Dallas Animal Shelter showing improvements

The vibe at Wednesday morning's Dallas Animal Shelter briefing was as warm and fuzzy at times as the kitten and dog photos in the City Council presentation. That hasn't been the case in recent years.Previously, talk of the shelter might have turned to alienated staff, the indictment of a top shelter official, inadequate animal care or the dismal euthanasia rate. Today, the numbers at least appear to be moving in the right direction.

The shelter set a record for numbers of adoptions (4,771) for the 2011-12 fiscal year – 2,000 more than a year earlier. The shelter took in about 1,000 fewer animals than the previous year, but calls for service have been steadyDallas' live release rate increased from 28.4 percent to 33.9 percent, which is another record for the shelter. That number includes adoptions, returns to owners and animals taken in by private groups.

If you flip that number, that still mean that nearly two-thirds of the animals are euthanized, but that's a significant improvement. That live release rate was as low as 19 percent in 2007-08.That rate was even better in December when it increased to 53.6 percent and 677 animals were adopted, both new records.Council member Delia Jasso praised animal services manager Jody Jones, the Dallas Animal Services Commission and others who have worked to turn around the shelter in the past few year. Jasso helped organize the Dallas Loves Animals advisory committee to promote responsible pet ownership.