The folks at FixAustin (who else envisions them holding the city by the, ahem, business, with scissors at the ready? Effective name, I guess…) sent out a press release reminding everyone that this Wednesday, City Council’s Health and Human Services subcommittee will meet in city hall to receive a breifing on the controversial relocation of the city’s animal shelter from Town Lake to the Eastside. (Controversial to FixAustin, at least. Personally, I can see the pros and cons of moving the shelter, but whatever your opinion, it’s obvious the city needs a new shelter, at Town Lake or elsewhere.) More background on the controversy from moî here.)
FixAustin‘s press release after the jump. Info on the meeting here. It should be quite the – please anesthetize this pun – animal house!
From FixAustin:
Austin City Council to Consider Proposed Animal-Shelter Relocation Plan on Wednesday, August 8th at 10am
A quorum of the Austin City Council will meet in Council Chambers—as the Health and Human Services Subcommittee—to hear public input on the City’s controversial proposal to relocate Austin’s downtown animal shelter.
AUSTIN, TX – Critics of the City’s controversial plan to relocate Austin’s animal shelter will finally get a chance to be heard when the City Council meets on Wednesday, August 8th at 10am in Council Chambers. This is the first time that the Council has ever met on the controversial plan to close Austin’s downtown shelter and replace it with one on an industrial site on the eastern edge of the City—near the corner of East 7th and Airport Boulevard.
The City’s plan to move the animal shelter to an industrial site has been met with heavy criticism from animal-welfare advocates. Ryan Clinton, President of FixAustin.Org, says that “moving our animal shelter away from its primary adopters will lead to fewer visits, fewer adoptions, and more killing.” The City’s pound currently kills more than 12,000 dogs and cats each year.
The Council’s decision to hear public testimony on the controversial plan follows the release of a report by the nation’s preeminent shelter expert concluding that moving Austin’s shelter would be a “death sentence” for dogs and cats who would otherwise be adopted. The report, written by expert Nathan Winograd, stated that a shelter’s location is a primary factor in maximizing adoptions. The City’s shelter staff, on the other hand, insists that location is irrelevant to attracting customers.
Reached Sunday evening, Animal Advisory Commission Member Lisa McClain said that she welcomes the Council’s interest in the shelter-location decision. McClain said, “The location of the animal shelter will reflect how important homeless pets are to our community. I’m very happy to hear that the City Council recognizes the importance of public input on the location issue.”
In November 2006, Austin voters approved a $12 million bond to build a new animal shelter. The bond ballot’s language did not specify whether the shelter would be rebuilt at its current site on Town Lake or moved. Since 2000, Austin’s pound has killed more than 80,000 lost and homeless pets. During the same period, its annual budget has nearly doubled.
This article appears in August 3 • 2007.