Austin City Council to Decide Whether to Make Austin a No Kill City This Thursday, March 11, at 10am

This is perhaps the biggest news in the No Kill world since Reno, NV, went No Kill in 2007. This Thursday, March 11, the Austin City Council will decide whether Austin, Texas, will join the ranks of America's No Kill cities. The Council is considering a plan of proven methods to produce No Kill success: (1) low-cost and free spay-neuter programs; (2) a comprehensive adoption program including off-site adoptions; (3) keeping open the downtown shelter once the city's new shelter opens outside of the city center; and (4) a large-scale foster program.

The No Kill plan has now been posted on the City Council's website in Agenda Item #21.

If you want to help make Austin a No Kill City, we ask that you please send an e-mail to the Austin City Council members asking them to pass the plan. Their e-mails are: lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us, mike.martinez@ci.austin.tx.us, laura.morrison@ci.austin.tx.us, chris.riley@ci.austin.tx.us, randi.shade@ci.austin.tx.us, bill.spelman@ci.austin.tx.us, and sheryl.cole@ci.austin.tx.us.

THANK YOU for your help!

The FixAustin.org Team

Great News! The City Council Health & Human Services Subcommittee Embraces a No Kill Plan

Today, the City of Austin moved one step closer to becoming America's next No Kill City. At a meeting of the City Council Subcommittee for Health and Human Services, Subcommittee members voted 3-0 to direct city staff to move forward with a No Kill plan that includes elements written by the Animal Advisory Commission including a comprehensive adoption program, off-site adoptions, and a moratorium on killing healthy, adoptable animals while cages sit empty and unused.

It is our understanding that the Subcommittee will formally review staff's revised plan this Thursday at 3pm at 505 Barton Springs Road in Austin. If the plan is approved by the subcommittee at that time, it will be soon presented to the full Austin City Council for an up-or-down vote.

Some people have asked us about the proposal that a non-profit animal-welfare group operate the Adoptions Program of the Town Lake Animal Center. Yes, we believe that is in the plan, and that proposals for operating the shelter's Adoptions Program will be open to a full and public procurement process--- not designated for any particular non-profit in advance.

We have a great deal to be proud of as residents of Austin, Texas, and today's vote was no exception. We hope this new No Kill plan will be approved and implemented by the full Austin City Council.

Best regards,

The FixAustin.org Team