Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of speaker Alexx DeCrosta's name and to add her title as a former veterinarian of Harris County Pets Resource Center.

The possibility of making Harris County’s Veterinary Public Health division a standalone department was discussed by commissioners April 4 after members of the public alleged that animals are suffering in the county’s shelter.

What they’re saying: Multiple community members spoke in favor of making the county’s veterinary services department a standalone division.

“Almost every animal that leaves the shelter does so in a worse condition than when they arrived,” said Alexx DeCrosta, a former Harris County Pets Resource Center veterinarian, during the meeting. “Animals should not be doing better on the streets of Houston than in the care of veterinarians ... and in a multimillion-dollar facility brought to you by the taxpayer.”

How we got here: Currently, the county’s veterinary department is a branch of the Harris County Public Health department. HCPH Executive Director Barbie Robinson said her department has been working to improve operations at Harris County Pets. According to Robinson:

• In December, the shelter’s animal population surpassed capacity, but now the population is closer to capacity at 273 animals.
• The department’s live release rate—the percent of animals adopted or returned to owners vs. euthanized—is 95%.

“Animals are not being abused. ... We've made a lot of efforts to improve,” Robinson said.

What happened: After hearing public comment and speaking to HCPH, Harris County commissioners unanimously voted to:

• Request a presentation at the next commissioners court meeting—April 25—on whether the county’s veterinary department should be separated from HCPH;
• Direct the Office of the County Administration to conduct a compensation study and craft an incentive program for animal control employees; and
• Ask the Office of County Administration to assist HCPH in finding a Harris County pets director.

The details: An interim director has been leading the veterinary department while HCPH looks for a permanent leader.

“Just like other places in the country, this is a difficult position to fill,” Robinson said. “The current person that's in this job on an interim basis, quite frankly, does not want this job, even though they have the capacity.”

Zooming in: Commissioners have yet to make a decision on whether to split the veterinary department from HCPH, but Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey expressed support for the idea April 4.

“I think we've heard that a lot of entities out there are very, very concerned about what's happening,” Ramsey said.

Other commissioners were hesitant.

“I think there'd be a substantial cost to setting up a stand-alone operation at a time when, obviously, we have more than our normal share of fiscal challenges,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said.