Austin Pets Alive helps Austin maintain its "no kill" standard for shelter animals.[/caption]

On June 23, Austin City Council approved a contractor to complete an expansion of the Austin Animal Center totaling up to $6.7 million.

The center, located off Levander Loop near US 183 in East Austin, is at full capacity and its overflow space at the Town Lake Animal Center is no longer a viable option after the Town Lake location failed health inspections, according to city documents.

The expansion will include the construction of a new kennel building, additional parking, storm drainage improvements and landscaping, according to city documents.

“This is addressing a key issue for us," said Kristen Auerbach, deputy chief animal services officer. "We generally have 50 to 60 dogs housed at the [Town Lake location] and this reconstruction project is to address that issues. It’s going to mean all of our animals are kept here on site.”

The project includes the construction of 22 new kennels, which can house up to 44 additional dogs, and is expected to begin in October and take about year to complete, Auerbach said.

Ellen Jefferson, executive director of Austin Pets Alive—which accepts animals from the city shelter's euthanasia list and prepares them for adoption—said the new kennels will prevent an additional burden being placed on local animal rescue groups.

“We know the city needs a certain capacity to maintain 'no kill' [status], so what that new building does is ensure we don’t lose capacity to save dogs' lives,” Jefferson said. “They have to have a safe place to be where they’re not in danger of being killed because they ran out of time.”

Jefferson said animal rescue groups are facing high demand because of breed, weight and age restrictions in place at many housing complexes within the city as well as a seasonal surge of pets in need.

“The summertime is when the most animals come into the shelter and are in need and it’s also when the lowest donations are coming in because people are focused on summer vacation and being out of town and graduation," she said. "It's sort of like multiple problems all coalescing at the same time.”

Austin is celebrating its fifth year as the country's largest "no kill" city—a city that has a live animal outcome rate of more than 90 percent on a month-to-month basis—and released an educational coloring book to celebrate.

The coloring books cost $12 and can be purchased at the Austin Animal Center or online. All  proceeds go to the Animal Center.