austin animal welfare coalition

Community Engagement & Organizing

• Hosted multiple community sessions, including a Town Hall and a Working Session, to gather broad public input on animal welfare priorities.

• Built a public hub to centralize resources, documents, and community feedback for transparency and community access.

Advocacy & Public Accountability

• Drafted and delivered a community letter to the Mayor and Austin City Council outlining clear animal welfare priorities and asking for public commitments from leadership.

• Requested written responses from each Council office to specific questions — enabling the public to understand where each district stands on animal welfare and ensuring community priorities factor into decision-making.

Community Support & Mobilization

• Gathered 575+ signatures from residents in support of the coalition’s community letter and call for transparent, community-centered leadership on animal welfare issues.

• Shared stories from volunteers, fosters, adopters, and advocates documenting firsthand experiences within Austin’s animal services system — helping put real faces and voices behind systemic concerns.

Ongoing Influence & Transparency

• Provided accessible summaries and themes from community sessions with identified action items shared publicly (planned for ongoing publication).

• Helped increase public awareness around key policy processes, including transparency around City hiring processes for animal services leadership.

NEXT STEPS

• The Austin Animal Welfare Coalition will continue to gather data and community feedback from across Austin’s animal welfare ecosystem, including rescues, volunteers, foster caregivers, veterinarians, advocates, and community members. This input will help identify challenges, highlight what’s working, and support informed, transparent decision-making.

• We also look forward to establishing an open and constructive line of communication with the incoming Austin Animal Services Director. Our goal is to serve as a collaborative partner by sharing community insights, supporting effective solutions, and helping strengthen trust between the shelter and the community.

• By centering data, transparency, and collaboration, we aim to support stable leadership and a humane, lifesaving future for Austin’s animals.