[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6667816,"mediaKeyId","2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207","parentId",2255804,"title","Animal Advisory Commission recommends City adopt Animal Services strategic plan with edits, requests targets and clearer intake metrics","audioSeconds",3043,"startMs",2475000,"endMs",5518000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207&start=2475&end=5518","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207/thumbnail_2475000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6667816/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Animal-Advisory-Commission-recommends-City-adopt-Animal-Services-strategic-plan-with-edits-requests-targets-and-clearer-intake-metrics","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667816-593117b61e6ddc09310c93c96e4ee18b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185701&Signature=ErDlTPYboittLIjb4uaFgvmNCclKPUnl0avttNIx86KsBkLwbx5WDNlpNX9-poZLJpX2S0Swy7n0N9rj9AQ~Kzke7OeVF8T0VHVB7IuNfjkX4tn07Sbcwce~ZgCM1r7cdNNfHvJU5sTEK8hH0C70dtSuDJPYtLq6sinHO-FMCnMaeIURmwZhOC~u69GhJQzpSWguGguzTJu7S3XMWTgOSzazmuCofKb39gdJKWM9n~oXdNAYizaerLqtu~A2RnGWo-RNC3VUswy6Vbql3Be61tyddKpRnzo6qDdNczjLp9acya8KihcQh9DIx3QL9WRpsH5e6GIFqkwD5Q3wEiPTzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Travis County Austin Animal Advisory Commission voted to recommend the City of Austin Animal Services Office strategic plan to City Council after the commission approved several edits and asked staff to return with measurable targets and regular reporting.

The commission’s recommendation, passed by voice vote, directs staff to forward the draft to the Austin Public Health Committee for review on March 5 and then to City Council for adoption and implementation guidance. Assistant City Manager Susana Carvajal told commissioners the plan “represents the priorities of staff, the city's partners, stakeholders, and our community” and that staff will seek the council’s adoption and follow its direction for implementation.

Why it matters: Commissioners and public commenters said the plan could help rebuild public trust and guide operations at Austin’s shelter system—if the strategic goals are paired with clear targets and regular, transparent data that show whether outcomes are improving.

Commissioners made a set of specific edits during discussion and confirmed their recommendation to council with those changes. Key changes the commission adopted include:
- Spay/neuter and community-cat language: broadened the wording to emphasize partnering with volunteers and community organizations that “support community cats” and to include reducing barriers to, and maximizing the impact of, trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs.
- Open-intake triage: added language to develop methods to identify and prioritize emergency cases and animals judged most at risk for immediate intake, while commissioners debated the precise scope and application of that language.
- Breed-restriction review: directed staff to analyze breed restrictions as part of the policy review list.
- Media partnerships: added a strategy to “develop and implement plans to foster media partnerships and increase opportunities for media coverage in English and Spanish.”
- Satellite adoption locations: asked staff to analyze and explore opportunities for fixed satellite adoption centers in higher-traffic locations to increase visibility and adoptions.
- Metrics and reporting: directed staff to categorize open-intake measures by stray intakes and owner surrenders and to report numbers of animals as well as numbers of people; commissioners also requested quarterly reporting to the commission showing changes in measures over time.

Commissioners repeatedly pressed for numeric targets that would turn the document from “words” into a measurable plan. Public speaker Pat Valestreas told the commission, “This is not a plan. These are just words,” arguing the document needed specific year-by-year targets before it was forwarded. Commissioner Smigula said she was concerned the measures currently lack targets showing whether the metrics represent meaningful improvement: “there's nothing in the measures that give a way to track if they're moving forward.”

Staff said the next step is for Animal Services to develop targets informed by historical baselines and feedback, and to present those targets and the implementation schedule after council direction. Vice Chair Linder noted that converting counts into percentages and publishing them regularly is feasible: “I do foresee that opportunity to happen and converting the numbers into percentages is certainly something that we can do.” Carvajal confirmed the plan will be presented to the Austin Public Health Committee on March 5 as the next step before council consideration.

What the plan does not yet do: Commissioners and staff agreed the draft does not bind operational choices—staff retained discretion to recommend policy or operational changes to council. Several commissioners emphasized the need for staff-developed targets before the commission treats the document as a fully actionable five-year plan.

The commission’s formal recommendation was approved with the edits described above. Commissioners also asked staff to add the targets and return with a quarterly progress report to the commission once implementation begins.

Next steps: staff will transmit the revised draft to the Austin Public Health Committee (scheduled for March 5) and seek City Council adoption. The commission asked staff to return with targets and to publish progress data so the community can track implementation over time.

Ending: Commissioners closed discussion by thanking staff, volunteers and consultants who contributed to the plan, and the commission’s recommendation will move to the public-health committee and then to council for final action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Animal Advisory Commission - Feb 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Travis County Austin Animal Advisory Commission voted to recommend the City of Austin Animal Services Office strategic plan to City Council, adding language on community-cat programs, media outreach in English and Spanish, and a requirement to disaggregate intake metrics for strays versus owner surrenders.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6667807,"Staff report: volunteers logged 6,479.28 hours in January; Austin Pets Alive reports major share of transfers under license agreement",829,1552000,2381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207&start=1552&end=2381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207/thumbnail_1552000.jpg","/articles/6667807/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Staff-report-volunteers-logged-647928-hours-in-January-Austin-Pets-Alive-reports-major-share-of-transfers-under-license-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667807-3d47728da472ba620d4b49b0a0e0d935/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185701&Signature=kOOVbYpXSpkdQF7Hnbxr1S-aoLOX1mr7nU-1eth5KBpa~mJ-2-4~VTA86MHgSjlfKINFCWWsAfEZtEK0vwhq0ku-AydqHxuC7GJfg8ljrJ0WgXDumxCCsUEpG4Vb4QQRpxpjz9jKiEqv7Fg~NuvO7~TnO8mMO5NbHFPmbdo-NDVl4vml6tDwaHWN~oHFt~WF5j4Kk3Ln9lFZ8Wpmc8b7jMcq1~XMjKjrPToIAUcRz3wzSylDvSUR-fxA~6gm4DbF9c4UQGiRWBXH7KJBmDtJT8ihq3BsW4Ix2EldO9-lEEvsg1uVP~nbWRcxUucoBVXjGxFmaY4Rkp8lN1t0eDjtcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Animal Services staff and Austin Pets Alive (APA) presented monthly operational reports to the Travis County Austin Animal Advisory Commission, highlighting volunteer contributions, staffing changes and transfer volumes under the existing license agreement.

Volunteer-hours and staffing: Don Bland, chief animal services officer, told commissioners that January orientations added 170 new volunteers and that active volunteers logged 6,479.28 hours that month. Bland said, “our volunteers produce more volunteer hours in a month than most municipal shelters do in a whole year,” and thanked volunteers for sustaining shelter operations. Bland also reported several personnel openings: three full-time positions posted (customer service, enrichment, animal protection), two positions in process (customer service representative and vet services supervisor), and a recent veterinarian retirement that the office filled within a few weeks.

Surgery counts and data correction: Commissioners asked about apparent discrepancies in the posted Power BI reports (for example, a low initial spay/neuter count for January). Bland said a Power BI calculation error required a refresh; staff emailed corrected reports showing about 400 spays/neuters rather than the earlier incorrect 206 figure. Bland also agreed to reconcile transfer numbers to APA after commissioners noted differing subtotals in the written backup materials.

Austin Pets Alive license-report highlights: Stephanie Bilbrough, director of operations at Austin Pets Alive, presented APA’s December end-of-quarter license-agreement report. APA reported it took roughly 67% of AAC’s transfers for the quarter and said that if APA had not taken animals on 2-hour or 48-hour deadlines, AAC’s live-release rate would have been about 86% rather than the reported roughly 95%.

Public concerns and access: Commissioners raised access concerns for Spanish-speaking community members who reported not receiving services at a recent mass spay/neuter clinic. Staff said outreach materials and the event portal were published in both English and Spanish and that staff will increase bilingual onsite capacity at future clinics. Commissioners also discussed transportation barriers and geographic distance to clinics as factors that can limit access for people living farther from South Congress and other clinic sites.

Next steps: Staff agreed to reconcile the transfer and pull counts with partner agencies, continue to improve bilingual outreach, and provide corrected Power BI data to commissioners. APA said clinic capacity typically increases after the winter months and that transfer volumes tend to rise during kitten season.

Ending: Commissioners thanked staff and APA for the briefings and asked staff to follow up on the data reconciliations and outreach improvements.","Animal Services staff reported January volunteer hours, staffing updates and a corrected surgery count. Austin Pets Alive presented a license-agreement quarterly report showing APA received the majority of transfers from AAC for the quarter and that transfer decisions affect the city's reported live-release rate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6667810,"Commission approves Community Cat Processing working group; volunteers urge focus on TNR access and sign-up barriers",4641,935000,5576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207&start=935&end=5576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2255804-b6cdea3275ca8f49d387e942bd2c7207/thumbnail_935000.jpg","/articles/6667810/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Commission-approves-Community-Cat-Processing-working-group-volunteers-urge-focus-on-TNR-access-and-sign-up-barriers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667810-5d315ddd943e130339a1d000d67d1477/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185701&Signature=lBBOfseHN8TazVSe0qKcrxDZsOAFZ30wKyin3U0nl3FvqHFfbEl2zPkZ-oJjXL~AddVf5YhgXvL8gg4eSqiQ8Uj4bAInxz9ITDITKkkNXTN5wfyhEjsvHYNxzeGAgw3aPF4WfrLRZDeQ53wKf4VEkSDr4HBJMQvmvX2n21sq-aIZRq5~buJrXFKkE2Wfb1G1Zu2cd~vVJ7fR-LzDKslFUYQ2NFs4Bplq3LUDj8sd47x1i2qgoX-ySu36AVl34ehyT4l5nIK6aD7uaB3KYU7qEIvkHaugeEcxc~y9Z5U8tYSt~t~o0S83Ev8gMw6kFroz-dByCu3ZQt-sPmBioSI8rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Travis County Austin Animal Advisory Commission voted unanimously to form a Community Cat Processing working group and appointed Commissioner Huddleston as chair. The working group will include volunteers, Animal Services staff and other stakeholders to examine the city’s community-cat (TNR) operations and identify ways to reduce barriers to service.

Why it matters: Community volunteers and TNR advocates told the commission that the current appointment and surgery sign-up systems deter volunteers and slow responses during kitten season. They argued a standing working group could coordinate volunteers, Austin Humane Society (AHS), Austin Pets Alive and city staff to streamline bookings, data collection and service pathways.

Public commenters described operational problems and the benefits they expect from a working group. Deborah Rowe, a TNR volunteer who has joined AAC’s volunteer program, said logging volunteer hours into AAC’s systems was a major step: “For the first time, we can finally log the hours spent on colony management, planning, and trapping, all data points that help the city improve spay neuter services and capacity.”

Other volunteers described the booking process for surgical appointments as fragmented and unreliable. Jacoby Alvarez and Lauren Esmeuth said sign-up links and slot releases often generate a scramble that prevents volunteers from planning trapping nights; Alvarez said volunteers face “500, 600 requests” and urged the working group to address barriers so volunteers can prioritize the sickest cats and prevent kittens from entering the shelter.

Action taken: The commission approved formation of the working group and named Commissioner Huddleston as a volunteer chair. The motion passed unanimously.

Implementation notes: Commission and staff said the working group will coordinate AAC, AHS, APA and volunteer representatives to identify operational changes that expand spay-neuter access, simplify sign-ups, and capture TNR data that has not previously been included in shelter reports. Volunteers asked to be notified of the working-group schedule and to participate in early meetings.

Ending: With the vote, the commission directed staff to convene the working group and to return with updates. Commissioners said they expect the group to help operationalize elements in the strategic plan that address community-cat services.","The commission unanimously approved formation of a Community Cat Processing working group and appointed Commissioner Huddleston as the group's chair. Multiple TNR volunteers and community members told commissioners the working group could reduce barriers to trap-neuter-return services and collect data on cats served.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Animal Advisory Commission recommends City adopt Animal Services strategic plan with edits, requests targets and clearer intake metrics

Staff report: volunteers logged 6,479.28 hours in January; Austin Pets Alive reports major share of transfers under license agreement

Commission approves Community Cat Processing working group; volunteers urge focus on TNR access and sign-up barriers