Waco council to focus on animal shelter transition at Tuesday meeting

The Waco City Council will vote Tuesday on an interlocal agreement to provide animal services to McLennan County and receive an update on city's September takeover of the shelter.

The city council will vote on renewing an interlocal agreement with McLennan County Commissioners Court allowing the city's animal shelter at 2032 Circle Road to accept and care for animals from unincorporated areas of the county.

Council members will also receive an update on city staff efforts to transition the shelter, newly rebranded as "Pet Circle," to a 100% city-run operation after the Humane Society of Central Texas pulled out of a decades-long partnership with the city.

Humane Society members and other animal welfare advocates have raised concerns that the shelter might lose its "no-kill" under city operation, but that is not the case, Melissa Sheldon, city animal services operations manager, said in a Monday email.

"The rumor that the City had de-committed to the no-kill status is unfounded," Sheldon said Monday.

Since 2012, the city has operated kennel and animal care, veterinary care and facility maintenance at the shelter. Before ending the partnership Sept. 6, the Humane Society had been responsible for adoption, foster and rescue initiatives, spaying and neutering of adoptable animals, and volunteer coordination. Those duties now revert to the city.

"The City of Waco was one of the original proponents of the no-kill shelter status when that goal was first set for the Animal Shelter in 2014," Sheldon said in her email statement. "The City was a key part of the team that worked to achieve that status- first reached in 2016 and maintained for the past 8 years.

"As an open-intake shelter, our ability to maintain that status relies heavily on community support for spay/neuter initiatives, microchipping, and by providing safe, loving homes for our Shelter pets," Sheldon said.

The city will continue spay and neuter programs as well as vaccine and microchip programs previously established, council documents say. The fiscal year 2025 contract with Animal Birth Control Clinic for trap/neuter/release program for cats will be $214,000. The clinic also provides low-cost or no-cost options for residents seeking to spay or neuter their animals.

Pet advocates who spoke at city council two weeks ago voiced concerns about their opportunities to volunteer at the shelter.

Sheldon said Monday that the first volunteer orientation for a city-administered volunteer program has been scheduled for this coming Saturday.

"We currently have close to 200 volunteers working through the volunteer onboarding process," Sheldon said in the email. "In the interim, dogs are being walked and cared for by City staff, including staff from Animal Services and from other City departments."

The city created a volunteer coordinator position for the shelter in preparation for the transition, according to the council packet. The city also revised the orientation process for volunteers, and assigned volunteer scheduling software, council documents say.

The city also created two new foster/rescue coordinator positions to fill foster and rescue roles, council documents say. These coordinators grow and oversee relationships with foster and rescue partners to provide as many live outcomes as possible.

Also, animal services staff will be certified in "fear-free" shelter training to provide them with necessary skills and techniques to reduce fear, anxiety and stress in animals and all them to handle dogs and cats appropriately, council documents show.

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