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SORRY ABOUT THE TECHNICAL SNAFUS HERE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVENING.I AM CALLING THE SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2026.
UH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO ORDER.
IT IS 6:07 PM AND WE WILL DO THE ROLL CALL RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER NORTON HERE.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON? HERE.
AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER PATEL HERE AND, UH, COMMISSIONER EMER.
I KNOW SHE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.
AND COMMISSIONER VAN LANDINGHAM HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES ROLL CALL.
AND I DID WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FIRST ADDRESS.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT, UH, A VERY FULL HOUSE HERE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
BEFORE WE BEGIN THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT MAJOR AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THIS CASE.AND I DO UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL SITUATION AND I WANT EVERYONE WHO HAS COME HERE TONIGHT TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN AND THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.
I DO WANNA CLARIFY ONE PROCEDURAL POINT JUST FROM THE OUTSET.
SO THERE ISN'T ANY CONFUSION OR DISAPPOINTMENT LATER IN THE MEETING THAT, UM, MAJORS INDIVIDUAL CASE IS NOT A POSTED ITEM ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE COMMISSION IS NOT ABLE TO DELIBERATE DISCUSS THE CASE OR TAKE ACTION REGARDING RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THIS SITUATION THIS EVENING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY OPEN ABOUT THAT SO THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT LISTENING.
UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ABSOLUTELY WELCOME TO SHARE THEIR COMMENTS WITH US HERE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND WE WILL HEAR THOSE COMMENTS RESPECTFULLY.
I SIMPLY ASK THAT EVERYONE, HELP US MAINTAIN A RESPECTFUL AND PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT SO THAT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
THAT IS WHAT THESE MEETINGS ARE ALL ABOUT AND I SO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE TONIGHT SO MUCH.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
UM, WITH THAT WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UH, THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS HERE ARE SIGNED UP AND WE WILL GO.
EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND TALK DURING THIS TIME.
AND WE WILL START WITH OUR FIRST PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED UP.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
I'M ROBIN GONZALEZ, DISTRICT SEVEN AND I'LL DIVE RIGHT IN.
FIRST I WANNA ADDRESS THE ELIMINATION OF TAKE HOME VEHICLES FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST.
I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THIS WILL HAVE ON BOTH OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND MORALE.
MANY APOS LIVE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS AND EVEN OUTSIDE TRAVIS COUNTY.
UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM, INSTEAD OF BEGINNING THEIR WORK BANK IMMEDIATELY GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE TO HELP THE ANIMALS, THEY WILL HAVE TO COMMUTE TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, RETRIEVE A CITY VEHICLE AND COMPLETE THE CHECK-IN AND CHECKOUT PROCESS.
BEFORE THEY BEGIN, THEY CAN BEGIN RESPONDING TO CALLS THAT CAN MEAN AN ADDITIONAL 30 TO 45 MINUTES OR MORE BEFORE AN OFFICER IS ACTUALLY ABLE TO HELP AN ANIMAL.
AND THAT'S TIME THEY'RE NOT BEING PAID FOR.
THESE OFFICERS ALREADY HAVE DIFFICULT JOBS AND RELATIVELY LOW PAY.
ADDING UNNECESSARY COMMUTING AND ADMINISTRATIVE TIME MAKES AN ALREADY CHALLENGING POSITION EVEN LESS ATTRACTIVE AND WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT MORALE AND POTENTIALLY RETENTION.
OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT A PD OFTEN WATER ENERGY ALREADY HAVE TAKE HOME VEHICLES.
SO I'M ASKING A DIRECTOR TO RECONSIDER THAT DECISION AND EXPLORE ALLOWING APOS TO HAVE TAKE HOME WORK TRUCKS WITH APPROPRIATE POLICIES AND SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.
IF OUR GOAL IS TO GET APOS INTO THE COMMUNITY HELPING ANIMALS, THIS SEEMS LIKE A COMMON SENSE
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OPERATIONAL SOLUTION.SECOND, I'M ASKING THAT THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED AND ENFORCED.
THE GOVERNING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS GUIDED BY STATE LAW, ESTABLISHES RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER AT LEAST ONE CURRENT COMMISSIONER SATISFIES THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
I'M NOT ASKING ANYONE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION BASED ON SPECULATION OR HEARSAY, I'M SIMPLY ASKING THE APPROPRIATE CITY STAFFER CLERK TO VERIFY THE RESIDENCY OF EACH COMMISSIONER AND CONFIRM THE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE ORDINANCE ARE BEING FOLLOWED.
FINALLY, I WANT TO BRIEFLY ADDRESS THE MAJOR.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT AN ANIMAL REMAINING IN CONFINEMENT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHAT IT, WHAT THE CITY CONTROLS AND WHAT IT DOES NOT.
THE CURRENT DIRECTOR WAS NOT IN THIS POSITION WHEN THIS MATTER EVEN BEGAN, AND THE LENGTH OF TIME AN ANIMAL REMAINS CONFINED DURING AN APPEAL IS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY THE JUDICIAL PROCESS.
ONCE AN APPEAL IS PENDING, THERE ARE LEGAL LIMITATIONS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THAT ANIMAL UNTIL THE APPROPRIATE COURT PROCESS IS COMPLETED.
THAT IS STATE LAW AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS, NOT A CITY POLICY OR AN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER DECISION.
WE LOOK FOR WAYS TO MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY CONFINEMENT WHERE THE CITY HAS AUTHORITY TO DO SO.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN OUT SESSIONS STARTS IN JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO ACTUALLY AFFECT CHANGE, WORK WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS TO CHANGE THE STATE STATUTE.
AND FINALLY, AS COMMISSIONERS, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY AND OF THE OFFICIAL TO APPOINTED YOU, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN COMMUNICATING ON PUBLIC FACING PLATFORMS, DISAGREEMENT IS APPROPRIATE AND EXPECTED, BUT PERSONAL ATTACKS, BULLYING, OR DISPARAGING COMMENTS ABOUT OTHERS DO NOT REFLECT THE PROFESSIONALISM OR RESPONSIBILITY THAT SHOULD COME WITH SERVING IN THIS ROLE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND SPEAKER, GINA EZ.
ALRIGHT, SO FOR NOW WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ONE OF THIS ONE, SO I SPEAK HERE.
YOU CAN COME RIGHT DOWN TO THE, TO THE MICROPHONE AND THEN YOU'LL JUST PUSH THE LITTLE BUTTON THAT YOU SEE IN THE FRONT.
IT'LL TURN GREEN AND THEN, UM, THAT WAY EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU REMOTELY AS WELL.
THIS RIGHT HERE? YES, THAT'S PERFECT.
I AM WRITING TO FORMALLY REQUEST CLARIFICATION AND TRANSPARENCY REGARDING CURRENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES, PARTICULARLY CONCERNING DOGS HOUSED IN THE 600 WING FOLLOWING BITE INCIDENTS.
AUSTIN HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS NOKI CITY, WHICH GENERALLY MEANS MAINTAINING A HIGH LIFE RELEASE RATE AND RESTORATIVE EUTHANASIA FOR CASES INVOLVING SEVERE MEDICAL OR SAFETY CONCERNS.
GIVEN WITH STANDARD, I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW CURRENT PRACTICES ALIGN WITH THAT COMMITMENT.
SPECIFICALLY I'M REQUESTING CLEAR ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF DOGS HOUSED IN THE 600 WING BY QUARANTINE INCIDENT CASES ARE ULTIMATELY EUTHANIZED? ARE ALL DOGS IN THIS CATEGORY GIVEN A FORMAL BEHAVIOR EVALUATION CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFIED ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST OR THE DETERMINATIONS BEING MADE WITHOUT THAT LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT? WHAT CRITERIA ARE USED TO DETERMINE THAT A DOG IS BEYOND REHABILITATION AND SHOULD BE EUTHANIZED? ARE DOGS IN THE 600 WING PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS PLACEMENTS OF RESCUE OR POOL LIST TRANSFER, QUALIFIED REHABILITATION FOCUSED NON-PROFITS, SPONSORSHIPS, OR FOSTER BASED BEHAVIORAL PROGRAMS? ADDITIONALLY, UH, IN PRACTICE EUTHANASIA FREQUENTLY OR, OR IS THE ONLY CHOICE IS EUTHANASIA FIRST BEING UTILIZED? ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING OVERSIGHT AND POTENTIAL BIAS IN THE DECISION MAKING.
CAN THE CITY CONFIRM WHETHER REBECCA MONTY HAS PUBLICLY DISCLOSED BEING A DOG BITE SURVIVOR? IF SO, WHAT SAFEGUARDS ARE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES DO NOT INFLUENCE POLICY DECISIONS OR CASE OUTCOMES INVOLVING DOGS ACCUSED OF AGGRESSION? FINALLY, I AM REQUESTING RECONSIDERATION AND TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THE CASE OF MAJOR.
WHAT SPECIFIC BEHAVIORAL AND SAFETY ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN MAJOR'S CASE AS A QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY BEHAVIORALIST EVALUATED HIM, HAVE ALL POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES TO EUTHANASIA, SUCH AS TRANSFER TO A EXPERIENCED REHABILITATION OR ORGANIZATION BEING FULLY EXPLORED.
ON WHAT BASIS HAS RELEASED ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENTS BEEN DENIED, IF APPLICABLE? AUSTIN IS WIDELY KNOWN AS A COMPASSIONATE ANIMAL LOVING COMMUNITY.
MANY RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, EXPECT THE ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN COMPLEX BEHAVIORAL SITUATIONS OR GIVING EVERY REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR REHABILITATION AND FOR EVALUATION.
BEFORE IRREVERSIBLE DECISIONS ARE MADE, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A
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DETAILED RESPONSE ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS AND OUTLINING CURRENT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES.I KNOW YOU SAID WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS MAJOR TODAY, BUT YOU GUYS ARE THE ANIMAL COMMISSION AND YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING BEFORE THAT ARE ACTUAL CONCERNS SUCH AS THE 600 WING AND, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE THESE DOGS? YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S EVEN RUMORS SAYING THAT THERE'S NO AC IN THOSE, IN THOSE IN CONFINEMENTS AND THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THAT FACILITY ALSO WHAT I, WHAT I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING BEFORE THAT AND I, YOU KNOW, RESPECT THE WORK YOU GUYS DO AND YOU KNOW, I'M JUST FIGHTING TEARS 'CAUSE I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN OUR NEXT PERSON THAT WE CAN HEAR IS PAUL FILLER.
HUH? CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
I WANNA BRIEFLY MAKE THE CASE FOR HIRING MORE FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME DOG WALKERS AT THE SHELTER.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE CITY BUDGET INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE AND I SAW FOR NEXT YEAR THE BUDGET IS ABOUT $27 MILLION, SOMETHING AROUND THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE ANIMAL SERVICES DONATION FUND, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR DOG WALKERS COMES OUT OF THE DONATION BUDGET, WHICH IS, UH, I, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO CONSIDER DOG WALKING AN ESSENTIAL SHELTER ACTIVITY, SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL TO THE, THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
SO I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, MAKE THE CASE TO HELP KIND OF PRIORITIZE BUDGETING DECISIONS SO IT BEARS REPEATING.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND HUMANE ACTIVITIES THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICE PERFORMS IS MAKING SURE ALL THE DOGS THAT ARE LOCKED IN THEIR RELATIVELY SMALL KENNELS, UM, ARE ABLE TO GET OUT AT LEAST ONCE A DAY.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ENSURING THAT DOGS DO NOT DEVELOP BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF, IF NOT THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO GETTING DOGS ADOPTED.
AND UNFORTUNATELY WITH CURRENT STAFFING CONSTRAINTS, IT IS FREQUENTLY THE CASE THAT THERE ARE DOGS THAT ARE NOT LET OUT OF THEIR KENNELS FOR IN 24 HOURS OR MORE AT A TIME.
AND WE REGULARLY SEE THE BOARDS WHERE THERE'S JUST ENDS FOR NO WAS NOT LET OUT FOR THE ENTIRE DAY.
AND SO I I, I KNOW AT LEAST ONE DOG THAT I USED TO BE ABLE TO WALK AT THE SHELTER WHO WAS A BLUE DOT AND THEN GOT MOVED TO ORANGE DOT BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN THERE FOR LONG ENOUGH.
WE JUST STARTED TO DEVELOP BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND IF THEY CAN'T GET OUT, IF THERE'S MULTIPLE DAYS OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR STAY WHERE THEY CAN'T GET OUT AT ALL, THAT'S JUST GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO ANXIETY AND, AND BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
UM, SO JUST GIVEN THAT MY REQUEST WOULD BE FOR THE CITY TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO ALLOCATE, ALLOCATE AT LEAST SOME PORTION OF THE ACTUAL BUDGET TO FULL-TIME AND OR PART-TIME DOG WALKERS, JUST TO AT MINIMUM ALLEVIATE THAT STRESS SO THAT WE DON'T ENTER A SCENARIO WHERE THERE ARE DOGS NOT GETTING OUT FOR AN, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS OR MORE AT A TIME.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE MATT CABRILLO, SORRY, CABAL.
DID I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME CORRECTLY?
AND THEN, UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UH, RIGHT BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WAS ALSO, IF WE CAN HAVE HEATHER MYERS WHO WOULD BE STARTING, IF YOU WANNA COME UP MORE TOWARDS THE FRONTIERS THAT WE'RE READY TO GO WITH THE NEXT PERSON.
ALL RIGHT, YOU CAN BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK.
UH, MY NAME IS MATT RO, I'M A NATIVE AUSTINITE AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE AND A DOG OWNER.
AND I'M HERE BECAUSE OF A CASE THAT'S BEEN IN THE LOCAL NEWS, A DOG NAMED MAJOR HELD IN ISOLATION AT KENNEL 600 FOR OVER 500 DAYS FOLLOWING A COURT ORDER FOR EUTHANASIA THAT THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT DECLINED TO REVIEW LAST MONTH.
I'M NOT HERE TO LITIGATE THE FACTS OF THAT CASE, BUT I'M HERE BECAUSE HIS CASE EXPOSES MAJOR GAPS IN THE SYSTEM THAT THIS COMMISSION OVERSEES GAPS.
IT WILL PRODUCE THE SAME OUTCOME AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR THE NEXT DOG AND THE NEXT OWNER UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES.
ALSO, ANIMAL SERVICES REGULARLY PURSUES DESTRUCTION AGAINST OWNED DOGS WITH LOVING AND CAPABLE FAMILIES.
AND WHEN AN OWNER, WHEN AN OWNER LOSES ONE OF THESE CASES, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE THE DOG WAS NOT TRULY DANGEROUS, RATHER NOT USUALLY BECAUSE THE DOG IS TRULY DANGEROUS, BUT BECAUSE THE OWNER IS EITHER DISABLED, THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, UH, THEY'RE UNHOUSED OR THEY OTHERWISE LACK THE RESOURCES TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST WHAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED OR DESCRIBED AS GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENCE.
THERE'S THREE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS OR AT LEAST BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
FIRST, THAT THERE'S NO DEADLINE UNDER H UH, TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE H UH, CHAPTER 8 8 2 2 SUB CHAPTER A, UM, THAT GOVERNS A SEIZURE HEARING AND DESTRUCTION OF THE DOGS IN SERIOUS INJURY BITE CASES.
IT SETS NO TIMELINE FOR HOW LONG AN APPEAL CAN TAKE AND
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MAJOR IS SET IN A KENNEL THAT WAS BUILT FOR A 30 DAY STAY FOR 500 PLUS DAYS.IT'S NOT AN OUTCOME THAT THE LAW INTENDED, AND IT'S NOT AN OUTCOME THAT THE LAW INTENDS TO ADDRESS AT THIS TIME.
SECOND, THERE'S NO GUARANTEED REPRESENTATION.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE APPOINTED COUNSEL FOR AN OWNER WHO CAN'T AFFORD ONE AND MAJOR OWNER REPRESENTED HIMSELF THROUGHOUT MULTIPLE LEVELS OF APPEAL.
AND THIRD, THERE'S NO STANDARD FOR ENFORCEMENT TIMING ONCE A EUTHANASIA ORDER IS UPHELD.
THIS DEPARTMENT HAS DISCRETION OVER WHEN AND HOW IT'S CARRIED OUT, BUT THERE'S NO PUBLIC POLICY FOR HOW THAT DISCRETION SHOULD BE USED, ESPECIALLY IN A CASE, UH, FOR UNDER APPEAL FOR OVER A YEAR.
WHAT I'M ASKING OF ALL OF YOU IN THIS COMMISSION IS THAT ONE, THIS COMMISSION DIRECTS STAFF TO BRING BACK A REPORT ON CURRENT KENNEL TIME POLICY FOR DOGS HELD UNDER ACTIVE DANGEROUS DOG LITIGATION.
AND SPECIFICALLY HOW LONG IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE BEFORE IT'S REVIEWED AS A WELFARE ISSUE IN ITSELF.
TWO, THAT THE COMMISSION CONSIDER DRAFTING A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, SUPPORTING STATE LEGISLATIVE REFORM OF CHAPTER 8 2 2 SUB CHAPTER A TO ADD AN APPEAL TIMELINE TO ADD A RIGHT TO COUNCIL AND TO ADD PROVOCATION BY PAIN OR TRAUMA AS A STATUTORY FACTOR AND AN EVIDENTIARY STANDARD FOR SBI FINDINGS AND TO REQUIRE COURTS TO FIRST CONSIDER LESS RESTRICTIVE ALTERNATIVES BEFORE ORDERING DESTRUCTION.
AND THREE, THAT ANY FUTURE CASE LIKE THIS GET A PUBLIC UPDATE FROM ANIMAL SERVICES AT 90 DAYS AND NOT 500.
I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO CALL AUSTIN MY HOME FOR THE PAST THREE, NINE YEARS, AND I'VE HELD PRIDE IN THIS CITY FOR ITS PROGRESSIVE POLICIES AND ITS CITIZENS COMMITMENT TO A HUMANE APPROACH TO ANIMAL CARE.
BUT AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE SERIOUS FLAWS THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
MAJOR'S CASE CAN BE A TURNING POINT AND THIS COMMISSION HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE LAST CASE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS AND I'M ASKING YOU TO USE IT.
AND THEN, UM, HEATHER, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
AND THEN IF JULIE OLIVER, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD TO HAVE A SEAT UP FRONT SO THAT WE'RE READY TO GO WITH YOU AS WELL AND THEN OKAY.
I'M A SHELTER VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY AND I'VE BEEN DOING ADVOCACY WORK FOR THE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT MAJOR AND I'LL GET TO THAT TOO.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO FRAME WHAT THESE CASES ARE ABOUT.
SBI CASES ARE SEVERE BODILY INJURY PROCEEDINGS UNDER TEXAS LAW WHERE A A S PURSUES COURT ACTION AGAINST OWNED DOGS AFTER A BITE INCIDENT POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN COURT ORDERED EUTHANASIA TWO YEARS AGO, AN AUGUST 5TH, 2024.
I SENT AN EMAIL TO CITY LEADERSHIP, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THIS COMMISSION WARNING HOW THESE CASES WERE BEING HANDLED BY A A SI WANT TO READ THREE SENTENCES FROM IT TONIGHT.
FIRST, I WROTE THAT A A S HAS QUIETLY ADOPTED A POLICY WHEREBY IT REFUSES TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS WITHOUT A HEARING REQUESTING EUTHANASIA IN EVERY CASE WITHOUT REGARD TO INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
IN QUOTE, THAT POLICY WAS CONFIRMED BY A CITY PROSECUTOR IN OPEN COURT ON JULY 2ND, 2024.
SECOND, I WROTE THAT THE NOTICES SENT OUT ARE GENERIC AND DO NOT CLEARLY STATE THAT EUTHANASIA IS THE REMEDY SOUGHT, AND THAT OWNERS OFTEN DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ON THE LINE UNTIL THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THAT HEARING.
THIRD, I WARNED EVERYONE DIRECTLY, THE POTENTIAL DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS AND THE ABUSE OF PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS FOUND IN THESE CASES COULD EXPOSE THE CITY TO LIABILITY THAT WAS OVER TWO YEARS AGO.
TODAY, YOU'D HAVE TO BE LIVING UNDER A ROCK TO HAVE MISSED THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT PENDING ON THE MAJOR CASE.
THE DEFECTS AT ITS CENTER ARE AT LEAST IN PART, SIMILAR TO THOSE THAT I'VE BEEN RAISING FOR YEARS.
AND TO THIS DAY, NO ONE HAS EVER REPORTED BACK ON WHETHER ANYTHING HAS CHANGED.
THAT'S NOT A KNOCK ON DIRECTOR DANGLER, THOSE PRACTICES PREDATE HER.
BUT IT MEANS TONIGHT AS WE SIT HERE, NONE OF US ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE CASES.
SO I'M ASKING THIS COMMISSION TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM TO DISCUSS REQUIRING A A S TO BEGIN REPORTING MONTHLY METRICS ON THESE CASES.
HOW MANY BYTE INCIDENTS ARE REPORTED EACH MONTH? HOW MANY ARE INVESTIGATED, CLASSIFIED, AND HOW ARE THEY RESOLVED? VISIBILITY IS THE FIRST STEP TO UNDERSTANDING THE PERVASIVENESS OF THE FLAWS IN THESE CASES THAT I REPORTED ON TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, I DO PLAN TO FOLLOW UP IN WRITING AND I CAN LIST THOSE, THOSE METRICS OUT, REQUESTED METRICS OUT MORE FULLY.
UM, FINALLY, I I WANNA ADD FOR ANYONE NEW TO THIS ADVOCACY OR HERE BECAUSE OF A VIRAL MOMENT, THE ANIMALS WE'RE FIGHTING FOR NEED US AT OUR BEST.
NOT AT OUR ANGRIEST CASES LIKE MAJORS GET ATTENTION BECAUSE OF HOW EXTREME THEY ARE, BUT THERE IS NEVER ANY ROOM FOR THREATS OR HARASSMENT AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AND VOLUNTEER AT THE SHELTER.
OUR CITY OFFICIALS OR OTHER ADVOCATES, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME ANIMAL WELFARE ECOSYSTEM AND WE MUST FIND A WAY TO BE BETTER TO TOGETHER EVEN WHEN IT'S REALLY HARD.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.AND THEN, UH, JULIE OLIVER, I KNOW WE'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
I'M ALSO GOING TO HAVE SHELLY, OH GOSH, I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE READING THE WRITING.
SO SORRY IF YOU'LL COME ON DOWN AND THEN WE'LL HAVE YOU READY.
ALRIGHT, AND JULIE, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
GOOD EVENING COMM COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A D NINE RESIDENT AND I'M HERE BECAUSE THE ANIMALS AND THE PUBLIC NEED CLEAR ACCOUNTABLE AND AROUND THE CLOCK ACCESS TO AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
I THINK MOST OF US WERE EXPECTING THAT A NEW DIRECTOR WOULD BRING IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THE CORE CONDITIONS HAVE MEANINGFULLY IMPROVED.
JUST WEEKS AGO, TWO LARGE KENNEL RUNS HOUSING ABOUT 80 LARGE DOGS WENT WITHOUT FUNCTIONING AIR CONDITIONING FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS DURING SEVERAL HUNDRED DEGREE PLUS DAYS.
AND THE NON-PUBLIC FACING KENNEL HAS BEEN WITHOUT AC FOR MONTHS.
WE ALSO HAVE MAJOR A DOG CONFINED TO AT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 500 DAYS, WHILE DESIGNATED AS A SEVERE BITE INJURY OR SBI DOG, EVEN THOUGH HE DID AN INFLICT AN SBI UNDER STATE LAW, I'M ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHETHER THAT DESIGNATION WAS APPROPRIATELY MADE, WHAT DUE PROCESS AND REVIEW MECHANISMS WERE AVAILABLE AND HOW A A S ENSURES HUMANE CONDITIONS UNTIL A COURT ORDERS THE DISPOSITION OF A DOG UNDER HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 8 22 0.00 B OH OH TWO B.
A SHELTER CANNOT BE HUMANE WHILE AN AN WITH AN, UH, EXCUSE ME, A SHELTER CANNOT BE HUMANE WHILE AN ANIMAL WITH A DISPUTED DESIGNATION REMAINS ISOLATED INDEFINITELY.
AND NOW WE NEED IMMEDIATE ANSWERS ABOUT 3 1 1.
PUBLIC REPORTING INDICATES STARTING NEXT MONTH'S, AUSTIN'S THREE ONE ONE LIVE PHONE SERVICE WILL BE LIMITED TO 7:00 AM TO 9:00 PM WITH RESIDENTS DIRECTED TO THE APP OR AN ONLINE PORTAL OUTSIDE THOSE HOURS.
AND YET AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER CLOSES AT SEVEN AND SICK, INJURED, LOOSE AND HIT BY CAR ANIMALS.
DON'T STOP NEEDING HELP AT 9:00 PM SO I'M ASKING DIRECTOR DANGLER AND CITY STAFF TO ANSWER PLAINLY, WHAT NUMBER SHOULD A RESIDENT CALL AFTER 9:00 PM WHEN THEY FIND A SICK OR INJURED ANIMAL? HOW DOES SOMEONE REACH AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER IN REAL TIME AFTER 9:00 PM WILL AN AFTER HOURS ONLINE REPORT BE ACTIVELY MONITORED? OR WHO DECIDES WHETHER IT WARRANTS AN IMMEDIATE DISPATCH, A RESIDENT SUPPOSED TO TRANSPORT INJURED ANIMALS THEMSELVES TO AN EMERGENCY CLINIC? AND IF SO, WHERE'S THAT WRITTEN GUIDANCE? AND WHO COVERS THE COST? WHY CAN'T ANIMAL SERVICES STAFF OVERNIGHT? UH, WHY CAN'T THEY STAFF OVERNIGHT COVERAGE, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 27 A CO POSITIONS AND THE PUBLIC'S NEEDS DON'T END OVERNIGHT.
AUSTIN 3 1 1 HAS HISTORICALLY DESCRIBED ITS SERVICE AS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, REDUCING LIVE PHONE ACCESS IS A MAJOR CHANGE THAT DEMANDS A SPECIFIC ANIMAL EMERGENCY PLAN, NOT A PORTAL AND A HOPE THAT SOMEONE IS WATCHING IT.
PLEASE REQUIRE A A S TO PUBLISH THAT PLAN BEFORE NEXT MONTH AND ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS CAN REACH A LIVE PERSON WHEN AN ANIMAL IS SUFFERING AFTER HOURS.
AND THEN WE WILL GO TO, UM, SHELLY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME IF WE COULD HAVE, I'M SO SORRY.
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST NAME? CHAZ.
AND WITH THAT, UM, SHELLEY, GO AHEAD.
I'M GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH TERRIBLE HANDWRITING.
UM, I'M A CAT VOLUNTEER AT S ANIMAL SERVICES AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE MY CONCERNS WITH THE NEW ADOPTION PATHWAYS AND DO NOT ADOPT FOSTER SOPS AND SPAY NEUTER PRACTICES.
MY CONCERNS ABOUT ONE THING, IT'S THE ANIMALS.
I BELIEVE BOTH POLICIES ARE PUTTING TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON NUMBERS, GETTING ANIMALS OUT THE DOOR WITHOUT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE ANIMALS ONCE THEY LEAVE.
IN THE PAST, OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM USED THEIR JUDGMENT.
THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT GETTING AN ANIMAL ADOPTED WAS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT THAT EVERY ADOPTION WAS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD ONE.
THE NEW SOPS CONTAINED LANGUAGE THAT SOUND LIKE THEY ARE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE, BUT POLICIES ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THEIR ENFORCEMENT.
SO I HAVE SOME VERY BASIC QUESTIONS UNDER THE NEW ADOPTION PATHWAY POLICIES, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO REMOVE ALL BARRIERS TO ADOPTION.
CAN SOMEONE ADOPT MULTIPLE DOGS AND CATS ON THE SAME DAY? CAN THEY COME BACK THE NEXT DAY OR THE NEXT WEEK AND ADOPT MORE? WHAT ACTUALLY STOPS SOMEBODY FROM REPEATEDLY ADOPTING ANIMALS IF THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE CARE? AND UNDER THE NEW DO NOT ADOPT FOSTER POLICY? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ANIMALS RECENTLY ADOPTED FROM US COME BACK AS STRAYS SICK, INJURED, OR SIMPLY IN POOR CONDITION? DO WE CONTINUE ALLOWING THAT PERSON TO ADOPT? THIS ISN'T HYPOTHETICAL.
WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AT LEAST TWICE IN THE PAST MONTH OR TWO.
ANIMALS ADOPT, PREVENT A KITTEN, AND AN ADULT CAT CAME BACK AS STRAYS IN ROUGH SHAPE AFTER APPARENTLY HAVING TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES ON THE STREETS.
WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHETHER HAVING AN ANIMAL LEAVING THE SHELTER IS TRULY A SUCCESS IF THAT ANIMAL ENDS UP RIGHT BACK WHERE IT STARTED OR WORSE.
[00:25:01]
ABOUT WHAT EMPHASIS ON NUMBERS IS DOING TO OUR MEDICAL DECISIONS.WE HAVE SEEN SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES PERFORMED ON SICK ANIMALS, SPECIFICALLY KITTENS OVER THE SUMMER.
ELLIOT, AND I APPRECIATE HER OFFERING TO MEET WITH ME.
AND I UNDERSTAND HER ARGUMENT THAT THIS IS HOW HIGH VOLUME, HIGH QUALITY SPAY NEUTER PROGRAMS OPERATE.
BUT A A S IS NOT A DEDICATED HIGH VOLUME SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.
OUR VETERINARIANS AREN'T JUST PERFORMING SURGERIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH OF EVERY ANIMAL IN OUR CARE.
VACCINATIONS, PARASITE PREVENTION, ROUTINE TREATMENTS, AND THEN THERE'S ILLNESS INJURY THAT ALSO INCLUDES ALL OUR ANIMALS IN FOSTER.
THAT MEANS OUR VETERINARIANS NEED THEM AUTHORITY TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL IN FRONT OF THEM, NOT A QUOTA.
IF A VETERINARIAN DETERMINES THAT A SICK ANIMAL SHOULD NOT HAVE SURGERY FOR THAT DAY, THAT DECISION SHOULD BE RESPECTED.
WE SHOULD NOT CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE THE EASIEST WAY TO MEET A NUMBER IS TO LOWER THE STANDARD.
BEHIND THAT NUMBER ADOPTIONS MATTERS.
SPAY NEUTER MATTERS ARE STATISTICS MATTERS, BUT THEY ARE MEASURES NOT THE MISSION.
AND IF WE LOSE SIGHT OF THAT, THEN WE AREN'T MEASURING SUCCESS.
WE'RE MEASURING HOW QUICKLY WE CAN MOVE THEM THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
I BELIEVE WE CAN DO BETTER INCREASE ADOPTIONS, IMPROVE OUR NUMBERS, AND STILL INSIST ON RESPONSIBLE PLA PLACEMENTS AND SOUND MEDICAL JUDGMENT.
BUT THE STANDARD MUST BE CLEAR, WE DO BEST WHAT IS FOR THE ANIMALS, NOT JUST WHAT IMPROVES THE NUMBERS.
CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? OH, YES, GO AHEAD.
YOU'RE, UM, WERE INVOLVED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP AND YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP.
DO YOU FIND THAT, UM, DIRECTOR DANGLERS, UM, POLICIES ARE, UM, AT ODDS WITH THE GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP? I THINK THAT THE HUMANE PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS, YES.
IT'S, IT'S THE, THE SOPS ARE SO BROAD AND THE DO NOT ADOPT IS SO BROAD.
UM, AND THE DECISION MAKING ONLY IS THE, TO THE DIRECTOR OR HER DESIGNEE TO, TO DENY SOMEBODY ADOPTION.
ALRIGHT, SO CHAZ, WE'LL GET TO YOU ONE SECOND.
I AM JUST GOING TO CONTINUE THE THING HERE WHERE WE HAVE, UM, MIA SEWELL, ARE YOU HERE? YES.
IF YOU'LL JUST HAVE A SEAT, THEN WE'LL BE READY TO GO WITH YOU AS WELL.
AND CHAZ, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
I'M WITH JACK JACKS PACK STREET DOG RESCUE OF 5 0 1 C3 THAT RESCUES DOGS HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, TODAY I WANTED TO BRING UP THE OVERALL CONCERN THAT HAS COME FROM THE MAJOR CASE, AND THAT IS THAT THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR DOZENS, HUNDREDS, WHO KNOWS HOW MANY DOGS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL ACCESSIBLE, UH, PUBLIC REGISTRY OF HOW MANY DOGS ARE IN THE 600 BUILDING, HOW THEY GOT THERE, HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN HELD.
UM, AND THEN DOCUMENTATION IN REGARDS TO, UM, WHAT IF THERE WAS A BITE INVOLVED IN THAT DOG BEING PLACED IN THAT LOCATION, WHAT WAS THE BITE THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED? WHEN DID IT OCCUR? WHO DID IT OCCUR WITH? UM, AND, AND THOSE THINGS NOT BEING HEARSAY AND SOMETHING THAT COMES FROM A WORD OF MOUTH SCENARIO, BUT ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT'S DOCUMENTED EITHER A POLICE REPORT OR SOME KIND OF A MEDICAL, UM, OUTCOME.
UH, IN RESCUE, I MYSELF EXPERIENCED A BITE TO WHERE, UH, THERE WAS A DOG ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I REACHED AND GRABBED THE DOG TO STOP IT FROM GETTING HIT BY A VEHICLE AND PULLED IT INTO ME.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THE DOG BIT ME IN THE FACE.
UM, THAT DOG GOT AWAY AND, UH, EIGHT MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER STATING THAT THE DOG THAT HAD BIT ME, UM, HAD GONE THROUGH ITS QUARANTINE PROCESS AND HAD, UH, BEEN ASSESSED FOR RABIES AND WAS CLEARED BY THEIR VETERINARY GROUP.
AND THAT, UM, IF I HAD ANY ISSUES THAT I SHOULD BE, UH, GOING TO A MEDICAL FACILITY AND GET IT LOOKED AT.
NOW, IF A DOG HAD ACTUALLY GONE THERE AND BIT ME, AND IT TOOK EIGHT MONTHS FOR THAT TO OCCUR, I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD IF IT DID HAVE RABIES.
UM, AND THERE WAS NO DOG ACTUALLY EVER BROUGHT IN TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
SO THERE WAS AN A NUMBER ATTACHED TO THIS DOG, AND A BITE STUCK TO A DOG WITH AN A NUMBER THAT IS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, BUT NOBODY CAN TELL ME WHO THIS DOG IS, HOW IT GOT THERE, AND HOW A BITE GOT ASSIGNED.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THAT I'M SOMEONE IN RESCUE WHO UNDERSTANDS THIS STUFF.
AND I'M NOT JUST SOME RANDOM PERSON WHO WAS LIKE, OH, WELL THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
BUT THAT DOG NEVER WENT INTO THE SHELTER SYSTEM.
SO HOW DID A DOG GET A BITE ASSIGNED TO IT WITH AN A NUMBER? AND DID THAT DOG END UP IN THE 600 BUILDING? AND IS IT ONE OF THE DOGS IN THE SAME SCENARIO THAT MAJOR HAS RIGHT NOW TO WHERE IT'S FACING POSSIBLY DYING FOR A BITE THAT IT DIDN'T DO? SO IF THAT HAPPENED IN THIS SCENARIO, HOW MANY OTHER TIMES HAS THIS OCCURRED? AND THEN WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PUBLICLY SHOW HOW THESE BITES ARE HAPPENING? WHO IS DOCUMENTING THEM AND WHO IS MAKING THE DECISIONS ON WHO GOES INTO THE 600 BUILDING?
[00:30:01]
WHAT IS THE CRITERIA? THERE NEEDS TO BE A WRITTEN SOP AND A DOCUMENTED OUTLINE FOR WHAT A DOG HAS TO DO TO PUT IT THERE, AND THEN HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR AN ASSESSMENT TO BE DONE.AND AS, UH, BROUGHT UP EARLIER, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF AFTER HOURS CALLS FOR ALL THAT, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MAJOR.
THAT'S WHAT GOT US THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE A CIVILIAN WENT AND GRABBED IT.
SO IF YOU HAVE NO ONE TO CALL, A CIVILIAN'S GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THAT PERSON AND THEY'RE GONNA GET BIT.
AND MIA, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
IS THIS FINE? OKAY, THERE WE GO.
UH, MY NAME IS MIA SEWELL AND I LIVE IN AND WORK IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
I AM A THERAPIST AND I ALSO A VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND TIME TO VOLUNTEER IN THE LARGE DOG PROGRAM BECAUSE SOME OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MY WEEK ARE WITH MY BUDDIES THERE.
UM, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT THE COMMISSION TAKE SOME STEPS TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO KEEPING INTAKE FULLY OPEN WITHOUT LONG WAIT TIMES.
AND I WANNA TELL A BRIEF STORY ABOUT A DOG THAT I FOUND ON MY STREET TO HELP ILLUSTRATE THE ISSUE AT HAND.
SO ONE MORNING, A FEW MONTHS BACK, I NOTICED A YOUNG FEMALE PIT BULL WANDERING DOWN MY STREET.
UH, SHE WAS TOTALLY EMACIATED AND COVERED IN SKIN SPOTS AND SORES.
SHE HAD NO COLLAR, AND WE LATER FOUND OUT NO CHIP EITHER.
UM, AND SHE WASN'T DISPLAYING ANY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.
SO NATURALLY I BROUGHT HER HOME.
UH, I WORKED WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS A VET TO COME UP WITH A S REFEEDING PROTOCOL AS IT APPEARED THAT THE DOG WAS EMACIATED ENOUGH TO SUFFER FROM REFEEDING SYNDROME IF I WASN'T CAREFUL.
UM, THE DOG QUICKLY BECAME EXTREMELY ATTACHED TO ME, AND THUS WAS NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND ANY TIME IN A CRATE WITHOUT COMPLETELY MELTING DOWN, WHICH WAS A BARRIER FOR ME TO KEEP HER IN MY POSSESSION.
GIVEN THAT I ALREADY HAVE A RESCUE DOG AND TWO RESCUE CATS IN MY HOME, I TOOK HER TO A A C TWICE DURING MY FIRST THREE DAYS WITH HER, BUT THERE WAS NO KENNEL SPACE OPEN FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
THE STAFF, WHILE VERY KIND AND EMPATHETIC TOWARDS ME, WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH ANY RESOURCES AT ALL THAT COULD HELP SUPPORT ME IN KEEPING THE DOG MYSELF FOR THOSE TWO WEEKS, OR FINDING SOMEONE WHO COULD.
AFTER TWO DAYS OF SEARCHING AND REACHING OUT TO CONTACTS IN THE COMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND HER ATTEMPT FOSTER, BUT ONLY AFTER I MISSED SEVERAL CLIENT SESSIONS FOR MY JOB, AND ALSO HAD A SCARE WHEN I LOST HOLD OF HER COLLAR AND SHE GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH MY DOG ON THE STAIRCASE IN MY HOME.
UH, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS BARRIERS TO BEING A CONTINUOUSLY OPEN INTAKE SHELTER, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT THE COMMISSION DEDICATE TIME AND RESOURCES WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY ANY SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT PREVENT FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY FROM HAVING A SAFE PLACE TO TAKE ASTRAY WHEN THEY AREN'T ABLE TO HOLD THEM THEMSELVES.
THIS WOULD HELP PREVENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM FEELING DISCOURAGED TO TAKE A DOG IN OR FEELING BURNED OUT BY THE PROCESS.
UM, ANYONE WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT ONE KNOWS THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE.
IT WOULD ALSO MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF FOSTERS FOR STRAY DOGS.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE NUMBERS ON AVAILABLE FOSTER HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY CURRENTLY, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO INCREASE THEM.
UM, I WILL END BY SAYING THAT THE SWEET WHITE PIT BULL, UH, THE SHELTER NAMED HER BEEF AT GOT ADOPTED AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND I WAS ABLE TO VISIT WITH HER A COUPLE OF TIMES AS A VOLUNTEER.
SO HER STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING, BUT THERE ARE MANY STRAYS WHO ARE TURNED AWAY THAT WON'T GET THE SAME.
I HAD A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION IF I COULD TO THAT ONE.
UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAID, UM, LIKE WHAT, UH, WHAT RESOURCES WOULD'VE HELPED YOU TO KEEP HER, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT AS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DID NOT GET RESOURCES THAT WOULD'VE HELPED YOU KEEP HER.
'CAUSE A BIG DOG, I MEAN, THAT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP, SO I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL.
LIKE ANY GUIDANCE ON HEY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU TRIED LIKE, BECAUSE SHE CAN'T STAY WELL IN A CRATE.
HAVE YOU TRIED? I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
ALSO, THE FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, AND I ONLY FOUND OUT THAT THAT EXISTED THROUGH ANOTHER RANDOM FRIEND.
AND ALTHOUGH MY HOUSE WAS NOT THE GREATEST SPOT FOR HER, IF I WOULD'VE KNOWN AHEAD OF TIME THAT A, A C COULD HAVE HELPED ME COVER MEDICAL CARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I MAY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENT DECISION.
BUT THE FACT THAT I SAW HER AND SHE WAS SO EMACIATED AND BLEEDING AND STUFF, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF LIKE, I CAN'T AFFORD HOWEVER MANY HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT THIS WOULD COST.
SO YEAH, IT WAS KIND OF JUST LIKE A THANK YOU, GOOD LUCK, COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS, KIND OF THING.
UM, AND THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY MORE GIVEN.
SO I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LIKE, COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS, MAYBE SOME OF MY FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE SOME MM-HMM
BUT JUST TO SORT OF GET, LIKE, IT FELT A
[00:35:01]
LITTLE DISMISSIVE, ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THAT WASN'T THE INTENTION.AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CIRCLE BACK AND SEE IF, UH, GINA NESS HAS JOINED REMOTELY.
WELL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE SO MUCH, UM, WHO'S COME OUT HERE TONIGHT AND EVERYONE WHO SHARED COMMENTS WITH THE COMMISSION.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS AMAZING PUBLIC PROCESS.
UM, I KNOW I'M KIND OF NEW TO, TO THIS AND I JUST, UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR ALL OF US TO GET TOGETHER ON THIS.
UM, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR POSTED AGENDA.
UM, IT'S KIND OF A TRADITION
THAT OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER WOULD TELL US A BIT ABOUT HERSELF.
AND MAYBE THIS WOULD BE A SPOT TO DO IT.
UM, IT'S USUALLY AFTER WE CALL IN, BUT HOWEVER YOU WANNA DO IT.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE, UH, SONO PATEL JOIN US AS OUR NEW COMMISSIONER FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UM, YEAH, PLEASE SHARE ABOUT US.
HI EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS DONNA PATEL.
I AM AN UNINCORPORATED TRAVIS COUNTY, SO I AM, UM, FILLING THAT OPEN SEAT.
AND I'M VERY EXCITED BECAUSE I GOT INTO ANIMAL WELFARE BY LEARNING THE RESOURCES THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO US OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
UM, AND I STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER AT A A S ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, FOSTER ADOPTER ALL THE THINGS, AND STARTED A RESCUE CALLED RESCUE A TX DOGS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS WE WERE FACING IN THE STREETS AND NEEDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND WE WERE A PROUD PARTNER OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
UM, WE TRIED TO FILL GAPS WHERE WE CAN TO HELP, UM, SERVE OUR CITY SHELTER IN STREETS.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE IN THIS POSITION.
WELL, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
AND WITH THAT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
MOVE TO THE POSTED AGENDA.AND ITEM NUMBER ONE IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION'S AUGUST 10TH, 2026.
REGULAR MEETING, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? OKAY, I HAD A COUPLE JUST TINY THINGS ON HERE THEN.
UM, SHOULD WE MOVE TO PASS 'EM BEFORE WE DO DISCUSSION? MOTION MOVE.
MOTION TO I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
I MEAN, I HAD A COUPLE OF CHANGES, THEN YOU DO IT AFTER.
AND THEN I'LL SECOND SO WE CAN DISCUSS.
UM, SO THERE WAS JUST A, ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, I JUST, JUST FOR COMPLETENESS ON THERE, UM, JUST TO CALL IT FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THERE.
AND THEN THERE WAS JUST LIKE ONE LITTLE MISSPELLING ON AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND THEN WHENEVER, UM, WE'RE REFERRING TO TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CHAPTER EIGHT DASH 23, I THINK IT'S JUST, UM, TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE CHAPTER, UM, 8 23 WITHOUT THE DASH.
AND THEN ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, UM, I THINK WE JUST WANT TO SAY IF, IF IT'S CORRECT THAT, UM, THAT IT, IT JUST SAYS THE ITEM WAS POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WE JUST WANNA DOCUMENT ALSO, NO SPECIFIC ACTION WAS TAKEN ON THAT ITEM AND THEREFORE POSTPONED OR IT DOESN'T MATTER.
ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS OR ITEMS? ALL RIGHT.
THEN, UM, THEN IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THEN, OR BECAUSE WE JUST DID THAT TO MOVE FORWARD, IS THERE A MOTION THEN TO APPROVE THOSE, UM, CHANGES OF TO THE AUGUST 10TH MINUTES? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALRIGHT.
AND THEN, UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? NO.
[00:40:01]
IF NOT, THEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.UM, UNANIMOUSLY, I BELIEVE
Y'ALL JUST WROTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
AND NOW WE NEED A VOTE ON THE MINUTES AS AMENDED.
A MOTION ON THE MINUTES AS AMENDED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THAT? NO.
WHO? EVERYONE IN, EVERYONE IN FAVOR? I THINK EVERYONE.
OPPOSED? I THINK IT WAS UNANIMOUS.
SO THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO
[2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports and dog breed labeling. Presentation by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services and Jason Garza, Assistant Director, Austin Animal Services.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE A A S MONTHLY REPORT DOG BREED LABELING.UM, AND I WILL INVITE NOW, UH, DIRECTOR DANGLER AND, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, GARZA TO PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.
UM, TO START OFF, UH, ON UPDATES AND BRIEFINGS, UM, I WANTED TO GIVE, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE SHELTER BUDDY MIXED BREED LABELING.
UM, THAT RECOMMENDATION CAME OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, WE LOOKED AT HOW WE CAN DO THAT, AND, UM, IT LOOKS AS IF WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SHELTER BUDDY.
UM, THE BIG CHALLENGE WAS, UH, GETTING THAT INFORMATION UPLOADED INTO PETFINDER AND THE OTHER, UM, UH, DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT PROMOTE THE DOGS OUTSIDE OF SHELTER BUDDY.
UM, AND THEY WEREN'T, UM, THEY REQUIRE BREEDS TO BE PUT ON THERE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO SHOW UP ON THEIR SITES.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ANIMALS WERE SHOWING UP REGARDLESS OF IT SAID MIXED BREED OR NOT.
UM, AND I THINK WE FOUND A SOLUTION.
SO WE'VE TESTED IT A FEW TIMES.
UH, WE SHOULD BE GOING LIVE WITH THAT, UM, SEPTEMBER 22ND.
UM, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LOOK ON SHELTER BUDDY.
PET HUB, UM, THOSE OTHER, UH, UM, PLATFORMS THAT HAVE ADOPTED PETS.
UM, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU DON'T SEE OUR PETS ON THERE.
UM, SO WE CAN KEEP TALKING WITH SHELTER BUDDY.
AND, UM, UPDATE, UPDATE THAT SO WE DON'T MISS ADOPTIONS, UM, FROM THIS TRANSITION.
UM, THE SECOND ITEM WE CAN TALK ABOUT IS, UM, 3 1 1.
UH, THEY WILL NOT BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CHANGE IN HOURS UNTIL NOVEMBER 1ST.
UM, SO THAT'LL GIVE US SOME MORE TIME TO CONTINUE SPEAKING WITH THEM.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM AND WE HAVE A SOLUTION, UM, SO THAT, UM, SERVICES WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED, UM, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT AND TESTING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT WILL, UM, DO OKAY THAT, THAT WILL PERFORM APPROPRIATELY.
UM, ALSO 3 1 1 WILL BE, UM, AT THE NEXT COMMISSION IN OCTOBER, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THEIR 3 1 1 APP.
UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, RIGHT, YOU CAN CALL 3 1 1 OR YOU CAN USE THE APP.
THE BONUS OF USING THE APP AS OPPOSED TO CALLING IS WE ARE NOT CHARGED FOR APP USAGE.
IT ASKS YOU THE SAME QUESTIONS, UM, IT PUSHES IT TO US.
UM, SO WE GET ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, BUT IT'S JUST FREE OF CHARGE.
AND THAT IS, UM, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WILL BE USED, UM, WHEN THOSE HOUR CHANGES HAPPEN.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE JUST NEED TO WORK WITH THEM AND TEST OUT, UM, THE SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THERE'S, UM, NOT AN INTERRUPTION IN SERVICES OVERNIGHT.
UM, SO WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT NEXT, UM, COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, UH, THE OTHER BIG TOPIC, UH, IS, UM, THE
[00:45:01]
AIR CONDITIONING.SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING.
UM, SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT OVERSEAS, UM, A REALLY LARGE IN INFRASTRUCTURE PORTFOLIO, UM, A FM SERVES, UM, UH, THEY MANAGE ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND MAINTAIN ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITIES.
UM, THEY MAINTAIN MORE THAN 200, UM, PLUS BUILDINGS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION SQUARE FEET, AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSURING BOTH FISCAL ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF, UM, EACH OF THESE ASSETS.
UM, AHEAD OF OUR MOST RECENT, UM, HVAC FAILURES.
UM, A FM STAFF HAD ALREADY BEGUN, UH, EVALUATING, UH, THE CENTER'S FACILITY AND IDENTIFYING NECESSARY REPAIRS.
UM, IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT ISSUES, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IS NOW, UM, COORDINATING EFFORTS BOTH INTERNAL, UM, EFFORTS ACROSS BOTH INTERNAL TEAMS AND EXTERNAL CONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPLETING THE REPAIRS, REPLACING END OF LIFE UNITS, UM, AND ACCELERATING THE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE UNITS, UM, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED, UM, TO BE, UM, CHANGED OUT, UM, LATER, LATER THAN EXPECTED.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THESE INCREASED, UM, FAILURES, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THOSE, MOVING THOSE UP SOONER.
UM, FOR THE MOST RECENT, UM, UPDATES, UM, THEY'VE COMPLETED REPAIRS ON THE 100, 200 AND 600 KENNELS, UM, AND THE CAT AREA.
THEY'RE ALL FULLY OPERATIONAL.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE TEMPORARY UNITS IN EACH OF THOSE SPACES TO SUPPLEMENT COOLING, UM, AND TO BE A CONTINGENCY, UM, UH, UNTIL THE MAIN UNITS ARE REPLACED.
UM, UNIT NUMBER FOUR, WHICH DOES THE PRC, THE PET RESOURCE CENTER, UM, IT WAS REPAIRED, UM, TO KEEP IT IN SERVICE.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE SUPPLEMENTAL, UH, PORTABLE COOLING UNITS IN THERE FOR BACKUP AS WELL.
UM, THEY DID REPLACE FOUR UNITS THAT SERVE THE MAIN BUILDING.
UM, AND IT WAS UNITS 11, 15, 14, AND 12, UM, APPROVED REPLACEMENTS.
THERE'S APPROVED REPLACEMENTS FOR, UM, THREE ADDITIONAL UNITS.
UM, SO THOSE HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THE, FOR THEM TO SHOW UP AND THEN BE INSTALLED.
SO THOSE WILL BE THE NEXT IN LINE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOME DAILY OPERATIONAL CHECKS, UM, TO ENSURE ALL SYSTEMS ARE PERFORMING AND ADEQUATE, UM, COOLING IS MAINTAINED.
UM, SOME NEXT STEPS FOR, UM, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IS TO SCHEDULE, UM, SOME MAJOR, UH, FY 26 FUNDED HVAC REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS, UM, TO FIND FUNDING AND SCHEDULE MAJOR REPLACEMENTS, UM, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR, UM, A FEW YEARS OUT, BUT ARE EXPERIENCING INCREASED FAILURES DUE TO THE AGE OF THE, UM, UNITS AND, UM, THE AMOUNT OF USAGE, UM, DUE TO OVERCROWDING IN THE SHELTER.
UM, THEY'RE REEVALUATING THE PREVENT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT IT ALIGNS, UM, WITH THE INCREASED DEMANDS CAUSED FROM THE OVERCROWDING OF THE SHELTER.
UM, AND JUST THE EVER EVOLVING FACILITY NEEDS.
UM, UH, WE NEED TO INCREASE, UH, THE BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM, UH, THAT MONITORS AND DETECTS, UH, ISSUES.
UM, AND THEN A FM IS CONFIDENT THAT THESE ACTIONS WILL, UM, STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND ENSURE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS SUSTAINABLE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, ANIMALS AND VISITORS.
UM, SO THAT IS EVERYTHING AS FAR AS THE AC.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL GET INTO THE SPAY NEUTER NUMBERS THAT WERE ASKED FOR.
SO I THINK I, I'VE GOTTEN ALL THE INFORMATION, UM, THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT WAS ASKED FOR.
AND THEN CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, SO THESE WERE THE SPAY NEUTER NUMBERS FROM, UM, CONTRACTS.
SO WE'VE HAD THREE CONTRACTS FOR COMMUNITY OWNED ANIMALS.
UM, OVER THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAD THE GOOD FIXED CONTRACT WHERE
[00:50:01]
WE DID TWO CLINICS.IT TOTALED, UM, $342,858, UH, WHERE WE DID, UM, 2,226 SPAY AND NEUTER.
UM, THERE WAS THE, UH, EVENT THAT HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE IN FEBRUARY.
UM, THOSE
THE SECOND, UH, CONTRACT IS WITH EMANCIPET.
UM, WE'VE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $535,537 JUST FOR SPAY NEUTER.
UM, AND WE HAVE SPAY AND NEUTERED, UM, 5,099, UM, ANIMALS, UM, AND THEN SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $368,629 FOR WELLNESS.
UM, THOSE WELLNESS CLINICS INCLUDE BOTH THE MOBILE UNITS AND, UM, ONCE THEY BOOK IN THE ANIMALS FOR SURGERY, THE ADDITIONAL STAFF THEN PERFORM WELLNESS, UM, DURING, UM, DURING THAT TIME, UH, TO LOWER THE COST FOR US TO, UM, GET THOSE ANIMALS DONE.
AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE, UM, THAT PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, BENEFIT FOR KEEPING OUR PETS VACCINATED.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THEY ALSO DO SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, AT THEIR BRICK AND MORTARS.
UH, THEY'LL GIVE OUT VOUCHERS TO ANYONE SPECIFICALLY WITH LARGE DOGS THAT THEY CAN'T FIT IN ON THE MOBILES, AND THEY'LL BRING THEM INTO THE, UM, BRICK AND MORTARS AND GET THOSE DONE THERE AS WELL.
UM, SO FOR A TOTAL OF $904,000, UM, IS FOR EMANCIPATE.
AND THEN THE FINAL, UH, CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE IS AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY DOES, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, WE'VE SPENT $184,950 TO SPAY AND NEUTER, 2055 CATS.
UM, ANOTHER 27,000, UH, WAS SPENT ON WELLNESS.
AND THAT IS FOR EACH OF THOSE CATS THAT ARE COMING IN TO PROVIDE THEM, UM, UH, VAC VACCINATIONS, UM, AND, UH, FLEA AND TICK TREATMENT, UM, UH, YEAH, FLEA AND TICK TREATMENT.
SO ALL IN ALL, WE HAVE DONE SO FAR, UH, YEAR TO DATE, 9,780 SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES WITH OUR THREE VENDORS.
UM, THOSE ARE ONLY THE COMMUNITY ANIMALS.
THERE IS NO SHELTER PETS, UM, INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER, UM, OR IN THE COST.
AND WE'VE SPENT, UM, A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, IN SPAY NEUTER, AND THAT IS NOT INCLUDING THE WELLNESS.
UM, AND THAT'S ANOTHER ALMOST 400,000 THAT WE'VE SPENT IN WELLNESS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT COVERS EVERYTHING.
ANY QUESTIONS OR IS IT, AM I OKAY TO ASK QUESTIONS OR DO WE WANT JASON TO DO HIS PART NEXT? UM, I THINK WE PROBABLY WANNA FINISH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION BEFORE WE MOVE INTO DISCUSSION.
I'LL PASS IT ON TO JASON THEN.
UH, SO YEAH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'LL START OFF THE MONTHLY REPORTS.
SO, UM, FOR, UH, AUGUST WE HAD 1,126 ANIMALS THAT BURNED IMPOUNDED.
UM, THIS IS, UH, UH, LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND FOR THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 1,034.
SO FOR THE AUGUST, WE HAD A LIVE RELEASE RATE OF 96.28%.
UM, THIS IS BROKEN DOWN THROUGH OUR ADOPTIONS.
THOSE PARTNERS WHO WERE ABLE TO PULL ANIMALS FROM US, THOSE THAT WE, UH, RETURNED TO OWNER OR RETURN TO HABITAT, MEANING THOSE COMMUNITY ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN THAT, UH, QUALIFIED TO BE COMMUNITY ANIMALS.
UM, OUR BIGGEST, UH, UH, ANIMALS THAT WE'RE GETTING RELEASED WERE THOSE WITH OUR, UH, CATS AND KITTENS.
WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT WAS OUR OVERALL ADOPTIONS, ALTHOUGH IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DECREASE FROM, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE DID SEE A, A BIG, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE FROM PREVIOUS YEAR, MAINLY TO OUR, UH, CLEAR THE SHELTERS EVENT, WHICH EVERY VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF TO HELP OUT WITH THAT.
IT WAS A BIG, UH, HELP CREATE SOME ROOM AND CREATE SOME WIGGLE ROOM FOR US TO, TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE SPACE AND, AND OR MAKE SPACE AND TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, ANIMALS.
BUT FROM THAT GROUP, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST, UH, WE HAD A LOT OF CATS AND KITTENS ADOPTED.
UM, PUPPIES IS PUPPIES AND DOGS AS WELL.
BUT YEAH, OVERALL A SUCCESSFUL EVENT OR, UH, MONTH FOR US.
[00:55:01]
NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAD 38 ANIMALS THAT WERE EUTHANIZED THIS MONTH.THAT INCLUDES ALL ANIMALS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT WERE BROUGHT IN FOR WILDLIFE THAT WERE CONSIDERED RABIES RISK OR INJURED.
UM, THOSE THAT, UH, OUR VET TEAM DEEMED AS SUFFERING.
AND, UH, ANYTHING THAT WOULD ACCOMP THE, OR THIS ALSO INCLUDES ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED AT OUR EC.
WE HAD 405, UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND FAMILIES FOSTER FOR US, WHICH IS A BIG HELP TO US.
UM, AS OF THE START OF THIS MONTH, WE'VE HAD 350 ANIMALS THAT WERE, UM, PUT IN, IN FOSTER CARE.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD 109 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM FOSTER CARE.
SO, UM, BIG SHOUT OUT TO THOSE FOLKS FOR GETTING ANIMALS INTO HOMES.
THEY, THEY GET TO KNOW 'EM, THEY LEARN ABOUT 'EM, ARE ABLE TO PA UH, GET 'EM INTO ADOPTED HOMES AND HOPEFULLY BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND ALSO, THERE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, 1,100, A LITTLE OVER 1100 MEMBERS, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, FOSTER PROGRAM, GIVE PULSE GROUP.
SO, UM, YEAH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MAKE PLEAS AND CALLS TO THEM, THEY, THEY, THEY DO RESPOND.
UM, WE, UH, HAD 12 DIFFERENT RESCUE PARTNERS PULL OVER 320 ANIMALS, UM, FROM OUR, UH, INVENTORY, WHICH INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, 164 KITTENS, 31 CATS.
UM, AND ALSO WE HAD 54 CATS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE SPAY NEW RETURN PROGRAM WITH WE, WE PARTNER WITH, WITH A HS.
UM, WE HAD A THREE FAMILIES THAT WERE REUNITED WITH THEIR, UH, UH, PET.
UM, WE ALSO HAD FIVE ANIMALS THAT DIED IN THE SHELTER, TWO CATS, SEA KITTENS, AND ONE SKUNK.
WE HAD OVER 1500 ANIMALS THAT WERE VACCINATED DURING AUGUST.
UM, WE ALSO HAD ALMOST 450 ANIMALS THAT WERE, UH, SPAYED OR NEUTERED WITHIN THE SHELTER.
UM, OUR VOLUNTEERS, AGAIN, CONTINUE TO BE ROCK STARS FOR US.
WE HAD 470 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE OVER 7,200 HOURS FOR US.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER A HUNDRED, HOPEFULLY A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED NEW, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH ORIENTATION SO THAT THEY CAN BEGIN THEIR SHIFTS AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, OVER, UM, 500 HOURS OF CAT TRAPPING DONE WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, I KNOW SHE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, COMMISSIONER NEHMER HAD EXPRESSED, UH, GETTING EUTHANASIA TOTALS FROM THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO REALLY WHAT WE DID IS WE JUST, THE NUMBERS THAT WE REPORT ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE JUST TURNED THEM INTO SORT OF SEVERAL SLIDES AND BROKE IT DOWN BY, BY DIFFERENT ANIMAL TYPES, SO THAT WAY IT WAS FOR Y'ALL'S CONCEPTION DIGESTION.
SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES WE'LL JUST GO INTO SORT OF THE EUTHANASIA TOTALS AND REASONINGS THAT WE HAVE.
SO FOR CATS, WE HAVE OVER A 193 THAT HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED SINCE OCTOBER 1ST DOGS, WE HAVE 99.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, BROKEN DOWN BY KITTENS AND PUPPIES.
UH, WE'VE HAD 19 PUPPIES THAT HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED 68 KITTENS.
AND THE LAST SLIDE IS THOSE ANIMALS THAT ARE CONSIDERED, THAT ARE WILDLIFE, UM, OR, OR, UH, WHAT WE CALL CRITTERS.
THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY JUST LIKE, UH, GUINEA PIGS, THINGS OF NATURE RABBITS.
AND SO THE RIGHT ON THE RIGHT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE OVERALL, UM, TOTAL WITH THE, THE FINAL NUMBER THERE.
SO I KNOW I THREW A LOT OF NUMBERS AT YOU, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
UM, AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD NORMALLY PUT IT OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT, YOUR HONOR, BUT BECAUSE, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, UM, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND, UH, FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS.
OKAY, SO, UM, A FEW THINGS HERE.
THE, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
SO FOR AUGUST YOU HAVE 473 VOLUNTEERS.
CAN YOU PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ME? IT IS JUST YOUR, JUST TELL ME A NUMBER OF AUGUST.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO OR WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PER YEAR? I'LL HAVE TO PULL THAT INFORMATION FROM LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS.
UM, I CAN DO THAT AND SEND IT TO THE COMMISSION, BUT WE GENERALLY, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE MAINLY BECAUSE WE HAVE STARTED COUNTING OUR COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM TRAPPERS AS WELL.
UM, SO IT MIGHT BE IN THE RANGE OF, UH, SIX TO 7,000.
AND SO NOW THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT INCREASE, BUT I CAN VERIFY THAT AND SEND IT OUT.
SO REALLY WHEN I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS YOU JUST PUT A NUMBER
[01:00:01]
THERE AND, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN MUCH WITHOUT PERSPECTIVE.THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A YEAR LAST YEAR OR WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU AVERAGING PER YEAR? IT JUST PUT SOME CONTEXT INTO THE NUMBER.
DOES, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MY, MY QUESTION? YEAH.
I, I, I CAN COMPILE JUST THE NUMBERS AND, UM, WE CAN SEE WHAT WE, WE'VE AVERAGE ON THE ANNUAL BASIS, WE USUALLY DO ABOUT, FOR AN ANNUAL, WE RUN ABOUT 50 TO 60,000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTED TO US, UM, BY OUR VOLUNTEERS, WHICH IS LIKE ALMOST THE EQUIVALENT, AND I'M GONNA BE OFF OF MY MATH, BUT, YOU KNOW, 20 TO 25 FTES THAT WE DON'T HAVE, THEY PROVIDE THAT WORK FOR, WHICH IS HUGE FOR US.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT FOR A DEPARTMENT TO GET 25 TO 20, 20 TO 25 FTES IN A SINGLE YEAR, THAT'S LIKE, WOW, YOU ALL DID AMAZING.
BUT SO THAT, THAT HELP IS, UH, IS TREMENDOUS FOR US.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE US, I MEAN, MORE INFORMATION OR SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE THAN ISH MONTH THE NUMBER? SO ARE, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR LIKE A COMPARISON FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH OKAY.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU IMPROVING THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT YOU'RE GETTING? ARE, ARE YOU GETTING MORE VOLUNTEERS? IS THOSE ALWAYS AROUND 473? UH, WELL, I MEAN, AGAIN, I HAVE TO PULL EACH MONTH TO SEE WHAT AVERAGE, 'CAUSE AGAIN, OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE DONATING THEIR TIME IF THEY HAVE THINGS GOING ON.
SO THERE ALREADY BE ONE MONTH WHERE WE HAVE 500 VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE ABLE TO DONATE TIME TO US.
AND, AND SO THE NUMBER OF HOURS MAY BE MORE FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE SUMMER VERSUS THE LATER PART OF THE SUMMER.
IT ALL, IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT SORT OF EVENTS WE'RE RUNNING AND SORT OF, UM, EVEN WITH GROUP, 'CAUSE WE INCLUDE GROUP, UH, VOLUNTEERS IN THOSE HOURS AS WELL.
SO WHAT ABLE GROUPS WE ARE ABLE TO ATTRACT TO DO ENRICHMENT, YOU KNOW, PUT PUTTING TOGETHER ENRICHMENT OR WALKING DOGS WITH US ON A GROUP LEVEL.
SO I, SO WOULD IT, WOULD IT WORK IF FOR THE NEXT MONTH IF THERE WAS MAYBE LIKE A, A GRAPH COMPARING THE YEARS OR SOMETHING? YES.
AND ACTUALLY, UH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT SLIDE NUMBER.
THE ONE WHERE YOU HAVE 704 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED THIS MONTH.
THAT GRAPH, WHICH THAT SHOWS YOU HAVE, UM, YOU TAKE FISCAL YEAR 24, FISCAL 26, FISCAL YEAR 25 AND 23, AND IT SHOWS THE TRENDS.
AND THAT WOULD REALLY HELP TO UNDERSTAND, I DON'T KNOW IF IT, THAT YOU CAN PUT THAT ON THE SCREEN SO PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
WHAT THE ONE THAT SAYS 704 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED THIS MONTH, IT'S SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN.
AND WOULD YOU BE GOOD WITH THAT? MAYBE SOMETHING NEXT MONTH IF THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION? SOMETHING LIKE, SO THAT WOULD TELL US IF, IF YOU'RE IMPROVING RECRUITING PEOPLE RETAIN, RETAINING VOLUNTEERS AND IT'S VERY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT IT'S VOLUNTEER TIME.
SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET BUSY OR DURING PART OF THE YEAR THEIR STUDENTS AREN'T AVAILABLE AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT IT'S UNDERSTANDING IF THE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BUDGET CRUNCH, YOU, YOU NEED EVEN VOLUNTEERS MORE THAN EVER.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TO RECRUIT MORE PEOPLE TO HELP THE SHELTER? MM-HMM
WE CAN WORK WITH OUR STAFF TO PUT THAT CRAP TOGETHER AND ON THIS SLIDE.
AND I WON'T ASK ANYTHING ELSE.
THANK YOU JASON, ON THIS, UM, SLIDE.
UM, IT IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE YES, YOU SEE THE TRENDS AND LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IMPROVING WITH THE ADOPTION.
SO I, AND I SEE HOW YOU PUT OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, ET CETERA.
SO USUALLY BY SEPTEMBER THE, IS THE TREND GOING UP? USUALLY UP OR DOWN? I DON'T SEE SEPTEMBER FROM THE PREVIOUS FEW YEARS.
UH, WE'LL SHOW IT FOR WHEN NEXT MONTH.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, WE USUALLY COMPARE IT WITH THE PREVIOUS, UH, THE SEPTEMBER SINCE WE'LL GET THROUGH IT FOR NEXT MONTH, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL INCLUDE THE SEPTEMBER FISCAL YEAR NUMBERS.
BUT YEAH, USUALLY AROUND THIS TIME WHERE DURING APRIL WE'LL SEE INCREASES IN OVERALL ADOPTION.
MAINLY BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF KITTEN SEASON AND SO THINGS ARE BEING ADOPTED.
UM, KITTENS AND CATS ARE REALLY HELPING US INCREASE THOSE ADOPTIONS OVERALL.
[01:05:01]
YOU.AND I THINK I SAW, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, THAT YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE SLIDE DECK, IT WOULD BE SUPER USEFUL TO REFERENCE.
FIRST I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JASON ABOUT THE EUTHANASIA NUMBERS, AND THEN I, UM, HAVE A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR DANGLER ABOUT THE SPAY UTER STUFF, IF THAT'S OKAY.
DO YOU HAVE THE SLIDE NUMBERS BY ANY CHANCE? UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, IT'LL MAKE IT EASIER TO PULL UP THOSE SLIDES.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE I CAN LIKE VAGUELY ASK, UM, IT MIGHT BE THE NEXT ONE RIGHT AFTER THIS.
NO, IT WAS THE ONE THAT INCLUDED WILDLIFE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, SO.
UM, IT WAS LIKE 260 SOMETHING WILDLIFE.
UH, SO IS THE POLICY JUST LIKE IF A BAT COMES IN, 'CAUSE IT'S INJURED, YOU EUTHANIZE IT? LIKE, I, I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE THAT'S HIGH.
UM, AND I'M, I'M WONDERING WHAT
YEAH, SO ESSENTIALLY WHEN WE DO GET BATS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE INJURED, WE FIND 'EM ON THE GROUND THAT ARE, UM, AND THAT'S USUALLY THE CASES.
'CAUSE I'LL TEND TO DO MY OWN MINI AUDITS WHEN I HAVE LITTLE TIME IN THE MORNINGS.
BUT I'LL FIND, I'LL FIND PATS LOOK UP TO WHAT THE DISPATCH NOTES ARE.
SO WE'LL TEST IT, ESPECIALLY DEPENDING ON WHERE IT IS.
IF, IF IT'S AROUND A PEOPLE AREA, AROUND A SCHOOL, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE'LL EUTHANIZE TO TEST IT, JUST TO ENSURE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A HIGH PRODUCTIVITY OF RABIES IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND SO ONE OF THE BIG TRANSFERS OF THAT IS THROUGH OUR, OUR BAT COLONY.
SORRY IF THIS IS A TWO IN MY FEELINGS 'CAUSE I LIKE ALL ANIMALS AND NOT JUST DOGS AND CATS QUESTION, BUT, UM, SO JUST BEING A BAT NEAR HUMANS IS THE TWO CRITERIA WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WELL, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S, IF IT'S, IF IT'S FOUND LIKE JUST ON THE GROUND, IT'S BARELY, IT'S AGONAL.
IT'S NOT DEAD YET, BUT IT'S NOT.
WE, WE, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICERS WILL TEND TO PICK UP THAT BAT, BRING IT TO THE SHELTER EUTHANIZED, UM, SO THAT WE FIND LIKE, UH, SO WOULD ALSO BE SICK, LIKE DEMONSTRATING SICKNESS, RIGHT, BECAUSE I, YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT.
RESCUE, SORRY, GO AHEAD JASON.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT IS OH, I'M, OH.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL TEST IT JUST TO ENSURE THAT IF IT'S IN AN AREA THAT THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S REPORTED AND USUALLY WE GET IT BECAUSE IF WE GET A CALL FOR THREE OH ONE THAT THERE'S A BAT ON A CERTAIN PROPERTY, THEN WE WILL, WE WILL GO AND FIND AND LOOK FOR THE BAT AND TRY TO FIND IT.
UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE GET IT WHERE IT'S DEAD BEFORE WE'RE ALREADY PASSED ON, BEFORE WE ARE ABLE TO PICK IT UP.
SO WE'LL PICK IT UP AND STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, TRY TO, UH, GET A SPECIMEN.
BUT YEAH, WHEN WE FIND 'EM LIKE THAT, AND IT ALSO COULD BE OTHER THINGS, SO YOU'D HAVE TO GIVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE SPECIFIC ANIMALS.
SO IT MIGHT BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, SKUNK FOXES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IF THEY ARE, IF THEY ARE FOUND AGONAL OR ON THE SIDE, YOU KNOW, ON A PROPERTY SIDE OF ROAD, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
JUST 'CAUSE WE, UH, WILL, WILL EUTHANIZE AND, AND TEST IF, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE INTERACTING WITH ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY WITHIN A PARK OR SOMETHING.
AND REALLY QUICK, IF I CAN JUST INTERJECT, UM MM-HMM.
JUST TO MAKE SURE WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTION CLEARLY.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SICK INJURED, UM, THAT'S THE CASE.
BUT ALSO IF THEY'VE COME IN CONTACT WITH A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL, SO YOU, WE, YOU WALK OUTSIDE, YOUR DOG IS PLAYING WITH A BAT IN ITS MOUTH OR YOUR CAT IS PLAYING WITH A BAT IN YOUR HOUSE, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TEST, TEST THAT BECAUSE LIKE, LIKE JASON SAID, THE UM, HIGH RISK OF RABIES, UM, THROUGH BATS.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, RIGHT, WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE AND KEEP, UM, PETS PEOPLE, UM, SAFE, UM, FROM RISK OF RABIES.
SO THEN UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS DOES AUSTIN BAT RESCUE TAKE BATS FROM Y'ALL? 'CAUSE I SEE, UM, RESPONSES ON THIS CHAT INDICATING THAT THAT IS NOT A THING.
SO ANIMALS JUST GET, SO BATS JUST GET EUTHANIZED IF THEY GET PICKED UP AT ALL.
UM, I'D HAVE TO SEE IF WE'VE EVER TRANSFERRED THEM TO AUSTIN BAT RESCUE.
UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THE, INTO THE DETAILS.
AM I ALLOWED TO ASK FELLOW COMMISSIONERS A QUESTION OR AM I ONLY ALLOWED TO ASK JASON AND MONICA QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW?
JUST SO NO, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ASK OR A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
CLARIFYING QUESTION IF IT'S CLARIFYING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DR. NIELSEN A SUPER QUICK QUESTION.
AS A, A VET I TRUST YOUR OPINION ON THIS IS, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR, NOT DISCUSSION, BUT
[01:10:01]
CLARIFYINGAND, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY EVER END UP WITH THEM IF THEY COME INTO CITY CUSTODY YET, BECAUSE CITY POLICY I UNDERSTAND HAS TO BE, UM, VERY MUCH ON THE SIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THE CITY HAS THE POLICIES.
IT HAS, DOES THAT OFFER ANY THAT THAT DOES? AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MARINATE ON THAT.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE SPAY NEUTER SLIDES.
IT WAS THE ONE, I'M SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT IT WAS THE ONE THAT HAD THE BREAKDOWN.
IT WAS VERY VISUALLY EASY TO READ WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT NUMBERS AND PRICES FOR EACH OF THE THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS.
IT WAS LIKE THE, WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE SLIDES, IT WAS THE THIRD.
SO, UM, MY QUESTION FOR THIS ONE, SO THE TWO CLINICS THAT ARE REFERENCED IN THAT TOP LEFT BOX, THE 1226 IN NOVEMBER, AND THE THOUSAND DONE IN FEBRUARY.
I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT OF THE FIVE DAY CLINIC, OR MAYBE ONE OF 'EM WAS FOUR DAYS, UM, 'CAUSE THIS WAS WHEN FORMER INTERIM DIRECTOR, UM, ROLANDO WAS RUNNING THIS, THAT AT LEAST ONE FULL DAY FOR EACH OF THOSE TWO CLINICS WAS REVERSED RESERVED FOR SHELTER ANIMALS.
THIS, I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AT ALL.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A BACKLOG AND THERE WAS BENEFIT FOR THAT.
SO THIS IS NOT ME LIKE TRYING TO POKE HOLES IN THAT, BUT I AM WONDERING WERE THOSE PRORATED INTO THAT 3 42 NUMBER OR ARE WE COUNTING ALL OF THE, LIKE WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING WHO GIVES BANG FOR OUR BUCK, UM, FOR THESE VENDORS? IS THAT 3 42 INCLUDING SEVERAL HUNDRED
UM, IN THIS ONE I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEY DID SOME SNR SURGERIES AND I THINK A COUPLE FOSTER ANIMALS MAYBE, UM, IN THIS ONE, UH, THE GOOD FIX, WE DON'T HAVE THE RECORDS THAT WE GET FROM EMANCIPATE AND AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY TO BE ABLE TO PARSE OUT, UM, THOSE ANIMALS TO GIVE A BETTER IDEA.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY HAS ANY, NOT, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF JASON HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
UM, BUT I, YEAH, I'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK.
'CAUSE THEY DID SHARE JUST RAW DATA, SO I'D HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE HOW MANY OVERALL WERE DONE FOR EACH, EACH ONE.
UM, YEAH, AND IT'S JUST, I, I AM, I'M ALREADY THINKING OF HOW I'M GONNA FILTER IT OUT, SO I'LL PLAY AROUND WITH IT TOMORROW AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT, WE CAN SEND A MESSAGING OUT TO THE COMMISSION.
IF YOU'RE ONLY WORKING WITH RAW DATA, I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT THIS WAS PRORATED TO ACCOUNT FOR THOSE.
UM, AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES ON THIS.
I ALSO KNOW THAT EMANCIPATE, JUST TO CLARIFY THE WELLNESS COSTS, ARE WE PAYING, DO WE GET A DISCOUNTED RATE FOR VACCINES AND MICROCHIPS? OR DO WE PAY THE $17 PER SHOT? UM, I BELIEVE WE PAY THE REGULAR PRICE.
I DON'T BELIEVE A DISCOUNTED RATE.
SO THE WELLNESS COST THERE, IS THAT MOSTLY FOR MICROCHIPS, SPAY NEUTER AND THEN LIKE, I'M ASSUMING CASE BY CASE FLEA MES OR IS THERE OTHER WELLNESS THAT'S BEING INCLUDED IN THAT? UM, RIGHT.
THAT WELLNESS IS FOR ANY WALKUPS THAT WANT VACCINATIONS, MICROCHIPS, I BELIEVE THEY WOULD DO HEARTWORM TESTING.
UM, AND THEN FLEA OR TICK PREVENTATIVE.
I WOULD ASSUME FLEA AND TICK PREVENTATIVE.
JASON, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT FOR SURE IS INCLUDED IN THAT WELLNESS? I THOUGHT IT WAS.
UM, I'M TRYING TO ENVISION AN INVOICE IN MY HEAD AND I THINK THAT THAT DOES ALSO INCLUDE IN THERE THAT ONE I'M NOT LIKE SUPER HUNG UP ON.
SO IT'S FOR WHATEVER IS NEEDED, RIGHT.
SOME PETS MIGHT JUST WANT MICROCHIP, SO NOT DENTAL.
BUT THEN MY QUE MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT IS EMANCIPET HAS THE 5 35 AND THE 360 8 IS THE 360 8 ONLY FOR PEOPLE GETTING THOSE SERVICES.
NOT AT THE TIME OF SPAY NEUTER.
[01:15:01]
IN VACCINES PLUS THE MICROCHIP, RIGHT? YES.OR IS THAT ACTUALLY BEING ACCOUNTED THROUGH OUT THE WELLNESS? YES.
UH, I'M PRETTY SURE I, I WOULD HAVE TO ASK.
I, I'M PRETTY SURE THE 5 35 IS RIGHT.
THEY SAY 1 25 FOR SPAY AND NEUTER, UM MM-HMM
AND THEN WHATEVER VACCINES WITH IT.
BUT I, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THAT.
MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION KIND OF HINGES ON THAT, SO IF WE CAN, UM, FIND THAT OUT, THAT'D BE AWESOME.
I'M GONNA ASK MY FIRST QUESTION, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO GO TO THE EMANCIPATE CLINICS WITH THE LARGE DOGS THAT DON'T FIT ON THE VEHICLES, YOU MENTIONED THEY WERE GIVEN VOUCHERS AND CAN SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS.
ARE THEY GIVEN, UM, EXPEDITED APPOINTMENT DATES OR DO THEY GO THROUGH THE PORTAL WHERE CURRENTLY SOME OF THE, UM, SPAY APPOINTMENTS ARE MONTHS OUT? YEAH, DEPENDING ON THE CLINIC.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL TRY TO SCHEDULE THEM WHY THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
IF THEY HAVE SPACE AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THE BRICK AND MORTARS THE SAME DAY, THEY'LL JUST BE LIKE, GREAT, YOU CAN TAKE 'EM OVER THERE NOW.
UH, AND THEN SOME OF 'EM, THEY'LL GIVE 'EM A VOUCHER AND THEN THEY FOLLOW UP, UM, LATER IN THE DAY OR LATER THAT WEEK, UM, TO GET THEM IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
I THINK THE FOLLOWUP'S REALLY IMPORTANT, SO PEOPLE DEFINITELY GET THAT DONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, FOLLOW UPS? I'M JUST GONNA LOOK ONLINE HERE SINCE WE'VE DONE A COUPLE HERE.
UM, AND I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE ONLY CERTAIN DATA THAT, THAT THE SHELTER IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AND THAT, UM, DIRECTOR DINGLER AND JASON, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE BEEN GOING FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSION.
AND THEN, AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU PROVIDING THAT ADDITIONAL DATA, BUT YOU'RE TAKING ALL THE TIME TO PUT IT INTO A VERY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND UNDERSTANDABLE FORMAT.
AND I KNOW THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK.
UM, AND IT, I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL AND I, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, THAT THERE WAS A QUEST FOR A REQUEST FOR SOME SORT OF DATA REPORT REPORTING BY INCIDENTS AND THEN OUTCOMES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW POSSIBLE OR COMPLICATED THAT WOULD BE.
UM, AND YOU'RE CERTAINLY NOT REQUIRED TO DO THAT, BUT IF, IF THERE WERE SOME MEANINGFUL AND REASONABLY REASONABLY LABORIOUS WAY TO DO THAT, I THINK IT, IT MIGHT BE A, A BIG HELP.
I COULD, I CAN JUST SAY ANECDOTALLY, UM, AS YOU KNOW, AS A PERSON WHO'S AT THE SHELTER, OFTEN RECEIVING A LOT OF THESE JUST HIT BY CAR CASES, THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON SCENARIO OF AN HIT BY CAR INJURED DOG.
UH, GOOD SAMARITAN RUNS UP TO HELP, HAS A BITE, AND THEN, BUT WE STILL CARE FOR THE DOG.
AND THAT IN THE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THERE ALL THE TIME, BUT IN THE 10 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING RELIEF WORK THERE, THIS IS THE FIRST CASE, UH, THAT I'M PERSONALLY AWARE OF WHERE THAT, UM, INCIDENT WENT ON TO BE AN SBI CASE AND ADJUDICATED.
AND, UH, SO FOR ME, HAVING HAD THAT EXPERIENCE, I, I AM IN THE POSITION TO GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO PEOPLE WHO DID THE INVESTIGATION, THAT THERE WAS SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES HERE THAT TOOK US DOWN THIS PATH.
'CAUSE THIS CERTAINLY ISN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT BROAD PICTURE ISN'T A UNIQUE, UM, EXPERIENCE OF IT HIT BY CAR DOG, YOU KNOW, NIPS AT THE PERSON WHO TRIED TO HELP IT.
WE DEAL WITH THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE, IF THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO, UM, AND I THINK THE SPECIFIC SHOW THAT IN DATA AT ALL.
AND I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT COMMISSIONER NIEL, I THINK THE SPECIFIC REQUEST FROM THE PUBLIC WAS, UM, REQUESTING HOW MANY BYTES, HOW THEY WERE CLASSIFIED, AND THEN HOW THEY WERE RESOLVED.
SO JUST TO, TO RESTATE I THINK WHAT THE METRICS WERE THAT WERE REQUESTED ON THAT ONE IS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE YEAH.
ASKING FOR AS WELL? WELL, EVEN WITHIN, EVEN WITHIN JUST THAT, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER COMPLICATED THINGS THAT I THINK PARSING THAT DATA OUT WOULD BE REALLY CHALLENGING.
[01:20:01]
WITH THOSE SPECIFICS.BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
I THINK IF THERE WERE A MEANINGFUL OR REASONABLE WAY TO DO THAT, I THINK IT WOULD GO, GO A LONG WAY TO, UM, HELP COMMUNICATE WITH AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SH SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT BETTER, WHAT ACTUALLY GOES ON AT THE SHELTER AS YOU'VE BEEN DOING WITH ALL THIS ADDITIONAL DATA THAT YOU'VE BEEN GENEROUSLY SPENDING THE TIME TO PROVIDE TO US.
WE, UM, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE.
I'M TRYING TO THINK, TRYING TO PICTURE THE DATABASE IN MY, IN MY HEAD, IF THERE'S A WAY TO PULL OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY RERECORD THE BITES, BUT IF THERE'S AN EASY FIELD TO SAY ON THIS DATE OR THIS DATE RANGE, UH, A BITE OCCURRED, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL OUT THE SEVERITY OF BITES.
UM, BUT POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY, I, LIKE I SAID, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS, WE CAN PULL OUT THE BITE BITES FROM THAT MONTH AND THEN WRITE THE, THE OUTCOME OF THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, OR EVEN LIKE EMERGENCY HIT BY CAR BITES, I DON'T, JUST TO NARROW DOWN VARIABLES.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY SPECIFIC WHERE I DON'T THINK WE COULD DO THAT.
I THINK THE TRICKY, THE OTHER PIECE THAT MIGHT BE TRICKY IS, YOU KNOW, WE, RIGHT, WE'RE THE RABIES CONTROL FACILITY, SO EVERY BITE THAT'S REPORTED WE'RE INVESTIGATING.
UM, BUT WE DO HOME QUARANTINES, RIGHT? TO HELP TRY TO KEEP PETS WITH THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THERE'S NOT A VIOLATION THAT'S HAPPENING AND OR THE, THE PET IS, YOU KNOW, NOT IS UP TO DATE ON VACCINATIONS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING THEM IN THEIR HOMES WHERE IT'S SAFE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE OTHER TRICKY PART IS, UH, NOT ONLY IDENTIFYING THE BITES, IF THAT'S AN EASY ENOUGH FIELD TO PULL, BUT THEN ALSO WHICH ONES COME INTO THE SHELTER AND WHICH ONES DON'T.
THAT MIGHT BE THE, THE TRICKIER PIECE, UM, TO FIND OUT.
BUT I, I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO OUR, UM, OUR, UM, IT GUY AND SEE IF WHAT, WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND WHAT'S NOT.
AND YES, UH, COMMISSIONER NORTON.
UM, THANK YOU JASON, UM, FOR YOUR REPORT.
YOU ALWAYS DO MORE THAN YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY CITY ORDINANCE.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE, UM, QUESTIONS.
UM, COMMISSIONER NEER ISN'T HERE, I THOUGHT LAST MONTH SHE ASKED ABOUT A WAY TO, UM, HAVE SBI IN DANGEROUS DOG, UM, REPORTED.
UM, I WORKED WITH HER TO KIND OF COME UP WITH A FORMAT THAT I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY GOOD, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE US HIGH LEVEL DATA AND ANYTHING WE NEEDED, WE COULD DIG INTO IT.
SO, UM, I THINK SHE LIKED WHAT I PRESENTED TO HER.
UM, DO YOU KNOW IF SHE PRESENTED THAT TO YOU? OR MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING I COULD SEND TO YOU TOMORROW? YEAH, I HAVE NOT GOT ANYTHING WITH, UH, ABOUT THAT FROM HER.
IT, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE? I CAN.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FOLLOW UP WITH LIKE TO GO THROUGH SADIE WITH IT, UH, AS A SUGGESTION FOR A REPORT.
SO, UM, I CAN SEND YOU THAT TOMORROW.
UM, UH, JASON, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, FOSTERS, UM, WHICH I DO HAVE ANOTHER MEDICAL FOSTER DOG, UH, PUPPY, UM, IS THE FINDER, THE FO ARE THE FINDER TO FOSTER FOSTERS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE FOSTER NUMBER? SO, UH, I BELIEVE THEY ARE.
WE JUST BREAK 'EM OUT WHAT THE SPECIFIC NUMBER IS.
SO ON THE THIRD BULLET OF THE REPORT, I DIDN'T GO OVER IT, BUT WE HAD 40 FIND HUNDRED FOSTERS FOR AUGUST.
AND I THINK THEY'RE PART OF THE FOUR OH.
AND IF SOMEBODY COMES INTO THE SHELTER AND THEY WANT TO DO THAT, IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU TRADITIONALLY WOULD SIGN THEM UP THAT DAY SO WE CAN GET SHOTS FOR THE ANIMALS YES.
'CAUSE OF RABIES, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT 'EM HOME WITH, SO YEAH.
WE, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO OFFER IT
I KNOW THERE WAS A SPEAKER THAT DIDN'T MENTION THAT SHE WASN'T OFFERED THAT, SO I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
WE HAVE PUT, PLACED A FOSTER, UH, COORDINATOR IN THE LOBBY AT ALL TIMES, UM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO, AND WE'VE ALSO TRAINED ALL OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF TO, UM, KNOW, UH, BASICALLY, UH, UH, PROCESS PRO FOSTER APPLICATION.
SO IT'S SOMETHING ON MY TO-DO LIST FOR TOMORROW.
AND I, UM, AND THE HAVING THE FOSTER COORDINATOR IN THE LOBBY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
UM, WHEN I, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN COMING IN, UM MM-HMM
UH, CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, WITH THE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS WHO PICK UP THE ANIMALS, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, UM, WHAT HOURS DO THEY WORK?
[01:25:02]
LIKE IS, I THINK IT'S SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.SO, SO YES, IT'S SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WE HAVE A, UM, THEY START AT 7:00 AM TILL AND THEY WORK A 10 HOUR SHIFT.
WE ALSO HAVE A SHIFT THAT GOES IN FROM, UH, TWO TO MIDNIGHT OR TWO TO 10, NO, TWO TO MIDNIGHT, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN, UH, THIS PAST SUMMER WE ACTUALLY DID A, A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD OVERNIGHT COVERAGE JUST TO SEE IF WE COULD, UM, SO WE HAD TWO OFFICERS WORKING OVERNIGHT.
WE ONLY HAD THO THOSE WORKING FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
UM, UH, BUT, AND THEN THE OTHER TWO DAYS WE WERE STILL DOING ON-CALL.
SO WHERE WE GET DISPATCH SERVICES, UH, IF AN EMERGENCY CALL COMES IN, THEY, THEY CAN CALL INTO OUR ON-CALL LINE AND THEN, UM, USUALLY IT'S FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE OR, OR, UH, WHEN 3 1 1 WOULD GET AN EMERGENCY CALL, LIKE THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD CALL US AND WE WOULD HAVE OUR ON-CALL OFFICER RESPOND.
AND, UM, SO BASICALLY 7:00 AM TO MIDNIGHT, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THEN, AND THEN THIS, THIS, UH, YEAH.
AND THEN THIS PAST SUMMER WE HAD DI FOR FIVE DAYS WE, WE HAD OVERNIGHT COVERAGE OVER LIKE 10:10 AM 10:00 PM TO LIKE 6:00 AM.
UM, SINCE THE SHELTER STILL HAS DOGS AND CRATES,
BUT, UM, AND THE ICU DOGS, BUT UM, HAVING THE REGULAR WALKERS THERE IS SO HELPFUL TOO.
AND MONICA, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I BELIEVE WE'VE ALLOCATED THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR DOG WALKING AND DONATIONS.
OR DID WE FINALLY, WE WERE LOOKING AT WAYS TO TRY TO MOVE IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE WERE, WERE ABLE TO DO IT THIS YEAR.
YEAH, WE UM, WE DID NOT ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR DOG WALKERS.
WHY THERE'S A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE DONATION FUND.
UH, WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY FASTER THAN IT COMES IN AND IF WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, WE'LL EX WE WILL, UM, EXHAUST ALL DONATION FUNDS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO REDUCE OUR SPECIFICALLY DOG WALKER, UH, WORKFORCE, UM, SIGNIFICANT, UH, PROBABLY COMPLETELY OR AT LEAST SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT GOING FORWARD.
WE CURRENTLY SPEND, OH, AND DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS NUMBER, BUT I WANNA SAY AROUND 250,000, 2 75 A YEAR ON DOG WALKERS, UM, OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS.
SO IF WE ONLY DID THAT AND WE BRING IN ABOUT, OH I THINK 1 75 MAYBE 200,000 IN DONATIONS.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, JUST DOG WALKERS ALONE, IT DOESN'T COVER THAT.
UM, AND THAT DONATION FUND COVERS LOTS OF OTHER THINGS BESIDES UM, THE DOG WALKERS.
UM, SO YEAH, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT UM, WHY WE HAVEN'T EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF DOG WALKERS 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THOSE POSITIONS ALTOGETHER IN JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND UH, ANY OTHER COMMENT OR DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER DANIEL? COMMISSIONER? HI.
UM, THE FIRST THANKS FOR THE UPDATE ON THE AC I KNOW THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE'S DAILY OPERATIONAL CHECKS.
UM, IS THE TNR HOUSING UNIT AKA THE CADDY SHACK INCLUDED IN THOSE DAILY CHECKS? UM, AS I WILL HAVE TO GET WITH OUR FSS, OUR FIELD, UH, SPECIALIST JUST TO MAKE SURE HE'S CHECKING THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
UM, YEAH, BUT I'LL DO THAT TOMORROW HOPEFUL BECAUSE I KNOW JUST LIKE A MONTH AGO, TWO MONTHS AGO, IT WAS LIKE 90 DEGREES IN THERE AND IT WAS AFTER HOURS AND THE VOLUNTEER ENDED UP CALLING 3 1 1 TO TRY TO GET ASSISTANCE 'CAUSE THERE WERE CATS IN THERE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT IS ON Y'ALL'S RADAR.
UH, WHEN YOU SAY RETURN TO HABITAT, THOSE CATS, I THINK THERE WERE 29 FOR THE PAST MONTH.
ARE THOSE INCLUDED WITH THE 55 THAT YOU REPORTED FOR SNR OR IS THAT 29 ON TOP OF THE 55? BECAUSE I ASSUME THE RETURN 29 THE TOP.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'LL BE A ADDITIONAL 29
[01:30:01]
ON TOP OF THE 54 OR 55 THAT WE DID.UM, WELL NO, IT SHOULD ACTUALLY INCLUDE, I'M SORRY, I'LL HAVE TO, I'LL HAVE TO GO DIVE DEEPER INTO MAKING SURE THAT THE 29 IS INCLUDED IN THE 54.
BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING SOME IN-HOUSE AND THEN SENDING THEM BACK OUT VERSUS SENDING 'EM TO HS.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR THE SPAY NEUTER PROGRAMS? IS IT STILL GONNA BE CONTINUING WITH EMANCIPET? I KNOW A HS WILL CONTINUE.
WILL YOU CONTINUE TO FUND THESE MEGA CLINICS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, WHICH I THINK ARE GREAT, UM, IS GOOD FIX COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? YEAH, SO FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, YES.
UM, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH EMANCIPET AND AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY.
UM, WE JUST MET WITH EMANCIPET LAST WEEK, UM, TO SEE HOW WE CAN, RIGHT NOT ONLY GET, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, BUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THOSE LARGE BREED DOGS IN.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S THE PAIN POINT.
AND ALSO HOW WE CAN START DOING TARGETED SPAY NEUTER.
WE CURRENTLY, THE CLOSEST TO TARGETING IS WE PUT SPAY, NEUTER PLACES THE MOBILES IN PARTS OF TOWN THAT ARE HIGH INTAKE.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHO'S ACTUALLY UTILIZING THOSE CLINICS.
UM, SO, UM, WE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH THEM ON HOW TO PROVIDE THAT SPAY NEUTER.
UM, AND LOOKING AT, UM, OUR CURRENT STAFFING TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR THAT GOES INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TARGETS, UM, THOSE HIGH INTAKE AREAS, SPEC AND OR THOSE, UM, AREAS THAT HAVE LARGE PACKS OF ROAMING DOGS TO START GETTING THEM SPAYED AND NEUTERED SO WE CAN TRULY MAKE A DENT.
WE, WE KNOW FOR FACT THAT UM, UNLESS YOU DO TARGETED SPAY NEUTER, YOU'RE JUST BLOWING SOME MONEY OUT IN THE WIND AND GETTING, UM, SOME SPAY NEUTER AND IT'S NOT GONNA ACTUALLY IMPACT, UM, SHELTER INTAKE, UM, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
UM, AND EVEN THEN, RIGHT, WE DO START DOING TARGETED SPAY NEUTER.
IT TAKES, UM, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, IT TAKES YEAR OVER YEAR OF DOING THAT BEFORE YOU START SEEING LOWER, UM, AMOUNTS OF DOGS LOOSE ON THE STREET, LOWER UM, INTAKE AND BEFORE IT STARTS IMPACTING THE SHELTER.
UM, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM DIRECTLY AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UM, A HS ON HOW WE CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY CATS AS WELL.
SO DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE MORE OF THESE MEGA CLINICS AT A HS OR IS THAT GONNA END WITH THIS FISCAL YEAR? OH SORRY.
I THOUGHT WHEN YOU SAID MEGA, I WAS THINKING YOU MEANT THE GOOD FIX.
SO YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT IS UM, RIGHT, WHAT'S THE BEST, BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS? IS IT TO DO THE MEGAS? UM, IS IT TO DO, HAVE MORE SPOTS OPEN? UM, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO FIGURE OUT, UM, THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
AND IF I WAS GONNA GUESS IT'LL PROBABLY BE, UM, SOME CLUMPS OF MEGA, UH, WEEKS PROBABLY IN THE SPRING AND IN THE FALL AND THEN DURING THE SUMMER JUST HAVE YOUR REGULAR UM, UH, TNR UM, THERE.
WELL I LOVE HEARING, UM, TARGETED SPAY NEUTER BECAUSE YES, THAT'S HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT IS HARD WORK AND IT'S NOT FLASHY OR GLAMOROUS, BUT THAT IS HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU, I THINK STILL HAVE A STAFF THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT AT DOING OUTREACH AND REACHING OUR COMMUNITIES AND HAS A PASSION FOR THAT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT
UM, SO SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE DOING SOME SNRS OR SOME SURGERIES SPECIFICALLY FOR CATS, UM, IN-HOUSE, HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED UH, IT TAKES 30 SECONDS? OH GOD, SEEING MYSELF ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT TO MAKE ME LOSE MY MIND.
UM, IT TAKES LIKE 30 SECONDS TO DO A CAT NEUTER, LESS THAN $10 FIVE MINUTES IF YOU INCLUDE THE PREP TIME TO SHAVE THEM AND EVERYTHING.
HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED CHANGING A POLICY TO DOING INSTEAD OF MALES MALE CATS GOING TO AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY WHERE WE'RE PAYING $105 FOR THEM
UM, AND MALE CATS GOING TO EMANCIPATE WITH VACCINES INCLUDED? WE'RE PAYING SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THAT.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF WAYS TO LIKE STRETCH THOSE SPAY NEUTER DOLLARS AND HAVE Y'ALL EXPLORED WHAT THE OPTIONS WOULD BE FOR DOING MORE OF THOSE SURGERIES IN HOUSE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE USED TO BE
[01:35:01]
PUSHBACK ABOUT FIXING OWNED ANIMALS EXCEPT FOR IN THE TEXAS CODE IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT YOU CAN'T PROVIDE LIKE MEDICAL SERVICES IN GENERAL AND EXPLICITLY CARVES OUT AND SAYS SPAY NEUTER, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT SHELTERS CAN PROVIDE FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S A THING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED OR IF IT COULD BE DISCUSSED OR WHAT YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS TO THAT WOULD BE.
YEAH, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GET THE RIGHT BIGGEST BANG FOR A BUCK.
I'M ALWAYS LIKE, WHY ARE WE SPENDING, DON'T SEND CATS HERE, SEND THEM HERE, OR WHATEVER THAT IS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, RIGHT, SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH CATS, TNR CATS, SNR CATS, MY GOAL IS TO KEEP THOSE CATS IN THE SHELTER AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GET SICK, THEY'RE GONNA GET STRESSED OUT, THEY'RE GONNA GET SICK AND THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM.
THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN HAVING TO MEDICALLY TREAT A REALLY ANGRY CAT.
UM, SO LET'S MOVE THEM THROUGH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WHY IT MIGHT COST US A LITTLE BIT MORE TO SEND THEM TO HUMANE SOCIETY THAN TO KEEP THEM AT THE SHELTER.
WELL I'M NOT TRYING TO, IF THEY STAY LONGER, IT'S GONNA COST US MORE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE, BUT HOW WOULD IT BE LONGER THAN THE TIME THEY SPEND AND THE CADDY SHACK? YEAH.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IT, IT PROBABLY DEPENDS ON THE TIME OF YEAR AND HOW MANY CATS ARE COMING IN.
IF WE GET 30 CATS IN, IN A DAY, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY CATS WE TYPICALLY GET IN FOR TNR AND SNR AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND AND MONDAY.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT LONGER.
THE ONLY REASON I'M ASKING SHELTER IS YEAH, YEAH.
I'VE ALREADY ASKING THIS IS ANY VET CAN DO 30 CAT NS IN 15 MINUTES,
SO I HEAR YOU AND I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT THIS LIKE COULD BE A REALLY GOOD POLICY TO STRETCH RESOURCES A LOT FURTHER.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN THE WINTER WHEN WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY CATS IN THE SHELTER, UM, TO SPAY AND NEUTER TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE IN FOR THE 30, UM, TO GET THEM IN AND OUT AND RIGHT.
AND GET MORE SPAY AND NEUTER DONE.
UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
AND COMMISSIONER JUST HAD A CLARIFYING QUESTION ABOUT YEP.
UM, OH I THINK, I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS IS TOO YEAH THERE CERTAIN, CERTAINLY CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR WHERE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE 30 TO 40 CATS YOU COULD DO IN A DAY SORT OF WAIT UNTIL YOU HAD THAT MANY CATS TO DO ALL AT ONCE WOULD EXTEND THEIR STAY AT THE SHELTER.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.
OH, I, SO I WAS, YOU JUST, YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WOULD EXTEND THEIR STAY AT THE SHELTER AND I, I THINK THAT'S A WAY LIKE AS IF YOU WAITED ONLY UNTIL YOU HAD THAT MANY TO DO ALL AT ONCE.
OH NO, MY POINT TO THAT WAS 'CAUSE UM, DIRECTOR DANGLER WAS SAYING IF YOU GET A LOT IN A DAY, WHAT MY POINT IS THAT EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY CONSIDER TO BE A LOT, THE SURGERY IS SO QUICK
MY POINT IS, IS THAT THERE'S RARELY 30 OR 40 CATS AT THE SHELTER THAT NEED TO BE NEUTERED.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO WAIT, I'M TALKING ABOUT TO BATCH THEM, IT WOULD EXTEND THEIR STAY.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE BATCH THEM.
MORE IF YOU WANNA ADD THIS TO THE QUESTION ITEM.
I HAVE YOU WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE, UM, STATE LAW.
DOES STATE LAW CARVE OUT THAT YOU CAN SPAY A NEUTER AND OWNED ANIMAL A SHELTER CAN SPAY A NEUTER AND AN OLD ANIMAL AGAINST THE OWNERS WILL WITHOUT THE OWNER GIVING? NO, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.
YEAH, IT'S JUST NOT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING, SO YEAH.
SORRY I WROTE IT DOWN 'CAUSE IT WAS A THOUGHT IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, REGARDING THE EMANS PET, OR SORRY, NOT THE EMANS PET, THE MOBILE SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, OPTIONS, I WAS JUST CURIOUS AND MAYBE IT'S A FUTURE ITEM, BUT HOW THE LOCATIONS ARE DECIDED BECAUSE PART OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT INCLUDES, UM, DOING THOSE SERVICES IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND ALSO CURIOUS, UM, IF THERE'S ANY, AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN RESEARCH MYSELF AND SHARE, BUT IF THERE'S ANY METHODS THAT, UM, ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL FOR PEOPLE, UM, THAN WAITING IN LINE AND SPENDING HOURS IN THEIR DAY BECAUSE THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH TRANSPORTATION OR WEIRD, UM,
[01:40:01]
HOURS FOR WORK OR THINGS LIKE THAT.SO JUST TRYING TO THINK OF DETERRENCE.
UM, EVEN OURSELVES, WHEN WE TAKE ANIMALS TO THOSE CLINICS, WE KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT IT TAKES.
UM, THE AREA I LIVE, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO OFFER TO DRIVE PEOPLE'S ANIMALS OR EVEN GET THEM FROM THEIR DOOR TO WALK DOWN THE STREET IF THERE WAS A MOBILE CLINIC, UM, AND HOLD THEIR HAND TO MAKE IT THERE.
BUT I, I HOPE THAT THERE'S A METHOD TO MAKE THAT SMOOTHER AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT A REALITY.
UM, BUT GOING BACK TO MY QUESTION, IT WAS HOW ARE THE LOCATIONS DECIDED FOR WHERE THOSE MOBILE CLINICS, UM, ARE SET? YEAH, SO THOSE ARE BASED ON RIGHT, OUR HIGHEST INTAKE ZIP CODES AND WE ACTUALLY, WITH OUR MEETING WITH EMANS PET JUST DISCUSSED THAT WITH THEM, IF, IF THOSE ARE THE, THE BEST LOCATIONS, DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT ADJUSTING? RIGHT? BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN THE LOCATIONS FOR, UH, EMANCIPET MOBILES FOR A DECADE OR LONGER.
AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN AND CHANGED.
UM, SO WE'RE GATHERING SOME DATA, UM, TO LOOK AT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE RIGHT PLACES.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, RIGHT, AND, AND TO MY POINT, JUST BECAUSE A, UH, A MOBILE IS IN DELL VALLEY, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UM, ME AS A A CITIZEN CAN TAKE SEVERAL HOURS, UM, IN THE MORNING TO GO WAIT IN LINE AND WAIT FOR MY PET AND TO GET THEM, UM, GET THEM SERVICES AND THEN PICK THEM UP AT THREE 30 OR FIVE, UM, EITHER.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT TARGETED SPAY NEUTER COMES IN AND, UM, LOOKING AT, DO WE HAVE THE STAFFING AVAILABLE TO HELP, UM, TARGET THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS, PICK UP THE PETS, TAKE THEM TO THE CLINIC, PICK THEM UP, BRING THEM BACK HOME, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REACH THOSE PEOPLE WHO TRULY NEED FREE SERVICES AND NOT PROVIDING FREE SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GET THEM.
EVEN MAYBE STAGGERED TIMES FOR DROP-OFFS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU SAID IT'S RELATED TO THE INTAKE NUMBERS, WHICH INTAKE NUMBERS ARE USED TO DECIDE THAT? UM, IT'S THE INTAKE ZIP CODE.
SO IT'S THE HOT, THE HIGHEST INTAKE ZIP CODE AREAS.
AND THEN THERE'S A, A FEW DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, RIGHT? THEY DON'T STAY AT JUST DELL VALLEY EVERY, EVERY WEEK THERE, RIGHT.
THEY HAVE I THINK ABOUT 10, MAYBE 12 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT THEY ROTATE THROUGH.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS A, UH, A SOUTH SIDE, UM, AND THEN A NORTH SIDE CLINIC, UM, THAT'S GOING EACH WEEK AND THEN THEY KIND OF ROTATE THEM AROUND.
THE OTHER TRICKY PIECE FOR THEM IS YOU CAN'T, UM, JUST PULL UP THE MOBILE JUST IN ANY PARKING LOT AND DO IT.
UM, YOU DO NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU NEED TO HAVE PROPER SHADE IN THE SUMMER, BUT NOT RIGHT.
YOU, SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT WAS SHE WAS LIKE, OH, BUT THIS PARK, IT DOESN'T WORK 'CAUSE THE TREES HANG DOWN SO LOW WE CAN'T GET OUR MOBILE IN WITHOUT DAMAGING IT.
SO THERE'S SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE LIKE, OH, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
UM, SO, BUT FINDING THOSE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND THERE'S A COUPLE THAT SHE'S LOOKING AT, UM, AS FAR AS THE PERFORMANCE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING IN, UM, THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK DURING THAT TIME, SO LET'S LOOK AT SOME OTHER LOCATIONS THAT MIGHT BE BETTER.
OUR FIVE HIGHEST INTAKE ZIP CODES HAVE STAY STAYED PRETTY, UM, PRETTY CONSISTENT.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE ANIMALS ARE COMING FROM, DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT'S THE HIGHEST NEED FOR SPAY NEUTER NECESSARILY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT QUITE A BIT OF DATA POINTS TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT, UM, RIGHT, WHERE DO WE WANNA START TO START MAKING SOME PROGRESS IN TARGETED SPAY NEUTER? AWESOME.
YEAH, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AT THE END WITH, I THINK THOSE INTAKE ZIP CODES ARE THE LUCKY ZIP CODES.
I DOUBT THAT MY ZIP CODE OR ANYONE AROUND ME IS ON THERE AND I KNOW THEY NEED IT REALLY BADLY.
UM, AND WITH INTAKE BEING LIMITED, MAYBE OTHER METHODS LIKE LOOKING AT THE 3 1 1 REPORTS WHERE LOOSE AND STRAY DOGS ARE REPORTED MOST, UM, AS WELL AS MAYBE A SURVEY TO THE PUBLIC SO PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW CLOSELY CAN MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE AREAS.
ANY FURTHER COMMENT OR QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT THEN.
UM, HEARING NONE, YOU KNOW, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO DIRECTOR DANGLER AND, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GARZA AND, UH, FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE GOOD DISCUSSION FROM EVERYONE.
UH, WELL ACTUALLY WE WILL BE WITHDRAWING, UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE FOR TONIGHT.
[01:45:01]
ITEM WILL BE WITHDRAWN ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP EXPLORING COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE 8 23.SO, UM, WE ARE WITHDRAWING THAT ITEM, SO THE COMMISSION WILL NOT BE TAKING ACTION ON THAT ITEM TONIGHT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE WILL, UM, GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON
[4. Approve the creation of a working group to study the impact of and write recommendations to Council regarding Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) combo testing. ]
TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.AND ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF F-E-L-V-F-I-V COMBO TESTING AND PREPARE RE AND, UH, POTENTIAL TO PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THOSE.
AND, UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THAT.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP AND THE FIRST, UH, PERSON SIGNED UP HERE FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS JULIE MARTIN.
I AM, UM, AN ANIMAL SHELTER VOLUNTEER.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I'M AN ATTORNEY HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I LISTENED TO THE VIDEO OF LAST MONTH'S MEETING WHERE THE FELV AND FIV COMBO TESTING WAS DISCUSSED.
AND THE, THE, THE GIST WAS THAT, UH, THE STANDARD TESTING WAS BEING OR WAS CONSIDERED BEING DISCONTINUED OR WOULD BE DISCONTINUED BASED ON BEST PRACTICES ANALYSIS.
UM, I AM DOG VOLUNTEER, SO I AM GETTING UP TO SPEED ON CAT THINGS IN GENERAL.
SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND HAD SOME QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THAT RESEARCH THAT I HOPE THE COMMISSION MAY FIND HELPFUL IN GUIDING THE DISCUSSION AND OR MAY WANT TO REQUEST THIS INFORMATION FROM THE SHELTER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, UM, DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
THE FIRST QUESTION I HAD IS WHAT THE, UM, MONICA MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES DURING HER PRESENTATION THAT THIS WAS BASED ON BEST, BEST PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRY.
AND I AM CURIOUS SO THAT I CAN FOLLOW ALONG, WHAT MATERIALS AND SOURCES WERE CONSULTED BY THE SHELTER IN REACHING THAT CONCLUSION? UM, AND WHAT GROUP OR STANDARD OR, UM, WHO IN THE INDUSTRY IS THE BEST PRACTICES STANDARD BEARER? JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND, I, I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY GO READ THE, WATCH THE VIDEOS OR READ THE STUDIES SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND THE, HOW THIS DECISION WAS REACHED.
AND TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT ADVERSE TO THIS DECISION.
UM, SECOND QUESTION IS, AS A PRELIMINARY POINT TO SEEING, LIKE SEEING THE CHANGE IN THE POLICY, UM, I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE THE METRICS FROM THE TESTING.
IF THE TESTING WAS DONE ON EVERY CAT THAT WAS INTAKED IN, IN, IN INTAKED LAST YEAR, UM, WHAT WAS THE PERCENT POSITIVITY? I'M CURIOUS HOW THAT COMPARES TO THE NATIONAL PERCENT POSITIVITY FOR FELV AND FIV.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT A PA DID A PILOT STUDY THAT HELPED TO BRING ABOUT THE, THE CHANGE IN THE, UM, BEST PRACTICES APPROACH THAT WHERE A BUNCH OF FELV CATS WERE BROUGHT TO AUSTIN.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF THAT HAD ANY IMPACT ON AUSTIN'S LEVEL OF POSITIVITY? UM, NOT AS A CRITICISM OF RUNNING THE PROGRAM, BUT JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE IN AUSTIN IS THE SAME AS THE POSITIVITY NATIONWIDE.
AND IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF, IF HAVING A BEST PRACTICES FOR NATIONWIDE IS, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTABLE FOR HAVING THE SAME PRACTICES IN AUSTIN, OR IF THAT WOULD JUSTIFY DEVIATION FROM BEST PRACTICES.
AND THEN THIRD, UM, I I IT WAS REFERENCED THAT, MAY I CONTINUE OR SHOULD I STOP? I'M SO SORRY.
WE DO HAVE TO CUT OFF AFTER THAT TIME PERIOD.
AND THEN OUR LAST, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER WILL BE, UH, SHELLY.
IS IT LIE LIAM OR HUM? THE CORRECT GERMAN PRONUNCIATION IS LIAM, BUT NOBODY SAYS THAT SO I SAY LIE.
UM, I'M A CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP ON THE FELV AND FIV TESTING.
UM, SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS CLEARLY ARTICULATED THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE DURING LAST MONTH'S, UH, MEETING.
THEY REFLECT THOSE OF ME AND FELLOW CAT VOLUNTEERS THAT THE CURRENT FELV TESTING POLICY IS NOT WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR SHELTER CATS AND KITTENS OR FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:50:01]
AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION'S WILLINGNESS TO VISIT, REVISIT THE ISSUE, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SOME THOUGHTFUL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT PUTS THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF OUR CATS FIRST.AND THAT WAS THE LAST OF OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, SO, UM, WHAT I'LL DO NOW IS OPEN IT UP FOR ANY GENERAL DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS HERE, A MOTION FROM, FROM THE COMMISSION BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION TO DO THE, UM, ACTUAL WORKING GROUP.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WERE WAS ANY DISCUSSION THAT NEEDED TO BE HAD BEFORE MAKING A MOTION? YES.
WELL CHAIR, CAN I JUST BEFORE, BEFORE ANY OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS LEAVE, COULD YOU JUST REMIND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT IF THEY CAN'T MAKE THEIR FULL STATEMENT, THAT THEY CAN EMAIL THEIR FULL STATEMENT TO US AND WE CAN READ IT? SURE.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS, UM, COMMISSIONER ER'S REQUEST THAT THIS BE ON, UM, ON THIS TODAY.
UM, SHE ASKED ME TO NOW TAKE THAT IN.
SHE ASKED ME TO, UM, GET EVERYONE'S SUPPORT AND GET A VOTE ON THIS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, A LOT OF US.
UM, SO CAN I MAKE A MOTION OR ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO OPEN IT UP AND SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE DID HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AFTER I CAN ANSWER 'EM FOR MM-HMM
THEN, UM, THEN WITH THAT, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND STATE THE MOTION? YES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY THE IMPACT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL REGARDING FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS, FLV AND FELINE, UH, WELL IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS, FIV COMBO TESTING.
UM, AND I'D LIKE, UM, OH, THEN I'LL ADD THE, SHOULD I ADD THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS THAT I KNOW OF RIGHT NOW? OR DO YOU WANT TO, AND WHY DON'T WE PASS THE MOTION FIRST? DO WE, WE COULD DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
ALL AT ONCE, BUT YEAH, DO IT ALL ONCE.
THE MEMBERS RIGHT NOW WOULD BE COMMISSIONERS, ER, UH, COMMISSIONER DANIEL AND MYSELF AND OTHERS CAN JOIN, BUT THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT I KNOW.
SO WE HAVE, SO THAT IS OUR MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NORTON.
AND WHO'S THE SECOND? I, I SECOND.
AND THEN, UH, SO THE MOTION BEFORE US TO CREATE A, OH MAN, TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP STUDY THE IMPACT OF F-A-L-V-F FIVE V COMBO TESTING AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL, UM, ALSO REGARDING THE, UH, IMMUNODEFICIENCY, UH, CONSISTING OF COMMISSIONERS, UH, EMER, DANIEL AND NORTON, UM, IS, UH, NOW UP FOR VOTE.
UM, SO, OR DISCUSSION NEED MORE DISCUSSION OR, OR DOES IT I'M SORRY.
CAN WE, CAN I ASK IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO JOIN MM-HMM
NOW IS ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE NOW, UM, ON THIS MOTION.
AND COULD WE DO DISCUSSION? OH, SHE JUST ASKED, I BELIEVE IF, IF THERE WAS DISCUSSION, SO I'M SORRY.
OH, UM, I, I JUST WANT TO, UM, EXPRESS THAT, UH, THE, THE CONCERNS I WAS I HAD LAST MONTH ABOUT THIS TOPIC WAS BASICALLY AROUND, UM, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SHELTER AND, AND PUBLIC AND SHELTER AND STAFF AND, AND MORE THOROUGH COMMUNICATION AND, AND FEEDBACK RECEIVING, UM,
UM, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW CITY COUNCIL WOULD IF WOULD AFFECT THAT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT'S SIMPLY, UH, UM, A MANAGEMENT STYLE.
UM, I THINK THIS WORKING GROUP COULD BE WORTHWHILE.
I WILL, I WILL JUST SAY THAT I AM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY VERY OPPOSED TO LEGISLATION BEING CREATED THAT DICTATES MEDICAL DECISIONS AND TAKES THEM OUT OF THE HANDS OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
AND, UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD CAUTION THE, THE COMMISSION, NOT THAT, NOT THAT THE WORKING GROUP WOULD DO THAT, BUT I WOULD CAUTION THE WORKING GROUP
[01:55:01]
TO, TO STAY FAR AWAY FROM TRYING TO LEGISLATE MEDICAL DECISIONS.NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT INPUT AND I AGREE.
AND COMMISSIONER NORTON SAID SHE AGREES AS WELL IN CASE YOU DIDN'T HEAR THAT
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO SAY DISCUSSION IS COMPLETE UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE DOES HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.
HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
SORRY, I, SORRY, I DON'T
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE WILL VOTE ON THE MOTION OF THE WORKING GROUP RELATED TO THE FELV.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CREATING THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO I DON'T HAVE TO ASK THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AND UM, NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AGENDA ITEMS. IF ANYONE HAS ANY PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AT THIS TIME? I DO, YES.UM, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST, UM, AN ITEM IN THE NEXT MEETING ON THE NEW INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT'S EFFECTIVE ON OCTOBER 1ST.
UM, THAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED AND THAT INVOLVES 3,735,000 AND SOME DOLLARS, UM, BEING SPENT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
UM, I DIDN'T READ IT ALL YET, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A BRIDGE, THERE WAS A SERIES OF SMALL, UM, AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A BIG ONE LIKE THIS IN A WHILE, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT AGENDA ITEM IF THAT'S HOW THIS WORKS.
SO, UM, I THINK WE, IS THERE A SUP I THINK I NEED TO ASK FOR A SUPPORTING COMMISSIONER FOR THAT CORRECT.
IF NO ONE OBJECTS, IT'S JUST LIKE DURING THIS TIME THEN THE BOARD IS LIKE, OH, OKAY.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING THAT TO THE AGENDA? CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION? SO ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT? IS THAT WHAT THE REQUEST IS?
YEAH, I THINK A DISCUSSION, I KNOW IT EXISTS, BUT YEAH, I KNOW THERE'S REPORTING CRITERIA FROM THE CITY ON NUMBERS EVERY QUARTER THAT BEFORE THEY GET PAID, THEY PAID QUARTERLY.
UM, AND I THINK IN THE LAST YEARS THERE'S BEEN A LAPSE IN THAT REPORTING IN THOSE NUMBERS.
SO, UM, AND SINCE I GUESS IS LIKE ONE OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE, UM, SHARE FEEDBACK ON THAT TO THE COUNTY COURT ON HOW THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT AND IF IT'S BEING UTILIZED AS, UM, EXPECTED AND AGREED UPON FOR THE 3 1 1 AND IN SHELTER SERVICES.
SO I GUESS THE DISCUSSION, WELL I GUESS WE WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST HOW TO GET THAT DATA, RIGHT.
WE REQUEST A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY ON THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT IF THEY CAN DO IT NEXT MONTH, THEY, IF SOMETHING ELSE IS COMING UP, UM, DOES, IS THAT OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE, WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE.
'CAUSE I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LEARN HOW IT WORKS.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL WE'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE CITY TO SEE IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT FOR NEXT MONTH.
SO WE CAN PUT IT TENTATIVELY ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH AND IF THEY NEED MORE TIME, THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER HOLT? OH YES, COMMISSIONER HOLT.
I HAVE A VERY COMPLICATED CLARIFYING QUESTION AND I DON'T NAVA I HOPE YOU KNOW THIS, I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE WHAT TO DO.
MANAGING THAT CONTRACT ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY IS LITERALLY MY FULL-TIME JOB
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAT I NEED TO WEAR
[02:00:01]
ALSO DO I NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF AS A COMMISSIONER? THERE'S LIKE A WEIRD THING HERE AND IF THE ANSWER IS I NEED TO WAIT FOR AN ANSWER BEHIND THE SCENES, THAT'S FINE AND I JUST WANTED TO NAME IT.IT SEEMS LIKE IF IT'S JUST A DISCUSSION THAT YEAH, I MEAN THERE WILL BE NO ACTION TAKEN.
UM, IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IT, IT'D BE HELPFUL.
BUT IF YOU FEEL BEST TO RECUSE YOURSELF, YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT AS WELL.
LIKE YOU DON'T, UM, IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT IN ANY WAY OF INTEREST, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST LIKE GIVING INFORMATION BASED ON A, AN AGREEMENT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MADE, THEN I, RIGHT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING SPICY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO ASK MOVING FORWARD, WHICH HAT SHOULD I WEAR BECAUSE I HAVE, BECAUSE UH, A EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE SIMULTANEOUS, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION WHO HAPPENS TO HAVE DEEP INSIGHT INTO THIS TOPIC, SO IT SEEMS I MIGHT REACH OUT TO YOU TO SEE WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION HONESTLY.
YOU CAN WEAR WHATEVER HAT SUITS YOU.
ANY OTHER REQUESTS FOR AGENDA ITEMS? NO.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF, UM, IF ANYONE HAD AN OBJECTION TO POSSIBLY LOOKING MORE INTO, UM, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE 8 22, UM, TO SEE IF, I KNOW THAT THAT IS, UH, TEXAS, TEXAS LAW.
SO I KNOW THAT COULD BE A BIT COMPLICATED, UM, TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING OR ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT WOULD ASSIST AS FAR AS HAVING, UM, MORE FLEXIBLE THINGS TO LOOK AT IN, YOU KNOW, I I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES IS POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO QUALIFY A PROVOCATION OF A BITE INTO CONSIDERATION BASED UNDER 8 22 0.003 OF THAT, UM, TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS WORTHWHILE JUST, UM, HAVING A DISCUSSION OR POTENTIAL WORKING GROUP EVEN ON THAT TO JUST LOOK FURTHER INTO IT AND GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
WOULD THERE BE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? UM, I ACTUALLY SUPPORT IT.
THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION ON THAT.
POSSIBLY IF, IF I HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO LIKE LOOK INTO IT MORE OR IT MAY GET PUSHED THE NEXT MONTH IF I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LOOK INTO IT.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE DETAILS AND UNDERLYING, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING OF THAT PARTICULAR CODE TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COULD BE USEFUL FOR, FOR US TO AT LEAST JUST KIND OF UNDERSTAND THOSE DETAILS AND IF IT, NOT, NOT THIS TIME ON HAVING A WORKING GROUP, BUT LIKE IF IT WARRANTS HAVING A WORKING GROUP AFTER HAVING SOME MORE DISCUSSION ON IT TO, YOU KNOW, COULD THERE BE SOME MORE THINGS, UM, ON THERE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THAT TEXAS CODE FOR THINGS LATER ON DOWN THE LINE.
ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOME ITEMS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT, SO HEARING NONE THEN, UM, SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THE COMMISSION, UH, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED AT 8:10 PM SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR JOINING.