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Levelland volunteers urge changes after shelter euthanasias; budget includes $50,000 feasibility study
Summary
Volunteers and rescue leaders told the council that poor shelter hours, limited volunteer access and breakdowns in communication contributed to animals being euthanized; the adopted FY2024–25 budget includes $50,000 for an animal-shelter feasibility study.
Dozens of Levelland residents used the public‑comment period to press the City Council for changes at the Levelland Animal Shelter, saying staffing and communication failures have reduced adoptions and led to needless deaths.
"It is the 18 puppies and 2 young dogs that were euthanized" that brings us here tonight, volunteer Carrie Love said, describing repeated attempts to place animals with rescues and foster homes. Other speakers asked for consistent open hours, better volunteer access and clearer protocols for rescue transfers.
"Puppies being killed," said Liz Farrell, co‑owner of the rescue From Texas With Love, summarizing frustration among community rescue partners who say prior committees and advisory efforts have not fixed the problem.
Speakers described several recurring problems at the shelter: posted hours when no staff are present, difficulty reaching staff by phone, limited volunteer access to walk animals and incomplete sanitation practices. Volunteers said those barriers reduce networking, slow adoption opportunities and increase the risk animals will be euthanized before a rescue or foster can take them.
City staff presenting the proposed FY2024–25 budget told the council the document includes a $50,000 allocation "for feasibility study to look at our animal shelter and ... prepare ourselves to build a new one" to evaluate location and other options. The council adopted the budget later in the meeting, which includes that funding.
Council did not take immediate operational action during the meeting beyond adopting the budget that contains the study allocation. Speakers at the meeting urged the council and staff to follow the study with concrete operational changes: guaranteed staffed hours, improved phone responses, clearer intake and rescue-transfer protocols, and expanded volunteer access.
Next steps: the council adopted the FY2024–25 budget (motion carried). The feasibility study funded in the budget is the next formal step mentioned on the record; volunteers said they will continue to push for protocol changes and operational commitments once the study begins.
