Dozens of Bastrop dogs saved days before renovations could have led to euthanasia

Bastrop County Animal Shelter issues call for adoptions on Aug. 29. (KXAN: Frank Martinez)

Posted: Sep 6, 2023 / 10:05 AM CDT

Updated: Sep 6, 2023 / 10:09 AM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Dozens of dogs at a Bastrop kennel were adopted or fostered out over the weekend ahead of a deadline that put some at risk for euthanasia.

The Bastrop County Animal Shelter told KXAN last week it was remodeling one of its largest kennels and needed to empty it by Tuesday. It said 49 dogs were at risk.

Take Me Home, which advocates for and helps coordinate transporting pets from “over-crowded shelters to no-kill shelters that have adoption wait lists,” told KXAN’s David Yeomans over the weekend it was prepared to send two vans to help pick up any dogs that hadn’t been adopted and take them out of state.

But, it said the Bastrop shelter told it that between an on-site event and another at a pet store in Austin, all the dogs were able to be adopted or fostered.

Wendy Ballard, the animal services coordinator at the Bastrop shelter, said all animals were relieved from the kennel through either adoption, pre-adoption, being moved to other kennels because pets in those were adopted out, or they were rescued or taken in by a foster home.

Ballard said a majority of the reason most of the animals were moved was because of KXAN coverage.

The numbers as of Monday morning are detailed below, per the shelter:

Dog outcomes since Thursday morning:
– 16 to foster
– 41 adoptions
– 7 left to rescue
– 6 tagged by rescue
Total: 70 Dogs

Cat outcomes since Thursday morning:
– 10 to foster
– 18 adoptions
– 1 left to rescue
– 1 tagged by rescue
Total: 30 Cats

Ballard added that the renovations were necessary to stop the spread of distemper, which has been “rampant” at the shelter.

“We would never want to euthanize an animal. We love these animals like they are our own. We truly do,” Ballard said.

“It is not just a remodel. These renovations are absolutely needed to help limit the spread of a disease that a lot of shelters are actually fighting right now – and that is distemper. Distemper is rampant right now and when you are an open intake shelter with outdated kennels, it is going to come through your doors and can easily spread like wildfire. The only way to avoid it spreading quickly is to make sure your kennels are sealed and painted properly,” Ballard added.