The Office of the City Auditor conducted an audit of the Animal Services Office. This audit was directed by the City Council, the resolution was passed in July 2022 (RESOLUTION NO. 20220728-098).

The City Auditor was directed by the City Council to perform an audit of the Animal Services Office effectiveness (effectiveness audit) and hire an external animal sheltering expert knowledgeable in No Kill policies and practices to assist in identifying strategies and recommendations for improved flow of operations, quality care for animals, and a successful, sustainable No Kill shelter.

The Auditor’s office will present its findings and recommendations at the Austin City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday, September 27 at 10 a.m. The full audit report and animal sheltering expert report can be found on the City’s website, here.

Background
The Animal Services Office (ASO) oversees the Austin Animal Center (AAC) which serves lost and surrendered animals from the City of Austin and Travis County. AAC had a Fiscal Year 2023 budget of approximately $17.9 million and 121 full-time employees. In 2022, AAC provided shelter to more than 15,000 animals. In addition to housing animals, AAC provides in-house veterinary care to its animals, community spay and neuter clinics, free microchips and pet tags, and other services.

As part of the audit, staff hired Tim Crum with the National Center for Animal Shelter Evaluations. Mr. Crum produced an independent analysis of the shelter. View the report, here.

To understand the perspectives of key stakeholders, the Auditor’s Office solicited feedback related to AAC in two in-person community outreach events, one virtual event, and through an online survey.  In total, approximately 100 people attended the events and over 400 people responded to the survey. These engagement activities occurred in the fall of 2022.

Scope of the Audit
The scope of this audit included the Austin Animal Center’s animal intake, animal care, and placement programs.

Summary of the Audit results
The audit report found that the City’s animal welfare priorities conflict with each other. Serving as an open-intake shelter for the community while providing humane care for the animals in its possession and maintaining its goal live release rate (95 percent or greater) do not all appear to be currently achievable at the same time. While AAC has consistently met and exceeded its goal live release rate for cats and dogs, these successes have come at the expense of animal care, and AAC has had to close its intake of new animals due to overcrowding.

AAC does not have a strategic plan that balances these priorities. This audit also found other issues including strained relationships with partners and data reliability.

To address the audit findings, the Auditor’s Office issued six recommendations to ensure AAC knows what to do with its animal welfare priorities.

Following the Audit and Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 27 City Auditors will be available to answer questions from the media. Contact Patricia Fraga at 512-680-1012, patricia.fraga@austintexas.gov with inquiries. The Auditor’s Office will not be available to answer questions prior to the meeting.

About the Office of the City Auditor
The Office of the City Auditor was created under Section 17 of Article VII of the City Charter. Chapter 2-3 of the City Code details the office operations.

The Auditor’s Office works to make Austin better for all residents. The staff conducts audits and investigations to help find ways for the city to improve.

The office follows audit standards, so the work is independent and free of bias.

The Auditor publishes reports so everyone can see the results of its work. The result of the work is presented at meetings of the Austin City Council Audit and Finance Committee.

For more information visit www.austintexas.gov/auditor.