Regional animal shelter still overcrowded

HAYS COUNTY — San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS), the stray animal open-intake facility for all of Hays County, has been dealing with overcrowding issues since last March.

As of May 16, there are 290 animals at SMRAS: 185 dogs, 102 cats and three others. Of those, 166 dogs are housed in the shelter and 19 are currently in foster homes, while 75 cats are housed at the shelter and 27 are in foster homes. April 2023 statistics show that there were a total of 337 intakes and 40 owner/guardian surrenders.

“We have 93 dog kennels and 85 cat cages that are like permanent kennels and cages. It depends on what's coming in. Because if it's a single big dog that doesn't know anybody, that's going to take up a whole kennel by itself. If it's a mom with 10 puppies, I have 11 dogs in one kennel,” said Animal Services Manager Christie Banduch.

“So, we have 93 kennels and we have 185 dogs. Out of that, I think we have 45 that are displaced — that don't have a kennel to go into here at the shelter — so between what's in foster homes, it's 166 in the shelter and we have 45 in pop-up crates, I think,” she continued.

Banduch said that the overcrowding and overcapacity issues are not Hays County-specific as it’s been a trend across the nation.

“If you look at Austin Animal Center right now, they're in the same boat. It's not sustainable. There's always kind of a crisis in the shelters; they're coming in whether we have room or not. Sometimes, we have to adjust and creatively house them, and in normal times, that's something that happens temporarily, but this is almost becoming the new norm for shelters around the country,” she said. “Even our northern state rescue partners are like, ‘We’re full,’ and that's unheard of, we normally can ship a bunch of animals up north and there are adopters waiting for them.”

What’s causing these issues to occur? The economy, according to Banduch.

“I think just the economy is probably the biggest driving factor that we're seeing because it was kind of right around the time that inflation really started to get high and things started to change post-COVID. It's not necessarily that we're seeing more intakes, it's that we're having fewer outcomes,” she said. “We have fewer people that are able to adopt and rescue groups are kind of seeing the same things and we have less opportunity to send animals to our rescue partners … There's [also] less and less housing available for people with pets [like specific apartments] or with landlords, or that pet rent is so high and they can't afford it.”

Because there is not a one-person or one-group solution, Banduch provided some ways that the community can help.

• Fostering: Fostering provides temporary relief for these animals and allows the shelter staff to free up much-needed space. Fosters must reside within Hays County. More information can be found at www.sanmarcostx.gov/2885/Become-a-Foster

• Adoption: If you have been considering adding a furry friend to your family, now is the perfect time to do so. There is a wide variety of cats, dogs and other animals who would be eternally grateful for a loving home. More information can be found at www.sanmarcostx.gov/3259/Adoptable-Animals

• Volunteering: Consider volunteering your time at the shelter. Assistance in walking dogs, socializing with cats and helping with daily tasks can make a difference at the shelter. Volunteer information is available at www.sanmarcostx.gov/248/Become-a-Volunteer

• Donating

• Educating neighbors about the overcrowding at SMRAS

She added that if someone is in a situation where they need to give up their pet, the animal shelter should be the last resort and the owner/guardian should consider alternatives to surrendering.

“It’s not a day camp for dogs. This is a stressful environment and it’s not an ideal place to send your pet to. Try to keep us as your last resort [and] rehome your pet on your own,” Banduch said. “We have a ton of resources on our website, people can call us, we can give them all kinds of tips for how to help rehome your pet or maybe, you're just having a financial issue that's temporary and we can find a way to help you keep your pet instead of having to rehome them at all.”

A lost animal’s chance of being reunited with its owner is 300% higher if that animal stays in the area where it was found, but that number drops to about 16% if they are directed to the shelter, Banduch said. If someone finds a lost pet, she encourages them to walk the block with that animal, knock on doors or talk to neighbors on NextDoor or a neighborhood Facebook page to see if they can find the owner.

Banduch emphasized the overcrowding and overcapacity that SMRAS, and other animal shelters, are dealing with are community issues.

“This is a community issue. It's not something that the handful of people who work at your local shelter are going to magically solve without the community's help,” she said. “It takes a village to solve this issue and we've got to start looking at ourselves and what kind of pet owners we are. When you take on a pet, you're making a commitment to that animal and that animal needs you. This is not the place that you want them to end up.”

To keep up to date on the status of SMRAS, visit the website at www.sanmarcostx.gov/208/San-Marcos-Regional-Animal-Shelter or follow the shelter on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SanMarcosAnimalShelter.