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Shelter prominent on council’s agenda

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

The San Marcos City Council will be discussing ways to increase live outcomes at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter.

At its work session meeting this afternoon, council will hear a presentation on the shelter’s operations and staff recommendations on how to move forward to achieve no-kill status. According to city staff, the shelter achieved an average 73.4 percent live outcome rate for Fiscal Year 2018 — an increase from Fiscal Year 2018’s live outcome rate of 56 percent and Fiscal Year 2016’s rate of 45 percent. The benchmark for no-kill status is 90 percent. 

The presentation council will hear today includes suggestions for developing a no-kill or high live outcome plan. The shelter is looking to solicit input from shelter partners, stakeholders, veterinarians, community members and others. The plan also includes finding ways to have fewer animals enter the shelter — rehoming, training assistance, spay and neuter programs and other measures — and to have more animals out of the shelter by encouraging fostering, off-site adoptions and more promotions on social media and other means of communication. 

Staff’s recommendation is to maintain and enhance regional partnerships to make the shelter more efficient, to implement a comprehensive approach to achieving a 90 percent live outcome rate within five years and make incremental interventions in each community the shelter serves. Staff also recommends that council adopt a resolution to bring back an implementation plan to reach the 90 percent threshold and to allocate additional funding for the shelter each year. 

Council will meet at 3:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. 

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666