ASO 311 FAQs — original pdf

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FAQ Category: Animal Services Access Classification: Internal Topic: Austin Animal Center Summary: General information about the Austin Animal Center. Reference Text: Address: 7201 Levander Loop, Building A, Austin, 78702 Main Number: 512-978-0500 Animal Services Fax: 512-978-0619 QLESS Paging System: 512-687-1472 Animal Intake To bring in a found pet, submit a Stray Intake Appointment Request Form found on the Animal Center Website. Found pet appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday only. Intake of animals without an appointment will not be accepted. As of May 2022, due to ongoing space issues, the Animal Center is currently only accepting sick or injured dogs for intake. Cats are not subjected to this restriction. The Center will not accept animals found outside the city of Austin or Travis County. If an animal is brought in from outside of the jurisdiction, resident will be asked to return the animal to the area where it was found. Pet Surrender To surrender a pet, see the Rehoming a Pet website and click the link to schedule an owner surrender consultation appointment. Walk-in owner surrenders are not accepted. For more information see the Animal Services Issues KB Doc. Animal Adoption Hours Monday - Saturday 11am - 7pm Sunday temporarily closed The latest that a resident may go into the Austin Animal Center to adopt an animal is Monday - Friday is 6:30pm, and Saturday is 6pm, as they often have a 1.5 - 2 hour wait. To schedule an adoption appointment, email ASOanimaladoption@austintexas.gov. Fees There are fees associated with reclaiming animals at the shelter. In certain cases, the Animal Center can work with individuals on reclaim fees. It is best going to the Animal Center as soon as possible to work out a possible arrangement. The Shelter accepts Mastercard, Visa or Discover. They also accept cash. If the payment total is less than $100, they will not accept a $100 bill as it is hard to find change.  Emergency Animal Clinics North Emergency Clinic at 12034 Research Boulevard in Austin (512-331-6121) accepts wildlife. South Emergency Clinic at 4434 Frontier Trail in Austin (512-899-0955). does not accept wildlife. Night drop boxes for animals are not available. Residents with injured animals will need to take them to an afterhours clinic. They would need to hold strays until morning. It is a violation to abandon an animal at the front door of the shelter. FAQ Category: Animal Services Access Classification: Internal Topic: Animal Services - Assistance Request - Service Request Summary: Use this SR for Animal Services issues such as requests for records, inquiries about impounded/surrendered animals, adoptions, etc. or updates to found Animal Reports. Reference Text: Animal Services handles the following types of issues. Volunteering at the Animal Center, pet adoptions, callers who live in Austin/Travis County who need to drop off a stray, Animal Center donations, and specific quarantine questions. It is important to see if we have the information that the caller needs first before submitting the SR. Many times, we can answer the caller’s question with the information provided in KB or city Website. This way the caller does not have to wait for a callback. Use the Animal Services Issue Guide in KB to help determine what action should be taken when handling Animal Service Issues. The Austin Animal Center website includes information, applications, and appointment requests regarding adoption, animal intakes, and found pets, at http://www.austintexas.gov/content/austin-animal-center. Quarantine: Quarantine issues that that Animal Services assists with are checking in on your pet, and fees. The Austin Animal Center is no longer allowing pet owners to visit pets that are in quarantine. All other quarantine related issues such as animal bites, bites to people, and animal exposure are handled by Animal Protection. Any issue that would require personnel to go off site would be handled by Animal Protection. Adoption Line/Customer Service: Austin Animal Center as of 1/23/22 has new hours. Animal Center will be open from 10AM to 6PM Monday-Saturday, closed Sundays. The latest that a resident may go into the Austin Animal Center to adopt an animal on weekdays Mon-Fri is 6:30pm, and the latest they may go on Saturday is 6pm, as they often have a 1.5 - 2 hour waiting line. They will not accept anyone that is trying to adopt after these cut-off times. Following is the temporary process for the shelter being closed on Sundays beginning January 23, 2022: Process for Austin 311: If a caller contacts Austin 311 on a Sunday requesting to reclaim their pet: • Enter the Animal Services Assistance Request SR. • For the first flex note enter the option of "Wants info on impounded/surrendered animal" • Follow the pop up and answer question 2 and 3 (if relevant to a surrendered animal) • Enter any other notes in the comments field. • Enter the participant information so ASO can contact the caller. • If a caller calls on any other day of the week continue to follow our current process. Animal Services will make every effort to call the resident on Sunday even though the SR states a callback will be made within 3 business days. Please do NOT tell the caller they will be contacted on Sunday. Meet and Greets: If someone is wanting to take their pet to meet an animal they interested in adopting they need to follow these steps: 1.First they must come in to the shelter to meet the dog they are interested in to see if it will be a good fit for themselves. 2.Once they have met the dog they are interested in they have to schedule a meet and greet with their dog with the staff at the Austin Animal Center. 3. After being approved customers can bring their own dogs for a meet and greet, but AAC asks that they come in with someone else that can hold on to their dog while they go meet the shelter dogs. Walk in meet and greet will be approved depending on staffing that day and there could be a wait time. **Meet and greets are only done for dogs. ** Internal Notes: Do not submit an SR for residents asking if their pet is at the Animal Center. Individuals with missing pets must go to the shelter to search for their lost pet. They can also view the animals online at http://www.austintexas.gov/page/view- lost-pets. Animal Services cannot verify someone's pet over the phone. FAQ Category: Animal Services Access Classification: Internal Topic: Animal Services - Found Animal Report - Keep - Service Request Summary: This service request should be used when a caller has found an animal and would like to keep the animal until the owner is found. Reference Text: If a caller does not want their contact information shared with potential owners, you can submit a Found Animal - Pickup SR instead. This will alert Animal Protection that they need to pick up the animal and bring it to the Austin Animal Center. Once this SR is submitted, Animal Center Staff will create a "Found Card" that will be made available to residents searching the Austin Animal Center website and Austin Animal Center for their lost pet. The Found Card includes the animal description information and picture, if available. Caller contact information will be provide to animal owners who believe the animal found matches their lost animal. This information will be kept on file for 2 weeks. Callers can submit pictures of the animal to pet.resources@austintexas.gov Microchips Animals can be brought to the Austin Animal Center or a local vet to have it scanned for a microchip. If the animal has a microchip, this is the best way to find its owner. Internal Notes: Austin Animal Center will directly contact the person who submits a Found Animal - Keep SR. In addition to trying to get any other pertinent information about the animal when they contact them, they will also try to get them to bring the animal to the shelter or a vet to scan for a microchip. They will also see if the person is willing to send in a picture of the animal which will be posted on their Web site. Pictures can be e-mailed to: pet.resources@austintexas.gov The information in the SR will be posted on Austin Animal Center's web site just like other information for animals brought to the shelter, including a picture if provided. On the web site, you will see a column that says kennel number. If the kennel number says FOUND that means that animal is at a resident's house and not the shelter. FAQ Category: Animal Services Access Classification: Internal Summary: LOST PET Topic: Lost Pet - Information Reference Text: Residents are highly encouraged to go to the shelter to look for their lost pet. In addition, you can refer residents to the Austin Animal Center website or the Missing Pet Partnership website for additional information. The websites are helpful but should not be the only source when looking for a lost pet. Animal Services cannot verify someone's pet over the phone. If a resident calls in asking about their lost pet and a previously submitted SR sounds like it could be their pet do not give out participant information. If a caller found a stay animal in Austin/Travis County: Resident should be advised to try and hand on to the animal and post photos to the Austin Lost and Found Facebook page, Craigslist, Next-door and other social media outlets available to them. They should also be informed that 311 can submit a Found Animal - Keep SR so that the animal shows up online on the Austin Animal Center website. To bring in a found pet, submit a Stray Intake Appointment Request Form found on the Website. Found pet appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday only. Intake of animals without an appointment will not be accepted. As of May 2022, due to ongoing space issues, the Animal Center is currently only accepting sick or injured dogs for intake. Cats are not subjected to this restriction. The Center will not accept animals found outside the city of Austin or Travis County. If an animal is brought in from outside of the jurisdiction, resident will be asked to return the animal to the area where it was found. Helpful Websites: http://austintexas.gov/department/lost-found-pet Austin Animal Center Found Pet Map Austin Lost and Found Pets on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Austin-Animal-Center-115505368695/ ****Sometimes pets found and turned into the Animal Center are posted on their Facebook page To Reclaim your pet from Austin Animal Center: 1. You must visit the center 2. Bring proof of ownership such as vet records or a photo ID of your pet to reclaim. 3. Bring your photo ID such as Drivers licenses, US or International Passport, Government or other official photo identification, and Mexican Consulate cards. 4. Payment which can be cash, checks, all major credit cards except for American Express. The actual fee amount will need to be discussed with the Austin Animal Center. Following is the temporary process for the shelter being closed on Sundays beginning January 23, 2022: Process for Austin 311: If a caller contacts Austin 311 on a Sunday requesting to reclaim their pet: • Enter the Animal Services Assistance Request SR. • For the first flex note enter the option of "Wants info on impounded/surrendered animal" • Follow the pop up and answer question 2 and 3 (if relevant to a surrendered animal) • Enter any other notes in the comments field. • Enter the participant information so ASO can contact the caller. • If a caller calls on any other day of the week continue to follow our current process. Animal Services will make every effort to call the resident on Sunday even though the SR states a callback will be made within 3 business days. Please do NOT tell the caller they will be contacted on Sunday. Internal Notes: Ambassadors should never tell a citizen their animal is not at the shelter based on information found in Found Animal SRs or searching the website. This determination can only be made by the citizen. Therefore, it is imperative citizens search the website AND go to the Austin Animals Center.