APA! & the American Red Cross Partner to Help People & Pets Affected by Disasters
Feb 29, 2024 Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) and the American Red Cross of Central & South Texas Region have partnered to help pets and people affected by natural disasters, fires, flooding, and other disaster relief. The partnership will offer Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program assistance to help those in need when the Red Cross is called to a scene and ensure animals and their families do not fall through the cracks when disaster strikes. “We are thrilled to establish a partnership with the American Red Cross here...
City of Austin Landscape for Animals
Feb 26, 2024 A few weeks ago, we informed you about the political happenings in Austin around animal welfare, in particular, around the city seeking to pass a resolution allowing the euthanization of dogs with bites on their records. We want to keep you updated on progress and current events on an ongoing basis. We are happy that the resolution was amended to offer a six month waiting period before immediately taking action; the dogs with extreme bites on their records currently still have the opportunity to receive rehabilitation. As we...
Doing More in 2024 Requires Change
Feb 23, 2024 We’re nearly three months into 2024, and this year is already in full motion! At Austin Pets Alive!, we started the year with a promise to be even louder about the importance of progress for Austin’s pets. We’re not going to break that promise. We also aren’t going to ignore the role we play in implementing progressive changes. And we certainly aren’t going to pretend that we do animal sheltering perfectly, because there isn’t a bigger impediment to growth than the refusal to take a close look...
APA! Offers Courtesy Listings for Rehoming
Feb 22, 2024 Going to a shelter should be and can be the last option for an animal whose family is having to make the tough decision to say goodbye to their furry family member. Historically, a lot of shame has been placed on the idea of pets being rehomed, but the reality is, sometimes moving a pet out of its current home is truly the best and maybe even sometimes, the only, option a family has. The reason for needing to find a new home for a pet can vary, and we believe it’s time to take the blame out of the conversation; our Positive...
Honoring Black History Month
Feb 09, 2024 February is Black History Month and we’re celebrating by amplifying Black voices, celebrating Black pioneers in animal welfare, and exploring the ways our community is honoring this month. And we want our APA! community to join in with us on learning something new and honoring the deep and rich Black history so that we may continue to move toward a more equitable future. We’ll update this blog throughout the month so bookmark this page and make sure to check back in to see new ways you can participate in Black History...
Standing Up and Taking Action for Austin’s Animals
Feb 02, 2024 February 1st was a big day in the City of Austin — a potential butterfly effect in the history of No Kill. While our city leadership is working to find solutions, there is much work to be done in the next six months and beyond in order to help us continue our forward movement as leaders in animal advocacy. APA! has been the voice for pets in our community over the last 15 years, and commit to being vigilant for our animals in need in 2024. This week, the Austin City Council passed a resolution to allow the city to euthanize...
An Update Regarding City Ordinance Changes
Jan 30, 2024 Austin, we can do better. Last week, we shared a promise to help our community better understand how Austin animal welfare is evolving because it is our duty to protect what is humane and right and advocate for progress. With that promise in mind, I am writing today to provide some recent updates about a resolution that will affect Austin animals. This resolution is on the agenda for the February 1 city council meeting. We have been on top of this since we first heard mutterings of it over the holidays and have been gratefully...
Do Your Duty – Scoop the Poop
Jan 30, 2024 Austin loves dogs! Over 250,000 dogs live in the city. On average, dogs produce half a pound of waste a day. It adds up quickly: over 150,000 pounds daily, 54,750,000 pounds a year! Yuck! Pet waste poses a significant health risk to pets and people, especially children, encountering it while playing. Dog waste contains dangerous bacteria, like salmonella and E. Coli, and harmful parasites, like giardia and roundworms. These hazardous organisms persist in the pet waste for days or months after deposit. According to the CDC,...
Our 2024 Promise: We will be vigilant for progress for Austin’s pets
Jan 26, 2024 Last year was extremely challenging for animal shelters in the US, and Austin was no exception. The Austin of yesteryear found tremendous pride in leading the country in No Kill during a time when shelters struggled the most to save the lives of even half of the pets who entered their care. In this new era of humane struggles, where pets are guaranteed not to be killed while other pets are left on the streets, some living in crates for too long, and people struggle to keep their pets without support, our city must take the lead...
A Day in the Life of “Dr. Harley,” APA!’s Resident Therapy Dog
Jan 24, 2024 Hi, I’m Dr. Harley (aka “Dog-tor” Harley). I’m the resident therapy dog here at Austin Pets Alive!, providing a much-needed listening ear, emotional support and calming presence to the humans working hard to get dogs like me adopted. My days are pretty jam-packed and I never know what they’ll bring. Sometimes my clients present with a classic case of separation anxiety, while other times I’m just a sounding board for their doggy drama. I get asked all the time what it’s like to be a...
