Jul 30, 2024

FACT: A pet resource center is NOT the same as an animal shelter; however, it does include animal sheltering as a component of the services offered. In a traditional animal sheltering model, the animal shelter is where pets are taken to get any kind of resources or help, but is not usually the best solution.

1. Lost pets → go to the shelter where they almost never get reunited with their families.

2. Pets who are sick or injured → have to be surrendered to the shelter and separated from their families to be treated if the family can’t afford or find the care they need.

3. Community members → distrust and misunderstand animal control officers because of misconceptions about the purpose or enforcement as a means to solve every compliance issue.

All of this leads to perpetually crowded, overburdened animal shelters that lack the capacity to help every pet who needs help. But…every pet that needs help DOESN’T need sheltering. In a pet resource center animal services model, communities take a three-part approach to creating a lifesaving community ethic built on valuing the human-animal bond and recognizing the value it brings to both people and pets.

Simply put, a pet resource center is a three-part system with the goal of getting the best outcomes for both people and pets. Sometimes the best place for a pet is the animal shelter, but many pets can get the help they need in the community, IF the community has a little bit of support.

These parts include:

1. A right-sized animal shelter that is the last resort for pets most in need of a temporary haven, or who are too dangerous to be in the community.

2. Increased resources to help the community with pets. This varies from community to community, so it’s important that leaders take the time to engage with community members to find out what resources they’re lacking.

   In Hays County, veterinary services (like spay and neuter, vaccines, other preventative and emergency services), pet food, and access to pet care information have all been identified as gaps in formal surveys and community conversations. A Pet Resource Center is a way to get more of these resources into the community.

3. Robust community-facing programs are needed to make this model work. That includes targeted efforts for programs such as recruiting fosters, community cat programming, case management, comprehensive pet reunification, and getting resources to the people and pets who will benefit the most from them.

Smaller-scale animal shelters supported by an adequate investment in resources like veterinary services, supplies and pet identification; and community-based programs focused on reuniting pets with families, keeping pets and people together, and involving the community, help increase the capacity of the community to care for pets are the most effective and efficient ways local government can spend animal services dollars – AKA a Pet Resource Center.

It is incredibly expensive for governments to build and operate traditional large-scale shelters, where a lot of animals are housed, with the intent to get them adopted. And investing solely in sheltering doesn’t solve the problem of why animals came to the shelter in the first place, because it’s a responsive action. A Pet Resource Center means fewer pets left out of the shelter system, fewer pets housed in shelters, and keeping families together to the benefit of people and pets.

When Hays County talks about building a Pet Resource Center for the community, it’s very important because it signifies an investment in all County residents – whether they’re people or pets.

Source: Austin Pets Alive