With three Austin City Council seats up for election on May 10, 2008, FixAustin.org has been contacted by countless Austinites asking the same question: Which candidates care most about Austin's homeless pets? After careful review of the candidates' records and responses to our questions, FixAustin.org has answered the call.
To view each candidate's responses to our questionnaire, click on the link for their name below.
Laura Morrison and Randi Shade
Two candidates rise above the rest when it comes to interest in, knowledge of, and passion for Austin's homeless pets: Laura Morrison and Randi Shade. Morrison fought the City's ill-conceived plan to relocate Austin's animal shelter from the shores of Town Lake, and intelligently engaged all stakeholders - including homeowners in East Austin - before reaching her own conclusions. Shade exhibits the intellect and passion needed to dramatically change the way Austin's pound does business. Morrison and Shade favor rebuilding Austin's pound on Town Lake, implementing programs that have ended shelter killing in other cities, and holding shelter management accountable for poor performance.
Allen Demling and Jason Meeker
Allen Demling and Jason Meeker scored impressively: both favor rebuilding Austin's pound on Town Lake rather than relocating it. Demling offers a thoughtful approach to animal-welfare issues, and Meeker is unafraid to take on shelter bureaucrats mired in the status quo.
Lee Leffingwell and Jennifer Kim
Incumbents Lee Leffingwell and Jennifer Kim have each demonstrated leadership on animal-welfare issues. Leffingwell brokered the "compromise" plan to move the animal shelter but keep part of it open as an adoption center, and Kim initiated Council action to regulate the sale of unaltered pets. But both voted to relocate Austin's shelter away from the heart of the City - a decision that will mean fewer visits to Austin's pound, fewer adoptions, and even more killing.
Cid Galindo favors not only relocating Austin's animal shelter away from downtown, but also eliminating Council's commitment to keep part of the shelter open as an adoption center. Galindo is an intelligent and thoughtful urban planner, but he sees no role for homeless dogs and cats in his vision for downtown Austin.