Regional animal shelter services will conclude at the end of the agreed-upon term—Sept. 30, 2026—according to the agreement. There are no further agreement extensions. Once the agreement concludes, the shelter will only operate as a local animal shelter for the city of San Marcos.
Some context
The animal services council committee decided that a two-year expiration date would give the county and other jurisdictions time to develop alternative options to meet their constituents’ needs, Animal Services Manager Christie Banduch said in an email to Community Impact. The interlocal agreements for Buda and Kyle will be presented Sept. 17.
Explained
The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter has had to navigate frequent overcapacity since 2021, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
As Hays County continues to experience rapid population growth, the need to make changes to the regional animal sheltering model has become more evident, Banduch explained.
The county’s population has increased by about 37% from 2016-23, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. It is anticipated to increase again by almost 85% by 2060, according to population projections from the Texas Demographic Center.
Since July 2023 the shelter has seen an uptick in live intakes each month. A live intake refers to any cat or dog brought into the shelter alive.
“Operating a regional shelter is no longer in the best interest of the taxpayers of San Marcos. The agreements were implemented at a time when the county population was much smaller and managing the animal population was easier,” Banduch said.
She noted that the change would decrease animal intake in San Marcos and allow their staff to utilize their resources to best serve the San Marcos community.
“We look forward to Hays County completing their plans and opening the Hays County Pet Resource Center to help all animals in the County,” Banduch said.
