House Bill 3450 Will Save Lives, Ban Painful Gas Chambers

It is a great time to be an advocate for lost and homeless pets in Austin, Texas. Last year, thanks to you--- the animal-loving community of Austin--- our City Council mandated that our municipal shelter implement proven and cost-effective programs and policies to dramatically reduce unnecessary shelter killing in Austin. And it worked. Since the Austin No Kill plan was passed in March of last year, our community's "kill rate" has plummeted, and more lives are being saved than ever before.

Through the combined efforts of Town Lake Animal Center and its placement partners (especially Austin Pets Alive), Austin's shelter is having great success. In December 2010 and January 2011, the shelter saved 88% of all dogs and cats surrendered to or found by the shelter. And in February 2011, that number jumped to 92%, the best "live outcome" rate ever in history of Austin's shelter. Thanks to you, Austin is quickly becoming the most humane city in the United States. And we also warmly welcome the shelter's new director, Abigail Smith, a proven leader in the national No Kill movement.

But now we have an even greater opportunity--- to help spread Austin's success to the rest of the State of Texas. Just days ago, State Representative Jessica Farrar of Houston filed a bill to comprehensively reform Texas's animal shelters. That bill, called the Texas Companion Animal Protection Act, goes a long way to protect companion animals at Texas's shelters.

The bill:

• Bans the use of painful, unnecessary, and expensive gas chambers at Texas's shelters.
• Bans the practice of killing healthy adoptable animals "for space" when cages sit empty.
• Requires all animals adopted from Texas shelters to be spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
• Bans breed discriminatory adoption policies at Texas shelters.
• Requires shelters to collaborate with 501(c)(3) rescue groups to save animals.
• Bans shelters from selling live shelter animals to research laboratories.
• Requires shelters to honestly and publicly release their intake and outcomes data.

Simply put, this bill makes Texas's animal shelters treat animals humanely, respect their lives, and work smartly and efficiently to find loving homes for animals. But, like Austin's No Kill plan, it is being opposed by groups who would rather the public not know what goes on behind many shelters' closed doors.

Here's how you can help pass this historic bill. Please:

• Call, write, and/or e-mail your Texas Representatives and ask them to support HB 3450 (the Texas Companion Animal Protection Act). You can find out who your representatives are here: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/. (Here is a sample letter if you would find it helpful: http://bit.ly/gBOliI)
• Call, write, and/or e-mail the members of the Texas House of Representative's Public Health Committee (who will be considering the bill), and ask them to support HB 3450. You can find the members' contact information here: http://bit.ly/huspbu
• Sign Change.org's petition supporting HB 3450 here: http://bit.ly/gtdGMp
• Forward this message to all of your animal-loving friends, family members, and colleagues and ask them to do the same.

Thank you, in advance, for your important help!

Warmest regards,

The FixAustin.org Team

P.S. To stay in touch on animal-advocacy issues, please "like" us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FixAustin.org

Fosters Needed for Gatesville Rotties!

We've received new information on the Houston SPCA/Gatesville seizure. One highest-level need right now is to line up fosters to volunteer to provide temporary (one-to-three months) foster care for seniors, medically compromised, and behaviorally challenged (rambunctious teenagers and timid females) Rotties. At this point, they are looking for 30-40 foster homes for these categories of higher-needs dogs.

The dogs are currently located in Houston, Texas, in the custody of the Houston SPCA. But once the legal process is over (a week to two), most of the dogs will be transferred to the custody of non-profit rescues as organized by the American Rottweiler Club. There is a preference for fosters to be in Texas or nearby states so that the dogs do not have to travel too far. Fosters will need to keep the dogs as in-house pets (not "yard dogs" or in kennels 24/hours/day) and may need to house train and leash train the dogs.

Once the dogs are available for adoption, they will be adopted out through local non-profit rescue groups. In addition, the dogs will be marketed on the website RottNet.net, and through adoption events.

If you are interested and available to help save these magnificent and abused dogs' lives, please send an e-mail to Lew Olsen at lewolson@earthlink.net. In your e-mail, please provide your name, location, and contact information, as well as any experience you might have with medically compromised dogs and timid females.

Together, we can save these dogs. We're just going to need your help to do it!

Thanks,

The FixAustin.org Team

What's the Deal with the Houston SPCA Raid?

We don't know why the Houston SPCA was called in to rescue 240+ rotties from a ranch outside of Killeen, Texas, rather than various animal-welfare groups in Austin (which is much closer to the ranch than Houston is). But we do know that there is reason to be concerned for the seized animals: According to animal advocates in Houston and public information, the Houston SPCA has a 65% kill rate, won't release its current intake, adoption, and euthanasia data, won't commit to putting the rescued animals up for adoption, and has an official breed-discrimination policy.

You can read OisforOnward's analysis of the HSPCA raid here: http://oisforonward.com/2011/02/houston-spca/

And stay up-to-date on the dogs' care on NoKillHouston's Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Kill-Houston/117281633060

Other Cities' Leaders Could Learn a Lot from Austin's Government Leaders!

If you haven't already seen it, check out the latest blog post on OisforOnward.com, which champions Austin's government leaders who have shown intelligence, compassionate, and integrity when it comes to Austin's lost and homeless pets. The new post highlights the great work of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, Council Member Laura Morrison, and State Representative Eddie Rodriguez. Check it out!

http://oisforonward.com/2011/01/dear-politicians-be-like-mike-and-laura-and-eddie/

Austin Hires Abigail Smith!

This Just In From a City of Austin Press Release:

From: City of Austin Communications
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 10:37 AM
Subject: City of Austin Media Release: Chief Animal Services Officer selected

For immediate release

Jan. 14, 2011

Contact: Communications and Public Information Office, (512) 974-2220

City Manager selects Abigail Smith as Chief Animal Services Officer

City Manager Marc Ott announced today, Jan. 14, the appointment of Abigail Smith, Executive Director of the Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca , N.Y. , as Austin ’s new Chief Animal Services Officer.

She will begin her duties in Austin March 15.

Smith is recognized nationally for her work on animal welfare issues, presenting at numerous conferences. In August 2010, she spoke at the national No Kill Conference on the topic “90% Club: Sustaining No Kill in an Open Admissions Shelter.” The City of Austin has set the 90 percent live outcome goal.

“Abigail has a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to Austin ,” City Manager Ott said. “As a renowned expert in no-kill, she understands what Austin needs to do to reach its goal of becoming the first major metropolitan no-kill city. We are excited to have her join the City of Austin family and lead this very critical priority for our community.”

Smith served as Executive Director for the past four years at the Tompkins County SPCA which has operated as an open-admission, no-kill shelter for the past decade. While leading the agency, Smith focused on three major initiatives: animal control contracts, fundraising and spay/neuter programs.

Smith worked with Cornell University ’s College of Veterinary Medicine Program to implement a comprehensive shelter medicine program; created and strengthened collaborative partnerships, including those with civic organizations and animal rescue groups; expanded humane education programs; and secured funding for the Trap Neuter Release Program for feral cats.

Before her position in Ithaca , Smith served as Director of Development/Marketing and Manager of the Volunteer Program for the New Hampshire SPCA from 2004-2007.

She is a current member of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, the National Animal Control Association, the New York Animal Protection Federation and the Ithaca Rotary Club. She’s earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Pre-Medicine and English from Hamline University in St. Paul , Minn.

Smith was chosen after a nationwide search and an extensive interview/evaluation process that included a meet-and-greet forum with the public and a site visit to Ithaca by City staff and community stakeholders.

In March 2010 the City Council approved the No-Kill Implementation Plan for Austin . Since Oct. 1, 2010, the City of Austin Animal Services Office is actively working on the plan with the support of its partners and community. The City is making great strides in reaching the goal of 90 percent live outcomes, reaching 88 percent in December.

Filip Gecic, who served as Acting Animal Services Officer, did not apply for the position.