San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter tallies highest live-release rate

The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter recorded its highest live-release month in its history. The animal shelter recorded a 98.2% live-release outcome reported for the month of April.

COVID-19 stay at home orders prompted residents who were home more than normal to consider fostering and adopting animals. The shelter emptied its capacity by nearly 70% in the first two weeks of the stay at home orders. 

Live-release rate is calculated by dividing total live outcomes-adoptions, fostering, outgoing transfers and returns to owners-by total outcomes, which include euthanizations and animals who died or were lost in the shelter. 

The animal shelter has aimed its animal rescue efforts toward the “Pawsitives Outcomes Implementation Plan,” a partner-driven mission to achieve a live-release rate over 90%, since Dec. 12, 2018.

“Our community is fortunate to have a large network of knowledgeable, passionate fosters and advocates who have made this possible,” Animal Services Manager Jeanne Saadi said. “We’ll work to continue this momentum so that these significant breakthrough results will become a regular occurrence.”

The shelter has been closed to visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The shelter's staff has relied heavily on creative outreach and community engagement efforts, including virtual matchmaking and social media events. The shelter stated that it has prioritized maintaining adequate space for emergency housing. Residents who find a friendly stray dog or cat are encouraged to use the physical shelter as a last-resort destination.

“A huge part of our mission right now is letting people know about options beyond shelter drop-off,” Saadi said. “By safely keeping and returning animals to their rightful owners, our community has helped us focus our resources and finances on the animals in the shelter.”

According to animal shelter staff, tracking the lost and found postings on a local Facebook page, over 55% of the animals reported as found since April 1 were returned to their families from the finders. The shelter’s return to owner rate is only 16%.

“We are using what we are learning from this to strategize a better way to reunite pets with their families moving forward,” Saadi said.

SMRAS services all of Hays County. Foster appointments and adoptions are being handled online and by appointment. The shelter is offering a “Pay What You Can” adoption fee special to help keep open kennels during the COVID-19 crisis.