Bastrop, Tx–Comments from a group of citizens about Bastrop County Animal Control operations sparked a lively debate when Bastrop County commissioners met today.
Because the topic was not on the official meeting agenda commissioners did not join the discussion or take any action as a result. But they listened attentively, to all appearances.
Laura Jackson, an organizer of the local animal welfare group PACE, called for “improvements at the (county animal) shelter” including clear policies on spaying and neutering animals adopted out of the facility, a computerized record-keeping system to help prevent errors and a policy to bar sending dogs from the shelter to be used in training animal control students how to kill animals humanely.
Others called for replacing the county shelter leadership and devoting more money to the operation. Some charged that the shelter makes too little use of organized and established animal rescue organizations, saying some dogs do not receive adequate care to prevent the spread of disease or prevent suffering.
But animal control director Betty Wade had her defenders as well. One suggested that Wade “is overwhelmed” by the flood of animals put into her department’s care. “Give her (better) resources,” said the speaker.
Wade spoke up too, saying her organization is not perfect and has made mistakes, but she praised county officials for undertaking more humane animal control programs than state law requires. “You only need (to provide) rabies control,” she told commissioners. “You built (and staff) an animal shelter.”
Wade did not dispute a claim that 50 to 70 percent of animals brought to the shelter each month are euthanized, and she defended sending some of them to a Giddings animal control training school “so my staff can get a break and are not always killing (animals). It is difficult.”
Animal shelter adoption coordinator Rosie Yong said she routinely works with outside rescue groups. “We don’t like putting (animals) down,” she said.
Others charged that some private donations for the care of individual animals or animal families may not always be expended for the intended purpose. Wade did not address that allegation.