The Austin Animal Center is making adjustments to business hours due to COVID-related staffing shortages.
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Animal Center will be temporarily closed on Sundays due to staffing shortages brought on by COVID-19 and difficulty hiring.
Currently, about 20% of the center’s workforce is out related to COVID-19, and it currently has 28 open positions it is trying to fill.
“We don’t currently have a timeline. We would obviously prefer to remain open, so we will be reevaluating as we get more folks hired on and the virus works its way through,” Kelsey Cler, AAC’s marketing and communication program manager, said in an email.
AAC said its volunteers are amazing and have shown up day after day to help care for the animals in their care. Plus, the center is always looking for more volunteers!
“We continue to be overcapacity, so we’re asking the community to foster, adopt and advocate,” said Cler.
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If you find a loose pet, AAC says the best thing you can do is to try to find its owner by walking around the neighborhood and posting on Nextdoor and Facebook. Most pets are found very close to their homes and have a higher chance of being reunited with their families if they stay in the community. More tips can be found here.
If someone finds a sick or injured pet on a Sunday or believes their pet is at the shelter, they can call 311 or 512-974-2000 to be connected to an animal protection officer.
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