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Tag: Austin
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Austin Pets Alive! | Austin Animal Welfare Policy in 2023
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Nov 04, 2022
When I moved to Austin in the 90s, the city looked much different than it does today. The population stood under 600,000, what would become a booming tech culture was in its infancy, traffic was manageable, and the city’s weirdly famous motto wasn’t even a thing. Austin was also more than a decade away from being heralded as a leading No Kill city in the United States.
I can still feel the revulsion that jolted through me when I learned that 85% of pets—more than 25,000—were killed in the city shelter each year. Wriggly, energetic puppies and kittens. Healthy cats. Sweet dogs who were licking people’s faces as they were being injected with lethal doses of pentobarbital. The state of animal welfare in late 1990s Austin sat in stark contrast to the city’s identity as a burgeoning epicenter of innovation.
Austinites knew their city could do better, and the community fought and won a battle to become one of the nation’s leading No Kill cities. We went from 85% of pets being killed to more than 95% of pets leaving the shelter alive. Austin’s No Kill status—11 years running—is one of the gems that makes Austin, Austin. And it’s at risk.
Now the 11th largest city in the nation, Austin is at a pivotal moment in history. With rapid growth has come pain points such as affordability, housing limitations, and unintentional neglect of the things that make Austin stand out. The effects of these pain points extend to animal welfare.
From the bats under Congress Avenue bridge that have been dying off year after year, to Austin’s renowned status as the largest No Kill city in the U.S. being under fire, we know that now is the time to protect what so many people in Austin care deeply about.
With a new council coming in, there is tremendous potential for progress to be made or progress to be lost.
To keep Austin No Kill we must develop a comprehensive, citywide approach to animal welfare. There is no other city that has done this, and Austin can and should be the first.
If we lean into progress, it can mean an even larger economic impact than No Kill alone has realized, and it can be a crown jewel of Austin that ties many of the city’s major initiatives together.
On the surface, this challenge appears daunting. But if we look deeper we can see that animal welfare leaders do not have to work alone. Seven out of 10 Austin households have pets and almost all view their pets as family members. This is one of the largest and most passionate groups of people in Austin.
As a city, we need to do more to engage with pet owners and utilize animal welfare issues to secure support for Austin overall. If we band together as a community to implement community-wide solutions, we can ensure that all pets are given the chance to live.
The following steps will bring us closer to creating that approach and making No Kill permanent in Austin:
Conduct a comprehensive study of Austin pet owners.
To better support people with pets, there should be an Austin-wide study to really understand how major systemic societal problems affect pet owners and their companion animals.
We know that pet ownership transcends all demographics. We also know that many pet owners are struggling under the weight of significant financial burdens that have increased because of Austin’s dramatic and rapid growth. Now we need to know more about the specific struggles so we can support residents in ways that keep them with their pets.
When we help pets in crisis we are also helping humans in crisis. For example, over 70% of women in domestic violence shelters report that their abuser threatened, injured, or killed a pet as a means of control. Nearly half of domestic abuse survivors delayed leaving their abuser because they could not take their pets with them. People’s worries about pet care can lead them to put off medical treatment, or to leave the hospital early.
There are many more examples, involving people experiencing housing insecurity, at-risk older residents and youth, and groups facing numerous other challenges that demonstrate the interconnectedness between people’s and pets’ well-being. These clearly make the case for helping pets, while helping the people who love them.
Once we understand more, we can dive deep into solutions to support pet owners with the top problems that humans and pets face together.
Weave pet ownership through a wide range of city communications.
Pet ownership in Austin translates into lower crime rates, and greater mental and physical health of community members, leading to decreased healthcare costs, and a lot more money entering the local economy. Let’s look at the key drivers and obstacles for pet owners, and work on talking to and about them in many more of our citywide communications. More pet owners means a healthier city overall.
Form an economic development task force to make Austin the epicenter of the booming corporate pet industry.
The pet industry is poised to almost double to $240B by 2030. But no city is yet capitalizing on this enormous opportunity.
Austin is a natural fit to become the corporate headquarters for so many pet-related companies as progress is made in this relatively new industry. The city could provide incentives for green programming in areas such as pet food, which is a top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and for for-profit companies to form partnerships with sheltering nonprofits to modernize the archaic dog pound industry to save more lives. Austin-based companies could be incentivized to develop fireworks that don’t kill native wildlife and create pet products that are earth-friendly and recyclable.
Making Austin the epicenter of the booming pet industry would put Austin on the map in yet another distinct way and contribute to the local economy through conferences, even more pet-friendly businesses, and local spending.
Create an innovation task force to make Austin the home of the first wraparound human + animal welfare system in the world.
Austin has been the largest No Kill city in the U.S. for 11 years. It is time for Austin to lead in a much more comprehensive and effective way. This city should be the home of the next social innovation in animal welfare, where the community, animal services, and human services operate as one.
Right now, animal services tend to be reacting to what has been historically viewed as an “irresponsible public.” When someone is struggling to care for their pets, due to job loss, housing insecurity, or for another reason, they may not know about or have access to options beyond giving up their pet to an overcrowded shelter.
With a comprehensive makeover focused on dignity and preservation of the human-animal bond, the city shelter could instead be the go-to place for support—including crisis boarding for owned pets whose owners are hospitalized or otherwise temporarily can’t care for them; support for fighting housing restrictions; pet sitting for people experiencing homelessness who need a safe place for their dog to stay while they attend a job interview or court date; full spectrum veterinary care for low-income pet owners; at-risk youth programs to introduce careers in animal welfare; other workforce development opportunities; and much more.
The city could also be the best in the world when it comes to how our hospitals, our police, our builders, and our fire/EMS services operate, by including pet specifics in training, metrics, and vision.
Tackling comprehensive citywide problems through the lens of pet ownership offers a manageable vein of solutions and can serve as an example for the next lens of comprehensive problem solving.
Bring civic engagement departments and organizations together to find common ground with pet owners.
Pet owners are passionate about their pets. Pets are linked to higher self confidence and increased civic engagement. Pet owners report stronger neighborhood social connections than non-pet owners, with greater degrees of trust between neighbors.
The trust inherent in these connections can be used to create mutual aid channels for pet owners in crisis and to increase civic engagement in areas that are tangentially related to animals, such as increasing participation and recruitment in Austin’s 100 boards and commissions. Every single one touches animals in some way and building excitement about topics that don’t generally drive the most participation leads to a stronger community led by community members.
Task the Austin Animal Advisory Commission with developing a plan for Austin Animal Center to sustainably operate as a No Kill facility, and also to lead, support, and mentor other jurisdictions on No Kill.
In 2010, the City Council approved a No Kill plan that they had tasked the Austin Animal Advisory Commission to create, using cities with an over 90% live release rate as their only resource. That single resolution has now resulted, conservatively, in over $200M in economic impact for the city of Austin and hundreds of thousands of lives saved.This figure is based on a 2017 report measuring the economic impact of the No Kill resolution from 2010 until 2016. At that time, the figure was over $157,000,000. In the six years since, it is fair to estimate that number has at least doubled.
Now the city council can have the same groundbreaking No Kill success by tasking the commission with a similar request—this time two-fold:
1. Create a plan to develop the most important standard operating procedures for saving the myriad lives that enter the Animal Center doors, using only cities/programs that have the same or higher live release rates as models for each type of at-risk animal population or program.
2. Create a plan to teach these standard operating procedures to shelters all over the country. This not only solves the chronic problems that are inevitably associated with saving lives instead of killing them by offering quality assurance and oversight internally, but also positions Austin as the city to watch as No Kill becomes stronger and even more successful.
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Texas chief says state police ‘did not fail’ in Uvalde
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ state police chief said Thursday that his department “did not fail” Uvalde during the hesitant law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, as a Republican congressman joined angry parents of some of the 19 children killed in the May attack in calling for him to resign.
Col. Steve McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, acknowledged mistakes by officers while several Uvalde families confronted him in Austin over multiple outrages: why police waited more than 70 minutes before entering the fourth-grade classroom and killing the gunman, false and shifting accounts given by authorities, and records that remain withheld more than five months later.
But McCraw defended his agency, and during a meeting of the state’s Public Safety Commission, made the case that failures uncovered to date did not warrant his removal while saying he was not shirking from accountability. Uvalde families bristled and asked how DPS could not have failed, given that troopers were among the first on the scene.
“I can tell you this right now, DPS as an institution, right now, did not fail the community,” McCraw said. “Plain and simple.”
Significantly, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales said for the first time after the meeting that McCraw should also lose his job, becoming the first major figure in the GOP to call for a change at the top of Texas’ state police force. Gonzales, a former Navy officer, represents the sprawling South Texas district that includes Uvalde.
“DPS Director McCraw should RESIGN immediately,” Gonzales tweeted. His office has not responded to a message seeking further comment Thursday.
McCraw said a criminal investigation into the police response to the shooting led by Texas Rangers would be wrapped up by the end of the year and turned over to prosecutors. He offered no indication as to whether the findings would result in charges against any of the nearly 400 officers who went to the school where two teachers were also killed. Two officers have been fired in response to their actions at the scene and others have been placed on leave.
The meeting Thursday at Texas state police headquarters was the first public update on Uvalde in weeks, although little new information was revealed. McCraw and Uvalde families addressed the state’s four-member public safety commission, which oversees Texas state police.
Each of the board members were appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a longtime supporter of McCraw. The board did not ask McCraw any questions about Uvalde before moving on to other business.
Families of children killed in the attack have spent months accusing the Department of Public Safety of slow-walking the investigation, withholding information and trying to minimize its responsibility. There were 91 state troopers on the scene, including some that body camera later revealed were among the first officers to arrive.
Last week, the department fired one of seven troopers subject to an internal investigation into their actions during one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.
Jesse Rizzo, whose 9-year-old niece Jacklyn Cazares was among the victims, said misleading and false comments from authorities about the police response has compounded the small town’s grief and eroded trust in law enforcement.
“The aftermath that came after that was absolutely unacceptable, hurtful, painful,” Rizzo said. “Every single time seemed like lie after lie, disinformation.”
McCraw on Thursday apologized for the department originally saying that the gunman had been able to gain access to the school because a teacher had propped open an exterior door with a rock. The teacher had gone back and shut the door, but it did not lock.
McCraw insisted his department “did not fail the community,” drawing condemnation from the assembled Uvalde families.
“If you’re a man of your word then you would retire,” Brett Cross, the uncle of 10-year-old victim Uziyah Garcia, told McCraw. “But unfortunately it doesn’t seem like you’re going to do that because you keep talking in circles.”
Another of the state troopers under internal investigation was Crimson Elizondo, who resigned and later was hired by Uvalde schools to work as a campus police officer. She was fired less than 24 hours after outraged parents in Uvalde found out about her hiring.
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Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg contributed from Dallas.
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More on the school shooting in Uvalde: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
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Austin Pets Alive! | This APA! puppy was found floating down a river…
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Oct 25, 2022
In early October, Austin Pets Alive! received a call from another Texas shelter–– a man had just come in with a puppy he’d found floating in a box along the river, and he needed help the shelter was unequipped to provide.
A photo taken by the person who found Kayak. Why was the shelter unable to help this adorable little puppy? Because the 2-month-old had tested positive for Parvovirus—a highly contagious, life-threatening virus that’s considered a death sentence at many animal shelters. Fortunately for the puppy, APA! was ready to help save his life. As a rescue that operates one of the country’s only Parvo ICUs, APA! has treated nearly 1,000 parvo positive dogs a year. The Parvo ICU tackles high-risk cases, once considered impossible to treat in the shelter environment, that other shelters are unable to handle due to the highly contagious nature of the virus. Slowly but surely, APA! has set a precedent nationwide for treating parvovirus in the shelter setting, proving that it is possible to save more lives than once thought possible.
After a two-hour drive to Austin, Kayak arrived at APA! lethargic and pale. Medical clinic manager Lauren Heymann immediately recognized that the tiny pup was crashing and that he needed immediate
Kayak was so sick during his first week of treatment that he didn’t show any signs of his personality. Slowly but surely, under the careful treatment of APA! staff and volunteers, Kayak’s true wiggly and happy self began to blossom. As he started gaining weight and recovering from his bout with parvovirus, Kayak began seeking attention from his human caretakers, wagging his tail emphatically to visitors and offering sweet kisses to his friends.
Within no time, adoption applications for the happy boy began to stream in. Kayak soon found a loving home where he is now free to become his full outgoing, sweet self. And while Kayak is living his best life, dozens of other APA! parvovirus survivors are still looking for success stories of their own. Even though adopting a parvo survivor may sound scary, it’s essential to know that puppies like Kayak are no different from any other puppy and live long, happy, healthy lives with few to no additional considerations or care requirements.
Kayak with a member of the APA! staff Kayak is a survivor, thanks to the tremendous efforts of the kind human who saved him from his floating box and the dedicated staff at APA! who nursed him back to health. Even more importantly, he’s a healthy, wiggly boy who’s ready to experience all that life has to offer in his new home–– and we’re so incredibly thrilled for him!
Kayak with his new family. But the work of APA! never stops–– so long as animals like Kayak and other puppies with parvo need help, APA! will continue to challenge the status quo through constant innovation, compassion, and revolutionary lifesaving programs.
If you’re interested in helping our lifesaving efforts:
Donate to help APA! by clicking here.
OR
To adopt or sponsor a parvovirus warrior like Kayak, check out our dogs currently available for foster or adoption by clicking here.[ad_2]
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Red Bull Formula One owner Dietrich Mateschitz dies at 78
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, the co-founder of energy drink company Red Bull and founder and owner of the Red Bull Formula One racing team, has died. He was 78.
Officials with the Red Bull racing team at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, announced Mateschitz’s death Saturday. There was no immediate word where he died, or a cause of death.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motor sports governing body FIA, said Mateschitz was “a towering figure in motor sport.”
“The thoughts of all the FIA family are with his loved ones at this time and he will be greatly missed.”
Mateschitz gained fame as the public face of Red Bull, an Austrian-Thai conglomerate that says it sold nearly 10 billion cans of its caffeine and taurine-based drink in 172 countries worldwide last year.
Mateschitz not only helped the energy drink become popular around the world, but also built up a sports, media, real estate and gastronomy empire around the brand.
With the growing success of Red Bull, he significantly expanded his investments in sports, specifically motorsports and extreme sports, and Red Bull now operates clubs, ice hockey teams and F1 racing teams. Red Bull also has contracts with hundreds of athletes in various sports and a deep driver development program to get racers to the top level.
“It’s been hard news for everyone — what he has meant for Red Bull, and of course the sport, and especially for me,” said Max Verstappen, who wrapped up his second consecutive F1 title two weeks ago.
Verstappen on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas will try to tie Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel with an F1-record 13 victories in a season, and he’ll also attempt to clinch the constructors championship for Red Bull.
“What he has done for me, my career so far, and in general my life, it’s really tough, it’s a really tough day,” Verstappen said. “There’s still a race ahead and we’re going to try to make him proud tomorrow.”
Mateschitz and Thai investor Chaleo Yoovidhya founded the company in 1984 after Mateschitz recognized the potential in marketing Krating Daeng – another energy drink created by Chaleo – for a western audience. Red Bull says Mateschitz worked on the formula for three years before the modified drink was launched under its new name in his native Austria in 1987.
Under Mateschitz’ stewardship, Red Bull quickly increased its market share, first in Europe, then in the United States, helped by marketing campaigns promoting the drink’s claimed stimulating properties and extensive sponsorship agreements in motorsports, soccer, extreme sports and the music industry.
The Red Bull Racing team has enjoyed success in Formula 1, winning the constructors’ championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, while German driver Vettel won four drivers’ championships in row while signed to the team.
Verstappen started in Red Bull’s driver development program and became the youngest driver in F1 history to start a grand prix when he started with the junior Toro Rosso team at age 17 in 2015. The Dutchman is now the most dominant driver in the sport.
“So many of us have to be so grateful to him for the opportunities he’s provided and the vision he had, the strength of character, and never being afraid to follow dreams, and chase dreams. That’s what he did here in F1, proving that you can make a difference,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports F1.
“We’re just incredibly grateful for him, everything that he’s done, everything that he’s supported us with over the years,” Horner added. “So many drivers, so many team members, so many people in this pit lane owe him so much. He was incredibly proud of the team, incredibly proud of everything we’ve done and have been achieving, and he’s been a passionate supporter and the backbone of everything that we do.”
Red Bull operates soccer teams in top divisions across Austria, Germany, Brazil and the United States. The company started by buying Austrian club SV Austria Salzburg in 2005 and rebranding it in the company colors under the name Red Bull Salzburg.
It repeated the move in Germany, where it bought fifth-tier club SSV Markranstädt in 2009, rebranded it as RasenBallsport Leipzig, and financed its steady progress through the league system till it was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016. German league regulations prevented the company from naming the team Red Bull Leipzig – its name in German, RasenBallsport, means “grass ball sport Leipzig” but the club just refers to itself as RB Leipzig.
Mateschitz also made headlines for his populist views. He previously criticized German chancellor Angela Merkel for her handling of the refugee crisis over 2015-16. The Austrian Servus TV station, owned by Red Bull Media House GmbH, is known for promoting right-wing provocative views.
Mateschitz bought the Jaguar Racing team from previous owner Ford at the end of 2004 and rebranded it as Red Bull for the 2005 season. Later that year, he then also bought Minardi and renamed it Toro Rosso, astutely using it as a feeder team for Red Bull.
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Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer and AP’s Brian Church in London contributed to this report.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
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ESPN and F1 announce new US broadcast deal through 2025
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AUSTIN, Texas — With Formula’s One popularity and viewership booming in the United States, ESPN and the global motorsports series announced a new broadcast deal Saturday through 2025.
ESPN has broadcast F1 in the U.S. since 2018 and the new deal will keep commercial-free, live telecasts for all races on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, all owned by the Walt Disney Co. ESPN Deportes will continue as the Spanish-language home of F1 in the U.S.
The deal comes ahead of Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix, which will air on ABC. Financial terms were not disclosed. ESPN did not pay any rights fees in 2018 when NBC Sports Group dropped F1 after five seasons, leaving the series without a U.S. home. ESPN has paid $5 million per year from 2019-22, and the series has only seen growth since then.
“To continue to build and grow and push behind the tremendous momentum that exits with Formula One in the United States for another few seasons is really exciting for us,” ESPN President Burke Magnus said. “We’re not going to let up. We’re just going to continue to push hard because it’s spectacular content and spectacular competition.”
And shortly after the ESPN announcement, the Williams team revealed that reserve driver Logan Sargeant will likely earn a seat in 2023, making him the first American driver in F1 since 2015. American fans and sponsors have aimed for an American driver to push interest even higher.
Under the new deal, at least 16 races will be on ABC or ESPN and all race weekends will include live coverage of practice and qualifying.
Magnus said ESPN has been pleased with its partnership with Sky Sports, which allows ESPN to use the Britain-based broadcaster’s race and practice productions.
“The next step for us is to build around their great production of the races,” Magnus said. “Having a more consistent presence on site, having more highlights on Sports Center, having more editorial coverage.
“The Sky production of the race is world class, I’m not sure we can replicate that ourselves without a lot of time, effort and expense.”
The network said the new deal also expands its direct-to-consumer rights, with details for more content on digital platforms to be announced later.
ESPN has been the U.S. rights holder in a boom time for F1, and the series will expand its calendar to a record 24 races in 2023. That includes three in the U.S. in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. Only the Texas race was on the calendar when ESPN took over broadcast rights four years ago.
Last season had an average of 949,000 viewers, the network said. That has increased to more than 1.2 million tuning in on average over the first 18 races this season.
“They (ESPN) were really the first to believe on us here in America,” said Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive officer of F1. “Now it seems easy because we seen the booming of the market. But we will not take it for granted. What ESPN did for the American fans is really special and is a reason why we are renewing this collaboration for the next three years.”
The inaugural Miami Grand Prix on ABC generated an average viewership of 2.6 million, the largest U.S. audience on record for a live F1 race.
Domenicali said the continued growth of the U.S. audience remains critical for F1.
“They (ESPN) know how to connect with the American audience,” Domenicali said. “They know what the American audience wants to hear.”
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
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Texas vow to ‘eliminate all rapists’ rings hollow at clinics
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — When Texas’ new abortion law made no exceptions in cases of rape, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defended it with an assurance: Texas would get to work eliminating rapes.
One year later, Lindsey LeBlanc is busy as ever helping rape victims in a college town outside Houston.
“The numbers have stayed consistently high,” said LeBlanc, executive director of the Sexual Assault Resource Center in Bryan, near Texas A&M University. Despite hiring two additional counselors in the past six months, she still has a waitlist for victims.
“We are struggling to keep up with demand,” she said.
The constant caseloads in Texas are another example of how Republicans have struggled to defend zero-exception abortion bans that are unpopular in public polling, have caused uproar in high-profile cases and are inviting political risk heading into November’s midterm elections. A year since Texas’ law went into effect in September 2021, at least a dozen states also have bans that make no exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
The absence of exceptions has caused divisions among Republicans, including in West Virginia, where a new law signed this month allows a brief window for rape and incest victims to obtain abortions only if they report to law enforcement first. Recently, South Carolina Republicans scuttled a proposed ban after failing to get enough GOP support.
“It really disgusts me,” said Republican South Carolina state Sen. Katrina Shealy, ripping into her male colleagues on the floor of the state Senate.
Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, also of South Carolina, allowed exceptions under the proposed national abortion ban he introduced last week. The proposal has virtually no chance of passing, with even GOP leaders not immediately backing it, reflecting how Republicans have broadly struggled to navigate the issue of abortion with voters since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer.
Overwhelming majorities of voters think their state should generally allow abortion in specific cases, including rape, incest or if the health of the pregnant person is endangered. Even Republicans are seeing it as a line with some voters.
“It’s a very gray issue,” said Claudia Alcazar, the GOP chairwoman in Starr County along the Texas-Mexico border that has become a new political battleground after Republicans made big gains with more conservative Hispanic voters in 2020.
She said she knows those who are “hardcore, never have abortion for any reason, period. And then I have the other ones that are like, ‘Well, you know, it depends.’”
In Texas, the blowback was swift when Abbott said last September: “Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets.” Critics called it detached from reality. A sexual assault hotline in Houston has answered almost 4,800 calls through August this year — putting it on track to exceed last year’s volume of 4,843.
As of this summer, all abortions were banned in Texas except if it would save a mother’s life.
Asked what Abbott has done in the past year to eliminate rape, spokeswoman Renae Eze highlighted older measures to clear rape test kit backlogs, a law signed in June aimed at coordinating and expanding sexual assault resources and a task force his office launched in 2019 to address the issue.
“To prevent such heinous crimes before they happen, and to prosecute any criminals to the full extent of the law, Governor Abbott has aggressively fought against defunding the police and led bail reform efforts to prevent the release of dangerous criminals,” Eze said in a statement.
More than 14,000 rape crimes have been reported in Texas since the law took effect last year, according to data from the Texas Department of Public Safety. That was slightly down from the year before and consistent with a decline in other violent crime figures across the state.
Crisis centers in Texas say the number of rape victims they’ve accompanied to hospitals for exams is rebounding since the pandemic restrictions kept advocates from entering. The Women’s Center in Fort Worth has made more than 650 visits to counsel victims undergoing exams in the past year compared to about 340 in the year prior, said Alisha Mathenia, the assistant director of crisis services at the center.
The majority of sexual assaults are never reported to police, making any available data an incomplete picture. And about 8 out of 10 sexual assaults are committed by a person known to the victim, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.
“We’re not talking about a large of number of rapists walking around on the street. That’s a myth,” said Democrat Donna Howard, a state representative in Austin who co-authored the bill creating Abbott’s task force.
At The SAFE Alliance in Austin, where sexual assault victims can get exams and medical care at its Eloise House, senior director Juliana Gonzales said it’s admirable for Texas to work on rape prevention. “But I also think it’s important for the state to live in the reality that we have to respond to sexual assault,” she said.
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Stengle reported from Dallas.
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Find more AP coverage of the abortion issue: https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
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Austin Pets Alive! | APA!’S Parvo Puppy ICU Began at Home
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Sep 26, 2022
Austin was a very different city for vulnerable companion animals just 14 years ago. Some of the animals most at risk were puppies with parvovirus. Each day these tiny lives were needlessly lost because shelters didn’t have programs set up to treat parvo.
Veterinarians learn how to treat parvo in school, so we wondered why animal shelters couldn’t or wouldn’t. If these puppies could often be saved, why wasn’t treatment the norm? To
save these pets and increase lifesaving in Austin, we had to start
somewhere — and keeping parvo puppies from being euthanized seemed like a
good place to start.The Parvo Puppy ICU, as we know it today, was born in a bathroom in my house around Thanksgiving 2008. At its peak I could spend up to eight hours a day cleaning and treating anywhere from a couple to 25 sick puppies at a time. Thankfully,
my husband was very understanding and willing to put up with the smell
of sick puppies in our bathroom. Even though it wasn’t ideal having the
strong and unforgettable odor of parvo in our home, it was the only way
to protect these pets in need and give them the critical care they
deserved.We often share the story of the ICU’s humble beginnings because it
reminds us how far we’ve come. Although I was often the only one
cleaning up after that first batch of puppies, APA!’s capacity to care for animals in need continues to grow thanks to the help of friends like you.
Because of our community’s determination to make Austin No Kill, we were able, eleven years ago, to trade the bathroom tile and pop-up crates for linoleum and metal kennels in a location with easy access to our clinic and round-the-clock staff. The need for support didn’t end when we moved to the Parvo Puppy ICU at TLAC.
Today, parvo puppies are still at risk of needless euthanasia in shelters across Texas that haven’t yet adopted No Kill. As we celebrate the 11th anniversary of No Kill in Austin and its continued impact on pets at high risk of euthanasia we know there is still so much work to do to save even more lives and help other shelters do the same. Will you join us today?
With gratitude,
Ellen
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Austin Pets Alive! | Share the Love with Subaru
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Jun 23, 2022
Locally, Austin Subaru selects organizations to support right here at home, and APA! is honored to be one of those partners since 2015! This generous company has firmly established a commitment to community involvement, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.
2021 marked the seventh year that the employees of Austin Subaru have worked hard to assist our mission through this fundraiser, raising $80,000 and over $400,000 since the lifetime of the Share the Love event! This fundraiser launches each November and concludes in early January with the pledge to donate $250 with every new vehicle purchase or lease.
Not only does the Austin Subaru team recognize the importance of supporting local nonprofits with monetary gifts, they also recognize that the gift of time makes a big difference, too! To celebrate the accomplishment of their 2021 Share the Love fundraiser, we worked with the team to get them on-site, roll up their sleeves, and give of their valuable time! Thanks to this crew, our shelter received some TLC, including tackling a number of painting projects, helping to stuff our adopter bags with some fun goodies, and aiding our facilities team with building an awning that will help shade our clinic team and APA! fosters when conducting their carside appointments. This volunteer day is incredibly generous and just goes to show how deep the Austin Subaru support runs for our organization.
Austin Subaru’s contributions throughout these years have been incredibly impactful, allowing our teams the ability to give essential care to the pets that come through our doors. Their continued commitment helps APA! remain in a position to assist at-risk animals. Below are just a few examples of what we can do with generosity like theirs:
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$100 — Provides intake vaccinations, dewormers, and spay/neuter for one puppy.
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$225 — Provides immune-boosting IV Vitamin C for three puppies.
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$500 — Supports maintenance and repair of current IV pumps.
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$1,000 — Purchases a new IV pump to keep puppies hydrated and alive as they fight Parvovirus.
We can’t thank Austin Subaru enough for championing the work that takes place within our organization!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Parvo Puppy ICU Flooding | Help Needed!
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May 24, 2022
One of Austin’s pet lifesaving treasures is at risk after ANOTHER flooding situation with sewage spilling into all three parvovirus treatment wards.
This is the same situation that the clinic staff faced this past Saturday when Austin Pets Alive! asked for adopters and fosters to pick up puppies who had already been treated – and tested negative – for parvovirus.
Because the Austin community responded and helped pick up 17 puppies on Saturday and 23 puppies on Sunday, there are currently 51 puppies being treated in the Parvo ICU.
No puppies are in danger of not being treated today but we are asked to take more sick puppies – multiple times throughout the day.
That said, the plumbing needs to be fixed quickly – and as you know, Austin Pets Alive! is a nonprofit, almost entirely funded through donations. Austin Pets Alive! does not receive any government funding AND the Parvo ICU has – so far this year – treated a whopping 563 puppies, which is 51% more parvo puppies than the same period of time in 2021.
Austin Pets Alive! will be working on a long-term solution, but for now, the cost of the repairs and replacement parts for the lifesaving Parvo Puppy ICU at Austin Pets Alive! is expected to reach $15,000. This covers the cost of laundry incineration, plumbing diagnosis, repairs, and clean-up.
APA! has one of the only parvo treatment units for shelter pets and is, by far, the largest in Texas. That means that any downtime translates into not being able to continue to accept the high volume of puppies who would certainly die without our Parvo Puppy ICU.
Click here if you’re able to give to help us raise the $15K we need to stop the flooding in our Parvo Puppy ICU. Thank you!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Heat Safety Tips for Pets
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May 14, 2022
As we Austinites know, Texas summer heat is real – and sweltering hot.
With most summer days reaching at least 90 degrees in Austin, Texas, Austin Pets Alive! is alerting pet owners to exercise caution on these brutally hot days. Temperatures like these can be very dangerous for pets, especially dogs, leading to dehydration and in some cases, death.
As we ease into the summer months, be sure to follow these helpful pointers:
- Check the pavement before going on a walk. Place your hand on it for 10 full seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them. Know the signs – lagging is the number one sign that your dog is too hot.
- Water, water, water! Let your pet go for a swim in cool water and make sure they are staying hydrated. Getting your pet wet is the best way to speed up the cooling process.
- Keep an eye on your pet’s tongue and eyes. Red eyes and a tongue hanging very far out of a dog’s mouth is an indication that they are overheating.
- Limit outdoor activity. Take short walks in shaded areas or consider taking an evening stroll.
- Do NOT leave your pet in the car, not even for a short period of time. Did you know that on a 95-degree day, your car is actually degrees?
There are other summer heat tips that are less commonly heard about but are just as important such as supervising your pet in the pool. To avoid a dangerous situation, consider fencing off or covering your pool for when you aren’t home. Another tip to keep in mind is that when grooming your pet, avoid cutting their hair too short. Their fur helps combat sunburns and regulate body temperature. For these upcoming summer months, pet sunscreen is a great investment – we bet you didn’t know it was a thing!
Dogs most susceptible to heatstroke are overweight dogs, dogs with long fur, short nose dogs, senior dogs, and those who have lung or breathing issues. It’s important to remember that dogs only sweat through their mouth, feet, and ears, which is why they suffer from heat exhaustion faster than humans. So, even though you may be tolerating the heat, your dog may be suffering.
To help keep pet safety top of mind at a popular Austin-outdoor fave location, we’ve posted signage around the trail looping Lady Bird Lake. Thank you to Rocket Banners, a company that generously donated the print of these heat safety signs reminding trail-goers to keep their pets safe. Be on the lookout for those tips and warnings!
Austin Pets Alive! wants to keep all pet lovers informed and our furry friends safe from the ravaging heat! Follow our friendly tips and refer back when needed for a fun, safe summer!We have an important PSA while we have your attention! While scooping the poop may not seem important, and at times pretty gross, it is crucial to the health and safety of our community. Just to put things into perspective, there are over 250,000 dogs in Austin, which in turn creates 150,000 pounds of poop per day. And now, more than ever before, we each have an obligation to care for, and look after, the health and safety of our neighbors and fellow Austinites. Click here to learn more!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Paddle for Puppies is Back!
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May 09, 2022
Paddle for Puppies is back on May 15th and better than ever! Paddle for Puppies, an annual event presented by Austin Subaru, provides incredible support for our Parvo Puppy ICU Program at Austin Pets Alive!.
Our Parvo Puppy ICU cares for puppies that contract canine parvovirus, a highly contagious and life-threatening virus that increases their risk for euthanasia in certain shelters. In 2021 alone, a record-breaking 963 lives were saved from the Parvo Puppy ICU. That’s 400 more puppies than we saved in 2020 – this program is expanding by the minute!
One of the puppies saved so far in 2022 was named Rover. Rover is a very special puppy. Apart from being a parvo survivor and having precious droopy ears that stole everyone’s hearts, Rover was the 100,000th life saved at APA!.
Needless to say, Rover’s adoption was quick. He really did steal everyone’s hearts, including Timothy and Katherine Shook’s. The Shooks were Rover’s perfect match for a couple of reasons. First, they’re great pet parents. Second, Timothy just so happens to be APA!’s main point of contact with Austin Subaru who puts on Paddle for Puppies. They are one of the largest supporters of the very same program that saved Rover’s life.
Today, months later, Rover Shook is happy at home and, from what we hear, has been a great addition to their family. Just take a look at some of what they had to say:
What is your favorite quality about Rover?
“Our favorite quality of Rover’s is his playfulness; he loves chewing on hands, blankets, pillows – anything he can get his teeth on. He chases us as we walk and bites at our shoes, and he has enjoyed a few games of ‘Attack the Swiffer.’”
How does it feel knowing you had a part in saving Rover’s life?
“Having a puppy whose life would’ve been cut short without the APA! parvo facility keeps us very grounded. We are so grateful that Rover was able to receive treatment, and we were able to help support the parvo ICU and the staff that keep the unit running.”
What do you want people to know about APA!?
“We would love for people to know that APA! has saved over 100,000 lives and is working on a national initiative to increase the number of lives they’re able to save.
Thank you Austin Subaru, for supporting our Parvo Puppy ICU that helps save pets like Rover. Thank you Shook family, for giving Rover a home. Thank you to our APA! community for all of your support that helps make stories like Rover’s possible. And lastly, thank you Rover for being so darn cute, and for being the face of this year’s Paddle for Puppies!
This year’s Paddle for Puppies is taking place on May 15 from 6:45-10:00 AM at the Rowing Dock. We hope to see you there! You’ll also receive a special t-shirt featuring Rover when you sign up. Register today to paddle and save a puppy’s life: https://www.paddleforpuppies.com/
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Austin Pets Alive! | Austin FC 2022 Mascots of the Match copy
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Apr 13, 2022
Since the inaugural season in 2021, Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! have partnered up to showcase eligible dogs as honorary Austin FC mascots at each regular-season home match.
The first-of-its-kind partnership features APA! dogs through social media outreach and in-venue activations during each match at Q2 Stadium, all in support of Austin’s status as the country’s largest “no-kill” city and the promotion of APA!’s rescue, adoption, foster, and volunteerism efforts through this unique community platform. Last year, all 18 of the honorary mascots were adopted into loving homes, and many more will be adopted this year!
February 26, 2022: Gavin
Austin FC presented the first Honorary Mascot of the club’s second season: Gavin! Gavin is a sweet labrador retriever mix who arrived at Austin Pets Alive! after likely being hit by a car. Gavin’s jaw was reattached and his back legs were injured but that hasn’t stopped this friendly pup from now running around with his custom wheelchair.
Gavin is one year old and loves other playful dogs just as much as he loves snuggling on the couch. Gavin is ready to be adopted from Austin Pets Alive! and go home with his new best friend.
March 6, 2022: Kenneth
We are thrilled to announce that the second Austin FC Honorary Mascot is Kenneth! Kenneth is a loveable three-year-old heartworm-positive dog who was looking for a loving home. If you are looking to meet the cuddliest couch potato, look no further than Kenneth (or Kenny as his fosters call him).
Kenny is just one of the sweetest pups. Throughout the day, he’ll come up to his fosters, look up with his beautiful hazel eyes and quietly ask for petting. He loves attention from his humans but is also independent enough to wander off to somewhere on his own once he is satisfied.
March 20, 2022: Rose
Austin FC presents the latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Rose! This one-year-old playful and happy dog is ready to find her forever home. Rose was shot as a puppy and suffered a spinal injury. She doesn’t let that prevent her from running around any park or yard with her custom-built wheels.
Rose gets along well with other dogs and cats. Her favorite thing to do is chase a tennis ball around and snuggle up with you!
April 10, 2022: Lance
Meet Austin FC’s latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Lance! Lance is a three-year-old lab mix who loves nothing more than to make himself comfortable in your lap. He is completely deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from playing just as well as the rest of the dogs!
The Austin FC community really showed just how amazing and inclusive they are in their appreciation of Lance, with some of them even greeting him in sign language.
April 23, 2022: RayRay
The most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot, RayRay, was adopted!
This sweet pup came to Austin Pets Alive! in 2019 after APD received a call that he was abandoned in a home (his previous family moved out and left him behind) – he was taken to Austin Animal Center and they called Austin Pets Alive!. RayRay went to an adoptive home but that owner returned RayRay when she had to move. In the past two months, RayRay has made appearances at SXSW and as the most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot. We are excited to announce that an Austinite named Amylynne met RayRay and adopted him! Amylynne says RayRay’s favorite things are “walks, sunbathing, napping, and cuddles!”
This season, RayRay is the first Honorary Mascot to be adopted! Stay tuned to meet the next Austin FC Honorary Mascot on May 8th!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Austin FC 2022 Mascots of the Match
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Apr 13, 2022
Since the inaugural season in 2021, Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! have partnered up to showcase eligible dogs as honorary Austin FC mascots at each regular-season home match.
The first-of-its-kind partnership features APA! dogs through social media outreach and in-venue activations during each match at Q2 Stadium, all in support of Austin’s status as the country’s largest “no-kill” city and the promotion of APA!’s rescue, adoption, foster, and volunteerism efforts through this unique community platform. Last year, all 18 of the honorary mascots were adopted into loving homes, and many more will be adopted this year!
February 26, 2022: Gavin
Austin FC presented the first Honorary Mascot of the club’s second season: Gavin! Gavin is a sweet labrador retriever mix who arrived at Austin Pets Alive! after likely being hit by a car. Gavin’s jaw was reattached and his back legs were injured but that hasn’t stopped this friendly pup from now running around with his custom wheelchair.
Gavin is one year old and loves other playful dogs just as much as he loves snuggling on the couch. Gavin is ready to be adopted from Austin Pets Alive! and go home with his new best friend.
March 6, 2022: Kenneth
We are thrilled to announce that the second Austin FC Honorary Mascot is Kenneth! Kenneth is a loveable three-year-old heartworm-positive dog who was looking for a loving home. If you are looking to meet the cuddliest couch potato, look no further than Kenneth (or Kenny as his fosters call him).
Kenny is just one of the sweetest pups. Throughout the day, he’ll come up to his fosters, look up with his beautiful hazel eyes and quietly ask for petting. He loves attention from his humans but is also independent enough to wander off to somewhere on his own once he is satisfied.
March 20, 2022: Rose
Austin FC presents the latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Rose! This one-year-old playful and happy dog is ready to find her forever home. Rose was shot as a puppy and suffered a spinal injury. She doesn’t let that prevent her from running around any park or yard with her custom-built wheels.
Rose gets along well with other dogs and cats. Her favorite thing to do is chase a tennis ball around and snuggle up with you!
April 10, 2022: Lance
Meet Austin FC’s latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Lance! Lance is a three-year-old lab mix who loves nothing more than to make himself comfortable in your lap. He is completely deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from playing just as well as the rest of the dogs!
The Austin FC community really showed just how amazing and inclusive they are in their appreciation of Lance, with some of them even greeting him in sign language.
April 23, 2022: RayRay
The most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot, RayRay, was adopted!
This sweet pup came to Austin Pets Alive! in 2019 after APD received a call that he was abandoned in a home (his previous family moved out and left him behind) – he was taken to Austin Animal Center and they called Austin Pets Alive!. RayRay went to an adoptive home but that owner returned RayRay when she had to move. In the past two months, RayRay has made appearances at SXSW and as the most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot. We are excited to announce that an Austinite named Amylynne met RayRay and adopted him! Amylynne says RayRay’s favorite things are “walks, sunbathing, napping, and cuddles!”
This season, RayRay is the first Honorary Mascot to be adopted! Stay tuned to meet the next Austin FC Honorary Mascot on May 8th!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Austin FC 2022 Mascots of the Match copy
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Apr 13, 2022
Since the inaugural season in 2021, Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! have partnered up to showcase eligible dogs as honorary Austin FC mascots at each regular-season home match.
The first-of-its-kind partnership features APA! dogs through social media outreach and in-venue activations during each match at Q2 Stadium, all in support of Austin’s status as the country’s largest “no-kill” city and the promotion of APA!’s rescue, adoption, foster, and volunteerism efforts through this unique community platform. Last year, all 18 of the honorary mascots were adopted into loving homes, and many more will be adopted this year!
February 26, 2022: Gavin – ADOPTED!
Austin FC presented the first Honorary Mascot of the club’s second season: Gavin! Gavin is a sweet labrador retriever mix who arrived at Austin Pets Alive! after likely being hit by a car. Gavin’s jaw was reattached and his back legs were injured but that hasn’t stopped this friendly pup from now running around with his custom wheelchair.
Gavin is one year old and loves other playful dogs just as much as he loves snuggling on the couch. Gavin is ready to be adopted from Austin Pets Alive! and go home with his new best friend.
March 6, 2022: Kenneth – ADOPTED!
We are thrilled to announce that the second Austin FC Honorary Mascot is Kenneth! Kenneth is a loveable three-year-old heartworm-positive dog who was looking for a loving home. If you are looking to meet the cuddliest couch potato, look no further than Kenneth (or Kenny as his fosters call him).
Kenny is just one of the sweetest pups. Throughout the day, he’ll come up to his fosters, look up with his beautiful hazel eyes and quietly ask for petting. He loves attention from his humans but is also independent enough to wander off to somewhere on his own once he is satisfied.
March 20, 2022: Rose – ADOPTED!
Austin FC presents the latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Rose! This one-year-old playful and happy dog is ready to find her forever home. Rose was shot as a puppy and suffered a spinal injury. She doesn’t let that prevent her from running around any park or yard with her custom-built wheels.
Rose gets along well with other dogs and cats. Her favorite thing to do is chase a tennis ball around and snuggle up with you!
April 10, 2022: Lance – ADOPTED!
Meet Austin FC’s latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Lance! Lance is a three-year-old lab mix who loves nothing more than to make himself comfortable in your lap. He is completely deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from playing just as well as the rest of the dogs!
The Austin FC community really showed just how amazing and inclusive they are in their appreciation of Lance, with some of them even greeting him in sign language.
April 23, 2022: RayRay – ADOPTED!
The most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot, RayRay, was adopted!
This sweet pup came to Austin Pets Alive! in 2019 after APD received a call that he was abandoned in a home (his previous family moved out and left him behind) – he was taken to Austin Animal Center and they called Austin Pets Alive!. RayRay went to an adoptive home but that owner returned RayRay when she had to move. In the past two months, RayRay has made appearances at SXSW and as the most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot. We are excited to announce that an Austinite named Amylynne met RayRay and adopted him! Amylynne says RayRay’s favorite things are “walks, sunbathing, napping, and cuddles!”
This season, RayRay is the first Honorary Mascot to be adopted! Stay tuned to meet the next Austin FC Honorary Mascot on May 8th!
May 8, 2022: Marla – ADOPTED!
Marla is a major fan of people, and you’ll instantly become a major fan of hers! She enjoys her daily morning walks and loves to sniff everything she sees. But she especially wants to meet people. She’s curious about all the folks who walk by and wants to pull toward them to say hi. She’s excited to see one who’s already a friend, and she wants everyone to be her new buddy. She loves being near everyone and getting their attention – adults and children alike.
May 22, 2022: Jaysus – ADOPTED!
Jaysus is a smart, energetic pup who’s ready to please you. Jaysus is quite the gentleman. He is easygoing, fully house-trained, crate-trained and knows how to politely let you know what he needs.
Jaysus is happy to stay quietly by his human’s side while they’re working from home or out in the yard. While his human is away, he is quite content to occupy himself with his toys or a nap and will patiently wait for them to return.
He’s a true Austinite with a lot of enthusiasm and zest who loves his daily walks, playing hard at dog parks and going out on hiking trails. He falls head over heels in love with every human he meets. He just expects some praise and pets from everyone. In return, he smothers them with kisses and happy tail wags.
June 25, 2022: Lunchbox- ADOPTED! TEST
Introducing Lunchbox, a handsome 8-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix who is ready to become your best friend! Lunchbox (nicknamed Boxy for his cute little tank-like body) is a sweet gentleman who has a playful side.
Lunchbox is completely house-trained, does great on walks after his initial excitement, and if you give him a toy he will love to chew on it! After a few treats, he will go into his crate and sleep through the whole night like a baby.
Lunchbox was in APAs! Canine Good citizen program and so far, he knows “sit,” “down,” “stay” and is making great progress on “crate” and “gentle.” He is very affectionate when new people visit and has the cutest “sploot” when he lies down! Lunchbox really loves his humans and loves to be around them as much as possible, so a family who is home
more often, or willing to work with him to slowly get him familiar with being home alone, would be best!
July 12, 2022: Banana Split – ADOPTED!
If you’re looking for a devoted cuddle bunny, Banana Split is your girl! This very affectionate puppy will greet you by jumping up, hugging you and wrapping her paws around you. She loves to snuggle up with you, giving you kisses – and more hugs. In return, she hopes you’ll jiggle her paws, give her a little nose rub and lots of petting.
Now in foster, Banana likes seeing other dogs on her walks, sniffing and wagging her tail excitedly. At home, she plays with her fosters’ two dogs. One is a grumpy old boy and she’s learning to respect his boundaries. This gentle girl also loves playing with her fosters’ 1- and 5-year-old kids and she’s gentle and polite to other kids she sees.
Plus, she’s living with cats, interested in them but never aggressive.She’s improving her leash walks, strolling beside her foster mom and sometimes plopping down to sunbathe. At home, she loves to chew her toys and, being a puppy, she chews whatever she finds, including cords. Then she’s off to curl up for naps.
This sweet, goofy girl already understands “sit and is learning about “down. She’s doing well in her crate, curling up for a nap and snoozing while her fosters are away. She’s very close to being house-trained. And she’s learning to fetch.
This easy going girl will love a home with someone who’s there a lot and can curl up with her and give her those cuddles and pets she adores. And she’ll enjoy continuing her training. Come meet this adorable girl. She’s ready to warm your heart!
July 24, 2022: Choppa – ADOPTED!
This puppy was found in a laundry basket with his siblings – outside of an animal shelter. They tested positive for parvovirus and were sent to Austin Pets Alive! for lifesaving treatment in the Parvo Puppy ICU. Thanks to the love and care from the Parvo Puppy ICU, Choppa is now healthy and ready to spend many days with his new family!
August 6, 2022: Effie – ADOPTED!
Introducing Effie, a sweet, house-trained adorable young puppy. Effie
is an absolute doll! She has a kind, sweet and gentle personality and
loves belly rubs and snuggling. Every morning when her fosters go
outside with her, she isn’t satisfied until she has said hello to her
neighbors for scratches, belly rubs and a treat.Effie is smart and a quick learner who loves to please and show off
her new skills. She loves running around with her friends but can be shy
at first until she feels comfortable. Effie enjoys playing with a
neighboring dog in the yard and dogs at the dog park. This means she can
live in a house with other dogs.Her favorite activity is putting her paws around you and letting you
know how much she loves you. She’s the total package: smart, funny,
sweet and empathetic. A wonderful little puppy soul and personality who
will make the best pet to her forever family.
August 13, 2022: Isabelle – ADOPTED!
Isabelle is a loving and playful girl who will give you kisses and
snuggle with you on the couch. She will sit for treats if asked. All she
wants to do is get love from her human.Isabelle loves meeting new people and will make sure they give her
plenty of pets! Now in foster care, she behaves well when she’s home
alone, just sitting on the couch and waiting for her foster parents to
come back. She’s a house-trained girl who stands by the door to show she
wants to go outside.This sweetie can be somewhat intimidated and aggressive with other
dogs and cats, so she hopes to be the only pet in a home. Come meet this
girl. Offer her a couch snuggle and she’ll follow you home!
September 17, 2022: Dustin – ADOPTED!
Dustin is a 3 and a half year old lab mix who has a hard time deciding what he wants to do most – go on long walks with you or give you all the kisses! This playful boy loves playing catch and running around for hours. Yet he’s also super content with taking naps! He’s wonderful with kids and he’s fully house-trained and can do well with roaming freely. Let’s get Dustin and all his friends out of the shelter and into homes!
October 9, 2022: Sadie – ADOPTED!
Sadie loves to play with her foster and the dogs, and also loves to chew bones and play tug-o-war with stuffed toys and ropes. Then she cuddles in her foster’s lap. She’s also living with cats and is super curious but doesn’t pay much attention to them. In a previous home, she also lived with kids and loved to play with them.
Sadie is an active, adventurous and playful girl even though she’s in a wheelchair. She was hit by a car and now has little use of her back legs. In her wheelchair, she can run around outdoors and enjoys it. She doesn’t use a leash for her walks, but never leaves her person’s side. She’ll always want to be right next to you and your dogs on walks.
At home, Sadie stays in her crate and does great when her foster is away, just excited to see her come back. She is almost house-trained and just needs to be carried outside and held up to potty. Back indoors, she loves being wrapped up in a soft blanket and cuddled in a lap.
October 16, 2022 Listo and Verde – ADOPTED!
Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! Are excited to introduce you to not but one…but TWO HONORARY MASCOTS…Listo and Verde! These perfect sibling pups are one month old and had parvovirus when they arrived at Austin Pets Alive!…after being tested in the Parvo ICU. They are now healthy and ready to be adopted
October 23, 2022: Alright Alright Alright & Wolffpack – ADOPTED!
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Austin Pets Alive! | Cryptocurrency Can Now Be Used to Support Austin…
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Mar 30, 2022
Austin Pets Alive! is at the forefront of innovation in eliminating the killing of companion animals, which is why we’ve added a brand-new tool for fueling our work: cryptocurrency donations! Below are some of the new ways you can support our mission using crypto.
NFTs
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are a new technology in the cryptocurrency space that allows for the exchange of digital media. Now, our community is using NFTs to support the animals of APA!.
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One of our foster families started CowboyKitties.io, which started as hand-drawn ink portraits celebrating the APA! foster cats that came into their lives. “Z”, the 14-year-old artist, began sketching them to show her love for foster cats. One particular cat really captured her imagination and became the famous drawing that is now an exclusive NFT art collection with 15,000 unique kitties available in Ethereum and 5,000 in Polygon. 50% of proceeds benefit Austin Pets Alive!.
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Two recent engineering graduates from the University of Texas at Austin wanted to put their engineering skills to use while contributing to our cause, as dog-lovers and adopters. Using the available dogs of APA!, AustinCryptoPups has created a one-of-a-kind, collectible NFT trading cards of all of your favorites – Twister, Dave, and more. 50% of proceeds benefit Austin Pets Alive!.
Donor-Advised Funds
You can now create your own charitable fund and recommend crypto grants to the animals of APA!. Endaoment offers Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) built atop the Ethereum blockchain.
DAFs are a bit like charitable savings accounts, allowing you to donate assets into the fund, and then recommend Austin Pets Alive! to receive cash grants using your Ethereum coins immediately, or over time.
Direct Donations
We’re excited to announce that we now accept 35 of the most common cryptocurrency coins as donations to Austin Pets Alive!. If you own crypto, giving to APA! is a smart way to make a difference.
Here’s how it works:
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Visit our cryptocurrency giving page
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Choose from Bitcoin, Ethereum, or more than 30 other coins to donate and get a tax receipt
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Know that your gift may be tax-deductible, and as a donation, does not trigger a capital gains tax*, allowing you to make a bigger impact
Your donation will be converted into U.S. dollars and sent to us as cash so we can put your gift to work immediately.
Your name and contact information are optional, but providing this when making a donation allows us to express our gratitude! We never share, sell, or trade donor information.
Other Ways to Give
Not into crypto? No problem! You can continue to fuel our work to end the killing of pets by exploring more ways to give on our website. Whatever way you choose to support our work — we thank you!
For more information about using cryptocurrency to support the lifesaving mission of Austin Pets Alive!, please email us.
* Austin Pets Alive! does not provide tax advice, so please consult your financial advisor on donations of cryptocurrency.
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Austin Pets Alive! | Letter from Dr. Jefferson: Properties Update
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Mar 18, 2022
I’m excited to let you know that on February 17, 2022, Austin City Council approved a one-year extension on our Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) license agreement so that we can continue to negotiate the much longer-term license of 75 years. You may recall that we didn’t want a long extension at first, but we now have a more equitable agreement in place which allows us to serve our mission and the City of Austin at the same time while we go into another year of negotiation.
We are very pleased with this agreement, as it has unrestricted our work for the next 12 months. This means we will be able to help any animal in need and intervene in euthanasia lists, while also committing to our continued partnership with Austin Animal Center and to all the dogs and cats in Austin that need our specialized help. We believe this extension will give us enough time to negotiate the terms of the public-private partnership between APA! and the City of Austin so that it is strong and successful, long into the future.
While continuing to negotiate with the city the terms of the 75-year agreement to build and operate at our TLAC campus, we will have time to find the right spaces to house our pets during the eventual demolition and rebuild of the TLAC facilities as well as to move the part of our operations that will need more space than the future restricted TLAC site can provide. The APA! Board of Directors has been continuing to work hard using their connections to lead the search for potential properties to support our planned expansion throughout Austin.
As part of this property search, we are moving ahead on locating land of our own to house a rehabilitation center for dogs who have experienced trauma and provide sanctuary for dogs and cats. This land will also act as a transport hub for animals who are in imminent danger of death in shelters across Texas so that we can connect these cats and dogs with organizations in other states who don’t have enough adoptable pets in shelters to fill the loving, adoptive homes that are available in the northern region of the country.
Knowing that much of what we do will no longer fit at the future TLAC site, we are also continuing our search for additional facilities in Central Austin for adoptions, clinic, and treatment wards such as parvo and ringworm, as well as exploring properties that would be suitable for foster and clinic services and would make fostering more accessible to all of Austin. Though these centrally-located real estate options are few and far between, we are determined to find the right match for our needs.
We will continue to update you on our progress toward these exciting possibilities, and let you know how you can help join us as we work to build an even brighter future for pets and people. Thank you so much for caring about APA! and being such an important part of this lifesaving journey.
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Sean O’Connor of Lone Star Overnight (LSO™) Accepted Into Forbes Business Council
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Forbes Business Council Is an Invitation-Only Community for Successful Business Owners and Leaders
Press Release
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Mar 10, 2022
AUSTIN, Texas, March 10, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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Sean O’Connor, the COO and newly appointed president of Lone Star Overnight (LSO™), a regional parcel delivery company with a network of 27 operating locations throughout the Southwest and Central regions, has been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.O’Connor was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.
“We are honored to welcome Sean O’Connor into the community,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”
As an accepted member of the Council, O’Connor has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum and at members-only events. He will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.
Finally, O’Connor will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils’ member concierge team.
“It’s a privilege to be part of the Forbes Councils and to have the opportunity to share our expertise with business leaders worldwide,” O’Connor said. “LSO is an innovator in the logistics sector, and we look forward to providing insight and guidance to other forward-thinking companies.”
ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.
To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.
About LSO / Lone Star Overnight (LSO™)
Lone Star Overnight (LSO™) is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and, over the last 30 years, has become a leading regional parcel delivery company. LSO has a network of 27 operating locations throughout the Southwest and Central regions. Coverage area includes 100% of the population of Texas, ~65% in Oklahoma, ~80% in Louisiana and Missouri, and ~45% in Arkansas. LSO’s reach extends into parts of Kansas, Illinois, and New Mexico. LSO’s service area reaches ~13% of the USA population consisting of ~43 million people and potential e-commerce shoppers.
Media Contact
Savannah Muir
savannah@newswire.comSource: Lone Star Overnight (LSO)
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SOAR Commits $250K to First Female Scholarship Program
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SOAR Texas announces a new program to provide funding, mentorship, and support to female leaders pursuing higher education. The first of the $250,000 in scholarship funds will be awarded this year as five $10,000 scholarships.
Press Release
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Feb 20, 2022
AUSTIN, Texas, February 20, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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SOAR Texas is proud to announce it has committed $250,000 to its annual scholarship program. This program provides scholarships to outstanding female students who are the future leaders of their schools, communities, and businesses.Five students will be selected for the program each year to receive a $10,000 scholarship. The recipient will have access to continuing education, professional development, and mentoring throughout their college or graduate school experience. As new scholarship recipients are chosen each year, previous recipients will be invited to continue with their group. They will provide mentorship to the new recipients and continue to benefit from the ongoing relationships these circles will build.
This application opens February 22, 2022 and closes April 19, 2022 12:00 p.m. (Noon) CST.
For more information and eligibility details, visit https://lawofficeofamberrussell.com/soar or contact us, Contact@LOARtexas.com; and follow Law Office of Amber Russell PLLC (LOAR) on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for more announcements.
Source: SOAR Texas
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Austin Pets Alive! | How To Make a Fundraiser for Amplify Austin
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Feb 15, 2022
This year our goal is to raise $160,000 to save the lives of 533 pets, and we can’t do it without you. Our supporters like you, make our No Kill mission possible. If you’re all in for lifesaving, here are all the tools you need to create a fundraiser for APA!:
1. Visit our Amplify homepage and click the “FUNDRAISE” button to get started.
2. Follow the instructions here to set up your individual fundraiser.
3. Share your fundraiser on social media! We’ve provided an array of graphics for you to use on any social media channel, including Instagram and Facebook stories.
Be a champion for our most vulnerable pets! The nonprofit with the most Fundraising Champions signed up to support their cause by March 3rd will win $2,500. By raising just $100, you give us the resources to vaccinate a litter of puppies AND kittens!
Don’t forget: thanks to a generous, anonymous donor, all gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25K until March 2nd at 5:59 p.m. — including gifts made to your individual fundraiser!
APA! runs on grassroots supporters. You make lifesaving possible. Amplify Austin is the perfect way to show just how much our community cares about the most vulnerable pets by rallying around APA!. We cannot wait to #AmplifyLifesaving together this year.
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