Hays County residents are divided after commissioners court voted to terminate the county’s contract with Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) pet resource center and build a new physical shelter on March 25.

The contract allowed APA! to partner with the county to run the Hays County Pet Resource, Education and Research Center (PRC). According to Hays County, the PRC is a virtual center that “connects pet owners with local services and resources to keep families together and out of the animal shelter system.”

The contract did not require APA! to have a physical location, but Hays County Commissioners court approved the item to work with Broaddus & Associates, Inc. to build a new shelter in the county.

Commissioner of Precinct 4 Walt Smith introduced the item and commissioners approved the item 4-1 at the March 25 meeting, with Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra as the only dissenting vote.

“This should never have been an either-or decision – collaboration was the key to success,” Becerra wrote in a press release. “Instead, a valuable partnership was cut short, leaving our community without critical resources.”

Some attendees of the meeting believe the contract should not be terminated. Kendra Lugo, pet reunification coordinator for the PRC, said Hays County should keep the contract because of the positive impact APA! had in the county.

“[On March 23], we served 292 families and 619 pets at our food distribution event showcasing the need of people in the community who otherwise cannot access this type of help for their pets,” Lugo said. “…We meet people where they are, offer support, reassurance and compassion.”

Additionally, some people like Maggie Lynch, APA! research and development senior director, are concerned with the partnership with Broaddus & Associates, Inc. in building the new shelter. She said it is best for a company like APA! to run and plan the physical location.

“We must question how a construction project management firm can be expected to design and implement an effective animal welfare system; an area outside their core competencies,” Lynch said.

According to its website, Broaddus and Associates, Inc. “possesses expertise in higher education, civil and institutional projects and offers a range of comprehensive planning services from detailed facility space programs to comprehensive site master plans.”

Some community members are for the termination of the contract, stating that they want to keep the coordinators of the PRC local.

“I understand the need and desire of maybe having the right-sized facility built because of programming, but I think that those efforts can be accomplished by working with our municipalities and local organizations,” Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, Hays County commissioner Precinct 1, said. “I’ve had many people reach out to me also — municipalities, especially the city of Kyle — and they’re extremely interested in partnering with us. I think that is a direction that we really need to look at seriously.”

The city of Kyle is working on potentially building a shelter by 2026, which prompted Kelly Arthur, founder of Lost & Found Pets of Hays County, to believe that there is no need for the PRC.

“We don’t need three shelters,” Arthur said. “This is more about doing something at the front end, like low-cost options, so that people aren’t surrendering their animals.”

One avenue some want the county to take is to partner with Prevent a Litter (PALS) of Central Texas. PALS is a non-profit organization that works to end pet overpopulation and pet homelessness. Lauren Foye, president of PALS, said they know the best ways to combat issues surrounding pets in Hays County.

“We do know the best practices with programs and we are doing them extremely well with very little funding,” Foye said. “…We are local and we know what we are doing and we are successful at it. I hope that you understand our programs are here working and they need to be funded.”

PALS recently moved to a larger location off Ranch Road 12, tripling their services like surgeries and teeth cleanings.

According to Becerra, the contract between APA! and Hays County will officially end on April 26.

“The locals have been, for a very long time, depleting their personal funds. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here,” Arthur said. “…Watch us bring it all together and watch us make it work. It’s going to work; we just need the support.”

This is a developing story. The University Star will provide updates as they become available.