Animal Shelter Crisis Bites City Council Again

SAN ANGELO, TX - Morgan Chegwidden, assistant director of Neighborhood & Family Services in the City’s Animal Services division, presented issues faced by Animal Services programs at the City Council meeting held on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

The discussion primarily focused on the escalating problems related to dogs.

According to Chegwidden, the U.S. has experienced a 5 percent increase in the intake of dogs by shelters, amounting to approximately 245,000 more dogs this year compared to the previous year. 

Unfortunately, adoptions have seen a 1.2 percent decrease nationally, coupled with a significant rise in the average length of stay in shelters, reaching up to 28-30 days.

She said that the consequence of these challenges is the emergence of space-related euthanasia decisions in shelters, impacting even no-kill shelters that were previously successful in maintaining “high live-release rates.”

Live-release or placement is defined as the number of all pets who are adopted, rescued, transferred to another shelter, or returned to their owners after being lost.

The issues identified in the presentation include pressures on owners due to increased dog food costs, restrictive housing policies leading to surrenders, and limited resources resulting in pet dumping at the Animal Shelter.

To address these challenges, Chegwidden proposed potential solutions such as pet-friendly housing legislation, a home-to-home owner surrender network, and free microchips for target neighborhoods. 

The proposed legislation aims to relax or remove animal restrictions in rental properties, making it easier for residents to own pets.

The "home-to-home owner surrender network" would be a dedicated platform to match people wishing to surrender their pets with those interested in adopting. 

In terms of statistics, San Angelo's Animal Shelter witnessed 2,901 adoptions in 2023, with 1,491 being dogs. However, the concerning increase in animal-to-person bites constitutes a 56 percent rise from the previous year.

Chegwidden recommended legislative actions, community support through adoptions and owner surrenders, funding for field services, and outreach programs, specifically focusing on microchips in target neighborhoods. 

The City Council now faces the challenge of implementing these measures to address the pressing issues faced by Animal Services in San Angelo.