[UPDATED] No-Kill Nightmare

Photo by Jana Birchum

Austin officially became a no-kill city last year when it logged a 90% save rate of its animals. This week, that record may end, as adoptions fail to keep up with intake and the already-overcrowded Austin Animal Center on Levander Loop fills up.

At 581, the AAC is over capacity by 130 animals, and another 412 are currently in foster homes. If 40-odd animals aren't adopted immediately, the shelter could be forced to euthanize two dozen dogs in order to keep up.

The shelter will be open late tonight – until 9pm – in order to facilitate adoptions, and all adoption fees will be waived for home-ready cats and dogs over 1 year through this weekend. All adopted animals will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, tagged, and microchipped in an attempt to prevent them (or their progeny) from ending back up at the shelter.

In a morning press release, Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith said: "What we need right now are adopters to help us catch up with the inventory of animals that we are seeing come to the shelter. This is a tough and challenging season for animals and we urgently need community support for our City shelter pets."

For more details, contact the Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop, 978-0500, or visit their website.

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UPDATE: More than 100 animals left the shelter alive on May 15 – 34 were adopted, 11 were reunited with their owners, and 58 were rescued by Austin Humane Society and Austin Pets Alive!. Smith emphasizes continued vigilance, however: "Each day, more animals are coming into the shelter than are going out, and until that trend reverses itself we are going to continue to need all the help we can get from the community."