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Highland Village updates animal-shelter operations; city halts routine surrenders after Parvo outbreaks and contract concerns
Summary
City staff briefed council on animal-shelter operations, including shelter capacity, a halted surrender policy, parvovirus outbreaks, contract arrangements with All American Dogs, and shelter improvement plans. A resident urged the city to hire its own kennel technician amid concerns about the external contractor.
The Highland Village City Council received a detailed update Feb. 11 on the city's animal-shelter operations, capacity, contracts and recent policy changes. City staff described operational changes made after disease outbreaks and reviewed shelter staffing, budget items and capital improvements.
City staff said the municipal shelter, in service since 2002, operates under a lease for the facility and currently has kennel capacity for up to 10 dogs and 14 cats. The shelter is inspected annually under state law and has an animal shelter advisory committee that meets at least three times a year. Staff reported the animal-services budget is approximately $233,574 — about 4% of the police department's budget allocation — and noted a contract line for shelter services that was budgeted at roughly $53,000 per year, with the actual contract figure presented in the briefing.
Staff described several operational changes made in 2024 after three parvovirus outbreaks occurred in the shelter. To reduce disease risk and overcrowding, the city suspended routine owner surrenders in March 2024 and limited shelter occupancy at times to about 50 percent while prioritizing stray and lost-animal intake. Staff reported that in one recent year the shelter took in about 83 animals and returned 55 of them to their owners. The city also said it had stopped routinely transferring animals to one external provider that had previously taken surrendered animals.
Officials discussed how the shelter uses software that uploads animal intake entries to rescuegroups.org and to social media outlets to speed reunions and adoptions. Staff described a volunteer auxiliary program and plans to use donation funds and city budget for capital work, including upgrading cat kennels (an estimate presented for replacement was approximately $17,000) and improvements to turf, shade and fencing. Staff noted the facility is jointly owned with the building owner and that any structural changes require the owner's approval.
During public comment, resident Martha Perlmutter urged the city to hire its own kennel technician rather than rely on an outside provider. Perlmutter told council she believed All American Dogs was under investigation by the Texas Veterinary Board and had experienced a DEA license suspension for euthanasia medication; those assertions were presented during public comment and attributed to the speaker. Council members asked staff to place the question of additional animal-control staffing on a future agenda for discussion.
City staff said they continue to inspect and clean the facility, have added a towel laundry service and made HVAC upgrades after past issues, and that the shelter remains able to accept emergency surrenders in critical cases. Staff emphasized the priority of returning lost pets to owners and described an ongoing effort to balance disease prevention, capacity and humane treatment.
