San Marcos Animal Shelter At Capacity, Urgent Need For Volunteers And Residents To Foster Or Adopt

“We need you and, more importantly, the animals need you,” Volpe said.  “Please come to the Shelter and search for your lost pets, adopt a new pet, foster a pet in need, and volunteer to be part of the live outcome movement.”

The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter is at maximum capacity with dogs and cats and needs the public’s help to find homes for pets in the shelter.

The shelter is launching an adoption special until Monday, June 11, offering $30 adoptions for all pets. The shelter is also hosting a donation-based volunteer orientation on Wednesday, June 13 from 3-4:30 p.m. to recruit new fosters and volunteers. Orientation fees will be waived in favor of an optional monetary donation to the volunteer program.

This time of year marks the height of “puppy and kitten season,” a three-month period when shelters are often overwhelmed by litters of infant and young animals. Litters range from newborn to eight-weeks, and often require higher levels of attention, medical care, and time in the kennels before they are old enough for adoption.

“This is the hardest time of year for shelters everywhere,” said Lauren Volpe, Community Outreach Coordinator for Animal Services. “We need community support from volunteers and people who can give these pets forever homes.”

The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter serves as the stray intake facility for Hays County and is open admission for all stray and surrendered pets. Residents are encouraged to search for their lost pets and are invited to adopt, volunteer or foster homeless pets in need.

The Shelter has been working to reduce the euthanasia rate and increase live outcomes for the county’s animals. This year, the shelter achieved a record 78 percent live outcome rate in the second fiscal quarter for 2018.

This was due in large part to an agreement earlier in the year with Austin Pets Alive (APA) through which the Austin-based nonprofit would take all the cats from the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter that were not adopted.

Unfortunately, as all local shelters are filling up, APA is no longer able to accept transfers from the Shelter. Now more than ever, the Shelter needs help from the public to ensure they are able to keep the record setting pace of live outcomes.

“We need you and, more importantly, the animals need you,” Volpe said. “Please come to the Shelter and search for your lost pets, adopt a new pet, foster a pet in need, and volunteer to be part of the live outcome movement.”

For more information on adopting pets or to register for the volunteer orientation, contact the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter’s adoption center at 512.805.2657.