Our first priority is to get the outdoor enclosure animals at the APA! Town Lake shelter in warm homes. We have 230 dogs who immediately need a warm place to stay. There are options our foster team will discuss with you, whether you can only help for short periods at a time or have more availability for a house guest. Click here to sign up now to help us meet our emergency 230 needed by this Sunday, 1/14.

We have 30 cats ready to work for you in exchange for getting out of the cold this week! APA! barn cats are feral cats saved from being euthanized and adopted to families who appreciate working cats for critter patrol and can provide a safe, appropriate environment such as a barn, stable, garage, or warehouse. Click here if you can help!

If you can’t open your home to a pet, you can help us keep them safe by donating to help with our operations and cold weather shelter preparations. Make a monetary gift here or donate any of the following supplies:

Supplies needed for Austin Pets Alive! Town Lake campus (have the supplies shipped to us at 1156 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78703 or drop off in front of Building C any time this week):

portable charging station

extension cords-50 ft

work light extension cords

snuggie discs or heating pads

hand warmers

headlamps

straw

The following shelters also need help so we are extending their asks. Please have donations shipped directly too them or visit them in person/ask friends or family you know in the area to come help them too!

San Benito – 789 Garrison Drive, San Benito TX 78586

Needs: blankets, heat lamps, vaccines, dewormer, parvo tests

San Diego – 804 E. Juanita St., San Diego TX 78384

Needs: Dog adopters/fosters (URGENT as they will have to euthanize ahead of this weekend’s cold if not in homes), any cold weather supplies

Devine – 303 S. Teel Drive, Devine TX 78016

Needs: blankets, heaters; dog adopters/fosters

Dilley – City Hall, 116 East Miller Dilley, TX 78017 Omar Hernandez Animal Control

Needs: heating mats, heaters, tarps

Luling + Laurie’s Rescue – Luling Animal Welfare Society 1800 E. Pierce St., Luling, TX 78648

Needs: Blankets, 1-2 large dog houses, sweatshirts for medium/large dogs

Palm Valley – 2501 west Trenton road, Edinburg, Tx 78539

Needs: dog adopters/fosters, heated mats and heating pads

Hondo – 407 Harper, Hondo TX 78861

Needs: tarps, blankets, heat lamps, heating pads, dog beds, 1-2 dog houses

Calvert – Justine VanMetre 808 pin oak st Calvert,TX 77837

Needs: dog jackets/sweaters, blankets, plastic dog houses or anything providing a border to avoid direct wind(only have roof), anything heat emitting.

Read and share this checklist to protect pets where you are.

✔ Bring pets inside. The best thing you can do for your pet is to bring them inside with you. While some breeds of dogs are more tolerant of cold weather than others, and cats are known to have an easier time adjusting to extreme weather, no pet should be left outside for long periods of time when it is below freezing (32ºF). You know your pet best, so be vigilant about watching for signs of their cold tolerance and limit outdoor activities accordingly.

✔ Check your car for cats. Our feline friends like to hide from this weather in car engines and/or wheel wells, so thump the hood of your car a few times and check your wheels for stowaways before you start the engine and take off.

✔ Provide a makeshift enclosure for outdoor animals. If you’ve noticed outdoor cats or other animals in your community suffering from the cold (shaking, curled up, etc.) and you are worried about them, create a makeshift shelter for them to stay warm in. A closed box or Rubbermaid bin with a cut out in the side, with straw or mylar blankets (fabric can hold moisture and freeze over so we no longer recommend using towels or blankets), will help keep them safe in the frigid temperatures. Click here for example directions for cat shelters from Alley Cat Advocates and click here for more on what to do for dogs in the cold from Best Friends.

✔ Or consider opening your garage slightly (and leaving a heating pad or heat lamp on) to let cats in from the cold.

✔ Put a sweater on your pup. If you have a dog with a short coat, you can keep them a bit more insulated by  putting a sweater or dog coat on them. Be sure the sweater and coat are completely dry for each outing, though, as damp or wet outerwear could actually make them chillier.

✔ Check paws. After outdoor activity, check your pet’s paws for any signs of cracking on the paw pads, redness between toes, or bleeding. Wipe them down after each outing, too, to remove any salt, ice, or chemicals.