AUSTIN, Texas — After five years on the job, Austin Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland is set to retire in May.
KVUE’s media partners at the Austin American-Statesman report that City Manager T.C. Broadnax sent a memo to Austin City Council members on Friday stating that Bland’s last day would be May 9.
Bland has been the chief animal services officer since 2019 but has been on paid administrative since March 7. The city has not provided an explanation as to why Bland has been on leave.
Bland has faced criticism in recent years, with the city’s Animal Advisory Commission approving a vote of “no confidence” in him in 2022 over issues like overcrowding and work conditions at the Austin Animal Center.
A city spokesperson told KVUE that Deputy Chief Officer Jason Garza is currently overseeing the city’s animal services and will continue to do so until “further notice.”
The announcement of Bland’s retirement comes mere days after the Austin City Council approved a sweeping five-year strategic plan for the department, which includes plans to institute more one-on-one training with staff and volunteers, more efficiency in how they place animals and increased communication both internally and with the public.
Other goals in the plan include increasing the number of free spay and neuter surgeries, opening intake and increasing the number of animals that are adopted, rescued or returned.