I am thrilled to announce that the city council voted to grant APA! the right to use the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) property to serve our mission. We are incredibly grateful to the resolution Lead Sponsor, Council Member Leslie Pool, and her co-sponsors Mayor Adler, Council Members Kitchen, Fuentes and Casar. It means a great deal to us that the Council Members Ellis, Renteria, Alter and Tovo all voted yes! Council Member Kelly and Mayor Pro Tem Harper-Madison were not present for the vote. It is a massive win that it voted without a single NO.
Specifically, today’s win gives us the ability to help any animal, from anywhere, in need BUT it will only go into effect after APA! and the city come to an agreement about the value of the services APA! provides to Austin. Once that agreement is reached we can rebuild the portion of buildable land that still exists at TLAC.
Something miraculous happened today. Because of the support YOU have given to APA! over the last couple months, keeping TLAC as a lifesaving mecca in the heart of Austin is 50% accomplished. In fact, your voice was counted today and they received over 2,000 registrations in support. It would NOT have happened without you raising your voice and telling the council that saving our four-legged, and sometimes three-legged, family members’ lives matters to you, even while the rest of the world’s social problems seem to be more important right now.
Today, let’s celebrate that the clouds have parted a bit and we can actually now see a future at TLAC on the horizon. Let’s thank the council members who led, sponsored and voted in favor of this. And let’s keep one foot in front of the other as we continue to put down roots that will keep so many animals from losing their lives needlessly in Austin and the rest of Texas.
We will do an impromptu celebration at ABGB TONIGHT starting at 6pm with the plan to raise a glass at 6:30. Stop by if you can! If the parking lot is full, there is parking in the neighborhood behind ABGB.
We will keep you informed every step of the way from here on out. THANK YOU!
