Why Was Austin Chosen as an ASPCA Partner Community?
Austin is one of the largest cities in the southern United States, has experienced a 41 percent growth rate from 1995 to 2005, and is home to 1.4 million residents. It has a long history of working toward the goal of becoming a “humane community.”
What Are the Participating Animal Welfare Agencies in Austin?
Austin’s lead community and animal welfare agencies for this campaign are:
- Town Lake Animal Center (city-funded shelter);
- Austin Humane Society (non-profit shelter);
- Animal Trustees of Austin (stationary spay/neuter and wellness services clinic); and
- Emancipet (mobile and stationary spay/neuter clinic).
How Many Animals Are Relinquished to Austin Shelters Each Year?
Currently, Town Lake Animal Center and the Austin Humane Society take in a combined total of more than 28,000 animals annually.
What Are Some of the Other Challenges that Austin Faces?
Besides unwanted pets, Austin has a high number of feral cats, as well as anti-cruelty issues, limited resources for expansion of spay/neuter programs and sterilization of feral cats.
How Has the ASPCA Partnership Program Addressed these Issues and Driven the Effort of Decreasing Homelessness for Pets in Austin?
The ASPCA’s collaboration with the partner agencies has addressed these issues with the following strategies:
- Animal Placement
- Meet Your Match ™ adoption program training and implementation (a multi-faceted approach designed to match an adopter’s personality with that of a cat or dog);
- SAFER training (a technique for screening dogs for aggression);
- Off-site (mobile) adoption initiatives.
- Reducing Intake
- Training public workers how to recognize animal cruelty;
- Anti-cruelty training for the Austin Police Department;
- Supporting the work of an animal hoarding task force;
- Cross reporting of cruelty with child protective services for animals and children at risk;
- Working with the city of Austin’s parks and recreations department to establish dog parks; and
- Promoting the use of microchips so lost pets can be reunited with their families.
- Capacity Building
- Capital campaign grant (beginning in 2007, the ASPCA has pledged $100,000 per year to Animal Trustees of Austin for three years);
- Fundraising and board development consultation; and
- Helping build education programs in AISD schools.
- Spay/Neuter:
- Continued efforts to support targeted, low-cost spay/neuter programs;
- Supporting the establishment of the Feral Fix program at Austin Humane Society; and
- Promoting microchipping so that lost pets can be reunited with their families.
How Is the ASPCA Contributing Financially to Austin?
The ASPCA is investing over $1 million in human and financial services in Austin. This includes providing substantial grants, staffing, programs and training to our four partners as well as other facilities that are working to make Austin a more humane community.