Austin Animal Center makes changes to management system years after 2023 audit
The Brief
The Austin Animal Center is changing the way it manages city shelters
In 2023, an audit included words like "filth," "unsafe," and "unsanitary" to describe conditions at the animal shelter
Limited service at the shelter will take place on three upcoming days
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Animal Center is changing the way it manages city shelters.
This comes years after an audit in 2023 found overcrowding and unsanitary conditions.
RELATED: Audit finds Austin Animal Center jeopardizes mission with poor living conditions
The backstory
The City of Austin will be training staff to implement a new shelter management system during the next few weeks. The changes are expected to improve efficiency and transparency.
The city will also extend the time it holds strays to ensure owners have more time to reclaim their pets.
Service will be limited on the following days:
Wednesday, April 23
Wednesday, April 30
Monday, May 5
On those days, the shelter will offer Pet Resource Center walk-up hours from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and staff will be available to help with emergency intakes, urgent resources, and reclaim services. Adoption services will not be provided.
What they're saying
"This system is a critical investment in our future," Rolando Fernandez Jr., Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, said. "By improving how we manage data across all shelter operations—from intake and adoption to foster and volunteer coordination—we're supporting the priorities laid out in our new Strategic Plan, including greater transparency, enhanced public access to information, and a more efficient service model for Austin's residents and animals."
The backstory
In 2023, a 100-page audit came at the request of the Austin City Council as the animal shelter continued to deal with intake and overcrowding issues. The audit included words like "filth," "unsafe," and "unsanitary" to describe conditions at the animal shelter.
The audit stated larger animals' crates did not meet recommended living standards — as outlined in their guidelines that say they must "allow animals to sit, sleep and eat away from areas of their enclosures where they defecate and urinate." The report also found that small dogs were housed in kennels originally intended for cats.
The findings showed the current level of staffing at the AAC cannot handle the number of animals it cares for.
The auditors observed staff looking for shortcuts, moving quickly to clean up after the animals and potentially spraying them with chemical cleaners. The report also noted the staff moved too quickly for the disinfectant cleaners to be effective.
The auditors visited the center in July 2023 to find the kennel temperatures exceeded the recommended range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of them reached over 100 degrees. The surface of one of the artificial play lawns reached 176 degrees. The audit noted staff laid down towels for the animals.
The audit also showed photos depicting algae found in water bowls and outdoor play pools, structural issues, trash and other items piled around, and pet food left out in the open.
According to the city, the Austin Animal Center serves as an intake shelter to find animals forever homes, but the audit says the shelter continues to stop taking in animals more times than not due to claims of overcrowding.
The audit recommended Don Bland, the Chief Animal Service Officer, develop a plan for the shelter that keeps both indoor and outdoor areas clean, identify resources to address structural issues, and ensure staff and volunteers are trained properly.
The Source
Information from the City of Austin and FOX 7 Austin previous coverage
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