The details
The contract would have continued the partnership Hays County had with APA! to manage the Hays County Pet Resource, Education and Research Center, or the PRC. APA! has served as project coordinator for the PRC since March 2023.
The PRC is a virtual resource center, not a physical center, that connects pet owners with local services in an effort to keep animals out of the shelter system.
APA! and the Hays County partnership provided various resources to pets and pet owners. For example, APA! held food and supply distributions per their contract, programming regarding pet surrendering through the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender initiative, collaborated with the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center for survivors of domestic violence and more, officials said.
The contract did not require APA! to operate a physical shelter or to provide spay and neuter services, vaccinations or microchipping.
The PRC was set to open a field office at the Hays County Courthouse on March 31 as part of the next phase of the project, according to a March 22 press release from Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra. Following the termination of the APA! contract at the commissioners meeting, the opening is now uncertain.
APA! does not have details regarding the use of the courthouse office space or any upcoming town halls. Town halls were initially planned to discuss the future location of the PRC, but it is unclear whether those meetings will proceed without APA!
What they’re saying
The termination of the contract came after discussion from commissioners and over 20 in-person and emailed public comments.
Some Hays County commissioners said they were uncertain about extending the contract because of community members pointing to local organizations for pet health and wellness services over APA! continuing to manage the PRC.
Some community members advocated for organizations such as Prevent a Littler of Central Texas, or PALS. Speakers voiced support for more funding of the organization, which provides various animal care services, such as low-cost and free spay and neuter services, vaccinations, microchipping, a monthly pet food pantry and more.
Jackie Davis, Hays County resident and Lost and Found Pets of Hays County volunteer, said the proximity and physical element of PALS is beneficial for pets and owners.
“We should really keep this local and it should not be outsourced to APA!,” Davis said in an emailed public comment. “We are a large community of animal lovers and only want what's best for them and our community members. This includes having an actual location to go to for pets' needs instead of doing everything virtually.”
PALS recently purchased a new hospital on 8401 Ranch Road 12, San Marcos and is hoping to expand services, including scheduled wellness appointments and programming, PALS President Lauren Foye said.
Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe said partnering with local organizations could be a good avenue to develop pet welfare in the county.
“I understand the need and the desire of maybe having the right size facility built because of programming, but I think that those efforts can be accomplished by working with our municipalities and local organizations,” she said. “I think that that is a direction that we really need to look at seriously.”
While some community members advocated for county funding to go towards PALS instead of APA! through the proposed contract, county officials said the funding was allocated specifically towards the Hays County Pet Resource Center. Any PALS funding in the future would have to be addressed in the upcoming budget cycle for fiscal year 2025-26.
Community members and representatives for APA! said the existence of the overcrowded San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter shows the need for additional support outside of local organizations.
Reyna Caraveo, marketing communications manager for the PRC, said systemic changes to pet welfare in Hays County cannot be done by one organization alone.
“The current state of animal welfare in Hays County, particularly the overcrowded animal shelter in San Marcos, demonstrates the inadequacy of existing local entities to affect systemic change,” she said. “The 2022 feasibility study clearly indicated that existing local entities alone cannot address the systemic issues plaguing animal welfare in Hays County.”
Becerra said the contract with the APA! would have addressed systemic issues with pet welfare as a whole, rather than only a brick-and-mortar approach.
In a Facebook post following the court meeting March 25, Becerra said the PRC was intended to involve multiple organizations.
“The truth is, this should never have been an either-or decision—collaboration was the key to success,” he said in the March 31 post. “... Additionally, it must be made clear that APA! was never intended to be the exclusive provider for animal services for Hays County. The PRC was designed to be an inclusive, collaborative effort while financially involving local entities.”
What else
Contract deliverables were also discussed during decisions to terminate the contract. Commissioner Walt Smith said he was concerned about APA! meeting deliverables outlined in the agreement, such as disclosing grant funding information, communications and distributing bilingual resources.
However, APA! officials said in a letter to the court that they refute claims they did not meet deliverables.
Regarding disclosure of funding, APA! was awarded a PetSmart grant for their national Human Animal Support Services team, which would fund HASS’ work to create systemic changes in animal welfare issues, such as sustaining a pet resource center, research, community engagement and more.
APA! officials said the grant would allow the organization to concentrate HASS programming resources to Hays County and “allow for highlighting the county’s PRC as an exceptional example of a forward-thinking government agency.” The grant was not awarded to Hays County, but to the APA! organization and would not obligate the county to anything, APA! officials said.
APA! officials said they communicated monthly with the court regarding deliverables and did not receive any notice that they were not meeting the contract agreements.
Regarding bilingual communications, while bilingual resources are listed in contract agreement through the scope of work, they are not part of the specific deliverables APA! would need to provide. The scope of work is an overall objective of the contract, but deliverables are the results the organization would need to produce, APA! officials said.
APA! said translation features in apps such as Facebook or newsletters are able to show user’s digital written material in their preferred language. Other printed materials distributed to Hays County, such as postcards and flyers, are available in English and Spanish, APA! officials said.
Becerra responded in the Facebook post March 31 regarding Smith’s concerns about the contract. Becerra said the county “failed” APA! in providing the organization adequate support for the PRC initiative, such as failing to give APA! microchip scanners and the county abandoning programs due to the contract termination.
The big picture
APA! began partnering with Hays County for the PRC in 2023. The decision followed a feasibility study that found a centrally located resource center would alleviate overcrowding at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter, as previously reported by Community Impact.
That means any pets and animals in the county that would go to the county’s San Marcos shelter would have to go to other shelters, which Hays County does not currently have. The San Marcos shelter has operated at the county’s sole intake shelter since 2008.
What’s next
Commissioner Morgan Hammer said she would like to see a possibility of working with APA! in some capacity in the future, but the contract had to be terminated first before renegotiations. APA! officials said they do not know if a future contract is guaranteed.
“While the future of a re-evaluated contract is uncertain, APA! remains dedicated to its overarching goal of ensuring that every companion animal has the chance for a better life,” APA! President and CEO Ellen Jefferson said.
The APA! and Hays County contract is set to expire April 26. Becerra said the county will now focus on "prioritizing shelter construction,” in the absence of APA!.
“While a shelter is necessary, it is not a solution on its own,” he said in the Facebook post. “Without the preventative programs that helped families keep their pets and supported local rescues, we are doomed to repeat past mistakes—an overcrowded shelter without long-term solutions.”
