Although the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter budget has been increased by nearly $100,000 for 2008, it's still considerably lower than other cities Nacogdoches' size.
The budget allocation for the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter, $342,472, is nearly 40 percent less than that of the city of San Marcos' budget of $591,029. The budget for the Georgetown Animal Shelter is $533,050. Lufkin's Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter budget is $479,674.
While the four shelters serve cities comparable in population to Nacogdoches, slightly more than 30,000, they are handling about the same number of animals.
The San Marcos shelter took in approximately 6,000 animals this year, according to the shelter's animal services manager, Bert Stratemann. He anticipates a similar number in 2008.
And while the San Marcos shelter handles about the same number of animals as the Nacogdoches shelter, they do so with about twice the staff — nine compared to Nacogdoches' five.
Nacogdoches city commissioners have alleviated the problem somewhat by amending the proposed 2008 budget to include $62,702 for two additional animal control officers at the shelter, effective Oct. 1.
Jennifer Harris, animal shelter supervisor, said the two new animal control officers will greatly benefit the shelter.
Currently, four staff members do the duties of both animal control officers and the shelter attendants, taking care of the needs of the animals brought in, while going out on calls. Other shelters separate the positions.
"We are very excited about the new positions. This is definitely a step in the right direction," Harris said. "It's going to allow us to have more animal control officers in the field. A big thanks goes to administration, the humane society, local veterinarians and the commissioners."
Even with the addition of two positions, staffing is still significantly behind other shelters. San Marcos and Lufkin have budgeted for 12.5 and 11 employees, respectively, for the upcoming fiscal year.
Officials with the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County have consistently stated that the lack of staffing is a key factor in the increased number of animals being put down at the animal shelter, pointing out that while the facility has expanded, the number of staff remained the same.
Adoptable animals continue to be put down because the shelter does not have the manpower to care for them, said Lisa Young, president of the local society.
In a letter she addressed to city officials, Young said, "At this point I'm sorry to say (the shelter) is a place our animals go to be killed."
Statistics appear to bear out that statement.
Approximately 77 percent of the animals brought in last year were put down at the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter, compared to 28 percent at Georgetown and 20 percent at San Marcos.
Of the three similar-sized shelters, only Lufkin surpasses that figure, with an estimated 83 percent of its animals expected to be put down by the end of the year. Lufkin Animal Shelter director Rhonda McLendon anticipated the numbers were similar for last year.
To offset the day-to-day expenses, many municipal shelters, including Nacogdoches', utilize donations and grant money.
Harris said donations have fluctuated significantly in the last few months, and the two grants the shelter currently uses for animal vaccinations are soon expected to run out.
In 2005, the shelter received a $25,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for housing displaced animals during Hurricane Katrina. They received another $15,000 in 2006 from the Humane Society of the United States for the same reason.
Harris said the money from the two grants went to purchasing or replacing shelter equipment.
"The money bought new sinks, grass in some places, and a portion of the ASPCA grant was used to purchase a second vehicle for animal control," she said.
Harris said the remainder of the two grants is being used to fund vaccinations for adopted animals, a practice that was not in place prior to her arrival in February.
The cost of vaccinations were passed on to the pet owner before the grant money started being used for it, she said.
Harris said each month she pulls out a percentage of the money to cover the expenses of the vaccines, which run slightly over $10 for both dogs and cats.
With $9,000 remaining in the ASPCA grant and $3,000 in the humane society grant, and an average adoption rate of 1,000 animals per year, the grant money will be nearly gone within the next year.
"We don't know where we are going to get the funds once the money runs out," Harris said.
Not all of the other animal shelters vaccinate.
Stratemann said the San Marcos shelter has an agreement with a local veterinarian to vaccinate the animals when they are brought in to be spayed/neutered.
"We don't do any vaccines because it was recommended from our veterinarian that he prefers to get animals that don't have their vaccines," he said. "We used to, but he said his office would get animals with no paperwork, and he would vaccinate animals who had already gotten vaccinated."
Stratemann said vaccinations are included in the shelter's $85 adoption fee, which is placed in a shelter fund to pay veterinarian's fees.
Likewise, Georgetown and Lufkin animal shelters also include the vaccination fee in the adoption fee. Lufkin's adoption fee is $60 and Georgetown's adoption fee is $75 for residents and $70 for Williamson County residents.
The adoption fee for animals at the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter is $50 for spayed/neutered animals and $30 for non spayed/neutered animals. People adopting animals that have not been spayed or neutered are given a discount to apply to the cost of the surgery. All animals adopted from a shelter, according to state law, are required to be spayed or neutered.
