Emergency Help Needed: Responding to Devastating Flooding in South Central Texas
Jul 15, 2026 As catastrophic flooding overwhelms communities south of Austin, including Uvalde, Castroville, Sabinal, and Hondo, APA! has mobilized to help. When shelters are overwhelmed and forced to clear space, we step in to prevent the needless euthanasia of displaced animals, acting as the critical safety net for those who have lost everything. We also serve as first responders for shelter pets. We will keep you updated as this crisis unfolds. Thank you for stepping up to help pets in need and the people who love them! We need your help...
Keep Pets Safe During Fireworks
Jul 01, 2026 Many pets go missing on July 4th — fireworks can be scary for dogs and cats! Here are some easy steps you can take before and during the festivities to ensure your pet is safe and comfortable as you celebrate the Fourth of July. Because fireworks are so scary, your chances of finding a lost pet will be higher during the holiday. If you find or lose a pet this holiday, there are a few things you can do BEFORE going to the shelter. How to Prepare for Fireworks: Ensure your pet has a microchip and collar with an ID...
Humane Prevention and Management of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Shelter and Rescue Dogs and Cats
Jun 30, 2026 A few weeks ago, Austin Pets Alive! leadership hosted a meeting, inviting national animal welfare leaders and veterinary leaders within higher education to discuss the harmful domino effect that New World Screwworm will have on shelter pets in Texas and beyond. This meeting resulted in action! One outcome of this meeting was a University-backed letter advocating at state levels for the responsible and safe transport of shelter pets across state borders. The below is the letter that is helping to fight for the safety of shelter...
Join the 4th of July Pawjama Party!
Jun 26, 2026 While we all love a good Independence Day celebration, the booming noises of fireworks are incredibly scary for our shelter pets. For the next week, we’ll work hard to get our dogs and cats out of the shelter and into homes before the big night. Whether you want to host a temporary holiday slumber party or give a pet their ultimate “Independence Day” through adoption, you’re invited! Here is how you can RSVP to the pawty: Pick Your Sleepover Length (Foster) Not ready to adopt, but want to be a hero? Pick...
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM DR. ELLEN JEFFERSON: Protecting Texas Pets from the New World Screwworm
Jun 14, 2026 As cases of New World Screwworm infestation grow, we want to keep our supporters informed as fast we can. We are very concerned about the lives of pets in Texas. What we see during disasters like this is that pets in shelters are often forgotten about or seen as “unfortunate casualties.” Our job has always been to ensure that doesn’t happen. Consequently, right now, Austin Pets Alive! is enacting emergency measures to deal with the growing disaster of the New World Screwworm infestation in parts of Texas and New...
Rewriting the Story for “Behavior” Dogs
Jun 06, 2026 Rewriting the Story for “Behavior” Dogs In 2012, APA! set out to save the last group of pets who weren’t making it out of our city’s shelter alive — big dogs and dogs with behavior modification needs. To do that, we partnered with Dogs Playing for Life, an organization specializing in shelter dog playgroups and enrichment. Playgroup would soon become the foundation of our Dog Behavior program. Too often, dogs are labeled as “behavior” dogs based on what they show in a kennel — a...
Humans Behind the Lifesaving
Apr 22, 2026 When people think about lifesaving, they often picture the moment a dog leaves the shelter with a new family, or a tiny kitten curled safely in a foster home. But behind every one of those moments is a human. And at APA!, many humans. Lifesaving isn’t just one heroic act: it’s hundreds of small, quiet, compassionate choices made every single day. It’s the volunteer who shows up early to walk dogs, even before their first cup of coffee, because they know how much that fresh air and movement matters. It’s...
PASS Pantry Food Drive: April 18-19
Apr 14, 2026 Why Your Support of the PASS Pantry Matters More Than You Might Realize For many families, pets are core to a family’s identity — they’re an essential member of the family unit. Dogs and cats create comfort, stability, and unconditional love during times of joy and abundance and more importantly, through life’s hardest moments. When financial hardship hits, even the most devoted pet guardians can find themselves facing a daunting reality: how to keep their beloved companion fed and cared for. That’s...
75% Fewer Cats Are Dying in Shelters, Here’s How Austin Is Part of Livesaving
Mar 25, 2026 New national data from Best Friends Animal Society confirms something the animal welfare community has been working toward for a long time: the number of cats killed in shelters has dropped by nearly 75% over the past decade. Best Friends attributes this progress to three key drivers: the expansion of community cat programs, a 20% rise in cat adoptions, and the growth of kitten foster programs across the country. Austin Pets Alive! has been in the middle of all three, helping improve lifesaving in Texas and across the country....
Nine Austin-Area Animal Shelters and Rescues Announce Adoption Event
Feb 25, 2026 AUSTIN, TX — Nine animal shelters and rescues in the Austin area ask the public for help making room for stray and surrendered animals with an adoption initiative called Keep Austin Adopting. Austin-area animal shelters today joined together to deliver an important lifesaving message to the Central Texas community. Representatives from TRAPRS, Love-A-Bull, Rescue ATX Dogs, Classic Canines, Austin Pets Alive!, Austin Animal Services, Austin Humane Society, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Pflugerville Animal...
