REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2026, AT 6:00 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 301 WEST 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Animal Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Jules Maron, Chair, D3 Jo Anne Norton, Vice Chair, D7 Jennifer Daniel, Parliamentarian, D6 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Erin Ferguson, D8 Whitney Holt, D5 Sarah Huddleston, D9 David Loignon, D10 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Dr. Paige Nilson, D4 Erin Van Landingham, D1 CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular meeting on July 13, 2026. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports and budget breakdown. Presentation by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services and Jason Garza, Assistant Director, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing regarding Dangerous and Vicious Dog classification, declaration, and processing out of shelters. Presentation by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services and Rebekha Montie, Program Manager II, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Quarterly report from Austin Pets Alive! Presentation by Mara Hartsell, Quality of Care Director, Austin Pets Alive! and Rory Adams, Director of Strategic Customer Service, Austin Pets Alive! Discussion regarding the Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Intake Testing Policy for cats Austin Animal Services memo. 5. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 6. Final update from the off-leash dog working group regarding their recommendations for commissioners. DICUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. 8. Creation of a working group exploring compliance with the Texas Health and Safety Chapter 8-23. Creation of a working group to study the emergency intake procedures at Austin Animal Services. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and …
ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 13, 2026 The Animal Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, July 13, 2026, at Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Maron called the Animal Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Commissioners in Attendance: Jules Maron, Chair, D3 Jennifer Daniel, Parliamentarian, D6 Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Erin Ferguson, D8 Whitney Holt, D5 David Loignon, D10 Erin Van Landingham, D1 Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Jo Anne Norton, Vice Chair, D7 Sarah Huddleston, D9 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Commissioners Absent: Koby Ahmed, Mayor Dr. Paige Nilson, D4 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Inessa Haas – Concerns regarding Austin Pets Alive! dog training Sandra Muller – Transparency and SOPs Robyn Katz – State of Animals in Texas Rochelle Vickery – Spay and Neuter Annaliese Gill – Austin Pets Alive! Play Group Safety Pat Valls Trelles – Spay and Neuter 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on June 8, 2026. The minutes of the June 8th regular meeting of the Animal Advisory Commission as were approved during the July 13th meeting on Commissioner Dulzaides’ motion, Commissioner Loignon’s second on a 10-0 vote. Commissioners Ahmed and Nilson were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports. Presentation by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. Presentation given by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing regarding the microchip/vaccine clinic, July4th runaway pet numbers and 311 policies regarding deceased animals. Presentation by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. Presentation given by Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Presentation regarding Petco Love Platform and the exploration of pet reunification platforms. Presentation by Misty Valenta, Animal Services Director, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. Presentation given by Misty Valenta, Animal Services Director, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Monica Dangler, Director, Austin Animal Services. Discussion and presentation regarding New World Screwworm Crisis. Presentation by Dr. Debbie Elliot, Program manager, Veterinary Services. Presentation given by Dr. Debbie Elliot, Program Manager, Veterinary Services. Discussion clarifying previous statement in bylaws regarding No Kill Committee. Discussed. Discuss the Annual Internal Review Report for Animal Advisory Commission. Discussed. Change in Chair for No Kill Committee. Chair Maron named Commissioner Nemer as the Chair of the No Kill Committee. Current committee membership is …
Animal Services Office Statistical Report – July2024-2026 July 2026 Intake July2025 Intake July2024 Intake July 2026 Adoption July2025 Adoptions July2024 Adoptions July 2026 RTOs July2025 RTOs July2024 RTOs July 2026 Animal Euthanized July2025 Animals Euthanized July2024 Animals Euthanized July 2026 Live Release Rate July2025 Total Live Release Rate July2024 Total Live Release Rate July 2026 Vaccinations – 2718 vaccinations were provided to animals in care of Austin Animal Services. July2025 Vaccinations - 2404 vaccinations were provided to animals in care of Austin Animal Services. July2024 Animal Vaccinations July 2026 – Spay/Neuter at AAC July2025 Spayed/Neuter at AAC July2024 Spayed/Neutered at AAC July 2026 Deaths in Care \ July2025 Animal Deaths at AAC/Foster July2024 Animal Deaths at AAC/Foster July 2026 Animals Transferred (includes 30 cats that went through SNR) July2025 Animals Transferred (includes 50 cats that went through SNR : July2024 Animals Transferred July 2026 Animals Lost, Stolen or Missing July2025 Animal Lost, Stolen or Missing July2024 Animals Lost, Stolen or Missing July 2026 SNR Program – As noted above, 30 cats went through SNR July2025 SNR Program – As noted above, 50 cats went through SNR July2024 SNR Program July 2026 Intact Animals Adopted/RTO July2025 Intact Animals Adopted/RTO July2024 Intact Animals Adopted/RTO
Updates, Reports and Briefings Updates, Reports and Briefings Austin Animal Services | August 10, 2026 Spay/Neuter Numbers from Contracts Information from FY2025 and FY2026 Monica Dangler, Director Goal for FY26 7,800 Total (as of June 2026) 8,230 Total cost* $1,297,383 On average, at least 667 surgeries are performed by Animal Services contracted vendors each month. Animal Services will likely see (at least) another 1,800 surgeries this fiscal year. *Total for Emancipet includes preventative services. 3 Monthly Reporting July 2026 Jason Garza, Assistant Director 1100 animals were impounded this month. Animals Impounded A breakdown of impounded animals by species and/or age. 1102 5-year average Puppies 72 Cats 248 Wildlife 58 Critters 16 Kittens 416 Dogs 290 July Intake Over Time This chart shows the number of animals impounded this month, ranked by fiscal year. 1134 933 6 2 Y F 5 2 Y F 4 2 Y F 5 More animals left the shelter than entered it this July! Intake 1042 domestic animals Outcomes 1054 domestic animals Intake Trends Animal Protection Officers brought in more dogs (140) than any other species in July. The next highest are kittens (53). The public brought in more stray kittens (177) than any other species this month. This will likely slow down as kitten season comes to a close. Intake Sources A breakdown of the sources for intake. Born in Care 1 Wildlife Abandoned 4 5 Emergency Clinic 12 APD | TCSO Returned to Shelter 25 28 Owner Surrender 111 Community Cat APO Impound Stray from Public 294 311 312 6 July 2026 had a live-release rate of 96.53 percent. Live Outcomes by Animal Type This chart shows how many of each animal type had a positive or live outcome during June. Breakdown per Outcome Type This chart shows the breakdown of each kind of live outcome by the number of animals with that live outcome. Each bar is equal to 100% of the outcome category. Puppies 62 Cats 264 Critters 18 Kittens 419 Dogs 291 Critters 14 Critters 2 Cats 5 Critters 2 Kittens 158 Kittens 261 Puppies 41 Cats 125 Dogs 164 Dogs 57 Cats 54 Puppies 21 Cats 80 Dogs 70 Adopted Returned to Owner Returned to Habitat Rescue Transfer 7 601 animals were adopted this month. Adoptions by Type (Age, Breed) This chart shows the total number of adoptions per animal type. Critters 14 Puppies 46 Cats 120 Dogs 155 Kittens …
City Of Austin Free Day Program Metrics Power BI Desktop Invoice Period: June 2026 Number and % of Clients by Service Type Spay/Neuter Patients by Species and Size All Billed Services Overflow S/N Free Day Species + Surgery Type Overflow Free Day All Clients Clients % of Clients S/N Clients % of Clients HPS Clients % of Clients Canine 377 207 555 167 104 264 44.3% 50.2% 47.6% 44 47 89 11.7% 22.7% 16.0% 187 65 233 49.6% 31.4% 42.0% Number and % of Patients by Service Type All Billed Services Overflow S/N Free Day All Patients Patients % of Patients S/N Patients % of Patients HPS Patients % of Patients 587 337 924 199 156 355 33.9% 46.3% 38.4% 56 87 143 9.5% 25.8% 15.5% 343 100 443 58.4% 29.7% 47.9% Number and % of Dollars Billed by Service Type All Billed Services Overflow S/N Free Day Canine Neuter (Over 40 lbs) Canine Neuter (Under 40 lbs) Canine Spay (Over 40 lbs) Canine Spay (Under 40 lbs) Feline Feline Neuter (All Sizes) Feline Spay (All Sizes) Total 155 19 45 26 65 148 61 87 303 56 6 19 10 21 86 41 45 142 Wait Times for Overflow Patients by Species and Size (Patients Served) % of Overflow Vouchers Matched 56.5% Species Canine Over 40 lbs Under 40 lbs Feline All Sizes Total Median Wait (Days) Avg Wait (Days) Max Wait (Days) 14.0 10.0 16.0 7.0 7.0 9.0 27.5 35.1 24.0 17.3 17.3 22.0 249.0 249.0 130.0 206.0 206.0 249.0 Percentage of Total Billed $s By Type All Billed Billed % of All S/N Billed % of All HPS Billed % of All SN $58,739 (76%) $45,365.00 $23,870.00 52.6% $8,676.00 $32,115.00 $17,540.00 54.6% $10,603.00 19.1% 33.0% $12,819.00 $3,972.00 $77,480.00 $41,410.00 53.4% $19,279.00 24.9% $16,791.00 28.3% 12.4% 21.7% HPSPv $18,741 (24%) Species Canine Feline Total Species Canine Feline Total Species Canine Feline Total Invoice Period: June 2026 Map of Billed Clients by District/County (%) % Clients 0.157 - 0.423 0.09 - 0.157 0.025 - 0.09 0.02 - 0.025 0.016 - 0.02 Other City Of Austin Free Day Program Metrics Power BI Desktop Clients By Service Area All Clients % 9.0% 50 15.7% 87 7.7% 43 8.8% 49 6.5% 36 1.6% 9 2.5% 14 1.8% 10 2.0% 11 2.0% 11 235 42.3% 555 100.0% Service Area District 1 District 2 District 3 District …
Updates, Reports and Briefings Updates, Reports and Briefings Austin Animal Services | August 10, 2026 Spay/Neuter Numbers from Contracts Information from FY2025 and FY2026 Monica Dangler, Director Goal for FY26 7,800 Total (as of June 2026) 8,230 Total cost* $1,297,383 On average, at least 913 surgeries are performed by Animal Services contracted vendors each month. Animal Services will likely see (at least) another 2,700 surgeries this fiscal year. *Total for Emancipet includes preventative services. 3 Monthly Reporting July 2026 Jason Garza, Assistant Director 1100 animals were impounded this month. Animals Impounded A breakdown of impounded animals by species and/or age. 1102 5-year average Puppies 72 Cats 248 Wildlife 58 Critters 16 Kittens 416 Dogs 290 July Intake Over Time This chart shows the number of animals impounded this month, ranked by fiscal year. 1134 933 6 2 Y F 5 2 Y F 4 2 Y F 5 More animals left the shelter than entered it this July! Intake 1042 domestic animals Outcomes 1054 domestic animals Intake Trends Animal Protection Officers brought in more dogs (140) than any other species in July. The next highest are kittens (53). The public brought in more stray kittens (177) than any other species this month. This will likely slow down as kitten season comes to a close. Intake Sources A breakdown of the sources for intake. Born in Care 1 Wildlife Abandoned 4 5 Emergency Clinic 12 APD | TCSO Returned to Shelter 25 28 Owner Surrender 111 Community Cat APO Impound Stray from Public 294 311 312 6 July 2026 had a live-release rate of 96.53 percent. Live Outcomes by Animal Type This chart shows how many of each animal type had a positive or live outcome during June. Breakdown per Outcome Type This chart shows the breakdown of each kind of live outcome by the number of animals with that live outcome. Each bar is equal to 100% of the outcome category. Puppies 62 Cats 264 Critters 18 Kittens 419 Dogs 291 Critters 14 Critters 2 Cats 5 Critters 2 Kittens 158 Kittens 261 Puppies 41 Cats 125 Dogs 164 Dogs 57 Cats 54 Puppies 21 Cats 80 Dogs 70 Adopted Returned to Owner Returned to Habitat Rescue Transfer 7 601 animals were adopted this month. Adoptions by Type (Age, Breed) This chart shows the total number of adoptions per animal type. Critters 14 Puppies 46 Cats 120 Dogs 155 Kittens …
Off-Leash Dogs Working Group August 2026 Jo Anne Norton, Whitney Holt Issues Considered by the Working Group • Misinformation about existing laws, especially on social media platforms • New Austinites may not know about existing laws • Off-leash dogs on parkland that is on-leash only – people cannot safely enjoy City parkland • Off-leash dogs in neighborhoods (owned dogs) – people cannot safely walk in their neighborhood • Options for people to report issues • Continued education and data monitoring People Concerns Gathered from NextDoor, emails, conversations about off-leash dogs in on-leash areas and neighborhoods • Chase bikes potentially causing accidents • Run up to strollers or people with walking aids • Poop not scooped because owners are on their phones or talking to others • Not enough tickets written for violations • Dogs run up to random adults and children • Dog owners are not trained to break up dog fights Current Laws - Austin City Code Title 3 • Keep dogs on a leash and under control in all areas that are not designated as “off-leash” • Pick up and sanitarily dispose of pet waste left on public or private property • Provide adequate shelter • Ensure pets have current rabies vaccinations • Confine pets transported in unenclosed vehicles in a manner that prevents the animal from falling or jumping from the vehicle or being injured • DO NOT leave a pet alone on a chain or tether • It’s unlawful to sell a puppy or kitten that is not spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped Enforcement Affected by Staffing - PARD • 21 Park Rangers (Full time) • 11 Seasonal Rangers (part time) • 4 Cadet interns (PT) • 7 days a week - Service 330 City Parks - 19,000 acres of parkland • Handle a multitude of parkland related issues • Cannot write tickets for off-leash dog violations PARD Improvements Since 2022 • More signage in parks, such as Auditorium Shores • Large signs in parks, such as South Austin Rec Center • Mueller POA – Signs around the lake most likely put up by people and taken down by – PARD owns greenways around the perimeter and installed on-leash signs in each park • Seasonal rangers and cadets • Clear, informative website PARD Improvements Since 2022, continued Dog Off Leash Area Pilot Programs The Pilot DOLAs aim to provide space for dog owners to take their pets …
