Apr 14, 2025
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) establishes programs whenever a gap in the shelter system’s live-outcome strategy is identified. APA!’s programming played a key role in making Austin the largest and longest-running no-kill community in the country. One of the last challenges to address was finding a path to live outcomes for big dogs, particularly those needing behavioral rehabilitation. To meet this need, APA! launched its Behavior Program in 2012.
Our Behavior team works with dogs on a range of behaviors, from leash skills and mild separation-related behavior to more significant behavioral challenges. Some dogs also need help learning what we call “how to dog”—gaining socialization skills through supervised playgroups with other dogs. We incorporated the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training program into our Behavior Program, to provide structure for dogs needing more extensive rehabilitation. This program significantly improved adoption rates for dogs that had been overlooked in the shelter. The success of CGC also inspired the creation of our Total Obedience Program (TOP Dog), designed to support dogs with even more specific behavioral challenges.
Recognizing that animal welfare shouldn’t operate in silos, we recently connected with Gray Wolf Canine Rehabilitation (GWCR), run by an outstanding dog trainer in the Houston area. GWCR works with a small number of dogs at a time, allowing for more individualized attention and specialized care, all conducted in a more realistic home set up environment as compared to the shelter setting.
Our behavior and care teams connected with GWCRf to find deeper support for dogs with more complex behavioral needs beyond our initial triage efforts. Through this partnership, GWCR will reserve four ongoing spots for APA! dogs, expanding our ability to help those in our care.
Once a dog has made progress and is ready for adoption, they will transition directly from the Houston rehabilitation facility to their new home—bypassing the need to return to the shelter. APA!’s Placement and Behavior teams will manage the adoption process, while the GWCR team will facilitate in-person meet-and-greets.
We’re incredibly excited and grateful for this relationship and look forward to seeing more dogs thrive with the care and dedication of this extended support network.
Learn about the dogs currently at Gray Wolf Canine Rehabilitation and are ready to find a home!
After spending the majority of her life in and out of the shelter, Eel’s close staff and volunteer friends began to note a significant decline in her mood and energy levels. Discussions of what could be done to support this pup led to exploring how to offer her the support she needed outside of the shelter environment. The decompression period she has experienced at GWCR has not only given Eel her zest for life back, but she’s also realizing that having dog friends can actually be pretty fun!
Fabio first entered our care due to contracting parvovirus. While he quickly recovered, we soon discovered another hurdle; Fabio has a unique and problematic condition known as pica. Due to this compulsion to ingest non-food items, he’s undergone four exploratory surgeries, each surgery harder on his body than the one before. And while pica can be managed more easily in the regimented shelter environment, the noise and hustle of the shelter caused Fabio to feel uneasy making it hard for him to create connection with his handlers. At GWCR, Fabio is beginning to blossom again in the more home-like space; he’s learning how to enjoy playtime and solicit affection from people.
AZRIEL
Beautiful Azriel’s high-energy breed paired with his struggles with anxiety caused him to bounce from home to home during his puppyhood creating insecurity and instability. Despite being offered a lot of play group time while at the shelter, it quickly became clear that a shelter setup cannot meet his high-energy needs on a daily basis. After his last adoption return, our Behavior Team began to dig even deeper to find a solve for this dog, further assessing his behavior and implementing training to demonstrate that he could learn, improve and be a successful placement back into a home. Azriel is still undergoing assessment and training but has demonstrated great progress in having his energy needs met, accepting new people and improving his leash manners. We believe he is ready to put his progress to the test by moving into a foster home where we can observe his progress in a home setting.
Source: Austin Pets Alive
