El Paso Animal Services reports 1,930 January intakes, pilots post‑adoption app and highlights outreach

El Paso Animal Services reported 1,930 animals taken into custody in January and a live‑release rate of 89%, officials told the El Paso Animal Services Advisory Committee on Feb. 12.

The figures were part of the department’s monthly operations report delivered by Terry Kepschel, who presented intake and outcome data and field‑service metrics. Kepschel said January’s 1,930 intakes included 1,534 strays and 115 owner surrenders. He told the committee the shelter completed 665 adoptions in January and had about 2,456 animals in foster care — roughly half of those “foster to adopt” cases awaiting final surgeries.

The committee heard details on causes and outcomes. Kepschel said owner‑requested euthanasia appears to have increased; one slide listed 21 such requests while outcome slides later referenced 47 owner‑requested outcomes (the transcript shows both figures). He said the principal reasons for owner‑requested euthanasia were aggressive behavior toward people or other animals and, in some older animals, medical conditions the owner could not afford. Kepschel also said the department recorded 167 shelter euthanasias in January, with behavior and owner request among the leading reasons. “Owner‑requested euthanasia is…