AAC Meeting Minutes 2022-06-13 JUNE 13, 2022 REGULAR MEETING ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES The Animal Advisory Commission convened for a regular meeting on Monday, June 13, 2022, 6 p.m., in the Boards and Commissions Room 1101 at Austin City Hall. Commission Chair, Craig Nazor, called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Chair Nazor conducted a roll call of those in attendance and confirmed a quorum of 12 commissioners. Six Commissioners attended the meeting in person: Nazor, Smagula, Herrera, Hassen, Norton and Nilson. Six Commissioners attended via teleconferencing: Mitchell, Neuhaus, Clinton, Nemer, Jarl and Dulzaides. District 10 is vacant. Commission Members Absent: Staff in Attendance: Stephanie Hayden-Howard, Don Bland, Jason Garza, Dr. Kathryn Lund, Abigail Varela, Rebekha Montie, Kelsey Cler, Sarah Luce, Mary Brown, Nicole Savage, Mark Sloat PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS: GENERAL Virtual: Jean Hubrath Leslie Padilla 1 AAC Meeting Minutes 2022-06-13 In Person: Sarah Aguilar Rhonda Pickens Emily Wells Ashley Niels Pat Valls Trelles 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Hassen moved to approve the minutes from the Animal Advisory Commission Meeting, May 9, 2022. Commissioner Nilson seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 12 to 0, with all Commissioners in attendance at the time voting approval: Nazor, Jarl, Clinton, Smagula, Herrera, Hassen, Nilson, Norton, Nemer, Mitchell, Neuhaus, and Dulzaides. District 10 is vacant. 2. BRIEFINGS a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports b. AAC Staffing and Services c. AAC Public Communications on Services d. Parliamentarian Presentation on Meeting Decorum 3. OLD BUSINESS: Update, Discussion and Possible Action a. Monthly Reporting of Data • No action. b. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities c. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of • No action. No Kill • No action. d. Austin Animal Center Staffing Request for Budget FY 23 • Speakers: Julie Marquis • No action e. Resubmission of Vicious Dog Recommendation to Correct Language Error • Motion by Norton to approve to resubmit the recommendation; Seconded by Herrera which passed with a unanimous vote of 12-0. 4. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Regarding members of the Commission’s No Kill Committee • The following Commissioners were identified to serve on the committee: Neuhaus, Hassen, Nazor, Smagula and Nemer. • Hassen and Smagula will act as co-chairs for the committee b. Hold Period Ordinance • No action 2 AAC Meeting Minutes 2022-06-13 c. Spay/Neuter on Second Impoundment • No action …
ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING JUNE 10, 2022, 7 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, Council Chambers, Room 1001 301 W. Second St. AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at http://www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-live. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by 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. For remote participation, registration no later than noon, Thursday, June 9, 2022 is required. To register for remote participation, please email or call Jason Garza at Jason.Garza@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512-978-0536. AGENDA CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Craig Nazor, Chair Nancy Nemer Palmer Neuhaus Jo Anne Norton Luis Herrera Kristen Hassen, Parliamentarian CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 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 Ryan Clinton, Vice Chair Lisa Mitchell Katie Jarl Lotta Smagula Beatriz Dulzaides Dr. Paige Nilson 1. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Hold Period Ordinance 2. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Belinda Hare at the Animal Services Office, at 512-978-0565, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Animal Advisory Commission, please contact Board Liaison. Belinda Hare, 512-978-0565 or Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov
Animal ID Intake Condition Intake Intake Day of Week Outcome Outcome Day of Week Day Allowed to be Released Days Early Outcome Type Outcome Subtype Animal Type Sex upon Outcome Age upon Outcome Breed Next Business Day A845564 Normal 11/1/21 3:12 PM Monday Tuesday 11/2/2021 10:00 Tuesday Intact Male 7 months Rottweiler Mix Veteran's Day A846045 Normal 11/9/21 10:29 AM Tuesday Wednesday 11/13/2021 17:51 Saturday A846058 Normal 11/9/21 11:29 AM Tuesday Wednesday 11/12/2021 13:04 Friday Transfer Partner Transfer Partner Transfer Partner Dog Other A846086 Normal 11/9/21 3:52 PM Tuesday Wednesday 11/12/2021 15:49 Friday Sunday Transfer Partner A846929 A847165 Normal Normal 11/22/21 1:23 PM 11/27/21 2:15 PM Monday Saturday Tuesday Sunday 11/27/2021 13:24 11/29/2021 14:30 Saturday Monday 28th Wednesday Transfer Transfer Partner Partner A847247 Normal 11/29/21 11:38 AM Monday Tuesday 11/30/2021 15:54 Tuesday Friday Transfer Partner A847407 Normal 12/1/21 4:37 PM Wednesday Thursday 12/4/2021 17:31 Saturday A847406 Normal 12/1/21 4:45 PM Wednesday Thursday 12/2/2021 15:43 Thursday A847681 Normal 12/6/21 4:02 PM Monday Tuesday 12/9/2021 15:40 Thursday Transfer Partner Transfer Partner Transfer Partner A847756 Normal 12/8/21 7:25 AM Wednesday Thursday 12/10/2021 13:04 Friday Sunday Transfer Partner A749043 Normal 12/14/21 2:34 PM Tuesday Wednesday 12/16/2021 10:32 Thursday Saturday Transfer Partner A846193 Normal 12/17/21 4:08 PM Friday Saturday 12/18/2021 17:01 Saturday Tuesday Transfer Partner A848719 Normal 12/27/21 2:20 PM Monday Tuesday 12/30/2021 13:25 Thursday A848730 Normal 12/27/21 2:54 PM Monday Tuesday 12/31/2021 13:01 Friday Transfer Partner Transfer Partner Friday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Friday 1st* 1st* Sunday Sunday 4 1 2 2 1 2 4 1 3 1 2 2 3 1 1 4 3 2 2 4 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Friday Christmas New Years MLK Day President's Day 11/11/2021 11/25/2021 11/26/2021 12/25/2021 12/31/2021 1/17/2022 2/21/2022 Intact Female Intact Female Intact Female Unknown Unknown Intact Female Intact Female Intact Male Intact Female Intact Female Intact Male Spayed Female Intact Female Intact Male 1 year 3 years 1 year 2 years 1 year 5 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 4 years 10 years 2 years 8 months Rat Boxer Domestic Shorthair Mix Dove Pigeon Chihuahua Shorthair Mix Siberian Husky Pit Bull Belgian Malinois Chihuahua Shorthair Bichon Frise Mix Pomeranian Mix Boxer Mix Chihuahua Shorthair Domestic Shorthair Maltese German Shepherd Mix Dog Cat Bird Bird Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Cat Dog Dog Dog A849155 Normal 1/3/22 10:36 AM Monday Tuesday 1/3/2022 17:40 Monday Friday Transfer Partner Intact …
Animal ID Intake Time Intake Condition Intake Day of Week First Business Day Outcome Time Outcome Day of Week Day Allowed to be Released Calendar Days Early Outcome Type Outcome Subtype Animal Type Sex upon Outcome Age upon Outcome Breed Business Days in Shelter A850309 A850363 A850579 A850602 A850726 A850727 A851114 A851179 A851181 A851303 A851391 A851414 A851445 A851458 A851459 A852139 A852165 A852533 A852880 A852951 A853225 A853471 A853495 A853655 A853832 A853885 A853899 A853900 A853901 A853902 A854193 A854557 A854768 A854997 A836365 A855085 A855153 A855348 A855419 A855548 A855649 A855817 A856131 A856132 A856133 A856135 A856156 A856159 A856205 A856213 A856364 A856530 A856531 A856532 A856534 A856455 A856471 A856510 A856645 A856651 A856652 A856695 A856711 Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal 2/11/22 11:19 AM 2/11/22 3:29 PM 2/12/22 1:21 PM 2/12/22 4:31 PM 2/12/22 4:31 PM 2/25/22 2:34 PM 2/26/22 1:24 PM 3/4/22 4:23 PM 1/21/22 4:36 PM 1/22/22 2:44 PM 1/27/22 10:59 AM 1/27/22 3:33 PM 1/30/22 2:32 PM 1/30/22 2:32 PM 2/6/22 10:51 PM 2/8/22 10:16 AM 2/8/22 10:16 AM Friday Saturday Thursday Thursday Sunday Sunday Sunday Tuesday Tuesday 2/9/22 6:39 PM Wednesday Friday Friday Saturday Saturday Saturday Friday Saturday Friday 3/9/22 10:15 AM Wednesday Thursday 3/10/22 11:06 AM Tuesday 3/15/22 12:34 PM Saturday 3/19/22 8:28 AM Saturday 3/19/22 2:26 PM Tuesday 3/22/22 12:35 PM Friday 3/25/22 12:09 PM Saturday 3/26/22 2:55 PM Saturday 3/26/22 4:45 PM Saturday 3/26/22 4:45 PM Saturday 3/26/22 4:49 PM Saturday 3/26/22 4:59 PM Thursday 3/31/22 2:38 PM Tuesday 4/5/22 4:29 PM Friday 4/8/22 2:13 PM 4/12/22 10:20 AM Tuesday 4/13/22 12:49 PM Wednesday 4/13/22 11:37 AM Wednesday Thursday 4/14/22 12:42 PM Saturday 4/16/22 12:26 PM Monday 4/18/22 10:57 AM Tuesday 4/19/22 3:07 PM Thursday 4/21/22 12:21 PM Saturday 4/23/22 2:38 PM Thursday 4/28/22 5:25 PM Thursday 4/28/22 5:25 PM Thursday 4/28/22 5:25 PM Thursday 4/28/22 5:25 PM Friday 4/29/22 10:58 AM Friday 4/29/22 11:24 AM Friday 4/29/22 6:53 PM Saturday 4/30/22 9:17 AM Monday 5/2/22 2:43 PM Monday 5/2/22 2:43 PM Monday 5/2/22 2:43 PM Monday 5/2/22 2:43 PM Monday 5/2/22 2:43 PM Tuesday 5/3/22 1:26 PM Tuesday 5/3/22 4:02 PM 5/4/22 11:22 …
Veteran's Day Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Friday Christmas New Years MLK Day President's Day 11/11/2021 11/25/2021 11/26/2021 12/25/2021 12/31/2021 1/17/2022 2/21/2022 Intake Time Intake Day of Week First Business Day Outcome Time Outcome Day of Week Day Allowed to be Released Calendar Days Early Business Days in Shelter Outcome Type Animal Type Sex upon Outcome Age upon Outcome Breed Animal ID A850290 A850298 A850345 Intake Condition Normal Normal Normal 1/21/22 2:18 PM 1/21/22 3:40 PM 1/22/22 10:34 AM Friday Friday Saturday Saturday Saturday Monday 1/25/2022 16:56 1/25/2022 17:00 1/26/2022 12:38 Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday A850362 Normal 1/22/22 2:42 PM Saturday Monday 1/26/2022 16:50 Wednesday Thursday 3/12/22 7:52 PM Saturday Monday 3/16/2022 17:34 Wednesday Thursday A851359 A851360 A851361 A851362 A851387 A851397 A851776 A852102 A852134 A852162 A852454 A852489 A852490 A852539 A850049 A852950 A852957 A852958 A847910 A852090 A853083 A853093 A853426 A853770 A853844 A854003 A854204 A854272 A854340 A854427 A854428 A854429 A854431 A854767 A854770 A854789 A846654 A855357 A855717 A855721 A855746 A855396 A844553 A856104 A856105 A856106 A856107 A856108 A856116 A856137 A856183 A856185 A856590 A856719 A810130 A857668 A857688 A857690 Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal 2/10/22 5:40 PM 2/10/22 5:40 PM 2/10/22 5:40 PM 2/10/22 5:40 PM 2/11/22 10:44 AM 2/11/22 11:55 AM 2/18/22 1:43 PM 2/25/22 10:05 AM 2/25/22 2:06 PM 2/26/22 10:34 AM 3/3/22 11:08 AM 3/3/22 5:10 PM 3/3/22 5:10 PM 3/4/22 4:56 PM 3/8/22 1:12 PM 3/10/22 11:30 AM 3/10/22 11:59 AM 3/10/22 11:59 AM 3/10/22 3:38 PM 3/11/22 5:10 PM 3/12/22 2:17 PM 3/18/22 2:10 PM 3/24/22 11:03 AM 3/25/22 2:00 PM 3/28/22 4:43 PM 3/31/22 12:57 PM 4/1/22 12:40 PM 4/2/22 12:33 PM 4/4/22 10:39 AM 4/4/22 10:39 AM 4/4/22 10:39 AM 4/4/22 10:39 AM 4/8/22 2:06 PM 4/8/22 3:25 PM 4/8/22 6:56 PM 4/14/22 2:28 PM 4/16/22 2:47 PM 4/22/22 12:02 PM 4/22/22 12:39 PM 4/22/22 2:36 PM 4/25/22 5:10 PM 4/26/22 12:28 PM 4/28/22 11:56 AM 4/28/22 11:56 AM 4/28/22 11:56 AM 4/28/22 11:56 AM 4/28/22 11:56 AM 4/28/22 2:16 PM 4/28/22 6:29 PM 4/29/22 1:36 PM 4/29/22 1:47 PM 5/5/22 10:23 AM 5/6/22 5:31 PM 5/14/22 6:53 PM 5/19/22 11:34 AM 5/19/22 1:32 PM 5/19/22 1:55 …
Animal ID Intake Condition Intake Intake Day of Week Next Business Day Outcome Outcome Day of Week Day Allowed to be Released Days Early Outcome Type Animal Type Sex upon Outcome Age upon Outcome Breed A793899 A846185 Normal Normal 11/9/21 10:51 AM 11/10/21 6:51 PM Wednesday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 11/9/2021 18:40 11/14/2021 16:33 Tuesday Sunday A839827 Normal 12/27/21 10:47 AM Monday Tuesday 12/31/2021 11:04 Friday A848698 A848953 A848954 Normal Normal Normal 12/27/21 11:06 AM 12/30/21 2:17 PM 12/30/21 2:17 PM Monday Thursday Thursday Tuesday Friday Friday 12/28/2021 16:07 1/3/2022 15:38 1/3/2022 16:39 Tuesday Monday Monday A849240 Normal 1/5/22 5:52 PM Wednesday Thursday 1/7/2022 17:52 Friday Saturday Monday Jan 1st* Jan 1st* Jan 4th* Jan 4th* Sunday A850087 Normal 1/18/22 12:35 PM Tuesday Wednesday 1/18/2022 14:04 Tuesday Saturday 4 1 1 3 1 1 2 4 Adoption Adoption Adoption Adoption Adoption Adoption Adoption Rto-Adopt Cat Other Dog Cat Cat Cat Dog Cat Neutered Male Intact Male Spayed Female Neutered Male Neutered Male Neutered Male Spayed Female Intact Male 2 years 8 months 7 months 2 years 2 months 2 months 4 years 2 years Domestic Shorthair Mix Guinea Pig Labrador Retriever/American Pit Bull Terrier Domestic Shorthair Domestic Shorthair Mix Domestic Shorthair Mix Dachshund Mix Domestic Longhair Veteran's Day Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Friday Christmas New Years MLK Day President's Day 11/11/2021 11/25/2021 11/26/2021 12/25/2021 12/31/2021 1/17/2022 2/21/2022 *12/31/2021 is listed as a city holiday. If the shelter was open on that day, these days are all moved up one day Bolded indicates that there was an Austin City Holiday while the animal was in shelter.
At the last Animal Advisory Commission meeting, there were concerns brought up that the Hold Period Ordinance was being violated due to the recent closures on Sundays. Animal Services staff reviewed the ordinance and confirmed the error – even though the shelter was open for reclaim on Sunday, the ordinance clearly defines business days to include adoption hours: “Each day the health authority's animal shelter is open to the public for reclamation and adoption is a business day.” Once the issue was brought up in the Commission meeting and the ordinance language was confirmed, all staff were immediately notified and adjustments to “available” dates have been made moving forward. Now, any animal impounded from Thursday through Saturday has their “available” date adjusted to add one more day for potential reclaim. As has been standard practice, when there is an upcoming holiday, then staff will add an additional day to the hold period. With this development, staff investigated the potential impact this had on adoptions and animals transferred to rescues. Staff reviewed all the animals that went to transport or adoption immediately after stray hold and did not find any incident where the owner surfaced after the animal was adopted or transported. ASO also did not, and has not, received a complaint or concern of a lost pet that was adopted or transferred before an owner was able to reclaim their animal. The Austin Animal Center is committed to compliance with the ordinance. Therefore, going forward, there will be an designated employee assigned to making and monitoring software changes made to the operations of Austin Animal Center. Many thanks to the Commission for bringing this to our attention. Impound # Animal ID Animal Type Primary Breed OS Reason Intake Condition Outcome Subtype Outcome Condition Days in Shelter K22-056092 K22-058493 K22-058495 K22-058496 K22-054075 K22-054190 K22-054200 K22-054413 K22-054414 K22-054824 K22-055039 K22-055154 K22-055371 K22-055377 K22-055442 K22-055669 K22-055691 K22-055692 K22-055704 K22-055968 K22-056048 K22-056081 K22-056091 K22-056276 K22-056336 K22-056340 K22-056389 K22-056390 K22-056594 K22-056620 K22-056687 K22-056903 K22-057307 K22-057383 K22-057384 K22-057651 K22-058474 K22-059275 K22-059802 K22-059850 K22-060606 K22-060668 K22-060669 K22-055720 K22-059733 K22-060736 K22-060564 K22-056972 K22-054130 K22-054402 K22-054470 K22-055035 K22-055036 A852576 A855737 A855738 A855739 A850215 A850339 A850352 A850581 A850583 A851067 A851315 A851425 A851705 A851714 A851789 A852063 A852088 A852089 A852103 A852431 A852531 A852565 A852574 A829508 A853010 A853016 A757158 A853082 A853376 A853408 A853486 A785339 A854261 A854342 A854343 A854665 A855719 A856625 A857239 A857290 A858209 A858275 A858276 A852121 A857167 A858356 A858171 A853857 A850272 A849667 A850646 …
§ 3‐1‐25 DISPOSITION OF AN IMPOUNDED ANIMAL. (A) An animal surrendered by its owner to the health authority is immediately abandoned by its owner and is the property of the health authority. The health authority may transfer, place, or sell an animal surrendered by its owner at any time after intake. (B) (C) (D) Except as provided in subsection (G), the animal shelter must not euthanize an animal before the animal has been impounded for seven business days and the notice requirements of Section 3‐1‐26 are either satisfied, or determined not to apply. Except as provided in subsection (D), the health authority shall hold an impounded animal not surrendered by its owner for a period of three business days following impoundment of the animal for owner reclamation. On the fourth business day, an impounded animal is the property of the health authority. In order to save the life of an impounded animal not surrendered by its owner, the health authority may transfer that animal to a 26 U.S.C. Section 501(c)(3) (Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.) organization located in Travis County that is an animal shelter, animal rescue organization, or other animal‐ welfare organization prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (C) subject to the following conditions. (1) The health authority shall maintain documentation, in physical and electronic form reviewable by the public, of an animal transferred under this subsection, including a photograph of the animal and all information pertaining to the animal's impoundment and transfer, at the health authority and on the health authority's website for three business days following the impoundment of the animal at the health authority. (2) An animal transferred under this subsection is considered abandoned by its owner, and becomes the property of the transferee organization, upon the expiration of three business days from impoundment by the health authority. (3) Prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (D)(2), the transferee organization is the designated caretaker of the animal. (4) An animal transferred under this subsection remains subject to reclamation by its owner prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (D)(2). (E) An animal in the custody of the health authority solely for purposes of sterilization, vaccination, or microchipping, is not subject to a mandatory period of impoundment. The health authority is the designated caretaker, but not owner, of such animal during any period of …
L A W D E P A R T M E N T M E M O R A N D U M _________ Animal Advisory Commission Trish Link, Division Chief, Land Use and Real Estate June 10, 2022 Transfer of Ownership of Animals Impounded by the City To: From: Date: Subject: This memorandum addresses when ownership of an impounded animal that has not been surrendered by their owner is transferred to the City. Pets are considered property and an owner’s property rights are not automatically lost because their pet escapes or is lost. However, cities possess the power to enact ordinances that divest an owner of their ownership rights in their pets. A city that adopts such an ordinance must explicitly divest the owner of their ownership rights. See Lira v. Greater Houston German Shepherd Dog Rescue, 488 S.W.3d 300 (Tex. 2016). The City Code establishes when ownership transfers for an impounded animal. In accordance with the decision in Lira, the City Code explicitly divests a person of their ownership rights. Specifically, City Code Section 3-1-25 provides that the ownership of an impounded animal transfers to the City after three business days (the “hold period”). City Code provides that a business day is a day in which the animal shelter is “open to the public for reclamation and adoption”. When calculating the hold period, the date of the initial impoundment is not included. The transfer of ownership occurs when the hold period expires. This means that beginning the fourth business day, ownership of the impounded animal automatically transfers to the City. However, if the third business day falls on a Saturday when the shelter is open to the public, the transfer occurs on the next business day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or City holiday. See City Code Section 1-1-5 (Calculation of Time). Allowing another person to adopt an impounded dog before the expiration of three business days does not determine whether liability would result. Whether the City would be liable in a particular instance is a fact-sensitive inquiry. Moreover, this would not be an offense under City Code Section 1-1-99 (Offenses; General Penalty). 1 of 1
Date: 6/10/22 Subject: ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 2022610-001 Violation of City Ordinance § 3-1-25 DISPOSITION OF AN IMPOUNDED ANIMAL, sections (C), (I), and (J), and proposed resolution Commissioner Ryan Clinton Motioned By: Recommendation 1. We recommend that the City Council be aware of the recent violations of the City Ordinance listed below at the Austin Animal Center (AAC): § 3-1-25 DISPOSITION OF AN IMPOUNDED ANIMAL, sections (C), (I), and (J). Seconded By: Commissioner Neymer 2. We recommend that the City Council monitors the implementation of our suggestion to the AAC to resolve this issue. Description of Recommendation to Council 1. The Problem: Austin Animal Center has been adopting or transferring lost and stray pets while those pets are still on a legal 'stray hold' period. This means people who lose their pets are may not have had the opportunity to reclaim those pets before they were transferred to another custodian. This practice can be traced to the shelter's decision to close all services to the public on Sundays. There are likely Austin residents still searching for pets they don't know were ever in the care and custody of AAC and the City of Austin. The Commission believes it is imperative that AAC takes action to inform the public about what has occurred and to publicly post these pets that were not afforded their legal stray hold time. Background: In 2016, the Commission was asked by Austin Legal and the AAC Director to approve a new stray hold ordinance. This was the result of a then-recent verdict in a Texas State Supreme Court Case (Lira v. GHGSDR, Inc., 4/1/16) that occurred in the Houston area. The State of Texas deems animals to be “property,” and the City of Austin (COA), like the City of Houston, at that time did not have a clearly described procedure of how and when the ownership of a stray animal at the AAC was conveyed to the COA. Without a clear transfer of ownership, partner organizations and adopters of animals from the AAC were being put at risk of a lawsuit. The following proposed ordinance to correct this was passed by the Austin City Council in 2016: § 3-1-25 DISPOSITION OF AN IMPOUNDED ANIMAL. Particularly important to this discussion are sections (C), (I), and (J). During a discussion at our May 9, 2022 Commission meeting with the AAC Director, it became apparent that the AAC may …
AAC Meeting Minutes 2022-06-10 ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES JUNE 10, 2022 APPROVED JULY 11, 2022 The Animal Advisory Commission convened for a Special Called meeting on Monday, June 10, 2022, 7 p.m., in the Boards and Commissions Room 1101 at Austin City Hall. Commission Chair, Craig Nazor, called the meeting to order at 7:19 p.m. Chair Nazor conducted a roll call of those in attendance and confirmed a quorum of 11 commissioners. Four Commissioners attended the meeting in person: Nazor, Norton, Herrera and Nilson. Seven Commissioners attended via teleconferencing: Mitchell, Neuhaus, Clinton, Nemer, Smagula, Hassen, and Dulzaides. Commissioner Jarl was absent. District 10 is vacant. Commission Members Absent: Jarl Staff in Attendance: Don Bland, Jason Garza 1. NEWS BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Hold Period Ordinance Commissioner Clinton proposed, and Commissioner Nemer seconded, that the Commission send a letter to City Council asking that the list of animals affected, starting from January 1, 2022, be analyzed and identified within two weeks; that the information be posted on Websites and social media for up to 90 days, alerting adopters and rescue groups. Commissioners voted 10 to 0, with one abstention, to approve the motion. Voting in favor were Commissioners Nazor, Clinton, Nemer, Mitchell, Neuhaus, Smagula, Hassen, Dulzaides, Herrera, and Nilson. Commissioner Norton abstained. ADJOURNMENT Commission Chair Nazor adjourned the meeting without objection at 8:33 p.m. 1
ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 9, 2022, 6 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, Room 1101 301 W. Second St. AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at http://www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-live. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by 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. For remote participation, registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required. To register for remote participation, email or call board liaison, Belinda Hare, at Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512-978-0565. AGENDA CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Craig Nazor, Chair Nancy Nemer, Parliamentarian Palmer Neuhaus Jo Anne Norton Luis Herrera Kristen Hassen CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 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 Ryan Clinton, Vice Chair Lisa Mitchell Katie Jarl Lotta Smagula Beatriz Dulzaides Dr. Paige Nilson 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Review and approval of minutes from the April 11, 2022, Animal Advisory Commission meeting 2. BRIEFINGS a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports. b. COVID Update. c. Austin Pets Alive! Quarterly Report 3. OLD BUSINESS: Update, Discussion and Possible Action a. Monthly Reporting of Data. b. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin. c. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No Kill in Austin. d. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities. 4. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Austin Animal Center Space Crisis and Recommendations from the Space Crisis Working Group b. Austin Animal Center Staffing Request for FY 23 c. Resubmission of Vicious Dog Recommendation to Correct Language Error d. Revision to Fowl Enclosure Ordinance by Austin Public Health 5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 6. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Belinda Hare at the Animal Services Office, at 512-978-0565, for additional information; TTY users …
20220322 Fowl Enclosure Amendment Posting Language Approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 3-2-16 (Enclosures for Fowl) relating to enclosure setback distance. Lead Department Austin Public Health Fiscal Note This item has no fiscal impact Prior Council Action: November 21, 2013 – Council approved amendments to Part 3, Section 25-2-863(F) and Chapter 3-2 on a 6- 1 vote. The decision updated ordinance language relating to “raising, processing, and composting of fowl, rabbits, and aquatic foods . . . “ For More Information: Adrienne Sturrup, APH Director, 512-972-5167; Marcel Elizondo, Interim Assistant Director, APH Environmental Health Services Division, 512-978-0308; R. Lee Kelley, Interim Program Manager II, APH Environmental Health Services Division, 512-978-0341; Karen Rodela, Agenda Coordinator, APH, 512-972- 6473. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: No action to date. Additional Backup Information: Currently, the City regulates the distance between an animal enclosure and an adjacent residence or business structure. An enclosure used to keep two or more fowl must be located at least 50 feet from a residence or business structure, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler. Staff worked with the Office of Sustainability to identify how City regulations and policies can be amended to reduce the barriers of allowing residents in our community to raise fowl and provide an additional food source. Staff worked to identify other cities in Texas that have enclosure requirements in place. The investigation showed that some cities were more restrictive, while others were less restrictive. Of the cities that defined a setback distance in their code, 30 feet was the smallest setback distance defined. APH is recommending these changes: ▪ City Code Chapter 3-2-16 currently references 50 feet as the allowable distance for an enclosure from a residence or business structure. Amend Chapter 3-2-16: o Reduce setback distance from 50 feet down to 30 feet. o Incorporate a provision that allows APH to consider neighbor concerns on a case-by-case basis. Strategic Outcome(s): Health and Environment. APH EHSD 03/22/2022
Staffing request: • Animal Care Workers - 8, 6 new and converting 4 part-time temporary to 2 full-time • Animal Protection Officers - 2 • Animal Health Techs - 2 • Animal Enrichment Specialist - 6, 4 new and converting 4 part-time temporary to 2 full-time • Veterinarian - 1 • Foster/Rescue Coordinators - 3 • Customer Service Reps/ PRC- 4 • Certified Behaviorist - 1 Top 4 priorities #1 Customer Service Reps/ PRC - 4 Animal Protection Officers - 2 Certified Behaviorist - 1 #2 Animal Enrichment Specialist - 6, 4 new and converting 4 part-time temporary to 2 full-time Animal Care Workers - 8, 6 new and converting 4 part-time temporary to 2 full-time #3 IT Analyst – 1, this position could be moved back from Austin Public Health and the the budget to support it with no additional cost #4 Foster/Rescue Coordinators - 3
AAC Data April Monthly Data 2014 to 2022 Prepared by Kristen Hassen DATA SOURCES: This data was acquired directly from the AAC Boards and Commissions website from the AAC monthly reports for the meetings held in May 2016, May 2018, May 2020, and May 2022, all of which contained the information from the previous month (April). CHANGE IN REPORTING: It appears that in 2019, AAC stopped providing the more comprehensive, three-year comparison data report. The last comprehensive data report I could find for April was 2019. At some point in 2019, AAC also began reducing the qualitative “animal services report,” which provided metrics related to foster care, volunteerism, the pet resource center, communications and marketing, adoption events, and other information. Because of inconsistencies in reporting, I was unable to obtain enough consistent data to report on the following metrics for the eight-year period: ● Number of animals sent to foster care ● Number of animals in foster care ● Number of volunteers ● Number of foster caregivers ● Number of pets deferred by the pet support center ● Number of pets and people assisted by the pet support center COMPARATIVE METRICS NEEDED: Because the data I have found does not support any claim that AAC is facing an exceptional intake or capacity crisis, the following comparative metrics are necessary to gain an understanding of the current situation at AAC: ● Beginning and end of month kennel and foster census over a multi-year period. ● Length of stay information over a multi-year period broken up by species ● Data points from the Advisory Commission space working group. See summary HERE.
Historic AAC Foster and Volunteer Program Information -as it relates to current space situation at AAC- Prepared by Kristen Hassen’ Introduction: This document shows some foster and volunteer information, pulled directly from AAC animal services reports from 2016 to 2022. Links to the reports are included. Volunteer and foster programs are among the most critical programs for reducing the number of animals housed in the shelter. Volunteers are directly responsible for pets being adopted, fostered, and rescued and foster caregivers free up kennel space for incoming animals, reduce the length of stay of pets, and facilitate adoptions. I was only able to create one graph because the reported metrics vary depending on the year. It is recommended AAC use consistent metrics over multiple years in order to best understand the comparative data. Note on the below graph: 2020 data is indicated in the report as ‘primarily foster care.’ This is the first time that foster hours were counted in volunteer hours and it is unclear if AAC continues to count foster hours as volunteer hours, but this obviously skews the data significantly, at least for 2020 and possibly beyond, depending on if foster hours are still counted in the total of volunteer hours. Also of note is that we do not yet have the volunteer hours for April 2022 so I used the March hours from 2022, which should be relatively consistent with the April hours, but this chart should be updated once that total is provided. Takeaways: 1. AAC has shown over multiple years it is able to support 5,000 or more volunteer hours per month in April, up to more than 6,000. In March of 2022, AAC was still only at 3,233 hours total (unclear if foster is being counted in this total), which is well below what is possible and sustainable. More volunteers will reduce shelter stress and increase outcomes. 2. AAC stopped reporting hours for community service volunteers and volunteer groups 3. after 2019. It is unclear whether these programs are still active or not. Both of these programs can increase outcomes and provide much-needed exercise and enrichment which helps get pets adopted more quickly. It’s hard to tell much about the foster program from the April reports because reported metrics vary. What is most critical is to know total number of animals in foster care at beginning and end of the month over multiple years …
April 2022 April 2022 Animal Services Report AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT • The live outcome percentage for April was 97.4 percent. • A total of 1,067 animals were brought to the shelter, including 573 dogs, 428 cats, 46 wild animals, eight birds, six guinea pigs, four rabbits, and two reptiles. • A total of 419 animals were adopted (281 dogs, 132 cats, four small pets, and two birds). • A total of 132 dogs, cats, birds, and tortoises were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO- • Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 38 animals to their owners in the field. • Officers handed out 44 fencing assistance applications and implanted three microchips. • Officers impounded 158 injured animals and delivered 95 wildlife animals to Austin Wildlife • Officers entered 259 rabies exposure reports and submitted 45 specimens for rabies testing. Six bats tested positive for rabies and an additional five were considered non-negative due to being too decomposed to test. Animal Services News Adopt). Animal Protection Rescue. • Coyote Activities: 32 o Wild speak- 1 o Observation- 3 o Sighting- 18 o Encounter- 3 o Incident- 1 o Wild sick- 5 o Wild injured- 1 Volunteer, Foster, and Rescue Programs • A total of 255 volunteers donated 2,778.49 hours of volunteer service. April 2022 Animal Services Report • The Volunteer Coordinators held three orientations for new volunteers in April, introducing 87 people to the shelter programs. 114 new volunteers attended their first training or mentor shifts in April. • Forklift Danceworks event introduced around 1,000 people to volunteering and fostering for the shelter. • 83 animals were adopted directly from foster care. • More than 150 different people/families fostered. • 108 new foster applications were processed. • There are currently 810 members (approved fosters) in the foster program’s GivePulse group. • One pet died or was euthanized in foster care. • As of May 3, at 8:40 a.m. there were 235 animals in foster care. • 234 dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rabbits were transferred to 21 local AAC Rescue Partners (compared to 224 animals to 26 partners for April 2021). • 93 dogs were transported to three out-of-state AAC Rescue Partners. • Two owner surrender appointments were posted to local AAC Rescue partners for intake deferral option. Vet Services • AAC vets performed 727 exams. • AAC vets spayed/neutered 367 animals; 99 percent of available animals have been sterilized. …
