOSE AREN'T THE PLACES THAT ARE GETTING THEIR AN THOSE AREN'T THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING THEIR ANIMALS BACK.
IT'S JUST THE PEOPLE WHO TRULY WANT TO HELP THEIR PETS, UM, WANT THEIR PETS BACK, UM, BUT MAYBE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP, UM, GETTING THEIR PETS BACK TO THEM.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE WE'RE STARTING.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THE ADOPTION SOP TO MAKE SURE, UM, WE'RE REMOVING BARRIERS TO ADOPTIONS.
UM, LIKE, UH, RESTRICTING PEOPLE FROM ADOPTING, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CAT THAT'S NOT VACCINATED.
UM, IF THEY'RE ADOPTING A DOG, LET'S GET THEM, LET'S GET 'EM A DOG.
UM, SO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, SO WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OH, OKAY.
UH, DO WE TAKE ONLINE QUESTIONS? OH, IT'S ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS
I WAS LIKE, UH, HOLD ON A SECOND.
I'M SO SORRY, I MISSED IT ON THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SURVEY.
UM, IS THERE A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SURVEY IN THE INTAKE AREA AS WELL? YEAH, SO THE, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SURVEY, THE FIRST QUESTION SAYS, WHAT SERVICES, UM, DID YOU COME IN, DID YOU INTERACT WITH US FOR, RIGHT, WAS IT INTAKE, ADOPTIONS, FOSTER, UH, FIELD SURRENDER, YOU FOUND A STRAIGHT DOG SURRENDER.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OTHERS ON THERE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE ANY REASON WHY SOMEBODY MIGHT BE INTERACTING WITH US, WE'RE CAPTURING THAT INFORMATION AND THEN FINDING OUT WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE SO WE CAN AGAIN MOVE, KIND OF MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH, UM, CREATING PLANS TO ADDRESS THOSE, UM, CHALLENGES.
UM, SO HOW DO PEOPLE TAKE THE SURVEY? THEY JUST GO TO THE Q QR CODE.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, A LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
SO IF YOU CAN'T, IF YOU'RE NOT A QR CODE EFFICIENT PERSON, NOT EFFICIENT, BUT YOU CAN'T USE QR CODES, YOU CAN USE THE LINK INSTEAD.
UM, AND ALSO THAT LINK, UH, RIGHT.
UM, SO WHERE DO PEOPLE, INTERACTIONS, WHERE DO PEOPLE SEE THIS AT THE SHELTER? AT THE SHELTER OR IF YOU'RE INTERACTING WITH STAFF IN THE FIELD.
COMMISSIONER, AGAIN, TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE, GOING BACK TO THE SURVEY, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS COULD FILL OUT, UM, IN REGARDS TO THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH VOLUNTEERS? 'CAUSE I'M THINKING OF LIKE COMMUNITY CAT TRAPPERS WHO ARE OUT IN THE VOLUNTEER OUT IN THE FIELD.
AND THAT WHAT THAT WAS, THANK YOU.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS WHERE IT WAS LIKE, HOW DID YOU INTERACT WITH
[01:00:01]
US? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHY DID YOU INTERACT WITH US AND ABOUT VOLUNTEERING, UM, WOULD BE IN THERE.AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS WITH THE RETURN TO THE OWNER SOPS PROCEDURES, UM, IF AN ANIMAL COMES IN AS PRETTY SICKLY, ARE WE STILL GONNA BE DOING, THEY NEED TO HAVE VET CARE BEFORE THEY CAN GO BACK TO THEIR OWNER AND FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT? UH, YES.
DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION WITH THE ANIMAL, RIGHT.
UH, AN ANIMAL, THERE MAY BE AN ANIMAL THAT'S BEEN HIT BY A CAR, IT'S NOT FULLY STABLE, RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE A TRANS, AN EC TRANSFER, UM, BEFORE THAT ANIMAL CAN LEAVE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING DIRECTLY THERE.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME MORE MINOR MEDICAL RIGHT, AND THERE'S STUFF IN BETWEEN.
UH, THERE MIGHT BE SOME MORE MINOR THINGS, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT NEED FOLLOW UP AT A LATER TIME.
SO WE'LL ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FOLLOW UP.
AND THEN WE'LL SET A CALL IN OUR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS SO THEY CAN FOLLOW UP AND ENSURE THAT, UM, MEDICAL CARE WAS, UM, SOUGHT.
SO IT'LL STILL BE IN PLACE THAT IF A VET, A SHELTER VET IS LIKE THIS ANIMAL NEEDS VET CARE, THEN THEY HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY'RE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AND ALL THAT.
BEFORE THEY GET THEIR ANIMAL BACK.
I DON'T WANNA ASK ANYMORE ABOUT THE SURVEY.
SO, UM, OUT OF CURIOSITY, MAYBE WE'LL TAKE JUST A LOOK AT THE SURVEY.
I, I KNOW THAT I ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW IT'S PART OF THE INTAKE, BUT, UH, LIKE PEOPLE CALLED THE 3 1 1 IN RELATION TO MM-HMM
IS THERE SOMEWHERE IN THAT SERVICE? YES.
AND THAT'S ALSO ON THERE, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE OTHER WAYS, HOW DO THEY INTERACT WITH US? WE THREE ONE ONES, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH ON THERE.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT SO YOU COULD SEE, BUT 3 1 1.
SO THAT WAY WE KNOW THEY TALKED WITH 3 1, 1 PERSON.
THEN MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS WITH 3 1 1, IF THEY'RE GIVING INACCURATE INFORMATION, UM, OR DID THEY INTERACT WITH A ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER? RIGHT? WHICH ONE WAS, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE MESS UP, RIGHT? THEY SAY, OH, I WAS INTERACTING WITH A ANIMAL, UH, PROTECTION OFFICER.
BUT THEN LATER THEY SAY, WHEN I CALLED, YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE ME THE WRONG INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT FORM.
RIGHT? IT'S TO HELP US SEE WHAT OF OUR CHALLENGES, WE KNOW WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE SHELTER AND GIVE US, HELP US START CREATING A BASELINE SO WE CAN START ADDRESSING, UM, EACH OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SHELTER TO MAKE IT A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
AND WE PURPOSELY DIDN'T CALL IT A CUSTOMER, UM, SERVICE, UM, SURVEY BECAUSE RIGHT.
WE, WE INTERACT WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T NECESSARILY LIKE THE RESULTS OF MM-HMM
RIGHT? DON'T LIKE THE RESULTS OF WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT DID THEY HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY INTERACTED WITH THE OFFICER THAT HAD TO INBOUND THEIR DOG 'CAUSE IT FIT THEIR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR? WERE WE, UM, WERE WE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE AND INFORMATIVE FOR THEM, RIGHT? OR WERE WE MAYBE NOT.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA FIND OUT IS ARE WE TREATING PEOPLE THE WAY WE SHOULD BE TREATING THEM? AND TYPICALLY, I MEAN, IT'S A COMMON, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU HAVE SURVEYS, USUALLY THE PEOPLE WHO FILL THEM ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLAINING.
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, SO IS THIS IN THE WEBSITE? HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL ALSO LIKE IT WHEN THEY'LL FILL IT OUT WHEN THEY HAVE GREAT EXPERIENCE TOO.
UM, IT IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT JUST LIKE RANDOM PEOPLE SUBMITTING COMPLAINT FORMS, RIGHT? BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN AND EXPERIENCING, HAVING EXPERIENCE WITH US OR IN THE FIELD HAVING EXPERIENCE WITH US, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK BACK TO US.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS IS, WHEN WERE YOU INTO THE SHELTER? RIGHT? SO IF THEY'RE LIKE, OVER A YEAR AGO, OKAY, THEN WE KNOW WHERE THAT FAT IS OPPOSED TO EARLIER TODAY, UM, IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
WHILE ALL THAT FEEDBACK IS VALUABLE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, WE DID IN THE PAST AND WE'RE NO LONGER, UM, UH, OPERATING IN THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, JULY 4TH OF JULY INTAKE THAT WE HAD AT THE LAST, UM, COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ON HERE, RIGHT? OUR AVERAGE, UM, THAT FIRST GRAPH IS, UM, INTAKE OF
[01:05:01]
STRAIGHT DOGS.I DIDN'T LOOK AT ALL ANIMALS, JUST STRAIGHT DOGS, SINCE THAT'S TYPICALLY THE CHALLENGE DURING 4TH OF JULY.
ON AVERAGE, WE TAKE IN ABOUT 12 STRAIGHT DOGS A DAY.
UM, OVER THE 4TH OF JULY FROM THE FIFTH THROUGH THE 11TH.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY WE TOOK IN.
THE RED LINES ARE, EXCUSE ME, THIS YEAR, LIGHT BLUE OUR LAST YEAR.
AND THE MEDIUM BLUE IS THE YEAR BEFORE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU CAN SEE ON JULY 9TH, UM, IS WHEN WE HAD THE, THE BIGGER SPIKE OF INTAKE, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL.
UM, TYPICALLY JULY 5TH IS NOT A BIG INTAKE DAY.
UM, IT'S USUALLY ABOUT FOUR DAYS LATER.
AND THERE, THERE'S LOTS OF ANECDOTAL REASONS FOR THAT.
BUT, UM, POTENTIALLY IT'S DUE TO, UM, WHEN DOGS ARE LOOSE.
THEY'RE IN A, A FLIGHT MODE DURING 4TH OF JULY, JUST LIKE DURING THUNDERSTORMS. UM, RIGHT, THEY'RE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES AS OPPOSED TO MOST STRAY DOGS THAT COME IN, UM, DIRECT DURING NOT THE 4TH OF JULY TIME OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE JUST CAUGHT 'CAUSE THEY'RE OUT DOING WHAT DOGS DO AND SAYING HI TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND SOMEBODY CAUGHT THEM AND BROUGHT THEM INTO THE SHELTER.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE SEE THAT SPIKE ON THE NIGHT.
UM, AND THEN WE SLOWLY GO DOWN, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL TYPICALLY.
UM, WHILE 4TH OF JULY IS TYPICALLY THE SECOND, THAT SEASON IS THE SECOND HIGHEST INTAKE SEASON.
IT'S ACTUALLY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THAT WE SEE THE LARGEST INTAKE OF ANIMALS.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S ANECDOTAL.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY KNOW WHY, BUT IT'S PROBABLY A CONFLUENCE OF SCHOOLS ENDING.
IT'S SUMMER, MORE ANIMALS ARE OUTSIDE, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S, UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOVE 4TH OF JULY.
UM, AND THEN THIS SECOND GRAPH JUST SHOWS RETURN TO OWNER.
UM, ON AVERAGE, WE SEND ABOUT TWO DOGS HOME PER DAY FOR RETURN TO OWNER.
SO THE WEEK FOLLOWING 4TH OF JULY, UM, WE SENT QUITE A FEW BACK, UM, OVER THE TWO DOGS A DAY.
THE ONE THING I DO WANNA NOTE IS ON JULY 8TH, ON BOTH OF THOSE, IT LOOKS A LITTLE WEIRD AND THAT'S 'CAUSE WE WERE CLOSED THAT DAY FOR ALL STAFF TRAINING.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE WEREN'T ANY RETURN TO OWNERS.
UM, OR ON JULY 5TH WAS ALSO A SUNDAY.
SO THOSE MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT THE RETURN TO OWNER DOES NOT CAPTURE IS ANY OF THE ANIMALS THAT WERE COMING INTO, PEOPLE WERE BRINGING THE ANIMALS TO THE SHELTER THAT WERE ALREADY MICROCHIPPED AND OR HAD BEEN POSTED ON FACEBOOK.
UM, THEY WERE JUST IMMEDIATELY, WE WEREN'T INTAKING THEM 'CAUSE THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY BEING TAKEN BACK, UM, TO THEIR HOMES BY THEIR FI BY THE FINDERS.
UM, AND THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT.
I KNOW ON MONDAY I WAS TOLD WE HAD SENT SIX OF THEM HOME ON SUNDAY.
UM, THAT JUST RETURNED BACK 'CAUSE THEIR OWNERS HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS ON LOST? AND ON 4TH OF JULY, LOST AND FOUND COMMISSIONER DANIEL
UM, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO TALK ABOUT THAT I FORGOT TO MAKE A SLIDE FOR.
UM, LAST COMMISSION, WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE 3 1 1 CALLS.
AND, UM, BEING ABLE TO GIVE, UH, 3 1 1 GIVING INFORMATION OUT ABOUT ANIMALS.
UM, THEY ARE GIVING INFORMATION OUT ABOUT SPECIFIC ANIMALS WHEN IT'S THE ORIGINATING CALLER.
SO IF SOMEONE CALLS IN, REPORTS A DECEASED ANIMAL OR THEIR PET IS DECEASED, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT JUST, UM, DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY JUST WANTING TO KNOW, DID YOU PICK UP A DOG? AND WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE IN THIS AREA? UM, THEY ARE NOT GIVING THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST CALLING IN, UM, AT JUST WANTING, JUST BEING OUTTA CURIOSITY.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT 3 1 1
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME QUESTION THAT I WAS TRYING TO INVESTIGATE FOR THE PERSON WHO SPOKE LAST TIME MM-HMM
BUT THEIR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ADDRESSING THIS.
SO, UM, THEIR QUESTION WAS, BECAUSE THEY GO OUT AND PICK UP OR SCAN FOR PEOPLE LOOKING, THEN 3 1 1 WAS NOT GIVING INFORMATION.
IT'S A DOG OR A CAT VERSUS IT'S A RACCOON OR A POSSUM.
DO YOU KNOW IF THAT FALLS INTO THE SAME ANSWER YOU'RE GIVING OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS AND, AND POSSIBLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT IF, UM, THE PERSON, IF IT'S NOT THE ORIGINATING CALLER WHO SAYS THERE'S A DEAD ANIMAL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OR I LOST MY DOG IN THIS AREA CALLING IN, UM, THEN THEY ARE NOT GIVING THAT INFORMATION.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, UM, INDIVIDUAL
[01:10:01]
WAS, UM, WANTING TO GET INFORMATION TO A POTENTIAL OWNER THEY'RE WANTING, THEY WERE WANTING TO GET INFORMATION OF, TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN ANIMAL FOUND.DO I NEED TO GO SCAN THAT ANIMAL? OH, OKAY.
TO FIND OUT IF IT HAS AN OWNER OR IS IT A RACCOON THAT'S NOT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT IS LIKE, WHY CAN'T I FIND OUT IF IT'S A DOG OR A CAT VERSUS SOME WILDLIFE? THAT WAS THEIR QUESTION.
I THINK I NEED TO TOUCH BASE WITH YOU OFFLINE BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE WRONG IMPRESSION OF THE QUESTION.
UM, SO THAT WAY I CAN GET THAT FROM, AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW.
COMMISSIONER MARION, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION TOO, OR NOT? OH, NO, THAT WAS OKAY.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL, IS THAT, UM, IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT QUESTION.
UM, ANOTHER FUN THING HAPPENING ON JULY.
WE'RE IN JULY, JULY 24TH, 3:00 PM THE ENDURING SERVICE GRADUATION WILL BE HAPPENING FOR OUR SECOND COHORT.
UM, QUITE A FEW OF OUR, UM, DOGS HAVE ALREADY FOUND PLACEMENT INTO ADOPTIVE HOMES, BUT IF ANYONE'S LOOKING FOR A REALLY GREAT DOG, UM, THIS SECOND ROUND HAS BEEN MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
NOT THAT THE FIRST ROUND WAS BAD, BUT THEY'RE THE, THE TRAINERS AND THE DOGS ARE, WE'RE ALL GETTING IN OUR GROOVE.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS NEXT ENDURING SERVICE GRADUATION.
UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE JUST REACH OUT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, ASSIST YOU WITH ATTENDING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ANYBODY WHO FOSTERS OR ADOPTS ANY OF THE DOGS THROUGH THE ENDURING SERVICE PROGRAM IS AUTOMATICALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE GRADUATION.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TOO.
AND THEN THE LAST, WE'LL TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THESE.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT 'EM SEPARATE.
UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, THERE WAS SOME, UH, NO, SORRY, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHICH ORDER WE'RE GONNA GO.
UH, SO, UH, CHEETAH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT CHEETAH.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND ON CHEETAH.
HER AND HER DOG FRIEND, UH, CAME IN TOGETHER, UM, AFTER HAVING A DOG, ATTI DOG FIGHT AND THE OWNER INTERVENING.
UM, THE OWNER HAD FIGHTS UP AND DOWN HIS ARM.
UM, WE HAD IT LABELED AS A LEVEL FIVE OR A DB FIVE.
UH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT WAS A, A TRUE DB FIVE.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAD IT RATED AS THE REASON, UH, HER PARTNER THAT CAME IN WAS EUTHANIZED AT INTAKE.
HE HAD BEEN, OR SHE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT SEX THE DOG WAS, HAD BEEN, UM, PREVIOUSLY DECLARED A DANGEROUS DOG BY THE COURTS.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND JUST EUTHANIZED THAT DOG.
THE REASON WHY WE DID NOT EUTHANIZE AND GAVE HER A POSSIBLE LIVE OUTCOME WAS BECAUSE THE OWNER WAS GIVING US CONFLICTING INFORMATION AND COULDN'T SAY FOR SURE WHAT DOG ACTUALLY BIT HIM.
UM, OBVIOUSLY A DOG BIT HIM, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE WHICH ONE.
UM, AND AT SOME POINT HE SAID YES, THE ONE DOG DID THE OTHER, HE JUST WENT BACK AND FORTH.
UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE ONE DOG WAS EUTHANIZED FOR BEING ALREADY DECLARED DANGEROUS, BUT CHEETAH.
WE DID NOT WANT TO EUTHANIZE A DOG THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE HAD BITTEN THE OWNER OR NOT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY SHE WAS GIVEN, UM, AN OUTCOME THROUGH AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE.
UM, WE THOUGHT SHE MIGHT BE PREGNANT.
UM, IT ENDED UP, SHE JUST HAS LOTS OF, UM, MAMMARY TUMORS, UM, THAT MADE HER LOOK.
UM, AND SHE WAS A LITTLE OVERWEIGHT, SO IT MADE HER LOOK PREGNANT.
UM, SO SHE WENT INTO A FOSTER HOME.
YES, WE GAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE, UM, REGARDING HER BEHAVIOR.
UM, AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE BITE AND THE OWNER, WE HAVE A PRETTY LONG HISTORY, UM, WITH THAT OWNER, UM, AND DIFFERENT DOGS THAT HE'S HAD IN THE HOUSE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE MADE THAT DECISION TO, UM, PLACE THAT DOG, UM, WITH A RESCUE PARTNER.
UM, AND SHE'S CURRENTLY IN A FOSTER HOME WITH A RESCUE PARTNER.
UM, WE DID NOT SPAY HER BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO SPAY HER.
UH, WE HAD THE ABILITY, BUT IT WAS GOING TO, IT WAS GONNA BE CHALLENGING TO SPAY HER AND GET THE OTHER ANIMALS IN OUR CARE SPAYED BECAUSE OF HER BREED.
SHE WAS A AMERICAN BULLY, UM, WHICH ARE TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME AND EFFORT TO SPAY, UM, SAFELY.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT ABOUT CHEETAH.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER DOG THAT HAS BEEN OUT IN THE NEWS, UM, THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE CONTACTING ME ABOUT WERE, WAS HANK.
UM, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HEARD ABOUT HIM.
UM, HE ACTUALLY, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
[01:15:01]
UM, HAD GOTTEN INTO SOME TROUBLE, UH, AND HAD BIT HIS NEIGHBOR, UH, THE NEIGHBOR WANTED HIM, UM, RIGHT, WANTED HIM GONE.UH, SO SHE WENT THROUGH THE DANGEROUS DOG COMPLAINT PROCESS.
THAT IS NOT A AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES PROCESS.
THAT IS JUST A NORMAL, UH, STATE PROCESS.
IT'S A STATE LAW, THE DANGEROUS DOG LAW.
ANY, UM, DOG THAT, UM, YOU FEEL THREATENED BY, YOU CAN BRING FORTH A DANGEROUS DOG COMPLAINT.
UM, THAT'S THEN HEARD THROUGH A THIRD PARTY HEARING OFFICER, UM, THAT WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
HANK WAS DEEMED DANGEROUS 'CAUSE HE DID BITE HER.
UM, UH, SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, APPEAL THAT HEARING, UH, RULING.
SHE THEN HAD 30 DAYS TO COME IN COMPLIANCE WITH DANGEROUS DOG, WHICH HAS A LIABILITY, UH, HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE LIABILITY PIECE OF IT.
SHE DID NOT COME INTO COMPLIANCE IN THE 30 DAYS.
UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, WE, UM, WHEN WE WENT TO CHECK ON COMPLIANCE, UH, SHE HAD NOT BEEN IN COMPLIANCE.
SO WE DID GO TO A JUDGE TO FIND OUT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO WITH THE DOG.
SINCE SHE WAS IN COMPLIANCE, UH, SHE DID NOT SHOW UP TO THAT HEARING.
UH, SO THE JUDGE ORDERED THE DOG TO COME BACK AND BE IN CUSTODY OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
MANY TIMES THE JUDGE WILL JUST ORDER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DOG.
UM, SO IN THIS CASE, THEY ORDERED HIM BACK INTO OUR CUSTODY.
UM, AND SO WE PUT HIM THROUGH THE PATHWAY PROCESS.
IT WAS A DB THREE, WE KNOW HE DELIVERED THE DB THREE.
UM, AND ACCORDING TO OUR PROCESS, WE PLEAD THEM TO RESCUE.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE PLED HIM TO A RESCUE, SPECIFICALLY AUSTIN PETS LIVE.
BUT ALL THE RESCUES GET THAT PLEA.
UM, HE, HE IS, HE WAS STILL DECLARED A DANGEROUS DOG.
UM, THAT MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING FOR RESCUES AND SHELTER PARTNERS TO TRANSFER THOSE ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE LIABILITY ON AND THEY HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE DANGEROUS DOG REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS ANY ADOPTER MOVING FORWARD, UNLESS THE ADOPTER IS OUT OF STATE.
UM, HE, THEY, A PA WAS UNABLE TO TAKE HIM.
NO OTHER RESCUE WAS ABLE TO TAKE HIM.
UM, SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WENT AHEAD AND DID A 48 HOUR NOTICE ON HANK.
UM, AT THAT TIME, UH, WE WERE WAITING THROUGH, IT ENDED UP, UM, AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE DID HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAME FORWARD AS WELL AS A COUPLE OTHER RESCUES, UM, THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER HIM OUT, UM, TO AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
AND AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO, UH, BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH DANGEROUS DOG, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN ANYONE WHO ADOPTS IT THAT LIVES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS TO DO THAT.
THEY REPORT TO US SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND ENSURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THAT PROBABLY ANSWERS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS ON THOSE THINGS? COMMISSIONER, MR. NORTON? UH, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE BITE WITH CHEETO WAS A DB FIVE.
THE, SO THE, THE BITE ON THE ARM OF THE VICTIM WAS DETERMINED BY, UH, WE HAVE A GROUP OF, UH, STAFF THAT LOOK AT THOSE BITES.
UM, AND IT CONSISTS OF APOS AND, UM, OTHER STAFF.
UM, BUT WHAT, RIGHT, AGAIN, WHAT WE COULDN'T DETERMINE WAS WHAT DOG ACTUALLY DID THE BITES.
BUT IF IT IS A DB FIVE, THEN WHEN YOU TALK TO A RESCUE GROUP, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY IT'S A DB FIVE.
BECAUSE THE BITE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A DB FIVE.
NOT LIKE, I THINK MAYBE IT WASN'T, BUT IT, IT ACTUALLY WAS A DB FIVE BITE.
SO WE SAID THAT YEAH, WE SAID THAT BITE IS A DB FIVE, BUT IT'S UNDOCUMENTED.
WHICH DOG, UH, DID THE BITE? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER, UM, THANK YOU FOR PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING THESE THINGS.
UM, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THEM.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA, SO I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE THE SPECIFICS OF HANK AND MORE JUST LIKE HIGH LEVEL DISCUSS THE, THE PATTERN THAT EXISTS BEHIND IT.
PATTERNS, MAYBE NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT IT'S THE GOOD ENOUGH WORD FOR 7:20 PM.
SO WE HEARD AT THE START OF THIS MEETING ABOUT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, PUTTING DANGEROUS DOGS
[01:20:01]
IN PLAYGROUPS, MAYBE NOT DANGEROUS DOGS WITH THE OFFICIAL LABEL, BUT DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEEMED DANGEROUS BY THEIR BEHAVIOR.WE ARE RELEASING DOGS THAT HAVE A DB THREE TO A GROUP WITH A KNOWN HISTORY OF THAT.
THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT IN MY GUT.
UM, AND I, NOBODY LIKES TO BE THE ONE TO SAY, WHY ARE DOGS NOT GETTING EUTHANIZED WHEN THEY HAVE PROVED THEMSELVES TO BE A RISK, IF NOT TO HUMANS, THAN TO OTHER DOGS.
BUT I'M GONNA BE THE ONE TO SAY IT.
WHY, WHY IS THAT NOT A THING THAT WE ARE LOOKING, WHY IS OUR DEFAULT MOVE TO GET A DOG TAGGED BY A RESCUE RATHER THAN TO CONSIDER THE BIG PICTURE IMPACT OF WHAT THAT DOG CAN DO TO OTHER HUMANS AND OTHER DOGS IF THEY GO BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY? EVEN IF THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE RELEASED FROM LIABILITY.
UM, SO OUR QUESTION MARK, OUR, OUR CURRENT PROCESS RIGHT, IS, UM, DB ONE, TWO, WE KEEP AT THE SHELTER AND OF COURSE WE INFORM ANY ADOPTER OR FOSTER OF THE BITES AND, UH, HOW THEY OCCURRED AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
DB THREE, AT THIS CURRENT PROCESS, WE LOOK AT THE BITE ONLY, UM, NOT THE SURROUNDING CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, OF THAT BITE AND WHY IT HAPPENED.
AND A DB THREE, UM, IN THIS SPECIFIC SITUATION WITH HANK WAS A, A SINGLE PUNCTURE, UH, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE LITTLE BABY TEETH SCRATCHES.
UM, AM I MISUNDERSTANDING? I THOUGHT HE WAS ALSO PREVIOUSLY LABELED AS A DANGEROUS DOG.
SO ANY DOG CAN BE DEEMED DANGEROUS IF THEY, UM, POSE A, A THREAT TO SOMEONE.
SO, UM, IF MY DOG IS LOOSE AND IT CHARGES YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN FILE A DANGEROUS DOG COMPLAINT, RIGHT? AND I'M SIMPLIFYING THIS A LOT THERE.
BUT IF YOU CAN SHOW EVIDENCE THAT MY DOG IS A DANGER, UM, AND IS A THREAT, NOT EVEN A DANGER IS A THREAT TO YOU MM-HMM
UM, AND THE HEARING OFFICER SAYS, YEAH, I THINK THAT DOG IS A PROBLEM.
IT CAN BE DEEMED DANGEROUS WITHOUT ANY BITES AT ALL.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND A, A SERIOUS BODILY INJURY BITE WHERE THERE'S A SERIOUS BODILY INJURY.
SO IN THIS SITUATION, A DB THREE, IT, IT, IT'S A PRETTY MODERATE TO MINOR BITE, UM, WHERE DB FOUR TYPICALLY INVOLVES MULTIPLE BITES OR DEEPER, UM, PUNCTURES.
AND THEN DB FIVES TYPICALLY HAVE RIGHT? A LOT MORE TEARING AND MUSCLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SHOWING THE DB FIVE IN THE CASE OF CHEETAH DID, DID NOT HAVE THOSE THINGS.
THERE WAS LOTS OF BITES, A A FEW PUNCTURES, UM, BUT IT WASN'T, UM, I, I'VE SEEN D BEFORES THAT WERE WORSE, RIGHT? SO, SO, BUT WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THAT'S WHY DB THREES WE PLEAD TO RESCUE UHHUH
AND THEN DB FOURS BASED SOLELY ON THE BITES, WE TYPICALLY EUTHANIZE THOSE DOGS, DB FOURS OR HIGHER, WE'LL JUST EUTHANIZE.
UM, IN THE CASE OF CHEETAH, WE LOOKED AT MORE THAN JUST THE BITE AND MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT? WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE PICTURE OF NOT JUST THE BITE, UM, BUT THE CONTEXT OF WHAT IT HA OF HOW IT HAPPENED.
UM, IN THE CASE OF CHEETAH, SHE WAS NOT AT LARGE.
IT WAS IN A HOME, UH, THAT WAS AN UNSTABLE HOME, UM, THAT WE KNEW ABOUT.
SO THAT'S DOESN'T POSE THAT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, UM, THE SAME WAY A DOG RUNNING AT LARGE REGULARLY MIGHT POSE.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL.
UM, MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION SLASH THOUGHT IS LIKE, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT CONTEXT.
SO THAT ALL MAKES PERFECT LOGICAL SENSE TO ME.
UM, AND I AGREE THAT THERE IS BENEFIT AT LOOKING AT THINGS IN A CASE BY CASE BASIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND EUTHANASIA ARE ON THE TABLE.
AND IT IS HARD, THAT MERLOT'S STORY IS GOING TO HAUNT ME.
AND I, UM, THINK THAT IT IS WORTH US CONSIDERING YEAH.
HAVING A CONVERSATION, ABSOLUTELY.
HAVING A MORE NUANCED CONVERSATION ABOUT SENDING DOGS THAT HAVE HISTORY OF NOT BEHAVIOR, JUMPY MOUTHY, BUT BEHAVIOR UNWILLING TO BREAK SKIN ON A LIVING ANIMAL OR HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SENDING THEM INTO AN ORGANIZATION THAT MAYBE HAS SOME QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES GOING ON.
AND I THINK, UH, THE CONVERSATION IS, UH, I NEED
[01:25:01]
TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SITUATIONS WITH BOTH MERLOT, WITH, UM, USING, UH, ELECTRIC COLLARS.WHAT ARE THEIR PRACTICES? WHAT ARE THEIR STANDARDS? WHAT ARE THEIR GUIDELINES AND PROTOCOLS MM-HMM
TO DETERMINE RIGHT WHERE THAT GOES NEXT.
CAN I GO ON THE NEXT ONE? OKAY, PERFECT.
OKAY, NEXT, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS.
OH, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS NEXT ONE REALLY PRETTY QUICKLY, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL GUEST SPEAKERS WHO ARE HERE A LITTLE EXTRA.
SO, UM, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
UM, SO THE NEXT PIECES ARE JUST OUR, THERE WE GO.
YOU CAN JUST GO RIGHT BACK TO THAT ONE.
SO, JUST MONTHLY REPORTING REALLY QUICK.
UH, THIS LAST MONTH WE TOOK IN 1,540 ANIMALS.
UM, IT WAS A 12% INCREASE FROM MAY OF 2026.
UM, MOST OF THOSE WERE KITTENS.
WE'RE STILL SEEING A LARGE NUMBER OF KITTENS COME IN.
UM, AND WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS, UM, OPENING INTAKE.
UM, AND A PIECE OF THOSE SOPS AND POLICIES IS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A PATHWAY FOR ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER SO WE CAN OPEN INTAKE BECAUSE, UM, YEP, THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, IS WE'RE, WE'RE A OPEN ADMISSION SHELTER, UM, MUNICIPAL SHELTER, UM, FOR EUTHANASIA.
AS WE EUTHANIZE 70 ANIMALS THIS MONTH.
IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE LARGE, HIGHER THAN, UM, TYPICAL.
AND AGAIN, UM, WHEN YOU TAKE OUT WILDLIFE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF ANIMALS, UM, WERE CATS AND KITTENS.
KITTENS TYPICALLY, UM, ARE THE HARDEST TO KEEP ALIVE.
UM, AND THEN CATS, WE KNOW CATS AND KITTENS TYPICALLY COME IN MORE FOR MEDICAL REASONS AS OPPOSED TO BEHAVIOR REASONS LIKE DOGS.
UM, SO PROVIDING THOSE, UM, SERVICES, UM, IS, IS THE TRICKY PART.
UM, WE, UH, HAD A LIVE RELEASE RATE OF 95%.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS SHOWS, UM, THE BREAKDOWN KITTENS ARE THE BIG, WE SENT A WHOLE BUNCH OF 'EM OUT TO RESCUE, AND THOSE ARE ALL THOSE UNDER THREE WEEKS OF AGE OR UNDER ONE POUND, SO THEY'RE UNABLE TO EAT ON THEIR OWN.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ABOUT 315 KITTENS WERE ADOPTED BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S THE, UH, MAJORITY OF ANIMALS COMING INTO THE SHELTER RIGHT NOW.
WE DID, UM, A, A FUND FACT FOR JULY.
I KNOW WE'RE, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY THIS 'CAUSE IT MIGHT JINX US.
WE'RE ONLY THE SECOND WEEK IN JULY, BUT SO FAR WE'VE GOTTEN 20 MORE ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER THAN IN FOR THE MONTH.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE THAT MOMENTUM.
AGAIN, IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF KITTENS AND THEN SOME DOGS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT PURPLE LINE IS WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR.
UM, WE ARE FINALLY, UM, ADOPTING MORE ANIMALS OUT THAN IN 2025, BUT WE HAVEN'T QUITE HIT THAT 2024 NUMBER.
UM, SO WE WANNA CONTINUE TO, UH, MOVE THAT NUMBER THAT WAY SINCE WE DID HAVE THAT HUGE DIP IN THE SPRING, UM, LARGELY DUE TO THE, UM, UPPER RESPIRATORY ISSUES.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT SOME GROUND TO MAKE UP ON THAT.
UH, ANIMALS AND FOSTER CARE, UM, WE SENT A NICE NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO FOSTER THIS MONTH.
377, UM, DIFFERENT FAMILIES FOSTERED FOR US.
WE'RE SUPER THANKFUL FOR THAT.
UM, 32 FOSTER KITTENS RETURNED TO THE SHELTER ON JUNE 27TH.
WE HAD OUR KITTY PALOOZA, UM, AND THEY ALL GOT ADOPTED DURING THE EVENT, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AND THERE'S CURRENTLY, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND AN, UH, PEOPLE, NOT ANIMALS, PEOPLE, UM, IN OUR FOSTER, UM, PROGRAM GROUP, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AND THEN ANIMALS TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE.
WE TRANSFERRED OUT 495 ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN.
ANIMAL SERVICES, 257 OF THOSE WERE KITTENS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, QUITE 124 CATS, 52 DOGS, 55 PUPPIES.
UM, AND, UH, OF THOSE 69 OF THE CATS WERE SPAY NEUTER RETURNS, SO S AND R CATS, UM, THAT WERE RETURNED BACK TO FIELD.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO SOME LITTLE GUINEA PIGS, A COUPLE CHICKENS AND RABBITS THAT ALSO LEFT.
UM, RETURN TO OWNER, WE SAW 70 ANIMALS, UH, RECLAIMED IN THE MONTH.
UM, THERE WERE FOUR ANIMALS SENT OUT.
UM, I BELIEVE THOSE WERE RETURNED TO OWNER.
UM, AND THEN THEY, WE'VE ARE GETTING THEIR, UM, SPAY NEUTER CERTIFICATES.
SO TWO OF THOSE, WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED THOSE.
UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LOST, STOLEN, OR MISSING ANIMALS THIS MONTH.
[01:30:01]
UH, AND, UM, WE HAD 20 ANIMALS THAT DIED IN SHELTER.UM, FOUR THAT DIED IN FOSTER, AND FIVE, UM, THAT DIED IN TRANSIT TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UH, VOLUNTEER HOURS AND NUMBERS.
UH, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY, UH, 443 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 6,734 HOURS.
UH, WE HAD 24 HOURS WORTH OF GROUP VOLUNTEERING.
UM, 96 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED THE NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION.
UM, WE HAD 13 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETE, UM, COMMUNITY SERVICE RESTITUTION AND, UM, 98 VOLUNTEERS, UM, TO DO, UM, TRAINING AND ONBOARDING.
UH, AND THEN HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, WE DID SPAY AND NEUTER 506, UH, ANIMALS IN SHELTER, AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY DOGS, CATS, KITTENS, AND PUPPIES.
UM, AS WELL AS, UM, WE SPENT 52,000, UM, IN INVOICES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT AT THE ECS OVERNIGHT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT SCREW WORMS? COMMISSIONER DANIEL
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 150,000 LEFT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
DOES THAT STAY WITH THE SHELTER OR WHAT HAPPENS TOO? NO.
SO, BECAUSE THAT'S A GOOD CHUNK OF CHANGE THAT YOU YEAH.
ANY MONEY NOT SPENT, UM, AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, OTHER THAN OUR DONATION BUDGET IS, UM, RIGHT.
IT IS, IT GO STAYS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CURRENT BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR AREAS WHERE WE MAYBE DIDN'T SPEND SOME MONEY.
CAN WE DO SOMETHING REALLY QUICK TO SPEND THAT MONEY BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR? SO WE DO NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE.
RIGHT? THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO.
SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEM THREE.
OH, YOU DO? FOR, FOR ITEM THREE, WE HAVE, UH, ROBIN KATZ.
PART OF THE UPDATE THAT THE DIRECTOR JUST WENT OVER INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT 3 1 1 AND JULY 4TH, RUNAWAY ANIMALS.
UM, TO START THIS OFF, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT ON THE AUSTIN LAWSON FOUND PAGE, WHICH I TALK ABOUT OFTEN, THERE WAS A PUG THAT WAS LOOSE ON THE 4TH OF JULY ON THE, I'M SORRY, ON THE 3RD OF JULY.
UM, 3 1 1 WAS CALLED, SAID THEY'RE TOO BUSY AND THEY'LL GET THERE PROBABLY THE NEXT DAY.
THE DOG WAS FOUND DEHYDRATED AND DYING AT 6:46 PM POLICE WERE CALLED, CAME, SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY, SO THIS PERSON TOOK IT INSIDE THE PUG GOT SLIGHTLY BETTER, WAS TOO WEAK AND COULDN'T GET UP, GAVE HER WATER.
ONE SAID, JUST GIVE HER WATER SINCE SHE WAS DEHYDRATED.
UM, 11:00 PM FINALLY WENT TO SLEEP AND THEN PASSED AWAY AT 2:00 AM SO 3 1 1 IS STILL AN ISSUE.
UM, MANY PEOPLE WHO CALL 3 1 1 ARE INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE STRAY DOGS WHERE THEY ARE, RATHER THAN BRINGING THEM IN OR RECEIVING MEANINGFUL ASSISTANCE.
FOLLOWING THE 4TH OF JULY, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE JACK JACKS PACK, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MILITARY DRONE OPERATORS, WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK SEARCHING FOR DOGS THAT FLED DURING THE FIREWORKS, THEIR EFFORTS FILLED GAPS WHERE THE CITY'S RESPONSE WAS LIMITED.
I ALSO WANNA ASK FOR AN UPDATE ON 3 1 1 ITSELF.
THE COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT THE GUIDANCE 3 1 1 PROVIDES THAT THE PUBLIC HAS THAT IMPROVED.
RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO REPORT RECEIVING INACCURATE INFORMATION, INCONSISTENT ADVICE, OR NO USEFUL GUIDANCE AT ALL.
FINALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SHELTER'S ADOPTION PRACTICES.
IF THE SHELTER'S WILLING TO ADOPT DOGS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT SECURE CONTAINMENT OR TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITHOUT A SAFE PLACE TO HOUSE AN ANIMAL, HOW ARE THOSE DOGS EXPECTED TO FARE ON HOLIDAYS LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY? FIREWORKS ARE ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DOGS ESCAPING WITHOUT SECURE HOUSING OR A SAFE INDOOR SPACE.
MANY PANIC, BREAK FREE AND END UP LOST, INJURED, OR KILLED.
RESPONSIBLE PLACEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE REALISTIC CONSIDERATION OF AN ANIMAL SAFETY IN SITUATIONS WE KNOW HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND THIS INVOLVES NOT ADOPTING IT TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE HOMES THEMSELVES.
[01:35:02]
COMMISSIONER DANIEL.ROBIN, DO YOU HAVE A SECOND FOR A QUESTION? OF COURSE.
UM, THE PUG, WHEN THE PEOPLE CALLED 3 1 1 3 1 1 NEVER SUGGESTED TAKING IT TO THE EC WHEN WE CLEARLY HAVE $150,000.
NO, NOT, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO.
AND BY THE TIME RESPONSES POPULATED ABOUT THAT, THE DOG WAS DEAD.
SINCE I AM NOT ABLE TO ASK DIRECTOR DINGLER THIS QUESTION, I'M GOING TO ASK IT TO YOU AND WHOEVER HEARS CAN TAKE WHAT THEY NEED FROM IT, WOULD IT BE A USEFUL SOLUTION FOR A SELECT NUMBER OF 3 1 1 EMPLOYEES TO BE CROSS-TRAINED AT THE SHELTER AND TO WHEN ANIMAL CALLS CAME IN, THOSE YOU JUST WAIT IN LINE UNTIL YOU GET ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE? WOULD THAT SOUND LIKE A POTENTIAL USEFUL SOLUTION IF SOMEONE WAS TO DO IT?
UM, I THINK
UM, I'VE OFFERED TRAININGS FOR FOUR TO SIX YEARS, AND EVERY SINGLE A PO AROUND THE COUNTY AND WILCO, INCLUDING WILCO, CEDAR PARK AND SO ON, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS SHOWN UP WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A A C.
THE TRAINING WAS ON TRAINING REGARDING ANIMAL CRUELTY AND RESPONSES TO, UM, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, INCLUDING DANGEROUS DOGS, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, UM, HOW TO RESPOND, WHAT THE LEGAL OPERATIONS ARE AND SO ON.
SO I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY GOT CROSS-TRAINED, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S AN ELEMENT TO HAVING APOS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SHELTER STAFF TRAINED THEMSELVES WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPETENT TO TRAIN THEM, NOT PEOPLE FROM NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, MAYBE SUCH AS BEST FRIENDS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND TEXAS LAW ALSO.
AND THEN I THINK WE HAD ONE MORE PERSON ON NUMBER THREE.
SO SHE'LL BE REMOVED FROM ALL THE FUTURE ONES AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, THEN, WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR DANGLER, UH, FOR THOSE PRESENTATIONS.
[4. Presentation regarding Petco Love Platform and the exploration of pet reunification platforms. Presentation by Misty Valenta, Animal Services Director, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services.]
WE WILL NOW BE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH WILL BE THE, UM, PRESENTATION REGARDING PETCO LOVE FOR, UH, PLATFORM AND THE EXPLORATION OF PET REUNIFICATION PLATFORMS BY MISTY VALENTIA.UM, AND I CAN BE AS DETAILED AND BRIEF AS Y'ALL WOULD LIKE ME TO BE, SO JUST GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE.
MISTY VATA, DIRECTOR OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY REGIONAL ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, VERY HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT PETCO.
LOVE LOST REUNIONS ARE MY NUMBER ONE GOAL AT THE SHELTER, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS TOOL IS JUST HELPING US GET BETTER AT THAT.
SO, UM, PETCO LOVE LOST IS, IS THIS HOW IT WORKS? YEAH.
UM, PETCO LOVE LOST IS A WE WEB BASED TOOL, AND IT USES PHOTOS INSTEAD OF NUMBERS TO IDENTIFY DOGS AND CATS.
UM, YOU POST A PICTURE OF A FOUND DOG, LET'S SAY, OR YOUR LOST DOG, AND IT USES PHOTO RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE MATCHES.
UM, IT'S A FREE SERVICE BY PETCO LOVE.
UM, AND THEIR GOAL IS JUST TO INCREASE REUNIFICATIONS.
IT IS THE, UH, IT IS THE WAY THAT, UH, LOST AND FOUND PETS ARE REPORTED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
UM, SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE A CITIZEN OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND YOU FIND A PET, OR YOUR DOG HAS RUN OFF.
UM, WHAT DO YOU DO? WELL, YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE THAT HAS, UM, LOST AND FOUND INFORMATION, AND THE VERY FIRST BUTTON WE HAVE ON THERE IS TO GO TO PETCO LOVE LOST.
AND ON THERE YOU CREATE A PROFILE WITH A PICTURE OF YOUR PET THAT E YOU EITHER LOST OR THAT YOU FOUND.
UM, SO THAT WAY YOU CAN START SEARCHING THEIR DATABASE.
WE HAVE SHELTERS AROUND THE AREA WHO AUTOMATICALLY UPLOAD THEIR PETS TO THIS DATABASE, INCLUDING W-C-R-A-S.
AND SO WHEN YOU ARE SEARCHING, YOU'RE NOT JUST SEARCHING THE FINDERS IN THE AREA, YOU ARE SEARCHING THE SHELTERS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A MORE ROBUST DATABASE THAN US, KIND OF PIECEMEALING CITY BY CITY.
'CAUSE WE KNOW DOGS AND CATS DON'T UNDERSTAND JURISDICTION LINES.
[01:40:04]
VERY SIMPLE TO USE, AND THIS IS WHY I LOVE IT.UM, I WAS WALKING THROUGH OUR, UH, SHELTER LOBBY, AND A CITIZEN WAS UP THERE DISTRAUGHT BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO FIND HIS CAT.
AND MY STAFF MEMBER WAS ABLE JUST TO TAKE HIS PHONE, GET HIM LOGGED IN, PULL UP A PICTURE OF HIS CAT, AND POST HIS CAT FOR HIM JUST RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND NOW HE'S PART OF THAT DATABASE SO THAT HE CAN GET UPDATES.
IF A CAT COMES INTO US WHO LOOKS LIKE HIS CAT, OR A CAT'S FOUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO LOOKS LIKE HIS CAT, THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE SENT THROUGH PETCO LOVE LOSS, THEY'RE EMAILED OUT.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE LESS THING FOR STAFF TO DO.
WE CAN WORK ON OTHER REUNIFICATION TASKS.
A GREAT THING THAT THEY ALSO DO, AND THIS IS AGAIN FOR FREE WITH THE TOOL, IS YOU CAN EMBED A MAP OF LOST AND FOUND PETS IN THE AREA.
YOU CAN TOGGLE THIS WITH THE MILES OR, UM, I BELIEVE EVEN SPECIES, UM, AND KIND OF REALLY SEARCH TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY SIGHTINGS IN YOUR AREA OR WHO'S MISSING IN YOUR AREA.
THERE'S ALSO A THING THAT YOU CAN DO CALLED SEARCH PARTIES, WHICH I HAVEN'T DONE YET, SO I CAN'T REALLY TALK TO THAT, UH, VERY MUCH.
BUT IT'S KIND OF A NOTIFICATION OF LIKE, HEY, FRIENDS, MY CAT GOT OUT.
CAN YOU HELP ME FIND MY CAT? AND THIS IS ON OUR WEB PAGE, SO YOU CAN SCROLL THROUGH OUR LOST AND FOUND DOGS AND CATS, AND THEN SCROLL DOWN AND LOOK AT ALL THE LOST AND DOGS, UH, LOST DOGS AND CATS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
SO THAT'S THE CITIZEN SIDE OF THINGS, BUT WE, UM, USE IT AS A TOOL AS WELL.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU LOG IN FROM THE SHELTER SIDE.
SO YOU HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT GIVES, UM, NUMBERS AND REPORTS ON, AND THIS IS NEW, THIS IS REALLY COOL TO ME.
THEY'VE GOT THAT NICE LITTLE HIGHLIGHTED AREA SO THAT WE CAN GO IN AND SEE, OOH, IS THAT A MATCH? THESE PULL FROM NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO PLUG IN THEIR INFORMATION, BUT ALSO OTHER SITES LIKE, UM, NEXT DOOR.
AND SO WE'RE SEEING, UM, A LOT MORE PETS THROUGH HERE THAN HAVING TO GO TO EACH LITTLE SPOT.
WE DO STILL HAVE TO KEEP GOING TO FACEBOOK BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT, OR THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO TIE INTO THERE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE STAFF WHO ARE DEVOTED TO REUNIONS, BUT IF I DID HAVE STAFF WHO WERE DEVOTED TO REUNIONS, RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST AN INTERN, UM, THEY WOULD USE THIS DASHBOARD MORE THOROUGHLY.
SO YOU CAN PUT NOTES IN ON WHO YOU'VE CONTACTED, YOU CAN EMAIL THEM.
ONE OF THE BEST TIPS THAT I'VE HEARD IS, UM, EMAILING THOSE WHO HAVE FOUND A PET, WHO ARE STILL TAKING CARE OF THAT PET AND LOOKING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND EMAILING THEM A THANK YOU NOTE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING AMAZING.
UM, AND SO THIS JUST OFFERS SO MUCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND PROBLEM SOLVING TOGETHER USING THE SAME TOOL.
UM, WE USE THIS IN OUR SHELTER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME AMAZING A CO JURISDICTION UNITS WHO, UH, USE THIS IN THE FIELD BECAUSE IT'S JUST A PICTURE AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE ANYWAYS TO PUT IT IN THE DATABASE.
AND SO THEY RUN IT THROUGH PETCO LOVE LOST TO SEE IF THEY CAN, UH, FIND A MATCH.
AND THEY HAVE, YOU CAN SEARCH FOR MICROCHIPS THROUGH THIS METHOD.
LET'S SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT OLD STORY OF I DON'T HAVE THAT PET ANYMORE.
I GAVE THAT PET TO THIS FRIEND, BUT WE DIDN'T UPDATE ANYTHING.
IF THE FRIEND IS MISSING HER PET AND SHE HAPPENS TO HAVE THAT MICROCHIP INFORMATION, BUT HAS NO IDEA HOW TO, UM, MAKE IT THE INFORMATION CORRECT, SHE, WHEN MAKING HER LOST REPORT CAN PUT IN THAT NUMBER.
SO IF I'M PUTTING IN A NUMBER, I CAN MAKE A MATCH THAT WAY.
IT, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY HERE.
THIS IS SOME OF OUR DATA FROM THE CENTRAL TEXAS FLOODS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE LOST PETS COMING IN THROUGH THE SHELTER, BUT ALSO THROUGH FINDERS AND THOSE,
[01:45:01]
UM, WHO WERE FOUND AND THEN REUNITED WITHOUT THE SHELTER'S INVOLVEMENT AT ALL.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE GOAL IS FOR NEIGHBORS TO HELP NEIGHBORS, FOR NEIGHBORS TO CONNECT WITH NEIGHBORS.
THIS IS A WAY THAT THEY CAN, THAT THEY CAN DO THAT, AND THEY CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY.
SO THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, PAST FEW YEARS OF OUR REUNION, PERCENTAGE OF OUR OUTGOING PERCENTAGES.
UM, IT'S GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE ALSO DOING REUNION STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY, SO THAT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
UM, THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF, UM, A CO AGENCIES WHO ARE ALSO JUST REALLY UPPING THEIR GAME ON RETURN AND FIELD.
AND SO I THINK THE PETS THAT WE'RE GETTING IN ACTUALLY IN TAKING INTO THE SHELTER ARE THE ONES WHO NEED THAT EXTRA HELP GETTING HOME.
UM, SO IT'S KIND OF EXPECTED FOR IT TO GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO SEE HOW HIGH WE CAN GET IT BACK UP THERE.
AND I REALLY TALK ABOUT THIS SERVICE AS KIND OF THAT IN-BETWEEN SERVICE THAT, UM, UH, THAT LENGTHENS THE, THE, UM, THE BUILDING LIFE, THE SHELTER LIFE.
SO OUR POPULATION IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS JUST A, IT'S THAT, IT'S THAT TOP PURPLE LINE.
UM, THE REALLY BIG SPIKE IS WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH GEORGETOWN, OBVIOUSLY THE POPULATION THAT WE SERVED GREATLY INCREASED.
WE ARE RELATIVELY STEADY IN THAT AREA.
AND THE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED THE MOST MAKING THAT TRIANGLE ARE THE SERVICES, THE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, THE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY, THE, UM, CAPTURING OF TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHERE PETCO LOVE LOST FALLS INTO THIS.
UM, THAT'S WHY I'M SUCH A BIG PROPONENT OF THIS TOOL, BECAUSE IT IS WHAT, UM, KEEPS THE SHELTER FUNCTIONING EVEN IN DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND THAT'S WHY I USE THE CENTRAL FLOOD'S DATA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD'VE DONE WITHOUT PECO LOVE LOST IN THAT MOMENT.
WE USED IT TREMENDOUSLY AT THAT TIME, UH, DURING SPIKES OF 4TH OF JULY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, PECO LOVE LOST WAS GETTING HITS AND GETTING THOSE GUYS BACK HOME WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE SHELTER.
UM, SO I JUST, YOU CAN'T TELL REALLY ADORE THIS TOOL.
I EVEN JUST RECOMMENDED THAT SOMEONE COME TO OUR WEBSITE THIS MORNING WHO LIVES AT JURISDICTION TO FILL OUT A LOST REPORT JUST TO GET THAT LITTLE PUP SPACE OUT THERE SO WE COULD FIND THEM.
AND I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
UM, I KNOW THIS, THE POSTING WAS REUNIFICATION PLATFORMS, BUT SINCE IT SAID REUNIFICATION, IT WAS BROAD ENOUGH TO WHERE, UH, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BROADER THAN JUST THE PLATFORMS, BUT IT STILL LEGALLY WOULD FALL UNDER THE POSTING LANGUAGE.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PLATFORM.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
UM, AND I FULLY SUPPORT REUNITING PETS WITH THEIR OWNERS WHENEVER IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY.
BUT AS I MENTIONED A FEW TIMES EARLIER, I'M CONCERNED THAT THE NEW SOPS PRIORITIZE INCREASING REUNIFICATION NUMBERS BY REMOVING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND SAFEGUARDS THAT HELP DETERMINE WHETHER AN ANIMAL IS BEING RETURNED TO AN APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, REGARDING THE QUESTION THAT WAS, UM, POSED EARLIER TO THE DIRECTOR ON ANIMALS THAT ARE INJURED, DO THEY GET RETURNED WHEN THEY'RE STILL INJURED? UM, I'M TOLD THAT, UM, THEY DO.
UM, IN FACT, VET CARE NEEDED FORMS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE USED ANYMORE.
UM, VET SERVICES CANNOT REQUIRE FOLLOW UP CARE.
AND UNLESS THE DIRECTOR CHANGED HER MIND, SINCE SHE SENT OUT THOSE SOPS, UM, THAT SERVICES WAS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT DO THAT AND REQUIRE PEOPLE TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF THEIR ANIMALS MEDICALLY.
SO I'LL LEAVE THAT TO, FOR YOU GUYS TO DEAL WITH.
UM, I ALSO CONTINUE TO QUESTION THE DECISION TO NOT ISSUE CITATIONS IN MANY OF THESE CASES.
CITATIONS ARE NOT SIMPLY PUNITIVE.
[01:50:01]
A TOOL TO ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE.THEY REQUIRE OWNERS TO APPEAR IN COURT, AND IN MANY CASES CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH DEFERRAL PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE OWNERS TO, TO CORRECT THE UNDERLYING ISSUES SUCH AS PROPERLY CONTAINING THEIR PETS, OBTAINING REQUIRED VACCINATIONS OR OTHERWISE COMING INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW THAT BENEFITS BOTH THE ANIMALS AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE AND WORK ON THESE CASES MYSELF ON THE BENCH.
IF THE CITY'S APPROACH IS TO AVOID CITATIONS ALTOGETHER, THEN IT RAISES A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION, WHY EVEN HAVE ORDINANCES ADDRESSING LOOSE ANIMALS AND ANIMAL CRUELTY IF THEY'RE RARELY ENFORCED? LAWS ONLY SERVE THEIR PURPOSE WHEN THERE IS A MEANINGFUL EXPECTATION OF COMPLIANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO REUNIFICATION IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL, BUT IT SHOULD NEVER COME AT THE EXPENSE OF ANIMAL WELFARE.
IT IS ENTIRELY REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE TO ASK IN-DEPTH QUESTIONS BEFORE RETURNING AN ANIMAL TO ENSURE IT IS GOING BACK TO A SAFE AND LAWFUL HOME.
IT'S VERY FASCINATING, THE TOOL.
SO, UH, I WAS WONDERING IF, BECAUSE THEY'RE USING THE PHOTOS FOR RECOGNITION MM-HMM
IS, IS THAT AI CORRECT? IS THAT YEAH, A FORM OF AI? I, YEAH.
IT'S, I DON'T HAVE PURVIEW INTO THEIR, UM, TECHNOLOGY, BUT YES, I THINK IT'S A, THERE'S NOT PEOPLE BACK THERE YEAH.
AND, UM, SO IS AS ANIMAL SERVICES USING REGISTERING THE ANIMALS LIKE IN THE SERVICE? YES.
SO WE USE PETCO LOVE LOST, UM, YES, WE USE PETCO LOVE LOST THE SAME WAY THAT MISTY DOES, AND I REALLY LIKE THAT AND HOW IT GOES ALSO ALL THE WAY OUT TO NEXT DOOR.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT AI,
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY, UM, LIKE UNEXPECTED REPERCUSSIONS OR ANY UNEXPECTED WEIRDNESS THAT YOU'VE RUN INTO AT ALL WITH IT? WITH USING THIS? YEAH, WITH LIKE ANY SORT OF MISIDENTIFICATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OR, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY NEGATIVE SIDE TO IT THAT YOU'VE SEEN AT ALL.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS A CLOSED SYSTEM, IT KIND OF HELPS WITH THAT.
AND PETCO WAS VERY, UM, CONSCIOUS OF THE SCAMS AND WHATNOT THAT HAPPEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, THEY KIND OF DESIGNED IT IN THIS WAY WHERE THE FINDER NEEDS TO CREATE THEIR OWN THING.
AND, UM, THE LOST PET NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR OWN, AND THEN THEY DO THE CONNECTIONS, UM, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO ESTABLISH A PLATFORM THAT IS EASY TO SCAM ON, LIKE A UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, FACEBOOK GROUPS OR, OR YEAH.
HAVING TO TACKLE THAT EVERY DAY AND, AND, UM, SO THIS KIND OF PUTS A PROTECTION ON THAT.
MR. HOLT? UH, I JUST HAVE TO SAY, AS A LUD, I, I AM, THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE I CAN GET BEHIND, UM,
FINDS A DOG AND THEY ACTUALLY LIVED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, DO THOSE TWO TALK TO EACH OTHER? YES.
I LOVE THIS THE US CORRECT? YES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS WITH FACEBOOK? IS THAT ACTIVELY BEING WORKED ON? I KNOW YOU'RE NOT PART OF PET GO.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU'VE HEARD ANYTHING.
I, I, I TALK TO THEM AND, AND HEAR THEIR STRUGGLES.
UM, IT IS, THE HARD PART IS BECAUSE OF THE SEGMENTATION OF, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I'M ALSO NOT A VERY, I'M A TECH PERSON TO A LIMIT.
UM, BECAUSE LET'S SAY ALL THESE LOST AND BOUND GROUPS, THEY'RE GROUPS, SO THEY'RE VERY SEGMENTED.
UM, AND THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S I THINK SO MANY LAYERS OF CONSENT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO DOWN TO GRAB THAT PHOTO AND INFORMATION.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT TRYING, IT'S JUST A LOT HARDER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PLATFORMS. ANYBODY ELSE? THAT WAS FANTASTIC.
THAT'S SO EXCITING TO HEAR MORE DETAIL ABOUT IT.
AS SOMEONE WHO'S IN WILDLIFE, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
I WILL TELL EVERYONE IN THE WORLD ABOUT PETCO LOVE LOST.
I THINK OUR SHELTERS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, NOT AT THE CAPACITY THAT THEY ARE IF MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THIS AMAZING TOOL.
[01:55:01]
OH, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.UM, IS IT ONLY CATS AND DOGS? RIGHT NOW? IT IS.
RIGHT NOW IT IS ONLY CATS AND DOGS.
I'VE HAD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT A MINUTE,
BUT RIGHT NOW THE ONLY TWO SPECIES, YES.
[5. Discussion and presentation regarding New World Screwworm Crisis. Presentation by Dr. Debbie Elliot, Program Manager, Veterinary Services.]
SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.UM, TO, I JUST, UM, CANNOT WAIT TO TALK ABOUT SCREWWORM.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME COME AND TALK ABOUT SCREWWORM
DEBBIE ELLIOT, THE, UH, VET SERVICES MANAGER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
SO GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN.
UM, 20 MINUTES OR FIVE, FIVE MINUTES,
SO, OH, THIS IS THE DIFFERENT ONE.
UH, UH OH, NO, THAT'S, YOU PUT THE LONG ONE ON.
MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE THE WRONG ONE.
OKAY, WELL, WE'LL GO WITH THE LONG ONE, SO IT'LL BE REALLY A LOT FASTER.
SO THIS CUTE LITTLE FLY HERE IS, UM, THE HOMINA BORAX FLY.
UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE HOUSE FLY.
AND INTERESTINGLY, THE HO VORAX MEANS MANEATER
UM, IT'S NOT THE FLY THAT'S THE TRUE, UH, PEST.
UM, THIS FLY DOES NOT HANG AROUND BARNS.
IT DOES NOT HANG AROUND MANEUVER.
IT'S NOT ONE OF THOSE FLIES WHO KIND OF, UH, SEEKS THAT.
THE FEMALE HAS AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO FIND A WOUND THROUGH SENSE.
UM, SO THEY CAN FLY OVER AND, OR DETECT A WOUND AND THEN FLY OVER TO THAT WOUND AND LAY EGGS.
UM, THIS LITTLE CUTE CRITTER IS THE ONE THAT, UM, GOT THE NAME SCREW WORM.
UM, AND THE REASON THAT IT DOES THAT IS THE SHAPE OF IT.
IT'S A WORM THAT ACTUALLY LIVES IN LIVE TISSUE, SO IT FEEDS ON LIVE TISSUE.
IT DOESN'T FEED ON DEAD TISSUES LIKE WHAT WE'RE TYPICALLY FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, THIS IS A STAGE THAT, UM, CAUSES THE DAMAGE TO THE ANIMAL.
SO TYPICALLY, UM, THE FEMALE WILL, LET'S GO TO THE, LET'S GO.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PLEASANT TO LOOK AT
SO THE LIFECYCLE, UM, SO THE FLY, UM, LIVES AT LARGE.
DOES THIS HAVE A BORNER THINGY? UH, NO.
CAN YOU GO UP THAT MODEL? NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
UM, SO THE ADULTS, UM, THE TWO FLIES WILL MATE.
SO THE MALE AND THE FEMALE WILL MATE, AS YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW, UM, TEXAS IS RELEASING STERILE MALES.
SO THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS SO THAT THE FEMALE, WHEN SHE MATES DOESN'T HAVE VIABLE EGGS, THE FEMALES STILL SEEK OUT, UH, THE WOUNDS AND, UM, GO OVER TO THE ANIMAL AND LAY EGGS.
THAT CLUSTER OF EGGS IS VERY, UM, UNIQUE FOR THIS TYPE OF FLY.
SO IT'S A VERY EASY THING TO SEE.
THEY'LL, SHE'LL LAY EGGS ON THAT, UM, ON THE WOUND.
AND THEN THE EGGS WILL HATCH WITHIN 12 TO 14 HOURS.
SO WITHIN 24 HOURS, THE WOUND CAN LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
SHE CAN LAY, UM, LAY THE CLUSTERS, THE EGGS HATCH, AND THEN IT BECOMES LARVAE.
THE LARVA GO THROUGH STAGES WHERE THEY GROW AND MATURE.
UM, AND AS THEY DO THAT, THEY'LL FEED ON THE ANIMAL FOR ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS.
UM, AFTER THAT, THE LARVAE FALL OFF, GO INTO THE GROUND AND PUPATE, AND THEN THE FLY EMERGES AND SIX TO EIGHT DAYS LATER.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE LIFE CYCLE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO MANAGE THIS, UM, DISEASE.
SO AGAIN, UH, THE, THE, UH, USDA, THE APHIS AND THAC IS WORKING ON THE ADULTS.
AND THEN THEY'RE ASKING THE FARMERS.
THEY'RE ASKING US TO BE VERY VI VIGILANT, MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT SEEING THESE EGG CLUSTERS AND WE'RE NOT SEEING THESE TYPES OF WOUNDS.
UM, THERE ARE NO WOUND PICTURES OTHER THAN THIS CUTE LITTLE DIAGRAM IN THE, IN THE CUTE SQUIRREL SCREW WORM.
BUT, UM, ONCE THEY AN AN, ONCE THE, UM, LARVAE IS ON THE ANIMAL, IF THE ANIMAL DIES, THE LARVAE WILL FALL OFF AND PUPATE INTO THE GROUND.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT STAGE THAT LARVA IS AT.
SO IT'S A VERY PRODUCTIVE LARVAE.
UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, UH, L THREE STAGE.
UM, SO THIS REQUIRES NOTIFICATION TO THE VET.
SO THIS WAS, UH, WHAT I ACTUALLY TAUGHT THE
[02:00:01]
STAFF ON.UM, SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS STUFF REALLY QUICKLY, BUT THE BIG THING IS IF YOU SEE IT IN YOUR PETS, IF YOU SEE ANYTHING ON COMMUNITY CAT AND CATS LIKE THAT, THE BEST THING TO DO IS GET VETERINARY CARE.
WE DO HAVE TREATMENTS THAT WE CAN USE THAT WILL ACTUALLY KILL THE LARVA THAT ARE ON THE ANIMAL.
UM, AND THAT TREATMENT CAPSTAR, THAT'S ONE OF OUR NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT WE GO TO WHEN WE SEE MAGGOTS ANYWAY, WE, WE IMMEDIATELY GIVE THEM CAPSTAR BECAUSE IT STARTS TO, UM, EXPEL THOSE, UM, THE LARVA.
WE ALSO KNOW THE FDA APPROVED, CAPSTAR NEXGUARD COMBO, NEXGARD IN CREDIO.
THOSE ARE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
WE ALSO JUST GOT WORD FROM THE PARASITOLOGY DEPART, UM, TOP CONFERENCE THAT HAPPENED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT THEY RELEASED A PAPER THAT SHOWS THAT SOME PERCA AND BRAVECTO ALSO CAN EXPOSE THE, UM, THE LARVA.
INTERESTINGLY THAT SIMPARICA IS NOT THE TRIO.
SO ONCE THEY START BRIDGING THESE INTO TRIOS, SO LIKE NEXGUARD PLUS IS NOT ONE OF THESE AN ONE OF THESE DRUGS, IT, ONCE THEY START BE BRIDGING IT WITH THE HEARTWORM DISEASE, HEARTWORM PREVENTION, EXCUSE ME, UM, AND PROTECT HEARTWORM PRO PROTECTION, THEY DECREASE THE, UM, ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN THEM.
SO RIGHT NOW WE STILL HAVE THE ANIMALS ON AT THE SHELTER ONICA TRIO BECAUSE WE NEED THE HEARTWORM PROTECTION AS WELL AS UM, THE FLEA TICK PROTECTION.
OBVIOUSLY IF AN ANIMAL DOES GET THIS OR WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THIS IN OUR SHELTER, THEN WE ARE GONNA NEED TO TO CHANGE THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IS GET CAPSTAR.
UM, AND WE WILL BE HAVING MORE NEXT GUARD COMING INTO THE FACILITY TOO.
UM, IT IS REPORTABLE, SO THE VETERINARIANS ARE ALL AWARE.
MY BUTT STAFF IS ALREADY AWARE OF HOW, WHAT STEPS WE NEED TO GO THROUGH TO DO THAT.
WE DO NOT MANAGE ANY OF THE WILDLIFE THAT IS THROUGH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BIOLOGIST WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF THE WILDLIFE AS THEY SEE IT.
UM, THIS IS A CURRENT SPREAD, UM, BASED ON JULY 12TH.
THERE'S THIS CUTE LITTLE, UM, WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN GO TO WHERE IT UPDATES THIS, UH, THIS INFORMATION JUST ACTUALLY LETS YOU KNOW WHERE, UM, WHERE THE CASES ARE.
UM, I FORGOT TO PUT A LITTLE DOT WHERE AUSTIN IS, 'CAUSE YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE KIND OF MOVING TOWARDS US.
UM, BUT SO FAR WE'VE ONLY SEEN TWO DOGS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE HAD THIS DISEASE, UM, IN THE TEXAS AREA.
SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
AND NO CATS AND NO, NO WILDLIFE.
I THINK I HEARD ON THE LECTURE THIS MORNING OR THIS AFTERNOON, I INCLUDED THIS CURRENT OUTBREAK FOR MEXICO.
UM, THIS IS FROM NOVEMBER 24TH TO JUNE OF 26TH.
UM, AND THE REASON I ADDED IS THIS IS A DISEASE THAT ACTUALLY AFFECTS CATTLE AND UM, LIVESTOCK MORE THAN IT AFFECTS DOGS AND CATS.
UM, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT WILL NOT AFFECT IT, BUT UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE, UH, PAVILIONS OF IT, UM, IT'S NOT AS, AS WIDESPREAD AS IT'S GOING TO BE.
AND UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR US TO TAKE HOME FROM THIS IS WE NEED TO BE WATCHING OUR PETS.
WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THIS DISEASE IS OUT THERE AND THAT THERE IS TREATMENT.
AND THAT HAS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE THING IS GETTING TO ABOUT GETTING THAT TREATMENT DONE.
YEAH, THERE IS A HANDOUT ALSO THAT HAS SOME LINKS TO THE WEBSITES AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT LINK IS IN IT.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU GUYS ARE ADDRESSING THIS.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU GAVE YOUR STAFF TRAINING.
SO WAS THAT THE VETS OR IS THAT ALL OF VET SERVICES? THAT WAS ALL VET SERVICES.
WHAT ABOUT APOS? 'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES OUT THERE IN THE FIELD THAT ARE GONNA SEE YEAH.
NOT JUST COMPANION ANIMALS BUT WILDLIFE AS WELL.
HAVE THEY RECEIVED TRAINING? YES, THEY HAVE.
THEY DID SOME TRAINING AND I WISH I COULD REMEMBER WHAT IT IS.
UM, AND I USED SOME OF THE SLIDES.
THE THC WAS FROM THAT TRAINING AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT THEY, THEY RECEIVED ON THAT.
BECAUSE IT WAS AFTER OUR FIRST CASE ON JUNE 3RD, UM, MY NEIGHBOR HAD A CAT WITH, WAS EMACIATED, HAD MAGGOTS A PO PICKED IT UP, UM, ACTUALLY TOLD THEM TO HOLD IT OVERNIGHT THAT IT WAS A BITE CAT.
SO THEN THEY DECIDED TO COME PICK IT UP, ANOTHER ISSUE.
UM, AND I ENDED UP TALKING TO THAT A PO AND SAID, WERE THERE MAGGOTS? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE PERSON REPORTED.
[02:05:01]
YES.AND I SAID, WELL WHAT DID YOU DO? AND THEY SAID, WELL WE JUST KILLED THEM AND THREW 'EM IN THE TRASH.
I WAS LIKE, YOU'VE HEARD OF NEW WORLD SCREWWORM? CORRECT.
I ACTUALLY TRIED TO GET A TRAINING, IT WAS A FREE TRAINING, THEY COULD GET CEOS.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR APOS AND THEIR MANAGER TOLD THEM NO BECAUSE IT WASN'T GOING TO BE AN ISSUE OR A CONCERN FOR SHELTER ANIMALS.
SO THAT'S A HUGE RED FLAG FOR ME.
UM, SO I'M GLAD THAT THERE IS TRAINING.
I HOPE THE APOS ARE GETTING IT.
UM, BECAUSE IT, I THINK WE'LL BE HERE PROBABLY FOR FIVE TO 10 YEARS DEALING WITH SCREWWORM AND YOU CAN SEE HOW CLOSE IT IS AND YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GET A NICE FREEZE THEN THEY'RE JUST GONNA KEEP GOING.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT THE APOS ARE GETTING TRAINING.
AND THEN, UH, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT OF THE S AND R CATS THIS MONTH, SO I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING NEXGUARD COMBO ON THEM.
DO YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW TO PUT PUT 'EM? WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, SO THEY'RE GOING OUT WITH THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW A HS HAS SWITCHED OVER TO REBECCA FOR THIS, THIS REASON, WHICH RIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M CLOSELY WATCHING THIS.
UM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT PRODUCT AND UM, I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN SHIPPED OR GETTING SHIPPED, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO, UM, I'M WATCHING IT JUST TO SEE DO WE NEED TO START PURCHASING, UH, BRAVECTO AND ALSO WENT THROUGH BUDGETS.
SO, UM, I THINK WE DO HAVE THE FUNDS TO GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE 'EM SO THAT WE CAN APPLY THAT TO THE CATS.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST USING REVOLUTION.
AND THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMEONE WHO'S STILL DOING ACTIVE TNRI WAS LIKE, IF TRAVIS BECOMES INFESTED, IF WE'RE NOT TREATING THEM, I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT DOING TNR AND THAT'S CRAZY FOR ME TO SAY BECAUSE I FULLY BELIEVE IN IT CLEARLY.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THIS.
NO, WE'RE, YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT A LOT ON THE, THE WILDLIFE SIDE AS YOU GUYS CAN IMAGINE.
'CAUSE MOST WILDLIFE WE GET IN HAVE TERRIBLE OPEN WOUNDS AND GET MAGGOTS AND STUFF IN THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALSO WATCHING REALLY CLOSELY.
SO IT'S GONNA GIMME A HEART ATTACK
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYBODY LOOKING AT NUMBER, WANTING TO ASK QUESTIONS ON NUMBER FIVE.
[6. Discussion clarifying previous statement in bylaws regarding No Kill Subcommittee.]
SIX, DISCUSSION, CLARIFYING PREVIOUS STATEMENT AND BYLAWS REGARDING NO KILL SUB COMMITTEE.UM, I WANNA FIRST SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS TO SIMPLY CLARIFY THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON TO, UM, REVISIT, UH, PERSONAL DISAGREEMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE, BUT SIMPLY TO KEEP THE COMMENTS DIRECTED TO THE DOCUMENTS, UH, IF POSSIBLE HERE.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BYLAWS AND A DIFFERENCE, UH, BETWEEN THE, UM, THE CITY.
UM, I LOST MY WORDS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BYLAWS AND THE, UH, CITY.
COMMISSIONER NEER, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS? NO.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A COMMENT, UH, PREVIOUSLY THAT FE HAD BEEN MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT A SUBCOMMITTEE WAS NEEDED ON NO KILL.
AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT, YOU KNOW, YES, THERE WAS.
SO WE HAVE THAT SUBCOMMITTEE IN PLACE AND WE ARE, NO, I, I DON'T SEE ANY ISSUE WITH THAT.
SO UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS ON IT, I DON'T SEE ANY POINT IN CONTINUING THE, UH, DISCUSSION ON IT.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS TOPIC IS CLOSED AGAIN, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AN ISSUE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, TO ME, BEING NEW HERE AND JUST KIND OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TOPIC, UM, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DECISION HAD BEEN MADE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON FROM THERE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.
[7. Discuss the Annual Internal Review Report for Animal Advisory Commission.]
NOW WE'LL GO TO THE ANNUAL REVIEW.[02:10:01]
UM, AGAIN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, THE ANNUAL REVIEW WAS INCLUDED.IT'S GONNA BE JUST AN ONLINE QUESTION OF, IT'S JUST ONLINE QUESTIONS.
THE QUESTIONS SEEM PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO GIVE MORE OF LIKE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TYPE STYLE ON THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE JUST THINKING OF WHO MAY BE LOOKING AT THIS, I JUST WANNA GIVE HIGH LEVEL SUMMARIES WHERE POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN GO INTO TOO MUCH NITTY GRITTY ON ITEMS. SO I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE.
UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST ONE THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK OVER, AND IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK THAT I NEED TO ADD TO IT OR ANY QUESTIONS ON, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR, OR NO, NO, DON'T GIVE ME AN EMAIL.
NO, JUST GO AHEAD AND LET ME KNOW.
JUST LET ME KNOW NOW ON THAT IF THERE'S LIKE A SPECIFIC, UH, ANSWER TO A QUESTION.
UM, JUST GO AHEAD AND LET ME KNOW.
UM, UH, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL, UM, QUESTION ON HERE SINCE THE PACKET IS INCLUDED.
I'M ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE, UH, LISTING OF THE BOARD'S, UM, YOU KNOW, OR THE COMMISSION'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEW CALENDAR YEAR, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS A MORE OPEN-ENDED QUESTION.
OBVIOUSLY I'VE NOT BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I CAUGHT ALL THE MAJOR POINTS THERE.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, ON THE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, SIXTH BULLET POINT UNDER THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR, COULD WE ADD OPEN INTAKE? WE HAVE HUMANE CARE, REDUCED DIVERSION, EFFECTIVELY INCREASING LIVE OUTCOMES AND STRENGTHEN PET RETENTION.
AND I THINK OPENING INTAKE IS A, A TOPIC THAT COMES UP FREQUENTLY HERE.
MEAN THE SECOND PAGE, IT'S THE LIST, THE BOARDS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO YEAH, SECOND PAGE, SIXTH BULLET POINT ON THAT LIST.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO HAD A UN, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY BACK TO THAT.
SO THE BULLET POINT RIGHT UNDERNEATH THAT, THIS IS LIKE LITERALLY A QUESTION MM-HMM
ARE WE, IS IT OUR GOAL TO ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION WITH ALL THOSE THINGS BEYOND THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ADVISE ON? I, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT LIKE, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW IF THAT IS AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
I GUESS JUST LOOKING THROUGH LIKE PRIOR, PRIOR MINUTES OR PRIOR STATEMENTS ON THERE.
AND I GUESS JUST LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL MISSION STATEMENT WASN'T NECESSARILY JUST LIMITED TO THOSE THINGS.
I GUESS IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A SPECIFIC GOAL, IT WAS MORE OF JUST TRYING TO HAVE AN ALL ENCOMPASSING COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE HAVING THE, THE TALK HERE FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO, I DON'T FEEL STRONGLY ON THAT.
YEAH, NO, I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT EITHER, SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY ARGUING FOR OR AGAINST IT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT IS AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF WHAT OUR PURVIEW OR TYPICALLY WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS.
AND IF WE WANNA LEAVE IT IN, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST WAS LIKE KIND OF POSING IT TO EVERYBODY, LIKE, IS THAT ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, QUESTION MARK? AND IT'S FINE IF IT STAYS IN.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT? WHO, WHO ELSE FEELS ABOUT THAT? I DON'T KNOW ON WHAT SHE SAID, BUT, UM, OKAY, WELL LET'S, LET'S STAY ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE HERE.
SO WHAT IT SAYS IS ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AMONG AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES, TRAVIS COUNTY, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, RESCUE PARTNERS, VOLUNTEERS, ADVOCATES, VETERINARIANS, AND BROADER ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THINKING OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, TNR GROUPS, COMMUNITY CATS, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN.
BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LISTED OUT AS A SPECIFIC THING.
IF WE THINK THAT'S JUST A LITTLE TOO, I THINK IT'S FINE AS LONG AS SOMEBODY'S NOT GONNA COME IN AND LIKE SLAP US ON THE WRIST IF WE DON'T ACCOMPLISH THAT.
'CAUSE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, AND, AND THAT'S, WELL I GUESS THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
LIKE WHY, WHY PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT, 'CAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH IN THERE REALLY FOR US TO BE LOOKING AT WITHOUT HAVING TO SPECIFICALLY SPELL THAT OUT.
IF NOBODY ELSE HAS FEELINGS ABOUT IT, WE CAN JUST LEAVE IT IN.
LIKE, I, THIS IS NOT A HILL I'M TRYING TO DIE ON.
I THINK YOU CAN JUSTIFY THAT JUST BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE COME IN FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO TALK AND CROSS POLLINATE IDEAS AND THOUGHTS.
PROBABLY SUFFICES TO COVER THAT IN TERMS OF LIKE SOMEBODY SAYING, OH, YOU GUYS DIDN'T DO THAT.
UH, AND IT IS IN THE BYLAWS, I WAS JUST LOOKING, UM, NOT EXACTLY STATED THAT WAY, BUT PROMOTE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN OR CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE CITY.
[02:15:01]
YEAH, AS LONG AS WE DON'T THINK THAT'LL BE INFLAMMATORY THE WAY IT'S WORDED.SO, UM, DR. PAGE IS THE ONE WHO PUT OUT ALL THE, SHE CAME UP WITH THE GOALS.
UH, SO THIS WAS, UM, NO, WELL, SO SOME OF THEM ARE AND SOME OF THEM ARE MORE BROAD ONES THAT I JUST KIND OF ADDED IN FROM A BROADER SENSE.
SO THIS CAME FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES, BUT, UH, WAS IT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO PUT THIS TOGETHER? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
NO, I PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEN OH, YOU DID.
NISSEN ALSO, UM, SENT WHAT SHE HAD AS WELL.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
OH YEAH, NO, NO, I THREW THIS TOGETHER AND THEN, BUT THIS WAS THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, DR.
NISSEN ACTUALLY SENT WHAT SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY AS WELL.
IT'S JUST THAT THE FORMAT HAD CHANGED AND EVERYTHING.
AND SO I TRIED TO INCORPORATE EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAD ON THERE AS WELL AS INCLUDE SOME OTHER ITEMS AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK I INCLUDED EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAD ON HERE AS WELL.
AND THEN JUST A COUPLE EXTRA THINGS.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THE HARD WORK ON THIS
OH, WELL NO, AND DR. NELSON DID A LOT OF IT TOO.
NI TOO, BOTH OF YOU, FOR PUTTING THE EFFORT IN ON THIS.
I MEAN, SUCH TOOK PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, DR. NELSON, UM, SHE SENT WHAT SHE HAD AS WELL AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING THROUGH, I MEAN, THIS HELPED ME TOO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THINGS WITH LOOKING THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATION NUMBERS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHY I WANTED, JUST AS A REFERENCE POINT, I PUT TOGETHER THE RECOMMENDATION NUMBERS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, JUST SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A QUICK SUMMARY ON THERE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN PEOPLE THROW OUT A NUMBER OR THROW OUT A THING AND I DON'T KNOW LIKE WHEN IT HAPPENED OR WHAT EXACTLY IT WAS FOR.
SO THIS WAS TO JUST TO KEEP MY MIND FROM BEING A BOWL OF SPAGHETTI.
ANYTHING, ANY, ANY OTHER ISSUES OR CONCERNS WITH THIS? OKAY.
I'LL ADD IN THE INTAKE THING AND THEN I'LL, UM, SO BY THE END OF THE MONTH, I BELIEVE THIS IS DUE WHERE I'LL JUST GO ONLINE AND THEN JUST PUT THIS INFORMATION IN BASICALLY, AND, AND SEND THAT IN.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION THING ON THIS.
I, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO TURN IT IN SO THERE'S NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, A, A VOTE ON THIS JUST BECAUSE IT'S GOTTA BE TURNED IN.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AND IF ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, UM, NO, NO, I CAN'T SAY THIS.
NO, IF THIS IS DONE, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA BE TURNED
OTHER THAN THE ADDITION OF THE, UM, OPENING INTAKE CENTER ON THAT ONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER HOLT.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES, WOW, THAT WAS NICE AND FAST.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE, UH, ANNUAL REVIEW
[8. Change in Chair for No Kill Subcommittee.]
AND, UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM.WAIT, WAS THAT NUMBER SEVEN? YEAH, THAT WAS NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO NUMBER EIGHT.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A, UM, CHANGE IN THE, IN THE CHAIR FOR THE NO KILL SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS, UM, THIS IS IN NO WAY REFLECTING OVER ANY PRIOR DECISIONS NEGATIVELY ON ANY PRIOR DECISIONS HERE THAT WERE MADE.
UM, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP WILL CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME BASED ON, UM, COMMISSIONER'S INTERESTS OR AVAILABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, AND IT'S A VERY SIMPLE DECISION TO ME, AND I'M SORRY IF I AM MAYBE OVERSIMPLIFYING IT, BUT WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER, UM, HOLT, WHO WOULD PREFER TO NOT CHAIR THIS COMMITTEE.
AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ER, WHO WOULD PREFER TO CHAIR THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AGAIN, BEING NEW, I, I ACTUALLY LIKE NOT KNOWING SOME BACKGROUND HERE OF, OF WHAT'S OCCURRING, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY SIMPLE, LOGICAL DECISION HERE, BASED ON THAT ALONE, THAT WE SIMPLY SWAP THOSE ROLES AND THAT I WILL BE APPOINTING COMMISSIONER EMER TO BE THE CHAIR OF THIS NO KILL SUBCOMMITTEE, AS THAT IS A WISH BETWEEN BOTH OF THESE COMMISSIONERS.
IT'S NOT A STATEMENT ON ANY OTHER LEVEL ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
[02:20:01]
BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.THIS IS JUST A, UM, HONORING THE WISHES BETWEEN THESE TWO COMMISSIONERS.
SO WE WILL APPOINT, UH, COMMISSIONER EMER AS THE CHAIR OF THE NO KILL SUBCOMMITTEE BASED ON THAT.
AND HAPPY TO OPEN THAT FOR DISCUSSION IF NEEDED.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAD A COMMENT FROM CRAIG NASER.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THAT EARLIER.
I COULDN'T READ IF THAT WAS A THREE OR AN EIGHT, BUT IT'S TOO LATE FOR THREE.
SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COMMENT ON NUMBER EIGHT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CRAIG NAZER.
I AM THE FORMER CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND, UM, I WAS CHAIR WHEN THIS, AND ACTUALLY IT'S A COMMITTEE.
IT'S NOT A SUBCOMMITTEE, IT'S ACTUALLY A COMMITTEE OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, AND WHEN IT PASSED AND I WAS THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND IT HAD TO GO IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, AT THE TIME IT WAS ACTUALLY A SUGGESTION FROM A CITY COUNCIL OFFICE.
UM, UH, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA THEN.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA NOW.
AND PART OF, AND PART OF THE THING THAT'S SO NICE ABOUT THIS IS THESE COMMISSIONS ARE DIFFERENT.
THE CITY COUNCIL, THEY'RE SIMILAR IN SOME WAYS, BUT THEY'RE DIFFERENT BECAUSE NONE OF US ARE ELECTED, WE'RE EVER ELECTED.
AND YOU THINK ABOUT WHY DO THE COMMISSIONS EXIST? WE'VE EVER SAT AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, BUT I MEAN, SAT FOR HOURS AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND HEAR MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THINGS.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THE COMMISSIONS EXIST.
THE LATEST CITY COUNCIL MEETING EVER SAT AT ENDED AT 7:30 AM AND THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN COME TO THESE COMMISSIONS AND TALK ABOUT IT AND YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THINGS AND THEN BRING IT FORWARD TO CITY COMMISSION AND BRING IT TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND IT MAKES THE WHOLE PROCESS WORK BETTER.
AND ONCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS, I LIKE IT.
BUT IT'S VOLUNTEER OPERATED AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN.
BUT, AND THEN, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THERE, BUT CAN IGNORE 'EM TOO.
SO THE FACT THAT, THAT THE PROBLEM, THE REASON WE DID NOT HAVE THIS COMMITTEE SET UP THEN IS 'CAUSE AT THE TIME, IT WAS DURING COVI AND EVERYBODY WANTED THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN I COULD NOT FIND ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO VOLUNTEER TO LEAD THE COMMITTEE.
AND BY THE TIME I ROLLED OFF THE COMMISSION, THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE YET.
WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DO IT.
WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S VOLUNTEERED TO DO IT AND THEY WANNA DO IT.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS COMMITTEE WILL PROBABLY COME UP WITH SOME VERY GOOD STUFF BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN.
IT'S NOT A SET DONE DEAL, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE.
AND IT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY IN PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND TALK AT THAT, ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY.
AND NOT DRAG NOT NOT HEAR ABOUT STUFF LIKE SCREWWORM, WHICH I CALL ELON FLY.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, OF CRAIG.
UM, WHAT, AS SOMEONE WHO WAS ON THE COMMITTEE AND ACTUALLY LED, THE FIRST MEETING IS GOOD FOR ME TO FIND THIS OUT NOW.
UM, WHAT WAS THE INTENTION OF THE NO KILL? LIKE WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? THE GOAL THOUGH? OKAY.
NO KILL HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTROVERSY CONTROVERSIAL IN AUSTIN.
UH, I GOT ON THE COMMISSION WHEN IT FIRST STARTED.
I WAS NOT A PART OF THE NO KILL MOVEMENT.
UH, I'M A GREAT ANIMAL LOVER FOR ALL MY LIFE.
AND I, I ACTUALLY, I, THE THE COUNCIL MEMBER I SUPPORTED SAID, SAID, DO YOU WANNA BE ON A COMMISSION? AND I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND I LOOKED AT HIM, I WAS LIKE, THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN.
SO I GOT ON HERE AND WENT, HOW DOES NO KILL WORK? HOW DOES IT EVEN WORK? AND THROUGH EIGHT YEARS AND WATCHING DIFFERENT PEOPLE TRY IT AND SOME PEOPLE SUCCEEDING BETTER ON THIS, I GOT A REALLY GOOD IDEA ABOUT HOW IT WORKS.
AND IT'S, IT, IT'S A MOVING TARGET.
WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT IT, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE CONSTITUTION, GREAT, GREAT DOCUMENT, BUT HOW DOES IT, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT WORK? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THAT IS A GOOD TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION AND IT IS A GOOD TOPIC FOR, FOR, FOR LETTING OTHER PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
[02:25:01]
ARE THE IDEAS, WHAT CAN WE TRY? I, AND BECAUSE WHAT I'VE SEEN THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS COMMUNITY, IN THIS COMMISSION IS BECAUSE PEOPLE START NOT FEELING THE SAME WAY ON HOW NO KILL WORKS.AND THEY WON'T NECESSARILY TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT TENSION BUILDS UP.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO TALK IF PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT IT.
IF THEY WILL TALK ABOUT IT HONESTLY, AND NOT GET MAD AT EACH OTHER.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT A COMMISSION'S FOR YOU ARE.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO COME TO A DEMOCRATIC DECISION.
IT'S NO ONE PERSON RULES HERE.
YOU COME TO A DEMOCRATIC DECISION AND THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.
THAT'S, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.
NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EVA.
UM, FUNCTIONALLY HOW DOES IT WORK, RIGHT? SO LIKE OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T PASS RECOMMENDATIONS.
CAN WE FORM WORKING GROUPS? LIKE WHAT, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? WHERE IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THIS COMMISSION? UM, SO A COMMITTEE, LIKE A WORKING GROUP WILL COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING TO THE WHOLE BOARD IN WHICH THE WHOLE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON.
SO THERE WOULDN'T BE A WORKING GROUP TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT THE COMMITTEE WOULD IN ITSELF ACT MM-HMM
[9. Creation of a working group exploring compliance with the Texas Health and Safety Chapter 8-23]
SPEAKING OF WORKING GROUPS, NUMBER NINE, UH, CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP GROUP EXPLORING COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CHAPTER 8 23.THIS WAS A COMMISSIONER NELSON'S, UH, ITEM.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE COMMISSIONER NORTON IS STILL ON.
SHOULD WE, UH, CAN WE DELAY THIS TO THE NEXT, UM, TO THE NEXT MEETING? 'CAUSE MAKE SURE TO GIVE IT ITS FULL ATTENTION, UM, BECAUSE I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO WANT, UM, COMMISSIONER NELSON TO BE ABLE TO, TO SPEAK TO IT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, BUMP THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING.
DO I HAVE TO GET A MOTION FOR THAT? ANY, ANY OBJECTION? OKAY.
WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE THIS TO THE NEXT, UM, TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
[10. Creation of a working group to study the emergency intake procedures at Austin Animal Services.]
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE NUMBER 10, WHICH IS THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY THE EMERGENCY INTAKE PROCEDURES AT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.UM, WHO'S ITEM IS THIS? IT'S MINE.
UH, COMMISSIONER NEHMER AND SO ON THIS ONE, UM, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL, UM, ON THIS ONE AND UNDERSTAND TO MAKE SURE WE ALL UNDERSTAND SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE INTENT OF THIS ONE IS, JUST SO THAT WE'RE CAREFUL TO STAY OUT OF THE, THE BUCKET OF BEING, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE OR, UM, OPERATIONALLY GIVING SUGGESTIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTERS.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD EXPAND MORE ON LIKE WHAT, WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO, UM, GAIN AND WHAT TO DO FROM A STUDY SUCH AS THIS OR WHAT THE INTENT IS.
WHAT I'M HOPING TO DO FOR, OR I'M HOPING THE WORKING GROUP CAN DO, IS COME UP WITH SOME POSSIBLE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SOME POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS, SOMEWHAT LIKE THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS, AND I'M AFRAID I MIGHT BE ACTUALLY STEPPING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN'S TOES A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOT, BECAUSE WE DID DISCUSS THAT MONDAY WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT IT'S JUST, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS WHERE, UM, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE AT THE, AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TELLING PEOPLE TO TAKE A DOG OR THAT THEY WON'T, THEY WON'T INTAKE A DOG AND THEN THEY TALK TO AN A PO AND AN A PO GIVES THEM AN A NUMBER OR AN A NUMBER SO THAT THEY WIND UP GOING TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
THE EMERGENCY CENTER THEN HAS A TECH, NOT A VET, BUT A TECH SAY, NO, THE DOG IS FINE.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT A WAY OF STREAMLINING THAT SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE FINDERS ARE NOT JUST BEING TURNED AWAY.
IT'S THINGS LIKE, I I I'VE SEEN ON SOME OF THE, THE, UM, FACEBOOK GROUPS AND STUFF WHERE SOMEONE'S BECOMING HOMELESS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LIVING IN THEIR CAR AND THEY NEED TO SURRENDER THE ANIMAL.
AND THEY TAKE, THEY GO IN AND THEY'RE TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T TAKE IT.
SO I WAS THINK HOPING WE COULD JUST COME UP WITH SOME POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOME POSSIBLE, UM, SUGGESTIONS FOR MONICA, FOR, FOR DIRECTOR DANGLER TO USE, WHETHER
[02:30:01]
SHE WANTS TO OR NOT, IT'S TOTALLY UP TO HER, BUT JUST TO GIVE HER SOME HELP, UM, WITH OTHER PEOPLE BRAINSTORMING ON THIS ISSUE.AND I'M A LITTLE OUTTA MY ELEMENT ON THAT.
ARE WE, ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, FOR THAT TYPE OF THING, EVEN IF IT'S OPERATIONAL IN NATURE? YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY HOW YOU KIND OF FRAMED THIS.
SO, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO CREATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OR FOR THE SHELTER DIRECTOR TO SEND TO THEIR STAFF.
WE HAVE NO ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY OVER THAT.
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO SAY LIKE, NO, THANK YOU.
BUT WE ARE STILL, IT IS STILL WITHIN OUR PURVIEW TO CREATE THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT IS A BEST PRACTICE TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM BEFORE TO LIKE FIGURE OUT WHAT'S FEASIBLE AND VIABLE.
BUT YES, WE ARE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER DO, UH, HAD SECONDED ME AND I THINK SHE'S INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE WORKING GROUP AND WE'VE GOT, UM, BEVERLY LUNA FROM AUSTIN, UH, LOST AND FOUND PETS WHO WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.
SO SHE, SHE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A CITIZEN ON IN THE GROUP, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD WANNA JOIN OR IF ANYBODY THINKS THAT IT'S OKAY OR DO Y'ALL THINK IT'S A DUPLICATION? I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT JEN PRETTY MUCH ON THAT.
DO YOU THINK THAT IT'S A DUPLICATION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN? I MEAN, I THINK IT DEFINITELY IS COVERED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP.
I THINK IT'S JUST A DECISION OF WHETHER, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS COVERED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THIS WOULD JUST BE VERY FOCUSED.
I JUST DIDN'T WANNA STEP ON TOES.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH US DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I LIKE THE WORKING GROUP TO MAYBE VOTE ON THAT OR GIVE AN OPINION, BUT I, I GUESS WOULD IT, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE, UM, SINCE IT AND COMMISSIONER NEHMER, YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AS WELL.
WOULD, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE TALK WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP FIRST AND THEN COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH THIS? OR MAYBE EVEN A SLIGHTLY ALTERED SUGGESTION OF THIS.
WOULD THAT MAKE SENSE TO DO THAT? THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, IS I'M TRYING TO NOT DUPLICATE EFFORTS.
ARE ARE YOU IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN? I'M POINTING AT THE SCREEN.
LIKE YOU CAN SEE ME DOING THAT
YOU'RE YOU'RE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP.
'CAUSE I ALMOST RIGHT, IF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP COULD JUST HAVE LIKE, WELL WE'RE IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT WE JUST KIND OF GOT BACK TOGETHER AND WE'RE HOPING TO MEET WITH DIRECTOR DANGLER HERE SOON, UM, TO FIGURE OUT NEXT STEPS ON WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE WORKING GROUP.
SO MAYBE, UH, HOLD OFF FOR UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP, THEN SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE A SHOOT OFF FROM THAT.
THAT SEEMS TO MAKE THE MOST SENSE.
'CAUSE I WAS JUST THINKING TOO, IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT HELP ALSO, I MEAN, IF WE CAN KEEP IT CONSOLIDATED UNDER ONE WORKING GROUP, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP DIRECTOR DANGLER AS WELL AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, MANAGING INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO, TO COLLABORATE WITH MULTIPLE WORKING GROUPS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE STREAMLINED.
UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO KEEP IT ALL UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME WORK CAN BE DONE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING I DID.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BRING IT UP TO JEN ABOUT WHAT SHE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA DUPLICATE EFFORTS, LIKE I SAID.
YEAH, NO, I THAT IF WE CAN DO IT ALL IN ONE, I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT.
AND I DON'T MIND MOVING THIS TO NEXT MONTH SO THAT, UM, DIRECTOR DANGLER CAN TALK TO JEN ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT SHE, THAT, THAT THE STRATEGIC WORKING GROUP IS WORKING ON CAN GET SOME PRIORITIES AND WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THERE EVEN NEEDS TO BE A WOR A SEPARATE WORKING GROUP ON THIS.
YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT COMPROMISE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST TABLE THAT ONE THEN UNTIL YES.
AND WE DO, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER, SPEAKER, UM, EMILY SKILL FOR NUMBER 10 HERE.
THAT'S FOR THE, UM, WHAT WE JUST TALKED FOR THE WORKING GROUP FOR THIS EMERGENCY INTAKE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRWOMAN AND COMMISSIONERS ANNISE GILLIGAN.
I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR PROMPT PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE FOR OUR CITY'S MOST VULNERABLE STRAYS.
I WAS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES ON JULY 4TH, VOLUNTEERING WHEN I SPOTTED TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HOLDING A SMALL WHITE KITTEN.
UPON APPROACHING THEM, I SAW THAT THE KITTEN WAS EMACIATED WITH GREEN DISCHARGE COMING FROM HIS PARTIALLY OPENED EYES, AS WELL AS BOTH NOSTRILS.
A A S WAS CLOSED FOR INTAKE DUE TO THE CITY HOLIDAY.
THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 90 AND THE GOOD SAMARITANS LACKED AC IN THEIR VEHICLE, WHICH WAS CAUSING HEAVY PANTING IN THE KITTEN.
SEEING THE EMERGENCY AT HAND, I
[02:35:01]
OFFERED TO DRIVE THE KITTEN WHO WOULD LATER BE NAMED VALERIAN, STRAIGHT TO CENTRAL TEXAS SPECIALTY HOSPITAL.UPON ARRIVAL AT CTSH, I FILLED OUT THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK AND INFORMED THE RECEPTIONIST OF THE SITUATION.
MOMENTS LATER, I WAS DENIED TRIAGE FOR A VISIBLY EMACIATED AND SICK VALERIAN.
WITHOUT THE CARRIER EVER BEING OPENED, I ONCE AGAIN SHARED THE KITTEN SYMPTOMS AND REQUESTED TRIAGE.
AFTER WAITING IN THE LOBBY, DR.
MICHELLE STANGE CALLED ME INTO A PRIVATE ROOM ONCE AGAIN WITHOUT THE CARRIER BEING UNZIPPED.
I WAS INFORMED THAT VALERIAN WAS MEDICALLY STABLE AND THE SHELTER DOESN'T PAY FOR ANYTHING.
SHE SAID HER STAFF COULDN'T HANDLE THE BURDEN OF ANOTHER SHELTER ANIMAL.
THEY WERE TOO BUSY WITH ACTUAL CLIENTS.
SHE MORE SPECIFICALLY SAID SHE WASN'T RUNNING AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY COMMUNICATION WITH DR.
STANGE, I BECAME THE PLACE SHE WOULD UNBURDEN HERSELF FOR THE FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE CITY, BUT ULTIMATELY, VALERIAN WOULD BE THE ONE TO PAY THE PRICE.
STANGE BRIEFLY OPENED THE CARRIER FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LOOKED OVER VALERIAN ONLY TO ONCE AGAIN SAY HE WAS FINE.
ALTHOUGH I'M NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED, THE COMMON EYE COULD TELL VALERIAN WAS SUFFERING AND NEEDED A PROFESSIONAL INTERVENTION.
I SCHEDULED THE SOONEST AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT WITH MY PRIVATE VETERINARIAN ONLY A FEW HOURS LATER.
I FOUND A VALERIAN WAS NOT ONLY AS SICK AS I THOUGHT HE WAS, BUT ALSO DANGEROUSLY DEHYDRATED WITH A BODY CONDITION SCORE OF TWO OUT OF 10.
MY VETERINARIAN SAID IT WAS CLEAR HE NEEDED MEDICAL INTERVENTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, VALERIAN DID NOT MAKE IT.
I CAN'T SAY WHETHER VALERIAN WOULD'VE SURVIVED IF HE HAD GOTTEN SWIFT INAPPROPRIATE CARE, BUT HIS SUFFERING WOULD'VE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED.
MY HOPE IN SHARING VALERIAN'S SHORT AND PAINFUL LIFE IS THAT THE COMMISSION CAN ADDRESS THE STRAIN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CTSH AND THE CITY WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THE CITY'S MOST VALUABLE PETS DON'T SLIP THROUGH THE CHASM THE STRAIN HAS CREATED.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SHELTER, I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD HAVE TOLD, TOLD THEM TO CALL 3 1 1.
UM, BUT AFTER MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAD EXPRESSED THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WITH 3 1 1, I DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT WAS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE FOR A KITTEN THAT WAS VISIBLY WASTING AWAY IN FRONT OF ME.
I'M SO SORRY THAT YOU WENT THROUGH THAT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THE STORY HERE WITH US TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING TWO VERY HARD STORIES TONIGHT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEM.CAN WE ADD, WE HAVE TALKED MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT RECOMP COMPETING, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THAT CLINIC IS THE APPROPRIATE CLINIC FOR THESE FUNDS.
CAN WE ADD THAT? 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF THERE EVER HAS BEEN A COMPETITION FOR IT.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER THAT THAT HAS BEEN A TOPIC THAT HAS COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO RECOMP COMPETING, RECOMP COMPETING THE EMERGENCY FUNDS THAT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR CARING AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, YOU TOOK THE KITTEN FROM FOLKS THAT WERE TRYING TO BRING IT IN, OR IT WAS IN THE SHELTER AND YOU REMOVED IT FROM THE SHELTER? I WAS ACTUALLY THERE WALKING, UH, MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS, AND I STOPPED IN THE VOLUNTEER OFFICE TO GET A WATER AND I SAW TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC KIND OF LOOKED LOST AND WERE HOLDING A KITTEN.
UM, AND SO I ORIGINALLY JUST WENT TO SPEAK TO THEM.
UM, BUT ONCE I SAW THE CONDITION OF THE KITTEN, I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO GET INVOLVED.
SO THE KITTEN HADN'T BEEN IMPOUNDED WITH THE SHELTER? NO.
SO BOTH THE, BOTH OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS WILL BE TABLED UNTIL THE NEXT, UM, MONTH.
AND THEN THE NEXT TOPIC WOULD BE, I BELIEVE, UM, FUTURE, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND SO, WHICH ITEMS? YES.
UM, I KNOW THAT DIRECTOR DANGLER TALK ABOUT HANKY PANKY, UM, AND, UM,
BUT RELATED TO, TO THAT SITUATION, I THINK WE, WE NEED EDUCATION OF A DANGEROUS DOG AND THE PROCESS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE PATHWAYS? I, I HEARD ABOUT THE BITES AND
[02:40:01]
THREE DB, FIVE DB, ET CETERA.AND ANIMALS CAN GO TO GO, CANNOT GO TO CERTAIN, UH, RESCUES OR CANNOT BE ADOPTED OR NEED TO GET OUT OF THE, THE STATE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE.
SO YOU'D LIKE US TO PRESENT ON, UM, A PERSON THE DANGEROUS DOG PROCESS? YES.
PATHWAYS OUT OF THE SHELTER AND OPTIONS FOR ANIMALS.
BUT FOR THE PREVIOUS THING I ASKED FOR, I WILL NOT BE HERE NEXT MONTH.
SO EITHER CAN WE DO THAT TO SEPTEMBER? UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO.
UM, WHICH ONE? THE POTENTIAL RECOMP COMPETING OR DISCUSSION OF THE CENTRAL, THE CAW.
IS THAT THE RIGHT ACRONYM? YES.
SO LET'S DO THAT IN SEPTEMBER, IF THAT'S OKAY.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS AT THIS TIME? I SECOND THAT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? WELL, YOU MOTIONED, YOU MOTIONED SECOND
ALSO, CAN WE ADD THE BUDGET QUESTION MARK? UH, WHAT ABOUT THE BUDGET? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BUT PAT MADE ME FEEL FEELINGS ABOUT HOW WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, SO I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD, UM, AND I DON'T, CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME HERE?
I MEAN, RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS POINT ARE USELESS, BUT LIKE, I MEAN, I WON'T, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT DO WE WANT TO ASK FOR AN EX REVIEW AND EXPLANATION OF THE BUDGET AS IT'S BEEN PRESENTED? YEAH, I LIKE THAT.
UH, AND JUST SO EVERYBODY DOES KNOW, RIGHT? THE CITY MANAGER, UH, PUT OUT THE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION.
SO EVERYONE CAN SEE THAT ON FRIDAY AND THURSDAY AT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE THE FIRST DISCUSSION.
SO YOU CAN TUNE IN AND OR LISTEN TO THE RECORDING LATER.
UM, AND THAT MIGHT HELP WITH THE DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD, UH, ABOUT WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR ANIMAL SERVICES.
SO MAYBE WE JUST PUT GENERAL BUDGET DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA AS NEEDED.
WELL, AND THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF US DISCUSSING THE BUDGET IS THE RIGHT THING.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR INTERPRETATION AND ANTICIPATED IMPLICATIONS OF THE BUDGET IS REALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE.
BUT I WON'T BE HERE NEXT MONTH AND I DON'T WANNA MAKE US WAIT TWO MONTHS.
SO LIKE SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO ASK FOR IT, I GUESS.
I'M TI I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE HOURS.
I MEAN, IS THAT ENOUGH TIME I OH YEAH.
IF IT MAKES MORE SENSE IN SEPTEMBER.
I MEAN, YEAH, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL TALK ABOUT IT, UM, TOMORROW AND ONGOING CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
SO YOU, YOU WANNA REVIEW? I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE WHAT YOU, A REVIEW OF WHAT, UH, OF WHAT WAS, WHAT IS PASSED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'LL BE PASSED.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT BUT REVIEW THE IMPLICATIONS ARE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
SO I, I'LL, I'LL TALK WITH MY PEOPLE.
TO SEE WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO SHARE, SHARE AND NOT SHARE, SO I DON'T GET IN TROUBLE WITH THAT'S THE CITY MANAGER AND OR COUNCIL.
SINCE OUR ULTIMATE JOB IS TO RECOMMEND TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS OR WHOMEVER WE REPORT TO, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW WHAT'S SOME OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT SO THAT AS THIS BUDGET GOES THROUGH THE COUNCIL PROCESS, WE CAN LOBBY ON BEHALF OF THE SHELTER FOR BUDGET ITEMS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
I MEAN, THAT TO ME IS THE ONE MOST TANGIBLE THING WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS OF THE BUDGET.
SO, WHICH I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS ALL ON, UM, THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UM, BOTH FROM US AND THROUGH YOU GUYS, RIGHT? AND THEN THE CURRENT, UH, PROPOSED CITY MANAGER BUDGET.
UM, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW, HOW THOSE ITEMS WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO THE, TO THE SHELTER.
SO I THINK IF YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE BUDGET, UM, THAT'LL PROBABLY ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS OR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
[02:45:01]
IS THERE A, SO THAT WAS A, A MOTION TO PUT THAT? OR DO WE WANNA JUST KIND OF TABLE THAT FOR THE TIME UNTIL WE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THE BUDGET? WELL, SINCE I WON'T BE HERE NEXT MONTH, Y'ALL CAN DECIDE WHAT YOU WANNA DO.IF BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SAY I WOULD LIKE DIRECTOR DANGLER TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ALREADY RELATIVELY WELL SPELLED OUT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS CAME FROM US AND, UM, AND FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO TAKE SOME TIME AND, AND LOOK THROUGH THAT FIRST BEFORE WE REQUEST ADDITIONAL.
AND WE CAN ALWAYS, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TONIGHT.
WE CAN ALWAYS, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING AFTER GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR, FOR NEXT WEEK.
THAT MAKES A LITTLE MORE SENSE.
THAN BEING MORE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPECIFICALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT.
PAT'S SHAMING IS VERY EFFECTIVE.
ANY OTHER ITEM? YES, I AM MAKING A MOTION TO DISMISS
DO I HEAR A SECOND? OH AND A THIRD.