El Paso animal shelter reports record March adoptions, expands clinic partnerships

Interim director Michael Wman delivered the March director’s report to the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee, saying the department saw record adoptions, modest increases in citations and expanded veterinary partnerships.

"I'm the interim director for El Paso Animal Services and this is the director's report," Michael Wman said as he opened a slide presentation that covered field operations, shelter intake, behavior, medical services, marketing and community programs. He told the committee the shelter took in roughly 24,471 animals this year versus 24,466 last year and that calls received in March were down about 4 percent while citations rose to 1,239 — a roughly 13 percent increase.

Wman emphasized operations that aim to reduce unnecessary impounds and improve outcomes. He highlighted a new partnership with K9 Warriors, a Florida-based nonprofit with a San Antonio intake point, saying the group "believe[s] they can take up to 10 to 15 animals per month" for placement or service-animal tracks. Wman also described a revamped relationship with the El Paso Veterinary Medical Association, expanding low-cost surgeries through nine local clinics and moving toward a goal of roughly 50 public surgeries per week via partner clinics.

The presentation credited behavior interventions and foster-program improvements for declines in behavior-related euthanasia (March 2025: 46; March 2026: 34) and a 36 percent drop in foster failure-to-thrive cases. Social and volunteer outreach also increased: the department reported 6,764 volunteer hours in March (a 22 percent increase), 31 outreach events, five mobile adoption events and more than 460,000 social impressions that staff said helped reunify animals and increase adoptions.

Committee members pressed staff on intake from other jurisdictions and the shelter's role under interlocal agreements. Wman said about 14.1 percent of March intakes came from outside city limits and that roughly 20 percent of animals in the shelter at a given time may be from other jurisdictions. Staff explained that neighboring municipalities and the county compensate the city under interlocal agreements when the city accepts animals they cannot house.

Several members raised wildlife-handling concerns. When asked whether wildlife — including roosters, chickens, skunks and raccoons — are relocated, Wman replied that disposition depends on species and condition: some are adopted, some can be released if healthy, but others are "humanely euthanized" and, when needed, submitted to the state for rabies testing. The committee discussed whether state statutes and commercial trapping licenses apply within city limits and agreed to research statutory details for a future meeting.

Members also asked about the county's planned shelter; Wman said public information indicated a possible county facility timeline extending toward 2029 but stressed he did not represent the county and had no definitive schedule. Questions about zip-code and district tracking were answered with district-level notes that Districts 2 and 3 account for high call volumes; staff said they track zip-code data but do not present it in the regular director's slide set.

Committee member Barbara praised staff for recent operations, including a large spay/neuter “Swayathon,” saying the event required long shifts and complex logistics. "Your team was just so awesome in doing that for everyone," she said.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken; the committee adjourned after a voice motion carried. The committee also received a procedural reminder about Texas Health and Safety Code §823.005 on advisory-committee meeting frequency and in-person attendance requirements for boards and commissions.

Next steps noted in the meeting record included continued tracking of surgery volumes and partner clinic locations, follow-up on transfer outcomes with partner organizations on request, and committee review of relevant state statutes on trapping and wildlife disposition.