Marble Falls eyes Humane Society partnership to save money and strays
Marble Falls is strongly considering a partnership with the Hill Country Humane Society to solve its stray animal problem. The city could save dollars through the deal and provide higher-quality care for stray dogs and cats. The partnership could also strengthen a federal funding request from HCHS to build a regional facility for all of the Highland Lakes.
While no hard decision was made on an official partnership, the Marble Falls City Council directed city staff during a special workshop Tuesday, Oct. 15, to move forward on negotiations and the necessary work to make the deal happen.
The topic has been discussed among Marble Falls leaders for months due to the struggles of maintaining adequate care and conditions for stray animals in the city shelter. The small Animal Control facility is barebones, run by one beleaguered Animal Control officer and almost entirely dependent on volunteer work and donations.
If everything goes according to plan, Marble Falls would send an estimated 125-160 animals to Hill Country Humane Society a year at a rate of $250 per intake, which amounts to about $30,000 to $40,000 annually. A partnership with the Humane Society, 9150 RR 1431 in Buchanan Dam, would also require an upfront investment of $80,000 to $100,000 to build additional kennels to house the extra animals.
According to Marble Falls Assistant Police Chief Trisha Ratliff, the costs of working with the HCHS are actually less in the long run than improving the current Animal Control facility, hiring more staff, and providing the same level of treatment for the animals.
“If we were to sign an interlocal agreement with the Humane Society, it would completely negate the need for a kennel tech position and likely any additions to the current animal services budget as it is,” Ratliff told the council during a thorough presentation on the subject at the Tuesday workshop.
Ratliff estimated it would cost $20,000 a year to hire a part-time kennel technician to help care for the animals at the city shelter. It would also take about $96,000 to upgrade the facility and increase animal care standards.
The above costs do not include what it would take to spay/neuter, vaccinate, and properly feed intake animals, which the Hill Country Humane Society would take care of through a partnership with the city.
“I think the best way I could describe (the Marble Falls Animal Control facility) is it’s a jail, it really is,” MFPD Chief Glenn Hanson told the City Council. “We take an animal off the streets, we house them, we feed them, we water them, and that’s about it.”
Councilor Griff Morris gave his unabashed support for a partnership with the HCHS and his appreciation for the volunteers who help run the city shelter.
“I am entirely for this (partnership),” he said.
According to Assistant Chief Ratliff, volunteers contributed about 1,000 hours of work to Marble Falls Animal Control in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
As it stands, Marble Falls has one full-time Animal Control officer to handle roughly 1,700 annual calls for service, 195 of which are for animal intakes. Ratliff said this leaves little time for actual animal care, which is where volunteers pick up the slack.
According to volunteer coordinator Mary Jo Callaway, only about 10 consistent volunteers are handling the workload, which is primarily cleaning up after the animals and providing basic necessities.
“(Callaway) has done an incredible amount of work,” Councilor Morris said. “She hasn’t quit when a lot of other people did. I just want to say thank you.”
REGIONAL FACILITY
Ratliff said a city partnership with the Hill Country Humane Society would allow the nonprofit animal rescue to apply for federal grant money through the office of U.S. Rep. John Carter. That money could be used to build a larger facility in a more centralized location that would serve the entirety of the Highland Lakes.
Currently, Marble Falls is the only major local government in the region that does not partner with the HCHS for animal intake services. Once a partnership is in place, Marble Falls can lend a letter of support in the Humane Society’s application for grant funding, which could significantly bolster its request.
“As the last holdout, we are sort of the stop gap between the regional facilities that you have all heard talked about (and grant funding),” Ratliff said.
Hill Country Humane Society Executive Director Paighton Corley spoke up during the Marble Falls workshop and lent her support for a partnership with the city, especially in regards to the possibility of obtaining grant funding for a regional facility.
“We really strive to be more than just a shelter,” she said.
No solid timelines or numbers were presented on when construction would begin or where the regional facility would be, but volunteer coordinator Callaway told DailyTrib.com it could be two years from the time that grant funding is obtained.
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At some point we really do have to have a serious conversation about euthanasia, instead of spending more and more tax dollars – and grant funding is simply that, more tax dollars. Until people are responsible enough to prevent unwanted animals from being born (and people never will be that responsible) unwanted animal numbers will continue to rise.