SAN MARCOS — The partnership between Hays County and Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) in relation to the planned Hays County Pet Resource, Education and Research Center (Hays PRC) is coming to a conclusion.
This follows the Hays County Commissioners Court voting 4-1 — with Judge Ruben Becerra dissenting — during its March 25, meeting to terminate the current contract with APA! and evaluate how to proceed with animal services in the county. In the motion by commissioner Walt Smith, who requested that the item be placed on the agenda, the county is terminating the contract for professional services for the creation of a pet resource center held by APA! and directs Broaddus & Associates, Inc. to work directly with local municipalities and nonprofit organizations to deliver a pet resource and education center in a “timely and cost-effective manner.”
APA! was awarded the contract by Hays County in 2023 to coordinate two programs — the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (P.A.S.S.) program, launched in January 2024, and a Lost and Found Pet Program, which was slated to be launched March 31, 2025. The P.A.S.S. program was designed to help owners keep their pet instead of surrendering them to the shelter; according to APA!, the program has supported 1,159 families and, through the integration with the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS), response time to residents reaching out to the shelter for owner surrender assistance was reduced from more than two weeks to 24 hours or less.
