Over the past decade, we have served as a lifeline to pets in crisis, saving the lives of thousands of animals during hurricanes, floods, fires, and other weather-related events. This week, as Texans and pets tried to survive without power and water, we went even bigger:
🐾 Before the first storm hit, we collected resources to distribute to everyone who reached out to us for help.
🐾 We delivered food and blankets to people and pets experiencing homelessness in Austin.
🐾 We built and are managing a peer-to-peer mutual aid support network, facilitating connections between people who need help and those who are able to offer support, helping dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, rabbits, fish and the people who love them.
🐾 We are providing all day support and immediate response to people with emergency pet needs to help our community as the City shelter is closed, answering hundreds of emails to help however we can.
🐾 We responded to early pleas from people trying to get help to the rescued sea turtles of South Padre Island and animals housed at Primarily Primates sanctuary as they were largely cut off from power.
🐾 We are ensuring that animals who are at risk of dying in Texas shelters are scheduled to get to safety on transports, bringing them to Austin and partner organizations in the days ahead.
Over the coming days and weeks, we estimate there will be more than 5,000 animals who need our help in Austin and beyond. Find out how you can help, and read more about our efforts, here:
An urgent request came in from Devine, TX. The heat was going to be turned off at the shelter and they needed to get their dogs out, fast. The temperatures were going to be below freezing and there was no end to the power outage insight.
Luckily, after a few nights at a boarding facility, Corn Dog and Hot Dog made their way to our doors and shortly left with their foster families. Thanks to your help, these lives were saved.
Our teams have been working around the clock figuring out ways to get these pets to Austin. We shared the Chicago transport with you earlier today and we have many more happening in the coming week which will result in getting hundreds of pets to safety.
He was at a shelter in Tyler, Texas that didn't have a plan to keep their pets safe through the winter storm, so they were intending on euthanizing them before they froze to death or went any longer without water.
APA! saved him and over 30 others just like him by coordinating a lifesaving rescue transport up to our friends at @WrightWayRescue in the Chicago area.
He wasn't so sure about getting out of the van after that 14 hour drive, but these amazing people were patient and helped him get ready to hop into more snow.
14+ hours on the road from Dallas to Chicago, we coordinated a massive transport rescue getting more than 30 pets out of harm's way from Winter Storm Uri with help from @MerrickPetCare.
Our friends at @WrightWayRescue received these pets yesterday afternoon and have already been able to place almost every cat and dog into foster homes in the Chicago area.
Here are some updates from our shelter this morning:
Plumbing repairs are happening right now and water and electricity has been restored to our shelter.
Our laundry facilities are back as well which is a huge relief.
Our clinic and thrift stores are reopening today.
We are continuing to provide items for people and pets in need and if you want to help or need help please email cold@austinpetsalive.org or visit our APA! Cold @ Emergency Response page: facebook.com/groups/1234925…
APA! is serving as the state-wide winter storm headquarters, bringing animals in from where there is no heat or power. We’re helping organizations get animals to safety through transfer to Austin as well as transport out of the area.
Happy Friday! We are currently asking for the following items and services. If you can help, please email cold@austinpetsalive.org or come to our Town Lake shelter (1156 W Cesar Chavez) if it is safe for you to do so. Supplies should be left in front of the Building B gate.
Water for people & animals (if tap water, must be boiled first)
Diesel fuel to be brought to our Town Lake shelter for the dog kennels generator
Clumping cat litter brought to our Town Lake shelter
We are continuing our emergency response plan we enacted on Thursday — making our shelter as warm as possible via generators, decreasing the numbers of animals onsite, & triaging urgent situations in our community as well as shelters across Texas.
Since 1:30- a.m. yesterday morning, we have been without power at our Town Lake shelter, and we are unsure when it will return. On top of the power outage, yesterday afternoon a pipe burst near the cattery.
Thanks to six generous community members who braved the snow and ice to bring generators to our shelter, we were able to restore power. Our animals and onsite staff are safe, but now there is no running water.