Government
BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
San Marcos intends to transfer regional responsibilities of their Animal Services Division to Hays County, according to a new interlocal agreement approved by the San Marcos City Council on Aug. 20. Regional animal shelter services will conclude at the end of the agreed-upon term—Sept. 30, 2026—according to the agreement. The shelter will then only intake animals from San Marcos. The animal services council committee decided that a two-year expiration date would give the county and other jurisdictions time to develop alternative options, Animal Services Manager Christie Banduch said in an email to Community Impact . The interlocal agreements for Buda and Kyle will be presented Sept. 17. Local animal shelter looks to limit intake San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter live intake 500 400 300 200 100 0 July 2023 Sept. 2023 Nov. 2023 Jan. 2024 March 2024 May 2024 July 2024 232 266 287 282 245 176 286 300 348 389 417 393 462 99.14% increase since July 2023.
Explained
The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter has had to navigate frequent overcapacity since 2021, according to previous reporting by Community Impact . As Hays County experiences population growth, the need to make changes to the regional animal sheltering model has become more evident, Banduch explained. “Operating a regional shelter is no longer in the best interest of the taxpayers of San Marcos. The agreements were implemented at a time when the county population was much smaller and managing the animal population was easier,” Banduch said. She noted that the change would allow their staff to utilize their resources to best serve the San Marcos community. “We look forward to Hays County completing their plans and opening the Hays County Pet Resource Center to help all animals in the County,” Banduch said.
SOURCE: SAN MARCOS ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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