Kind-hearted animal lovers devoted to animal care. That’s how to describe the employees of Bryan Animal Center and Animal Control. Get to know the hardworking individuals who devote their time, energy and resources to serving our community and caring for our animals.

When you enter the Bryan Animal Center, you’ll find photos of cats, dogs and the occasional rodent cuddled up with their new owners lining the front desk. No doubt a reflection of their goal; to care for lost or stray animals and to see each animal in a loving home, reunited with their owners or placed with someone new.

The animals come to the center in various ways. People will often drop off stray or lost animals they find within the city limits, or when space is available, animals may be surrendered over by their owner. However, the primary way animals come to the center is through Animal Control.

Meeting new people and being taken to a new place can be stressful for the animals, and the Animal Control officers do all they can to help minimize that stress.

Once an animal is at the BAC, staff members check lost animal notifications both online and those filed at the center to see if there’s a match. If an owner is still unable to be located, then the animal is placed on a “stray hold” for 72 hours. During an animal’s stay, BAC staff take note of their size, weight, age, color, breed, gender and where they came from. This hold allows time for owners to reach out and reclaim their lost pet and allows the center to continue to evaluate the animal’s health, temperament and behavior. Animal Care Technicians monitor the animal’s health while also administering basic vaccinations or medications, if needed.

If an animal has not been claimed after the 72-hour hold, staff members determine if an animal can be made available for adoption based on an animal’s health, temperament, behavior and available space. Sometimes, the animal is not a good fit to be at the BAC, but through a network of organizations and fosters, the center may be able to find somewhere the animal can stay.

Once an animal can be put up for adoption, they receive another round of vaccinations, are scanned a final time to ensure they do not have a microchip and moved into the adoption area. Staff members take pictures of the animal and post them to various print and online listings to give them the best chance at adoption.

Every effort is made to ensure that the animals are taken care of from the moment they are brought in or picked up. It can be a challenge to care for those that are forgotten or lost —seeing them wait for their owners or a chance to be adopted. But, there is nothing sweeter than seeing an animal placed happily into new home.

In addition to serving our community’s furry friends, Animal Control officers also are here to serve Bryan’s two-legged citizens. They step in when an animal has become a nuisance or poses a threat and enforce city ordinances and state and federal law governing animals. Animal Control officers are mobile, responding to calls within the city limits and are on call for emergencies after regular hours, on weekends and holidays.

Keeping our community and animals safe is no small task and requires effort from everyone. You can help the Bryan Animal Center by understanding local animal ordinances and being a responsible pet owner. Microchip them and keep them up to date on vaccinations, and spay and neuter them to help prevent overpopulation.

To the people who keep us and our animals safe and to those that provide care to our furry friends in need, thank you.