Austin City Council Approves "No-Kill" Policy At Shelter

via KVUE.com

"Austin City Council Thursday approved a plan that will begin to turn the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) into a no-kill shelter.
The vote was months in the making. In November, the council agreed to create a city animal advisory committee. Thursday morning, council members met again to approve the plan that committee developed.
Dozens of people showed up at Austin City Hall to support the plan. It gives the Town Lake Animal Center two years to ensure that 90 percent of the animals at the shelter leave the shelter alive.
It's a process advocates say is long overdue.
“We should not be so behind in the nation we should be leading the nation in no-kill. We have so many animals that can get homes and we have the homes available -- there absolutely are,” said Idette Quintana.
Last year, shelter officials say they euthanized 32 percent of the more than 2,200 animals at TLAC. Twenty-two percent of the animals were adopted.
The proposed plan the council approved Thursday morning does not include budget details.
The committee will meet again to determine the exact costs and savings that the program will provide.
Mayor Pro-Tem Mike Martinez also requested a regular update from the shelter in the implementation process."

While my primary goal with Teeny's Friends is not rescue, I strongly support rescue efforts and contribute/help whenever possible. We have contacted the Town Lake Animal Shelter in the past and attempted to work with them on toy drives but have always been turned down. That is the extent of my experience with them, so that is all that I have to form my opinion of them on. While I respect that not everyone wishes to participate in our toy drives (even though they are the only ones who have turned me down!) I never fully understand why an animal-centric organization wouldn't participate. In any case, it sounds like the animals of Austin will soon be much better off, which is the most important thing. Austin Pets Alive is an organization who wants to take of the City's adoption program at the Town Lake Animal Shelter. They claim they can do it for less than it costs the City, and will focus on 100% adoption rates. We think that sounds a good deal for everyone!