Lack of spay, neutering leads to capacity issues at Bastrop animal shelter
BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — It's been a busy weekend for the Bastrop County shelter since it put out a call after seeing an unusually large increase in puppies. People have been visiting and exploring adoption.
Bastrop County Animal Shelter advocates say they're looking for new homes for over 100 puppies and small breed dogs. They say its high puppy population is because of an influx of new litters.
"The shelter is full. We have been operating near, or at capacity for quite some time," said Ashley Hermans, the shelter's director. "This facility is not built for the population we have in Bastrop right now. So many companies are moving to our area, and we are adjacent to Austin. We're facing the same pinch that everyone else is."
The Bastrop shelter only has about 90 kennels. Recently, over 80 animals came in from a home whose owner died in February.
The county said the animals were well taken care of, but none were spayed or neutered and they “just kept having litters.”
Those puppies have received their first round of shots and are being monitored inside a makeshift area of the shelter that previously housed cats.
As people look to adopt a new furry-friend, Hermans is also encouraging people to spay and neuter the animals they already have at home, but she recognizes this can be a barrier sometimes.
"There's a shortage of vets, there's a shortage of affordable services and access to those services," said Hermans.
The shelter partners with Save An Angel to help get pets fixed, but Hermans said it can be difficult to keep up with demand. The County usually has a low-cost wellness clinic available but is working to hire a new veterinarian.
"Cost can be a huge barrier. Right now, we're open two-days a week, so Mondays and Saturdays. Our goal would be to operate five-days a week," said Jeremy Parks, executive director for Save an Angel.
The Bastrop shelter is also partnering with a group called the 'Lost Pines Alliance' to build a new facility to keep up with Bastrop's growth. The groups are pushing county commissioners to discuss a future build.
Hermans hopes to have an item on the agenda in the coming weeks.