Tag: apa!’s

Austin Pets Alive! | APA! Gives Behavior Dogs a Second Lease on Life:…

Jun 30, 2023

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) fosters perform a vital role for all of the animals, but especially help improve the lives of dogs with behavioral challenges. During the dog’s time in a foster home, the foster can observe behavior, take notes and implement training and behavior modifications under the guidance of APA!’s Dog Behavior Program team to help these pets find adoptive homes.

Finding an adoptive home other than hers didn’t quite work out for APA! volunteer, turned foster, Alexandra Bobbitt, who experienced “failing in love.” Her foster, Girly, was already in her adoptive home the moment she stepped into Bobbitt’s world.

“I first met Girly at APA! when I brought my dog Bela, short for Beleza, to meet potential foster dogs. Several people mentioned Bela resembled Girly. Everyone talked about how lovable Girly was,” Bobbitt said.

She was intrigued immediately and visited Girly in the kennel. “As soon as I laid eyes on her sweet face, and saw how much she looked like Bela, I felt compelled to foster her!”

It soon became very apparent that the two pups created a loving duo that were stronger together than apart. “When you find a dog that fits with you, it’s difficult to let them go. Both Bela and Girly were like that. I couldn’t bear to part with (either of) them.”

The journey wasn’t easy for the three of them at first, but fortunately Bobbitt had the ongoing support of APA!’s Dog Behavior Team. Girly, for example, struggled with “stranger danger” and behavior issues while on the leash, which stems from her anxiety. If left unaddressed, the behavior could escalate to defensiveness.

“To address this, the APA! Dog Behavior Team introduced us to various training techniques and with the team’s continued support and supervision Girly has made significant progress,” she said.

One of those techniques is something called B.A.T., or Behavior Adjustment Training. This is often used by the APA! Behavior team as an alternative for the typical “leash reactivity training,” especially if the dog requires a greater threshold due to fear and anxiety.

“Now, friends can come over and within seconds she becomes their best friend,” Bobbitt said. “She has also become calmer on the leash.”

Since adding Girly to her home with Bela, Bobbitt continues fostering other pups to help them find their adoptive homes. There’s been Georgie, Chilli, Cruzito and most recently Cash who is currently still in APA!’s care. “Seeing the overwhelming number of overcrowded shelters across the country broke my heart, and I wanted to help in some way, so I decided to make a difference by fostering another pup and giving another deserving dog a chance.”

While Cash was in Bobbitt’s home as a temporary foster, the detailed observations she took while fostering him helps APA!’s Dog Behavior Program appropriately adjust his customized training program that focuses on offering him and his future person tools to lessen, adjust or all together remove any undesirable behaviors. Giving Cash this guidance helps make him that much more noticeable to potential adopters and will support his success in a future foster or adoptive home.

In the shelter, Cash has displayed a bit of separation or storm anxiety, but given space and decompression in her home, Bobbitt noticed that he no longer exhibited those anxieties! The behavior team can use those observations to help Cash’s future adoptive or foster home recreate that same relaxed behavior. He also has some trouble with his leash skills and in particular, becoming a bit reactive when on leash. With the behavior team’s guidance, patience and trial and error, Bobbitt and Cash found a method that works for Cash — always having a trusty toy handy (or in Cash’s mouth!) when on walks.

“Cash just wants to be a person’s best friend. He may be a bit hesitant on walks, but with consistency, I can tell he will gain confidence and become more comfortable, “she said. “Within just two weeks, he showed noticeable improvement.”

The APA! Dog Behavior team works closely with adopters and fosters alike to ensure that both people and pets are able to communicate, working together to find solutions. APA! intakes the animals that are at risk of euthanasia; when a dog becomes at risk at another shelter due to behavioral struggles, our team steps in. By taking some time to understand a dog’s behaviors, we can introduce tools and techniques that offer a harmonious life to both the dog and his or her future loving home.

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June 30, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | How APA! Gives Behavior Dogs a Second Lease on…

Jun 23, 2023

Valentine’s Day 2023 will always be special for Jeni Gossard, a volunteer with Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), as it marks the day her adoption of Sylvester, a Chihuahua with a lot of love to give, became official. The journey to this point wasn’t an easy one due to trust and anxiety issues the pup had, but patience, persistence, and APA!’s expert Dog Behavior Program made this “happy beginning” possible.

Sometimes perceived behaviors and issues can create barriers to adoption. APA!’s program uses a three-part approach to make adoptions successful by assessing and treating the whole dog – mind, body, and spirit – using play groups, obedience training and adoption follow up support to help .

Gossard remembers the first time she met Sylvester four years ago. She says she immediately observed how shelter life increased his anxiety, so she volunteered to take him home for “sleepovers” as part of the behavior program so that she could observe and assess his behavior.

“He was a great house guest. My first encounters with him were positive and there were no behavior issues,” she said. She immediately considered adopting him, but her career and personal life made it difficult to care for a pet full time.

Meanwhile, Sylvester was adopted into a loving home, but 10 months later, he was returned to due to anxiety and trust issues. This pattern of adoption and return would continue several more times, with Gossard working with him for weeks each time. Something magical happened, however, the last time Sylvester came back.

“When he was returned from the fourth home, I decided he was “home”, she said. “Long story short, Sylvester knew I was his “mom” way before I realized it.”

Gossard knew she and Sylvester would need guidance and support from the APA! Dog Behavior Program after his adoption to successfully handle his trust and anxiety issues. Through the program she was able to secure a solid team of “APA! aunties” who were integral in alleviating the pup’s trust issues through socialization, perseverance, and patience.

“Needless to say, I have a lot of support through APA!’s behavior team, staff and volunteers. I’m continually texting/talking with all of his APA! aunties,” Gossard said.

Without APA’s Dog Behavior Program, the outcome might have been very different. Gossard said she has taken him to work and he loves her co-workers because they respect his boundaries and he knows they are the “treat people”, and the longer he is in her home his anxiety has lessened and his trust has increased.

“I love him for who he is,” Gossard said, “and will continue to work with him so he remains a calm, loving, trusting and a happy little boy.”

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June 23, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | APA! Gives Behavior Dogs a Second Lease on Life:…

Jun 23, 2023

Valentine’s Day 2023 will always be special for Jeni Gossard, a volunteer with Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), as it marks the day her adoption of Sylvester, a Chihuahua with a lot of love to give, became official. The journey to this point wasn’t an easy one due to trust and anxiety issues the pup had, but patience, persistence, and APA!’s expert Dog Behavior Program made this “happy beginning” possible.

Sometimes perceived behaviors and issues can create barriers to adoption. APA!’s program uses a three-part approach to make adoptions successful by assessing and treating the whole dog – mind, body, and spirit – using play groups, obedience training and adoption follow up support to help .

Gossard remembers the first time she met Sylvester four years ago. She says she immediately observed how shelter life increased his anxiety, so she volunteered to take him home for “sleepovers” as part of the behavior program so that she could observe and assess his behavior.

“He was a great house guest. My first encounters with him were positive and there were no behavior issues,” she said. She immediately considered adopting him, but her career and personal life made it difficult to care for a pet full time.

Meanwhile, Sylvester was adopted into a loving home, but 10 months later, he was returned to due to anxiety and trust issues. This pattern of adoption and return would continue several more times, with Gossard working with him for weeks each time. Something magical happened, however, the last time Sylvester came back.

“When he was returned from the fourth home, I decided he was “home”, she said. “Long story short, Sylvester knew I was his “mom” way before I realized it.”

Gossard knew she and Sylvester would need guidance and support from the APA! Dog Behavior Program after his adoption to successfully handle his trust and anxiety issues. Through the program she was able to secure a solid team of “APA! aunties” who were integral in alleviating the pup’s trust issues through socialization, perseverance, and patience.

“Needless to say, I have a lot of support through APA!’s behavior team, staff and volunteers. I’m continually texting/talking with all of his APA! aunties,” Gossard said.

Without APA’s Dog Behavior Program, the outcome might have been very different. Gossard said she has taken him to work and he loves her co-workers because they respect his boundaries and he knows they are the “treat people”, and the longer he is in her home his anxiety has lessened and his trust has increased.

“I love him for who he is,” Gossard said, “and will continue to work with him so he remains a calm, loving, trusting and a happy little boy.”

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June 23, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | APA! Gives Behavior Dogs a Second Lease on Life:…

Jun 15, 2023

Dogs are social animals. Typically they love the company of other dogs, are comfortable around people, adapt readily to various situations and eagerly await at the door to welcome us home.

These social skills are learned and dogs benefit from practicing them. Unlike people, pups only have body language and barking to communicate how they are feeling and misreading these cues can lead to serious misunderstandings of what the animal is trying to tell us, often resulting in pups being deemed “Behavior Dogs.”

Austin Pets Alive! Is leading the charge to save this vulnerable subset of the shelter population from euthanasia by providing behavioral modification training, dog socialization playgroups, and adoption follow-up services to help place these pups in loving homes.

Understanding a dog’s body language is paramount to supporting their behaviors — whether, correcting a behavior, enhancing a behavior or simply letting the dog know that you’re on their side. Reading these behavioral cues are critical to understanding a pet’s needs and in the shelter environment, can be the difference between life and death.

Ruthie is a great example of a life saved thanks to APA!’s Behavior team taking a moment to read between the lines. The 5-year-old black mouth cur mix, originally came to APA! as a puppy, ill with parvovirus. She was treated and adopted, but four years later she was returned to APA! due to some developed behavioral quirks such as displaying some pretty severe separation anxiety and resource guarding.

That’s when former Dog Behavior Team member and current APA! Data Engineer, Ellis Avallone took her on as their “special project.” Initially, staff members had trouble determining if Ruthie was showing signs of aggression. She can be a tough “read” in her kennel — throwing “very large and jarring tantrums. She is a big dog with a big bark,” Ellis recalls “She doesn’t have a bite history (but when she doesn’t get what she wants), she’ll bark, show teeth, and lunge.”

Putting their dog language know how to use, Ellis leaned in to “hear” what Ruthie was trying to communicate.“The biggest misunderstanding about her behavior is that she isn’t trying to hurt anyone when she throws her tantrums. She’s just upset and doesn’t know how to express it.” Taking Ruthie to their home for a sleepover allowed Ruthie’s BFF the opportunity to get a better understanding of exactly what her separation anxiety looked like. While working on separation anxiety can be a bit difficult while a dog is in shelter, this first hand experience allows our team the ability to have more productive and knowledgeable conversations with future fosters or potential adopters on what to expect and ways they can begin addressing the behavior.

With the support of the dog behavior team, APA!’s Flight Path Program, a program that utilizes volunteers to support a pet’s mental wellness and behavioral progress, and Ellis’ faithful friendship, Ruthie continues to show great improvement, such as a displaying reduced resource guarding. She primarily guards “high-value” treats such as bully sticks or peanut butter. Ellis has worked to lessen this behavior of Ruthie’s with a specialized feeding program in which Ruthie is receiving positive reinforcement as food is being tossed to her bowl and conditioned to feel calm built through respectful trust.

“Being friends with Ruthie has been the best part of working and volunteering at APA!. I love how excited she gets when she sees me and how she instantly turns into a wiggle machine when we leave for campus field trips. If you need a dog to pick up on emotions, she’s your girl.”

Our staff is keenly aware that each dog is an individual and that some pups may not be ready for placement initially but through training, behavior modification, and taking the time to understand what an animal is communicating, we can help a misunderstood dog like Ruthie, realize their full potential!

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June 15, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | How APA! Gives Behavior Dogs a Second Lease on…

Jun 15, 2023

Dogs are social animals. Typically they love the company of other dogs, are comfortable around people, adapt readily to various situations and eagerly await at the door to welcome us home.

These social skills are learned and dogs benefit from practicing them. Unlike people, pups only have body language and barking to communicate how they are feeling and misreading these cues can lead to serious misunderstandings of what the animal is trying to tell us, often resulting in pups being deemed “Behavior Dogs.”

Austin Pets Alive! Is leading the charge to save this vulnerable subset of the shelter population from euthanasia by providing behavioral modification training, dog socialization playgroups, and adoption follow-up services to help place these pups in loving homes.

Understanding a dog’s body language is paramount to supporting their behaviors — whether, correcting a behavior, enhancing a behavior or simply letting the dog know that you’re on their side. Reading these behavioral cues are critical to understanding a pet’s needs and in the shelter environment, can be the difference between life and death.

Ruthie is a great example of a life saved thanks to APA!’s Behavior team taking a moment to read between the lines. The 5-year-old black mouth cur mix, originally came to APA! as a puppy, ill with parvovirus. She was treated and adopted, but four years later she was returned to APA! due to some developed behavioral quirks such as displaying some pretty severe separation anxiety and resource guarding.

That’s when former Dog Behavior Team member and current APA! Data Engineer, Ellis Avallone took her on as their “special project.” Initially, staff members had trouble determining if Ruthie was showing signs of aggression. She can be a tough “read” in her kennel — throwing “very large and jarring tantrums. She is a big dog with a big bark,” Ellis recalls “She doesn’t have a bite history (but when she doesn’t get what she wants), she’ll bark, show teeth, and lunge.”

Putting their dog language know how to use, Ellis leaned in to “hear” what Ruthie was trying to communicate.“The biggest misunderstanding about her behavior is that she isn’t trying to hurt anyone when she throws her tantrums. She’s just upset and doesn’t know how to express it.” Taking Ruthie to their home for a sleepover allowed Ruthie’s BFF the opportunity to get a better understanding of exactly what her separation anxiety looked like. While working on separation anxiety can be a bit difficult while a dog is in shelter, this first hand experience allows our team the ability to have more productive and knowledgeable conversations with future fosters or potential adopters on what to expect and ways they can begin addressing the behavior.

With the support of the dog behavior team, APA!’s Flight Path Program, a program that utilizes volunteers to support a pet’s mental wellness and behavioral progress, and Ellis’ faithful friendship, Ruthie continues to show great improvement, such as a displaying reduced resource guarding. She primarily guards “high-value” treats such as bully sticks or peanut butter. Ellis has worked to lessen this behavior of Ruthie’s with a specialized feeding program in which Ruthie is receiving positive reinforcement as food is being tossed to her bowl and conditioned to feel calm built through respectful trust.

“Being friends with Ruthie has been the best part of working and volunteering at APA!. I love how excited she gets when she sees me and how she instantly turns into a wiggle machine when we leave for campus field trips. If you need a dog to pick up on emotions, she’s your girl.”

Our staff is keenly aware that each dog is an individual and that some pups may not be ready for placement initially but through training, behavior modification, and taking the time to understand what an animal is communicating, we can help a misunderstood dog like Ruthie, realize their full potential!

Source link

June 15, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | Adopting a New Cat with APA!’s Barn Cat Program…

May 09, 2023

At Austin Pets Alive! our mission is to help all dogs and cats find safe places to live and keep them off euthanasia lists. Our innovative Barn Cat program is designed to help a special population of felines: the free-spirited “working” outdoor cat.

These special cats are not socialized to cuddle and sit on laps. They have spent their lives living in the great outdoors. These kitties end up at shelters for various reasons. For example: they were living in or around a construction zone. The construction area isn’t safe for them, so they are trapped and taken to a shelter. Because they aren’t able to thrive in a home environment, they are often slated for euthanasia when they arrive at an animal shelter. APA!’s Barn Cat program recognizes that these feisty felines have developed important skills that could be beneficial to local homeowners, landowners as well as businesses who need pest control assistance. Give them shelter, food, water, and in return they will “critter hunt” for you, chasing away vermin like mice and snakes.

Our barn cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and ready to start earning their keep. They just need to be placed in a safe and appropriate environment such as a barn, stable, garage, or warehouse where they can put their skills to work. The Barn Cat Program is a win-win for all who are involved and is now being utilized by shelters and communities across the country!

Interested in adopting a barn cat and housing some of APA!’s most lovable free spirits?

Check out the Barn Cat Adoption FAQ and fill out the Barn Cat Adoption Interest form here.

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May 9, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! | Austin Pets Alive! Announces Launch of Five-Star…

Jun 25, 2021

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Pets Alive! announces the launch of the Five-Star Foster Program. APA!’s Five-Star Foster Program places dogs with specific behavior management needs into appropriate foster homes in order to reduce their stress, continue their training, and teach them what a loving home environment is.

Five-Star Fosters provide training and socialization for their foster dogs and manage them in a safe and consistent manner with continual support from APA!’s renowned Dog Behavior Team. What makes the Five-Star Foster Program different from APA!’s main Dog Foster Program is the specific subset of dogs and home setups for those particular pups. Some may need an adult-only home; some thrive with a dog sibling and others may need a yard. The dogs eligible for the Five-Star Foster Program come in all shapes and sizes, with different kinds of homes.

“The five stars represent what our fosters selflessly give to these dogs: trust, rehabilitation, love, patience and training,” said Laura Thomas, APA! Dog Behavior Program Manager. “Opening your home to one of these special dogs is the ultimate form of lifesaving.”

Austin Pets Alive! takes in approximately 5,000 dogs every year from shelters that do not have enough space or resources to care for them. Some of those dogs have behavioral challenges that require more attention than a typical dog. Through APA!’s Five-Star Foster Program, these special dogs have a chance at finding their forever home through fosters who are willing to be consistent, patient, and loving.

To learn more about the Five-Star Foster Program, please watch this video. To apply to foster, please visit www.austinpetsalive.org/foster.

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June 25, 2021
Austin Pets Alive! | 10 Days to 100: Austin Pets Alive! Sets Goal of…

Apr 22, 2021

Austin Pets Alive! will begin a brand new campaign from May 1 to May 10 — 10 Days to 100. The innovative animal rescue organization hopes to add 100 or more additional donors to its monthly giving program, Constant Companions, in just 10 days.

Constant Companions are the most dependable donors for the organization. Expanding the Constant Companion family allows APA! to continue setting its sights higher than ever. With its eyes set on making Texas No Kill, APA! relies on the generosity of Constant Companions to support this expansion and constant innovation.

Launched nearly a decade ago, APA!’s monthly giving program allows loyal supporters from all over the world to regularly contribute to lifesaving efforts in Central Texas and beyond. Currently, the program has 1088 Constant Companions that give $46,269.88 a month to Austin Pets Alive!. That’s 154 pets saved every month by APA!’s Constant Companions alone.

The 10 Days to 100 campaign will feature compelling stories of companion animal lifesaving that would not be possible without those who support APA! every single month. With the help of local artist and animal lover, Will Bryant, exclusive tote bags are being created for qualifying Constant Companions. New members and those who increase their membership level will be able to take home custom tote bags exclusive to Constant Companions. Be sure to follow Austin Pets Alive! on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up with all of the action.

Each monthly gift, no matter the level, sustains APA!’s mission and writes a brighter future for every companion animal in Central Texas.

Want to join Constant Companions and can’t wait until May 1? Click here to sign up!

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April 22, 2021
Austin Pets Alive! | Austin Pets Alive! Hits Goal of 1,000 Shelter…

Mar 23, 2021

AUSTIN, TX — On Wednesday morning March 24th, Austin Pets Alive! placed 27 cats onto a private plane bound for Wichita, KS, culminating a weeks-long effort to transport 1,000 at-risk pets to safe shelters in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri. This is the third transport flight that David Nelson, the owner and pilot of the plane, has donated on APA!’s behalf. By offering his plane, fuel, time and resources, David has played an integral role in APA!’s transport missions that began in late February.

Charlie, the 1,000th animal transported.

Upon landing in Wichita, the kitties will be met at the receiving airport by staff members from KC Pet Project, who will then drive the cats the rest of the way to their shelter to be put up for adoption. This feline-focused transport represents a significant milestone that was only made possible through the support of countless volunteers, donors, and animal welfare advocates.

Map updated 3.23

After the devastating winter storm that hit Texas just a few weeks ago, APA! responded to urgent pleas for help from small, rural shelters across the state that lacked resources to care for all the pets that were suddenly arriving through their doors. The APA! Town Lake facility became a central transport hub for these pets in need, while shelter partners across the country organized the next leg of transportation to reach their final destinations. From Florida to Washington to Massachusetts, animal shelter staff across the continental U.S. welcomed these vulnerable pets with open arms, providing safe shelter and care to get them ready for adoption within their respective new communities.

Additional photos and videos of this transport are available for press upon request. Please contact [email protected]

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March 23, 2021