Athens animal shelter to change ownership in May
ATHENS, Texas (KETK) – The Athens Animal Rescue Shelter (AARS) announced on Wednesday that their contract with Henderson County and the City of Athens is ending.
Next generation of agriculture shines at Van Zandt County Fair and Livestock Show
According to the rescue shelter, it is managed by a volunteer board of directors and their last day to run the shelter will be April 30.
Since 2020, the 3 year contract was a joint agreement with Henderson County and the city of Athens.
After months of conversation both sides could not come to an agreement on regulations, management and funding.
“That’s $416 per dog or a cat that’s brought into the shelter. At this point, we are paying more for animal services in the county than we are in mental health. We’re paying more for animal services in the county than we contribute towards the crimes against children task force,” Henderson County Attorney Clint Davis said.
Davis said their joint budget with the city of more than $300,000 could not grow to what the shelter was asking.
East Texas pet adoption center offering $10 adoptions through March 30
“If you put the ‘in-kind services’ that both the county and the city contributed, we’re spending well over half a million dollars a year for the shelter services already without any additional increases,” Davis said.
The AARS board said they presented different proposals, such as, increasing salaries, funding a spay and neuter program, or controlling intakes by enforcing animal cruelty laws.
“It kind of backed us, all of us in a corner of ‘well then what do we do at this point?'” Kirsten Kirklin, vice president for AARS, said. “That was when they decided that they just weren’t going to move forward with us.”
According to Kirklin, the county suggested keeping funding and animal intakes the same.
“When they brought up to save cost and doing a higher kill rate to save that cost, I was right there and we both said our board would not accept that,” Kirklin said.
Reportedly, the shelter asked to possibly lower the number of animals accepted and the proposal was denied.
“One of the proposals that, we had sent them was that if it’s possible to shorten the amount of time that they were keeping an animal, but never was that the discussion about euthanasia,” Davis said.
USDA confirms bird flu positive among Texas Panhandle cattle
AARS said they decided to walk away and will uphold their mission until their last day.
“We want to make sure that we bring those animals with us so we can get them into a home,” Kirklin said.
The county wants the community to know that the shelter’s doors will not close, but there will be a change of ownership starting May 1.
AARS said they urge pet lovers to adopt and foster the animals until then.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
