We need your help this week! The Austin and surrounding areas are expected to reach freezing temperatures this weekend so outdoor animals need help by this Sunday! Here’s how you can support them NOW.
Sign up as an emergency response dog foster.Our first priority is to get the outdoor enclosure animals at the APA! Town Lake shelter in warm homes. We have 230 dogs who immediately need a warm place to stay. There are options our foster team will discuss with you, whether you can only help for short periods at a time or have more availability for a house guest. Click here to sign up now to help us meet our emergency 230 needed by this Sunday, 1/14.Adopt barn cats.We have 30 cats ready to work for you in exchange for getting out of the cold this week! APA! barn cats are feral cats saved from being euthanized and adopted to families who appreciate working cats for critter patrol and can provide a safe, appropriate environment such as a barn, stable, garage, or warehouse. Click here if you can help!Donate supplies or monetarily.
If you can’t open your home to a pet, you can help us keep them safe by donating to help with our operations and cold weather shelter preparations. Make a monetary gift here or donate any of the following supplies:
Supplies needed for Austin Pets Alive! Town Lake campus (have the supplies shipped to us at 1156 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78703 or drop off in front of Building C any time this week):
portable charging station
extension cords-50 ft
work light extension cords
snuggie discs or heating pads
hand warmers
headlamps
straw
Help Other Texas Outdoor Shelter Animals in Need!
The following shelters also need help so we are extending their asks. Please have donations shipped directly too them or visit them in person/ask friends or family you know in the area to come help them too!
San Benito – 789 Garrison Drive, San Benito TX 78586
Needs: blankets, heat lamps, vaccines, dewormer, parvo tests
San Diego – 804 E. Juanita St., San Diego TX 78384
Needs: Dog adopters/fosters (URGENT as they will have to euthanize ahead of this weekend’s cold if not in homes), any cold weather supplies
Devine – 303 S. Teel Drive, Devine TX 78016
Needs: blankets, heaters; dog adopters/fosters
Dilley – City Hall, 116 East Miller Dilley, TX 78017 Omar Hernandez Animal Control
Needs: heating mats, heaters, tarps
Luling + Laurie’s Rescue – Luling Animal Welfare Society 1800 E. Pierce St., Luling, TX 78648
Needs: Blankets, 1-2 large dog houses, sweatshirts for medium/large dogs
Palm Valley – 2501 west Trenton road, Edinburg, Tx 78539
Needs: dog adopters/fosters, heated mats and heating pads
Hondo – 407 Harper, Hondo TX 78861
Needs: tarps, blankets, heat lamps, heating pads, dog beds, 1-2 dog houses
Calvert – Justine VanMetre 808 pin oak st Calvert,TX 77837
Needs: dog jackets/sweaters, blankets, plastic dog houses or anything providing a border to avoid direct wind(only have roof), anything heat emitting.
Help pets where you are stay warm.
Read and share this checklist to protect pets where you are.
✔ Bring pets inside. The best thing you can do for your pet is to bring them inside with you. While some breeds of dogs are more tolerant of cold weather than others, and cats are known to have an easier time adjusting to extreme weather, no pet should be left outside for long periods of time when it is below freezing (32ºF). You know your pet best, so be vigilant about watching for signs of their cold tolerance and limit outdoor activities accordingly.
✔ Check your car for cats. Our feline friends like to hide from this weather in car engines and/or wheel wells, so thump the hood of your car a few times and check your wheels for stowaways before you start the engine and take off.
✔ Provide a makeshift enclosure for outdoor animals. If you’ve noticed outdoor cats or other animals in your community suffering from the cold (shaking, curled up, etc.) and you are worried about them, create a makeshift shelter for them to stay warm in. A closed box or Rubbermaid bin with a cut out in the side, with straw or mylar blankets (fabric can hold moisture and freeze over so we no longer recommend using towels or blankets), will help keep them safe in the frigid temperatures. Click here for example directions for cat shelters from Alley Cat Advocates and click here for more on what to do for dogs in the cold from Best Friends.
✔ Or consider opening your garage slightly (and leaving a heating pad or heat lamp on) to let cats in from the cold.
✔ Put a sweater on your pup. If you have a dog with a short coat, you can keep them a bit more insulated by putting a sweater or dog coat on them. Be sure the sweater and coat are completely dry for each outing, though, as damp or wet outerwear could actually make them chillier.
✔ Check paws. After outdoor activity, check your pet’s paws for any signs of cracking on the paw pads, redness between toes, or bleeding. Wipe them down after each outing, too, to remove any salt, ice, or chemicals.Need help with a community pet? Email [email protected]. P.A.S.S. connects you to community member support for emergency pet food, pet resource assistance, and other emergency pet help.
