Austin Pets Alive is a nonprofit animal shelter and rescue organization located right here in Austin, Texas. What began as an advocacy group in the late 1990s morphed into rescue work in 2008, when its members, including now-Executive Director Dr. Ellen Jefferson, had the capacity and resources to do more for pets.
Austin Pets Alive (APA!) recognized that there are specific demographics of animals who are disproportionately killed in animal shelters, and dedicated itself to serving those pets to ensure every homeless pet got the chance at life it deserves, essentially making APA! the safety net for pets who would otherwise have been euthanized at their origin shelter. In other words: Austin Pets Alive! is not your average animal shelter.
Austin Pets Alive: Changing Thousands of Animals Rescued Since the Early 2000's
Since 2008, APA! has saved over 80,000 pets through its seven innovative lifesaving programs. Orphaned neonatal kittens are cared for in APA!’s Bottle Baby Kitten Nursery, and thanks to the work of selfless volunteers, staff, and fosters, have a path forward to growing strong and healthy, living out their lives in their forever homes. Another lifesaving program at APA! is the Medical Triage and Wellness Clinic, which serves animals battling illnesses, injuries, and sadly, trauma and abuse at the hands of humans.
The APA! Clinic provides routine medical care, such as vaccinations and spay and neuter surgery, to all pets coming into APA!, but also performs emergency surgery for the pets who need it. Recently, the veterinary staff and volunteers performed a foreign body surgery on a special little dog named Rookie who had ingested some type of rope before coming into the rescue’s care.
This surgery included seven total incisions in Rookie’s intestines, making it one of the most difficult surgeries APA! has performed yet, but because of it, he was able to heal up and is now thriving in his forever home.
A Unique Approach: No Time Limit for Care
In many shelters, pets have a time limit of how long they can be in the shelter’s care before being euthanized for space.
Austin Pets Alive! doesn’t believe in that, because getting passed over by adopters shouldn’t warrant a death sentence. If that were the case, APA! Alumni and Justin Theroux’s friend, Spot, who was in APA!’s care for two years, wouldn’t be happy in his forever home right now.
Similarly, currently adoptable dog Monty has been in APA!’s care for nearly 1,500 days, patiently awaiting his person to see him and say, “He’s the one!” Until then, he’ll be hanging out in his foster home, because APA! cares for pets like Monty for as long as it takes for them to find their happy ending.
It Takes a Community: Caring for All Pets
This lifesaving work is a community effort. Through the willingness of fosters, the patience of adopters, the selflessness of volunteers, and the generosity of donors, APA! is a safe haven for pets.
Even through the dramatic changes brought on by COVID-19, APA! increased its intake to ensure pets weren’t left behind at shelters that were forced to close. To help APA! continue on its journey of saving the most vulnerable lives in Central Texas, please consider donating. Learn more at austinpetsalive.org.
Austin Pets Alive! is a 501(c)3 organization that runs entirely on donations and grants, and saves over 10,000 lives each year. APA! provides the resources, education, and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals.