Original Article: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/blog/p-a-s-s-program-keeps-families-together
Aug 16, 2021
Christopher was facing a difficult decision, he knew his cat needed medical attention but like so many, he was struggling to afford the ongoing vet bills.
Not wanting to have to surrender his family member to the shelter because of this, he turned to our P.A.S.S. Facebook page which stands for Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender, and asked for help.
Tiger is Christopher’s sweet little orange slice you see here. He was attacked by a dog which left him with open wounds that needed immediate attention. Tiger soon received stitches for his injury with the help of his dad, Christopher. But when the stitches popped and infection set in, Christopher needed help to afford Tiger’s second treatment. The P.A.S.S. community came forward and quickly shared Tiger’s story and donated the funds to help Christopher pay for Tiger’s treatment.
APA’S P.A.S.S. Program (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender), aims to provide resources and services to Texas residents who are experiencing challenges to keeping their pets with an overall goal of keeping pets out of shelters and providing the people with a safe, judgment-free zone for anyone in need. P.A.S.S. can provide supported self rehoming, emergency medical vet costs, temporary fosters, behavioral/training recommendations, and food/supply distribution.
With the help of the amazing P.A.S.S. community, Tiger was able to receive his second treatment and is now recovering safely at home with Christopher, where he belongs. P.A.S.S. members are continuing to support Christopher by giving him tips and tricks on preventative measures (like cutting up a shirt to put on Tiger to keep him from messing with the stitches) until he’s healed completely.
Lucy, our P.A.S.S. Program Coordinator, found Tiger’s story particularly touching. She stated, “The inspiring part of Tiger’s story (as well as a lot of the successes we see on the page) is how much the community continues to care. The generosity of the shared experience that each case and journey creates always baffles and inspires me.” She and the other moderators of the Facebook page work diligently to keep P.A.S.S. a safe community, free from judgment, so people feel comfortable sharing their stories and can receive the help their pets need.
Lucy believes, “Pets are family so it’s never an easy choice to surrender or rehome.” Thanks to the P.A.S.S. program, Tiger got to stay out of the shelter and with his dad all while getting the treatment he needed to recover.
If you feel inspired to learn about more stories like Tiger and Christoper’s, join the PASS program community Facebook today to help pets like Tiger remain with their families!
Source: Austin Pets Alive
