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We typically take sports pretty seriously. With so much at stake in the pros, not to mention fantasy sports, betting, and gambling we sometimes forget that these athletes are playing a children’s game.
In that light, we’ve compiled some truly absurd and hilarious photos. These aren’t just any sports pics, but team mascots standing in silence. Whether it’s the National Anthem, moment of silence, or otherwise…
These mascots are just trying to do their jobs.
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Zach
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MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong.
Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
The Heat said Saturday that the employee, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home.
McGregor was there as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray — and was booed by many in the Miami crowd even before the bit started. The flame mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.
McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court.
McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.
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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!
Quinn and his siblings came to Austin Pets Alive! when they were just three months old. They had been in the care of another Texas shelter, where Quinn tested positive for parvovirus. Quinn and his siblings were transported to Austin Pets Alive! because their first shelter did not treat puppies with parvovirus. National statistics show a 90% death rate for parvo positive puppies, if left untreated. Fortunately, Quinn and his siblings were treated in our Parvo Puppy ICU. Quinn was quickly adopted and lived in a home for about five years but was returned last month to the nonprofit animal shelter because his owner was moving. We are happy to report that following Quinn’s appearance as an Honorary Mascot, he was adopted!
Jennifer – at TLAC
Introducing the Honorary Mascot of the Match: Jennifer! Jennifer is a senior lady (8.5 years old) who loves people. As much as she enjoys taking walks and playing in the yard, she also enjoys snuggling up on the couch. Her former foster calls her a ‘marshmallow’ and she is a staff favorite at APA!.Jennifer came to APA! from Austin Animal Center back in 2017. She prefers people to other pets and would like to be the only pet in your home.
Dos – FOSTER TO ADOPT HOME
Dos is a mixed breed pup, but his foster is pretty sure he’s at least 50% North American Snugglehound. “He is the snuggliest boy ever. He’s loyal to his friends and never wants to let them out of his sight,” says his foster. He loves to cozy up next to you with his head on your lap or doze on your feet. If you’re not quite ready to get up when the alarm goes off in the morning, Dos is happy to keep you company for some extra cuddles. Dos knows his basic commands and enjoys training because it means treats! He’s smart and playful. walks nicely on a leash (no barking or chasing squirrels!), and is fully house-trained. He is currently in a foster home.
Batty – ADOPTED
Batty was named for his bat-like ears. This perfect pup was abandoned and hit by a car in a parking lot in Houston. Three shelters said they would euthanize him so the person who found him raised funds so Batty could have surgery on his pelvis. He was taken to Austin Pets Alive! to meet his future adopter. We are happy to share that Batty has been adopted!
Mindy was hit by a car when she was brought into Austin Animal Center. The municipal shelter asked us if we could help Mindy and she now has a team of friends who help her with her wheelchair and take her to playgroup! Mindy is a 3 1/2 year old labrador retriever. She is ready to meet her adopter and people can apply to adopt her here.
Apollo, Atlas, Hoku, Nyx and Supernova – ADOPTED
These seven week old siblings are the perfect Austin FC Honorary Mascots! Their good looks are only matched by their superstar personalities. Apollo, Atlas, Hoku, Nyx and Supernova have all found their new homes!
Austin FC and presenting sponsor StoryBuilt introduce the one thing every home needs: Ikea! This pocket pittie is two and a half years old and loves people. She is looking for someone to adopt her from Austin Pets Alive!…could that be you? This best part about this Ikea…no assembly required! You can apply now to take her home tomorrow: austinpetsalive.org.
This sunny pit bull mix dog is 3 1/2 years old and was found by an animal protection officer. Austin Pets Alive!’s lifesaving clinic has taken great care of her and now Solterra is ready to be adopted! If you are looking for a snuggly pup, this could be the dog for you! You can find out how to adopt Solterra at austinpetsalive.org.
Margie came to APA! pregnant and was a great mom to her puppies. This girl is so smart and curious and affectionate. She’s ready for a foster or adopter to take her home and show her the good life. Interested in fostering or adopting Margie? Apply here.
May is thrilled to be selected as the Austin FC Honorary Mascot. Another Texas shelter did not have room for May and her siblings, so Austin Pets Alive! took them in and they have been cared for in a foster home. May was adopted after the Austin FC match and she’s hoping everyone who met her at the Q2 Stadium will consider adopting, fostering volunteering or donating to their local animal shelter!
Tonight at the Q2 Stadium, Austin FC, StoryBuilt and Austin Pets Alive! introduce four adoptable puppies sharing names with some of the most iconic characters from the Apple TV show, Ted Lasso! Here, tonight, we introduce eight week old shepherd mix puppies: Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton, Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt This litter of puppies was born in the shelter’s care and just like the famous characters, they are resilient and WE BELIEVE they will be the perfect pets in the homes of the Austin FC fans! If you would like to adopt one of these puppies from the nonprofit animal shelter, go to their website, austinpetsalive.org.
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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!
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.
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.
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!
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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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!
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.
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.
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!
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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Dear Friends,
As this year comes to a close, I’m in awe of the lifesaving love that you have for dogs and cats who have no other chances to survive. You made sure that pets survived a winter storm. You made sure that Austin remained the safest city in the US for pets for the 10th year in a row. You got APA! one step closer to keeping shelter pets in the heart of Austin. Most importantly, this year, you made sure that more than 12,000 pets were saved from unnecessary death in shelters.
This year also marked a big shift, as a result of COVID, in the way that government shelters operate all over the country. For the first time in history, governments are banding together to address the root causes of crowded shelters and unnecessary euthanasia. Although we are not a government shelter, APA! is helping to lead the movement towards a more humane, for humans and pets, way of operating. The gift all animal lovers have wished for year after year finally feels possible- to eliminate the killing of shelter pets in America, forever.
Early in 2022, APA! leadership will be sharing our full 2021 impact numbers and highlights, but as you celebrate the holidays (if you celebrate them, and however you safely can this year) we want to wish you and your loved ones well and thank you for your continued role in saving animal lives.
Let’s take a look back on just a few of the milestones from 2021.
When Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in mid-February this year, it leftover four million people out of power and water for days. Temperatures got down to historically low single digits, and there was widespread loss of internet and cell phone reception.
In our work, lives are on the line every day. When disasters like Uri hit, it takes a village to ensure no companions’ lives are lost — no matter the circumstances. Our dedicated staff and volunteers went above and beyond to keep the animals on-site safe and warm, with some staff even sleeping at the shelter.
With the help of the community, we were able to triage burst pipes and regain power via donated generators. We relied on our community more than ever during this time, and our community relied on us. Our P.A.S.S. (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender) program was in full force, saving community pets from the cold, providing food and water to pet owners in need and so much more.
As we gained control over our own crisis, the focus turned to animals who were losing their lives in shelters that did not have power as we madly transported more than 1,000 of them to other cities that could help. While Austin is the safest place for pets in the US, only a tiny fraction of the 150,000 animals losing their lives each year in Texas can get into Austin. The cold crisis got us to think of Austin as a pit stop in the journey from one very dangerous place in TX to a much less dangerous place in the north, even if that final destination is not at Austin’s level of No Kill success. In doing so, we started to open the door to making Texas No Kill. As of today, 2,228 lives have been saved in 2021 thanks to your support of the transport efforts in Texas.
The first-of-its-kind honorary mascot partnership featured APA! dogs available for adoption as Austin FC honorary mascots at each Austin FC regular-season home match throughout the 2021 season. The best thing about this partnership is that the focus was on dogs who often are looked over in the shelter because they are too big or too old. Since the launch of the community-centered partnership, 15 Austin FC mascots have been adopted!
2021 marked Austin’s 10th year as a No Kill city. When APA! was founded in 1997 as an all-volunteer advocacy organization, Austin Animal Center’s save rate was 15 percent. In June 2008, APA! was reborn as a rescue organization and by 2011, the city reached a 90 percent live release rate, making Austin the largest No Kill city in the U.S.
Ten years later, our city now has a 97 percent live release rate. Together with you, the highest values of the people of Austin are represented in the way we care for our community’s pets.
By late October, after over a year of adopting APA pets exclusively online, we decided it was time to re-open our doors — safely. With masking and other safety measures in place, our shelter is now open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Seeing our community members in person after all this time has been one of the highlights of the year.
We pulled off another season of successful lifesaving despite the challenges with our Town Lake facility and restrictions within our agreement with the city. This November though, we achieved a major milestone in working towards a years-long overdue solution. Our agreement, since it had not been updated in over 10 years, did not allow us to fulfill our organization’s mission. We were restricted by the locations in which we could help surrounding shelters while keeping Austin No Kill. And we were restricted to an arbitrary number of animals that we must pull from Austin Animal Center, which has the largest municipal budget in the country, even if it meant we were duplicating their work.
Without a new agreement, our home in the heart of the city and our bold vision for the future of animal welfare was in jeopardy. On November 4th, City Council voted to allow us to take in animals from anywhere and remain at home in our current location. We still have to finalize an official lease agreement, which should reflect the value of the land use in terms of donated dollars we spend to adopt out animals in their charge. But we are thrilled that one of the two major roadblocks to a successful legal partnership is now out of the way. It would NOT have happened without you raising your voice and telling the council that saving our four-legged, and sometimes three-legged, family members’ lives, responsibly, matters to you.
We are proud of the progress we’ve made on our new strategic plan we announced last year. We’ve completed and are implementing a variety of programs to be a sustainable organization and to invest in our people. We’ve also opened our Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project so any organization can be a partner and, in doing so, exponentially grown the work underway to change the way government shelters operate- by shifting the focus from just animals to families- both human and nonhuman. Today we have 104 HASS partner organizations. Here at home in Austin, we’re continuing to find better ways to save the lives that we encounter in need, no matter what challenge or trauma they have to overcome.
As we say goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022, we’re nearing 100,000 intakes of animals since 2008. That’s nearly 100,000 that would’ve been killed for behavior quirks, medical issues or even just a lack of space at partnering shelters. Together with you, APA! continues to be the safety net for pets who have nowhere else to turn.
In 2021, we never could have expected the support that you gave to animals and we are so grateful for YOU. However, we are still short of our December goal for donations to support the work we need to kick off on January 1, 2022. If you are still in a position to help financially this year, please click here to make a gift because, thanks to generous anonymous donors, it will be doubled up to $100,000 through December 31st. Every bit helps exponentially if given before the year ends.
Thank you for everything you do for the pets that need you most. Happy holidays and happy new year!
-Ellen Jefferson, DVM
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For the first time, an MLS team would feature adoptable shelter dogs as the Honorary Mascots for home matches. This unique opportunity showcases the shared core values of Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! and we are excited to announce that fifteen Austin FC Honorary Mascots were adopted and will no longer be sleeping in kennels at the shelter.
Geraldine, Oso, Marmalade, Candy, Heidi, Missy, Corn, Peanut, Leon, Sunshine, Black Canary, Rey, Woody, Front Porch, and Minnie Winnie will spend the rest of their lives in warm, loving homes with their forever families. From all of us at Austin Pets Alive!, to Austin FC and all the fans, thank you for adopting, fostering, volunteering, and donating. We look forward to introducing you to the 2022 Austin FC Honorary Mascots!
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AUSTIN, TX — Austin FC today announced an innovative community partnership with Austin Pets Alive! to showcase eligible dogs as honorary Austin FC mascots at Q2 Stadium in an effort to raise the profile of dog adoption throughout the region.
The first-of-its-kind honorary mascot partnership will see APA! dogs available for adoption featured as Austin FC honorary mascots at each Austin FC regular season home match throughout the 2021 season. Aligned with Austin’s status as the country’s largest “no-kill” city, Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! will promote APA!’s rescue, adoption, foster, and volunteerism efforts through this unique community platform.
In support of finding loving homes for adoptable pets available through APA!, Austin FC will provide additional exposure for the featured pets through social media outreach and in-venue activations during each match at Q2 Stadium, including the participation of a dog within the pre-match activations that occurs shortly before kickoff of each match.
“Austin FC’s partnership with APA! is unique in sports yet incredibly authentic in Austin,” said Austin FC President, Andy Loughnane. “By featuring APA! dogs as honorary mascots at Austin FC home matches, our Club and supporters can help at-risk dogs in Austin by introducing them to our dog-loving community.”
“APA! has been fortunate enough to be a part of the Austin community for a little over a decade now,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, APA!’s President and CEO. “We’ve grown with this community and are excited to take a seat next to Austin FC and be a part of this new development in such a unique way! This is a really fun adventure to be on!”
“Austin Pets Alive! is beyond honored to join the Austin FC team in such a special way. To be able to highlight the amazing dogs in our care, those that are most at risk for euthanasia, to this audience is really quite a dream. It is our hope to connect with the team and its fans on a deep level and we look forward to cheering for Austin’s team” said Katera Berent, APA!’s PR and Events Manager
Alongside the city’s other shelter systems, APA! supports Austin’s position as a model city for the “No-Kill” movement across the country and internationally. Giving over 90,000 animals a second chance at life over the last decade, APA! believes that every shelter animal in Central Texas and beyond deserves a chance at life. This partnership provides another avenue for APA! to create awareness around the shelter animals available for adoption.
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