On Thursday, March 28, city council is hearing a resolution that would set the minimum live release rate to 95 percent instead of 90 percent. This goal directly affects whether or not over 1,000 pets live or die.
In 2010, the Austin City Council passed a groundbreaking resolution that mandated that at least 90% of the animals that enter the City of Austin Animal Center leave alive. After 9 years, and in partnership with Austin Pets Alive!, we have far surpassed that baseline and as a city are consistently saving 97.5% of the animals that enter our shelter. We are, by far, the safest city in America for pets.
Now, turnover at Austin Animal Center has left No Kill policies in a state of uncertainty. We are facing a very real future where only 90% of pets would be saved and the other 7.5% would not. Council Member Leslie Pool, along with co-sponsoring council members Ann Kitchen, Alison Alter and Mayor Pro-tem Garza understand the threat to one of the core values of Austin, our humaneness, and they have brought forth a resolution to raise the bar of minimum lives saved from 90 to 95 percent.
Although the national animal welfare community has followed our lead and 90 percent No Kill has now become the national standard, we know that's not good enough. In fact, we continue to break the sound barrier on lifesaving nationally and have been named as a model city for our success in saving so much more than 90 percent.
So which lives does this affect? Dogs that are "too big," cats that were "too neglected," pets that are "too old." We don't think these animals are "too" anything. We think they are pets that deserve to be given the chance to live. It's up to us to not allow them to die invisible deaths.
Recommitting to No Kill at 95% guarantees life. It allows us to ensure a new minimum live outcome for Austin's pets. Join us as we make history once again as the safest No Kill City in America.
Write the Austin City Council by clicking here. Need help with what to say? We've got your back. See below:
1) Make the subject line something that calls attention to this resolution, such as "We need to recommit to No Kill at 95%."
2) Include one or more of these talking points:
3) Speak from the heart and let them know why this matters to you.
Join us at the hearing on Thursday, March 28. If you plan on coming, you can let us know by clicking here.
Thank you for saving lives.
