DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 3 TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
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Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing for permitless carry of a handgun in Texas.
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Students discuss their feelings about Juneteeth’s recognization as a federal holiday.
Sports
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Life&Arts
News
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UT is still working to implement campus changes one year removed from athletes’ demands.
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UT researchers create technologies to better aid stroke survivors By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_
When bilingual people lose the ability to speak due to brain damage from a stroke or head injury, deciding which language will be easier to relearn can be a guessing game. Now, UT researchers can better determine which language people will recover more easily. UT and Boston University researchers created a brain simulation that predicts rehabilitation outcomes for bilingual patients experiencing language loss due to aphasia, according to their study published May 18. “Once you understand their language background and how impaired they are, the model can predict how
(many) improvements the person is going to make if they received therapy,” said Swathi Kiran, director of Boston University’s Aphasia Research Laboratory and lead author of the study. Kiran said her team assessed the patient’s relationship with each language and determined the severity of communication loss based on the patients’ history. Uli Grasemann, a computer science research scientist at UT, said UT researchers then created a neural network model of the brain, which was able to simulate the brain’s response to therapy in English and Spanish. Combined with Kiran’s research, this could determine which language was more effective.
Kiran said she and her team have studied strokes and aphasia for over 20 years, hoping to improve a person’s ability to speak, read and write while experiencing aphasia. “Before people even get (speech) therapy, can you say which language someone should receive the language in?” Kiran said. “If the therapist speaks English, they’re more likely to get therapy in English, and if the therapist speaks Spanish, then they will ask the patient if they want to get therapy in Spanish.” Kiran said her team decided to work with Hispanic stroke survivors because there is an increasing population of Hispanic people in the U.S. that are underserved in treatments. Kiran said in the past, there have been situations where
patients have received therapy in a language that is not the most effective for their recovery. Kiran said the new technology is in clinical trials. If approved, they will then take the model’s predictions and treat the patients based on the language that will be relearned more effectively. Risto Miikkulainen, a professor of computer science at UT, said in the future, the model could be customized more for each patient. “It’s a part of a bigger future trend of personalized medicine, that we are not just treating everybody (equally), but we are looking at the individual makeup and personalized the treatment,” Mikkulainen said.
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COLA should create a mentorship program to better support underrepresented students.
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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
COLUMN
OPINION
‘I’m capable of doing it, too’ College of Liberal Arts, create a mentoring program for underrepresented students. By Maria Sailale Associate Editor
’m currently convinced I’m going to be a lawyer, and while I’m genuinely excited about the prospect of going to law school, I admit that I’ve fallen into the trap of pigeonholing myself into a select few career paths because I haven’t been exposed to much else. As college students, one of our biggest concerns is figuring out what we’re going to do after we graduate. Settling for supposedly secure careers can seem like the safest option. This is especially true for marginalized students who lack the support and representation they need to pursue a broader range of careers. Within the College of Liberal Arts, specifically, underrepresented students can feel additional pressure to pursue what they perceive to be more practical fields. But students shouldn’t
LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
feel like they need to restrict their interests in order to be successful after graduation. To better support underrepresented students, COLA should implement a mentoring program. Connecting students with mentors would help expose them to opportunities they may not otherwise be aware of and give them role models that embolden them to pursue a more diverse set of careers. Mmeso Onuoha, an economics and African and African diaspora studies senior, shared how beneficial she thinks a COLA mentoring program could be for minority students. “(Mentorship) programs would provide us with some sort of guidance or, at the very least, the knowledge that we’re not alone,” Onuoha said. On this campus of 50,000 people, it can feel as if everyone is on their own individual path and that we should already be sure about the people we’re going to become. In reality, many of us are trying to manage the expectations we have for ourselves with the measures of success that have been instilled in us by our families, friends and an unrelenting society. Pairing students with mentors such as older peers, faculty members and professionals with similar interests and backgrounds can alleviate the notion that we have to go
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juwon yoo
through college and overcome obstacles alone. Monique Pikus, COLA’s director of diversity and organizational climate, confirmed that no such program currently exists. “(Mentorship) benefits all students by helping them build community and making this huge campus feel more personal,” Pikus said. While some mentoring programs already exist, such as the Freshman Research Initiative and Horns Helping Horns, they aren’t accessible to all students. Pikus said despite there being various programs out there, if you’re not a part of that college, you may not have access to it. An initiative that includes all of COLA, however, would help more students feel more supported and valued by the University. Mentoring can not only provide valuable guidance for career development, but it can also validate the experiences of students who might not feel like they belong in certain fields.
/ the daily texan staff
“It would be nice to know that someone in the world is like, ‘I see you,’” Onuoha said. While an initiative of this magnitude would require a lot of resources and effort on the part of the administration, the rewards for underrepresented students would be immeasurable. “I think over time it will be feasible,” Pikus said. “I don’t necessarily think, you know, that next year we could open it up to all the students in COLA. But (we can) take a gradual approach of trying to expand on it, especially for students who may not have mentoring opportunities,” It’s a discomforting prospect to think that in becoming a lawyer, I would be entering into one of the most elitist and least diverse fields. It would be reassuring to know that someone has done it before me, and that I’m capable of doing it, too. Sailale is an international relations and global studies junior from Dallas, Texas.
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NEWS
HANNAH WILLIFORD
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News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
UNIVERSITY
UT celebrates inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Summit Virtual summit hosts conversations on Black experience in America and spreads awareness about the holiday. By Kaushiki Roy @kaushikiroy3
T faculty, politicians and historians spoke about the significance of Juneteenth and the wealth, housing and education inequities Black Americans still face today at the University’s inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Summit held virtually on June 19. Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, celebrates June 19, 1865, when over 2,000 Union troops brought the news to Galveston Bay that the federal government abolished slavery. The 250,000 formerly enslaved people celebrated with their own independence day. The summit was hosted by Peniel Joseph, a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Some of the key speakers included Richard Reddick, associate dean for equity, community engagement and outreach, and Keffrelyn Brown, professor of cultural studies in education. During the virtual summit, guest speakers talked about the history of Juneteenth, the present state of the Black experience in America and what changes can be made in the future. “I wanted the center to host a flagship event for us that would be annual, looking at both the history, but also our present and our future,” Joseph said. “We’d be thinking about racial justice in a panoramic way.” Brown said because she grew up in Texas, she has always been familiar with Juneteenth but was especially glad the day has received more exposure through the years. “Growing up, I didn’t learn about
(Juneteenth) in school,” Brown said. “I always thought of it as something that Black people in Texas celebrated since no one outside knew about it.” Joseph said he did not know of any other faculty-led organizations that held a commemorative event for Juneteenth. He said even though Texas has recognized the day for over 40 years, the celebrations can come with mixed emotions. “I think that to celebrate the day, you have to celebrate why the day exists and there might have been some reticence and a lack of one wanting to celebrate in fear of having a full breadth of conversation,” said Azeem Edwin, student body president at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Edwin, a local policy and law graduate student, said while the Juneteenth Freedom Summit is a step toward achieving racial equality and awareness on campus, it is not the end of the fight for students of color. “Every moment you have to think about the fact that you have to fight for your seat is a moment that you don’t get to think about being a regular student,” Edwin said. “That burden is placed on students of color to always feel like they have to prove themselves and always be involved in technical committees.” Brown also said the University has a long way to go to help students of color feel welcome and fully integrated on campus. Joseph said he plans to conduct the Juneteenth event in person next year and expand it from two hours to half a day. He hopes the Juneteenth Freedom Summit can become an annual occurrence, raising awareness among people who attend. “The University has to engage in ongoing work, making sure that students of color feel comfortable and … like they belong,” Brown said. “This is one small symbol towards a larger cultural change.”
copyright kaushiki roy, and reproduced with permission
Peniel Joseph is a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He hosted the Juneteenth Freedom Summit on June 19.
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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
NEWS
STATE
safety advocates, professors react to new texas gun law By Marisa Huerta @_marisahuerta
jenny devico
/ the daily texan staff
LEAVE NO TRACE:
DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY
Visiting an outdoor space in Austin? Trashcans aren’t always nearby. Remember to bring bags and reusable containers so you can pack out all trash, pet waste, and leftover food. austintexas.gov/leavenotrace
CW: Discussions gun violence, death.
of
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 1927 on June 16, allowing for permitless carry of a handgun in Texas. The decision occurred four days after a mass shooting on Sixth Street, spurring conversations among gun safety advocates. Also known as the “constitutional carry” law, the bill allows any individual over the age of 21 to carry a handgun, concealed or openly, without a license or permit as long as they do not have past criminal convictions or felonies. The bill goes into effect Sept. 1. On June 12, a mass shooting occurred on Sixth Street in downtown Austin, injuring 15 bystanders, one of whom died the next day. Marketing senior Sophia Scott was on Sixth Street with friends the night of the incident, when she was told to leave the bar early. She said there were more police than normal outside, and described people as “frantic.”
“I just feel like there’s an obvious tie between gun violence and non-restrictive gun laws,” Scott said. “I don’t know why they’re giving people easier access to weapons when they can go and do things like this.” Opponents of the bill say it perpetuates gun violence in Texas, and incidents like the one in Austin are more likely to occur with less restrictive gun measures. Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, said with the passage of HB 1927, there is a high likelihood of repercussions for law enforcement. “Our concern is that this change will make the jobs for our law enforcement officers more difficult and more dangerous,” Lawrence said. Edwin Dorn, a professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs, said the legislature is moving in the wrong direction by refusing to concede the relationship between guns and gun killings. “Our preoccupation with guns is a distinctly American sickness,” Dorn said. “No other advanced industrial society believes that people ought to have virtually unlimited access
to any kind of gun they want or that they ought to be able to carry it almost any place they want to carry. One result of that sickness is one of the highest gun fatality rates in the world.” Dorn also said the bill will have detrimental effects on public safety, especially impacting students, faculty and other visitors on campus. “What the legislature has done is make the state less safe,” Dorn said. “What we have right now is a situation in which you or I can stroll into a tailgate party during a fall football game, carrying a handgun, and blow away a dozen people before anybody can react. That is a frightening and stupid situation for legislature to have put us in.” Following the shooting on Sixth Street, Mayor Steve Adler tweeted that greater access to guns did not equal better public safety. “APD and the City Council have initiated multiple violence prevention efforts in responsebut this crisis requires a broader, coordinated response from all levels of government,” Adler said in the tweet.
LIFE&ARTS
JENNIFER ERRICO
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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
STUDENT LIFE
‘We need to learn’: individuals talk Juneteenth significance UT student and alumnus share feelings about Juneteenth’s history and recent federal holiday status. illustration by destiny alexander
By Morgan-Taylor Thomas & Sofia Trevino @mtthomas_ @sofiacis_7
organ Flowers celebrated Juneteenth for the first time by watching TV and receiving gifts from his friends. “Until recently, it was more of an acknowledgment within my family,” UT alumnus Flowers said. “We knew the history of the emancipation of African Americans, but I think (Juneteenth) has a lot of deception associated with it because it’s a holiday based on free people not knowing they’re free.” Juneteenth is the commemoration of army officials landing in Galveston Bay in 1865 to tell the last enslaved people they were free and had been free since the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Over 150 years later, the momentous occasion is honored through festivals and museums nationwide. However, there are still disparities with Juneteenth and people’s knowledge of the holiday. Although well known throughout the Black community, Gaila Sims, American studies graduate student, said because Juneteenth
/ the daily texan staff started as a regional holiday for Texas, in the past, many people outside of the Black community may not have realized the history and importance behind the holiday. However, in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the murder of George Floyd, she said Juneteenth has become more widely recognized. “We’re (now) grappling with the legacies of slavery in ways that are more vocal,” Sims said. “Juneteenth represents this really important moment where enslavement ended, but it also represents the fact that legacies of slavery still reverberate in the United States.” Flowers believes the holiday to be disingenuous. He said giving everyone a day off work does not truly celebrate the emancipation of an oppressive system. “If the government wanted to do something equivalent to the emancipation of Black people, they would put forth some laws and reforms that would actually help Black people,” Flowers said. “Instead of a national holiday, let’s expunge records of nonviolent drug offenses, or divert money from the police, or roll out reparations to the Black people who built this country; I would rather have that than a holiday.”
Flowers said he feels like the impact of Juneteenth is diluted by Eurocentrism and conservatism in America. “Celebrating the end of slavery is great, but it doesn’t mean anything if (the government) isn’t going to do anything meaningful to constitute and promote that liberation,” Flowers said. On June 15, Gov. Greg Abbott banned the teaching of critical race theory in all K-12 Texas classrooms, making it unlawful to teach Juneteenth in the curriculum. “The hypocrisy is ridiculous,” Flowers said. “Let’s celebrate the end of slavery, but let’s enact laws to forbid the teachings of racial frameworks and critical race theory. A holiday isn’t going to solve the problems caused by years of enslavement and oppression.” Sims said through education and the right legislation, there are a lot of steps non-Black people can take when it comes to honoring the holiday. “Obviously, enslaved folks weren’t allowed to vote, so we need to make sure that the legacies of people trying to help Black folks
vote a r e honored and that voting rights become more entrenched in our country,” Sims said. “There’s documentaries, podcasts, photo essays and all other sorts of ways to access this information.” Flowers said social media is also a strong tool to spread awareness and access information that isn’t available in the education system. “I never learned about Juneteenth (in school). I thought it was just passed down by word of mouth by my family,” Flowers said. “But that’s the problem isn’t it? We let the people in power whitewash our history leaving us uneducated about (topics like) slavery, oppression and the 13th Amendment. We need to learn, that’s the only way to break this cycle of ignorance.”
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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
LIFE&ARTS
CITY
Forbidden Fruit provides pro-sex, empowering, safe space By Michelle Facio @michelleefacio
Every day when he goes into work, Jonny Reynolds gets to be a leader, community activist and educator. He works at Forbidden Fruit, one of Austin’s local sex shops, as the general manager and sex workshop coordinator. “The idea behind our workshop series is to put that education out in the community,” Reynolds said. “We usually cover things that people might not be comfortable talking about with their friends, so we offer that space so they can talk to us.” Fifty-eight percent of Texas school districts take an abstinence-only approach to sex education, and 25% don’t include sex education in their curriculum, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.
We usually cover things that people might not be comfortable talking about, so we offer that space so they can talk to us.” JONNY REYNOLDS general manager and sex workshop coordinator
Fifty-nine percent of high school students reported going to college as virgins and, without any guidance, said they feel intimidated by sex. Brooke Rader, an alumna and pro-sex advocate, believes that sex education can help everyone feel safer and more comfortable with their sexuality and sexual experiences. “I think it’s important to promote sexual wellness in the community, especially when so many sexual topics are still considered taboo to some people,” Rader said. “Texas doesn’t exactly have the best sex ed programs in schools, so a lot of people here go into it unsure of how everything works.” Forbidden Fruit has been voted Austin’s No. 1 sex shop for 23 years by the Austin Chronicle and is co-owned by sisters Lynn and Jere Raridon. “I’ve always been a big believer and proponent of education and knowledge, so I came up with the idea of holding our first workshop with other members of the sex-positive community,” Lynn said. “Discovering Your Dominance” was the first workshop at Forbidden Fruit, focusing on subjects relating to bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism safety and awareness. Many subsequent workshops followed, featuring local sexual health professionals and experts such as Cay Crow, a certified sex therapist.
copyright jonathan reynolds, and reproduced with permission
Forbidden Fruit is a local Austin sex shop that strives to create a sex-positive environment. It’s been voted Austin’s No. 1 sex shop for 23 years by the Austin Chronicle.
“Back then, BDSM and things like that were still incredibly taboo, but people were curious about it so we took initiative in teaching them about it,” Lynn said. Since launching the sex workshops in 1995, the shop has held classes on topics ranging from intimacy enhancement, sex toy safety and discovering your sexuality. According to Reynolds, their most recent workshops included lessons on prostate stimulation and pegging. Reynolds said Forbidden Fruit welcomes everyone into their store, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. Reynolds encourages the use of non-gendered language in the store to help shoppers feel safe as they explore. “When we come up with ideas for workshops, we take into
account what people are asking questions about when they come into the store,” Reynolds said. “If you’re a trans dude that’s looking for a packer, I’ve got you covered. If you’re a trans woman that’s looking for clothing to make you feel more comfortable, I’ve got you covered.” Reynolds said Forbidden Fruit has been “keeping Austin kinky” for 40 years and will resume their workshop series this fall after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. “What I want people to know is that when you walk into Forbidden Fruit, we see you as a person to educate, not just a dollar bill,” Reynolds said. “Your sexual health is not dependent on your consumerism. We want to teach people about what they want to do and how to do it safely.”
SPORTS
C A R T E R YAT E S
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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
UNIVERSITY
Charge for change continues After year of reckoning, student-athletes discuss UT’s response to demands. By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16
he University has made progress in the past year responding to the demands of its football team for a more diverse and welcoming campus, but many requests were either categorically denied or are suffering from slow implementation. While the topic that has garnered the most coverage over the past year is the school’s decision to keep “The Eyes of Texas” as the alma mater after appointing a committee to examine the history and context of the song, there have been several key developments in other areas of the athletes’ requests. UT renamed the Physics, Math and Astronomy Building, erected a statue of Julius Whittier, the first Black letterman on the Texas football team, and changed the name of Joe Jamail Field to Campbell-Williams Field after the University’s two Heisman Trophy winners. The University has added required educational modules with
information from The Eyes of Texas History Committee report, wrote Katie Sullivan, UT’s manager of communications, in an email. The changes didn’t come just as a result of the football team, however. Logan Eggleston, a junior outside hitter on the volleyball team and the 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year, served on The Eyes of Texas committee and also helped write the script for the team’s Black Lives Matter video, which was published on the Texas volleyball Twitter account. “I am extremely proud of the way the Texas athletes used their voices and platforms last summer to bring attention to issues they saw and to provide ways to make our campus a better, more inclusive place,” Eggleston wrote in an email. “The list of demands was the first major step in the change happening on campus.” Many of the projects the University agreed to take on are still in the implementation process. University spokesperson J.B. Bird, through emailed correspondence with the Texan, wrote that the Heman M. Sweatt statue at the entrance of T.S.
jack myer
/ the daily texan file
The Texas football team runs onto the field at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the Orange-White Spring Game on April 24, 2021.
Painter Hall will take about two to five years to complete as administration listens to input from all the key stakeholders. UT is also working on several statues honoring the first Black undergraduates on the East Mall of campus, although an exact timeline was not provided. There are some areas where the University has not granted the requests of their athletes. “The Eyes of Texas,” as previously mentioned, is still the alma mater, while Painter Hall, the Littlefield monuments and Hogg Memorial Auditorium were not renamed. Texas Athletics is also not planning on donating 0.5% of their annual earnings to the Black Lives Matter movement, as originally requested, but Texas athletics director Chris Del
Conte said the University plans to financially aid “worthy university programs.” “There also will be a multimillion-dollar commitment from athletics revenue to worthy university programs that work to recruit, attract, retain and support Black students,” Del Conte said in emailed correspondence with the Texan. According to Bird, UT has allotted $250,000 a year for the next five years to the African and African Diaspora Studies department and $100,000 a year for the next five years for a microgrants program for student-athletes to effect positive social change. In addition, $25,000 is allocated for outreach efforts and social change opportunities across all University bands. After a year of seismic
change at the University spurred by student-athletes, student body Vice President Ethan Williams said he wants to make sure UT doesn’t get bogged down by a checklist. Williams, who is from Minneapolis, said the flagship university needs to increase their outreach to underrepresented communities across Texas, as the athletes originally requested. “I want to ensure that we’re looking into seeing how we can better underrepresented and marginalized students’ experiences,” Williams said. “It’s not just a bullet point, it’s not just a checklist. It’s ensuring that we’re attacking it from a multitude of different arenas, (ensuring) that we have increased investments and recruitment towards BIPOC communities in Texas.”
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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
SPORTS
STATE
New law allows Longhorn athletes to profit off name, image, likeness By Nathan Han @NathanHan13
In May 2020, Axios data suggested former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger could have potentially earned $962,000 off of his social media annually. Charli Collier, a former Texas women’s basketball center, could have also earned thousands of dollars. Now, Texas’ next generation of future stars will soon be able to reap those rewards and profit off their name, image and likeness. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1385 on June 14, allowing college athletes in Texas to earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness from outside businesses. In August 2020, Texas Athletics launched LEVERAGE, a program dedicated to helping Longhorn student-athletes maximize their brand potentials and make use of their names, images and likenesses. “I want to reassure and remind Longhorn Nation that we are prepared and have been actively engaging our student-athletes and staff for this new era of college athletics,” Chris Del Conte, vice president and director of athletics, said in his June 14 statement. “With our LEVERAGE initiative, a part of the 4Ever Texas program, our student-athletes
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan file
After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1385 on June 14, college athletes in Texas will be allowed to earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness.
have access to first-in-class resources and education on personal branding and brand management, business formation and entrepreneurship, opportunity management and financial literacy.” Now, Longhorn student-athletes will be able to take advantage of the LEVERAGE program when the law goes into effect July 1, especially some of the highest profile Texas student-athletes, which does not just include the star quarterback. Junior outfielder Lauren Burke has over 300,000 followers on TikTok, and senior linebacker DeMarvion
Overshown has over 75,000. Last Thursday, Overshown posted an image on Twitter which made rounds among college athletes on social media, that aims to capitalize off the new name, image and likeness law. “Any local companies that want to use my social media or want me to do commercials to brand themselves, my DM is open,” Overshown said on Twitter. The bill’s impact can also be seen from the top down, including for some of Texas’ lower-profile athletes. “Our imaginations are like, we’re going to see Sam
(Ehlinger) … selling SUVs on TV, but it also means … walk-on rowers who give the school 50 hours a week … can go get a job,” Tolga Ozyurtcu, an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, said to the Texan in August 2020, when the NCAA first voted to begin changing name, image and likeness opportunities for student-athletes. Under current NCAA rules, student-athletes are banned from receiving any sort of compensation other than scholarships for playing college sports. With the
introduction of the Texas law, student-athletes could be paid for anything from product endorsements, training lessons or autograph sessions, but direct payment from a college or university is still banned. Also included in the bill, which overwhelmingly passed in the Texas Senate and House, is a required literacy workshop at the beginning of the first and third academic years. Texas is the 19th state to pass such a law, partly spurred by an effort to stay competitive with other states on the recruiting side. According to the Austin American-Statesman, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, state Rep. Matt Krause “was adamant that the bill was necessary to keep Texas in step with other states on the legislation, fearing a failure to pass the bill would harm recruiting for in-state schools.” Texas is one such school poised to earn a recruiting advantage from the new law with its prominent social media brand. Among all college athletics accounts, Texas is the fourth most-followed on four main platforms, and Texas’ football account generated the most interactions in May. Now, Texas student-athletes will finally be able to profit off of that brand legally, as well as their own.
COMICS
DESTINY ALEXANDER
11
Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS TUES, JUNE 22, 2021
Typical Tuesday by Mallory Irion
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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
LIFE&ARTS
CITY
Austin Animal Center faces overcrowding, seeks fosters By Andreana Lozano @andreanalozano
For Erin Coleman, a day at the Austin Animal Center means monitoring and bottle feeding dozens of kittens and puppies. As animals accumulate, however, space decreases. “We are getting more animals in than we are able to get out,” said Don Bland, chief animal services officer for the city of Austin, during the Austin Animal Advisory Commission’s June 14 meeting. The Austin Animal Center took in 1,061 animals during the month of May alone and has already taken in 969 animals as of June 21, according to the city of Austin. Staff members at the center are calling for community support as more animals come in and space runs out. Bland said the large number of intakes is the result of two factors: increased travel and kitten season, which is an influx of kitten births between April and October. As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, more people are leaving their homes and are more likely to stumble upon stray or lost cats and dogs, Bland said. Coleman, the primary veterinary technician for the center’s kitten nursery, said people often bring healthy stray kittens to the shelter. Coleman emphasized that kittens’ survival chances decrease by 50% when separated from their mothers too soon. “If you find little tiny kittens and they’re chubby, chunky (and) healthy
looking, please try to leave them where they are,” Coleman said. “That means that their mom is still taking care of them.” Marisa Ledesma, senior pet resource center specialist, said another issue is that a wandering animal may not be lost, just loose. “Statistically, animals are found within 200 yards of their home, so we want people, once they find an animal, not to just bring it straight away to the shelter, but to walk it around the neighborhood or post it on social media, on your Nextdoor pages, stuff like that,” Ledesma said. “Once the animal gets here, that makes it more difficult … for the owner to come in and reclaim it.” In addition to facing an increase in animal intake, the Austin Animal Center faces a staff and volunteer shortage, a problem Bland said is primarily caused by COVID-19. Due to coronavirus-related capacity limits, Bland said they had to let go of all volunteers for several months.
“It was painful, because we were having to do a lot of this stuff that we relied on volunteers to do, and it was painful for the volunteers because they enjoy coming here and helping out and they weren’t able to do that.” Bland said the center needs more volunteers, but even more importantly, it needs people willing to foster animals in their own homes. Foster homes offer a less stressful environment for the animals, he said. Radio-television-film junior Samantha Ward said she has been fostering dogs since eighth grade. “It’s a great experience to be able to give a dog a home that might have not been given a chance before,” Ward said. Bland hopes more people will consider fostering to accommodate the shortage, and help ensure that Austin cats and dogs remain safe and healthy. “It’s not just (the responsibility of) Austin Animal Center alone,” he said. “It’s a community effort.”
hannah clark
/ the daily texan staff
Austin Animal Center staff member, Ashley Lewis, takes a moment to pose with Fido, one of the many dogs available for adoption at the center, before taking him on a walk June 20.