The director of Austin Animal Services is leaving the city for a gig with a nonprofit that advocates for no kill policies, the nonprofit announced in a news release Wednesday.

Tawny Hammond took over city animal services in 2015, after previously running an animal shelter in Fairfax County, Va. She will leave the post May 14 to become the Midwest regional director of Best Friends Animal Society June 5.

In the news release, Best Friends called Hammond "an early pioneer of the no-kill ethic," noting Austin’s 98 percent no-kill rate of more than 17,000 animals it took in last year.

"This astonishing achievement is indicative of the level of experience, expertise and expectation that Tawny will bring to her new position with Best Friends," said Judah Battista, the organization’s chief local programs officer, in the news release.

Hammond "had an enormous impact in Austin," Interim City Manager Elaine Hart said in a news release, thanking Hammond for her work.

The city will name an interim replacement for Hammond before she departs, the release said. It’s unclear when the city may begin looking for a permanent replacement. The city hired her after a six-month search in 2015.

In the release, Hammond said it would be bittersweet to leave Austin.

"I am excited to continue the mission of no kill at a regional and national level," she said.