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Dallas Animal Services reports FY25 results, says recent distemper outbreak contained; staff to present draft community cat ordinance in November
Summary
Director Paul Romain presented fiscal year 2025 performance figures to the commission, citing increased cat intake, decreased dog intake (affected by SIRDC and distemper outbreaks), higher spay/neuter volumes, expanded foster use, and ongoing suspected-animal-cruelty caseloads. Staff said a draft community cat ordinance will go to the Quality of
Dallas Animal Services (DAS) presented fiscal year 2025 outcomes, explained how two infectious outbreaks affected shelter operations, and introduced a draft community cat ordinance that staff plans to take to the Quality of Life Committee Nov. 17 and then to City Council in December.
Paul Romain, director of Dallas Animal Services, gave a Q4/fiscal-year roll-up of performance measures. He said DAS exceeded its vaccine-clinic goal and substantially exceeded its subsidized spay/neuter goal: the shelter reported 4,127 subsidized spay/neuter surgeries compared with a goal of 2,000. Romain said dog intake decreased about 16% year over year while cat intake increased about 26%, and that combined intake was down roughly 5% overall. Romain attributed much of the decline in dog intake and several operational constraints to two outbreaks (SIRDC and a distemper outbreak) that reduced capacity and required isolation and other disease-control measures.
Romain said the shelter—achieved improvements in some outcomes despite the outbreaks. He noted the live-release rate for dogs increased 2%, cat live outcomes increased, and that emergency measures such as foster-to-adopt and transport partnerships helped reduce on-site crowding. DAS reported 7,283 animals were fostered in the fiscal year and that volunteers accounted for 5,645 hours, which the department estimated saved the city roughly $189,000.
On suspected-animal-cruelty cases, staff said DAS supports Dallas Police Department investigations by providing housing, transport and veterinary care; DAS takes custody on seizure or court order and coordinates forensics with Operation Kindness veterinarians. Romain said DAS received more than 2,600 animals in cruelty-related cases in the fiscal year and noted that average length of stay for cruelty victims varies from one to more than 30 days depending on investigatory and court processes.
Victoria Bennett, assistant director, described a proposed community cat ordinance that would add definitions and establish a community cat program in Chapter 7 of the city code. The draft would allow humane management and create procedures to address nuisance colonies and to reduce community-cat-related complaints. Staff said the proposal and draft language are in the meeting packet; they will take the ordinance to Quality of Life Committee on Nov. 17 and, if approved there, bring it to City Council in December.
Romain also said DAS is preparing an RFP seeking an external partner to assume responsibilities related to suspected-animal-cruelty support, and that the procurement submission was in final review. He listed staffing and operational steps to reduce overtime and capacity pressure and highlighted recent hires and pending offers, including a new assistant general manager for medical services.
Why it matters: The report shows how infectious disease outbreaks and rising community cat intake have influenced capacity and operations at DAS, and it previews the city-level policy change staff plans to propose to manage community cats humanely while addressing nuisance complaints.
Provenance: Director Paul Romain—presentation began during the director—report and closed before rounds and public questions.
