The Airstream is a safe haven for our dogs and is designed to give them a nice AC break and a comfy couch to relax on when they need a little break from the shelter. It’s especially useful in the summer months, with a pool perfect for keeping everyone cool!
The Airstream is near and dear to a lot of hearts at APA! because of its history. Back in the day, you could find the Airstream filled with adoptable pets parked on South Congress before we had our brick and mortar building at Town Lake Animal Center. The Airstream is also where our Neonatal Kitten Nursery began. It's hard to imagine the program fitting in a space as small as the Airstream, but in true APA! fashion, we made it work! We've done a lot of growing since then and our Neonatal program now has a sterile building of its own. The Airstream has stayed with us throughout the years parked at our Town Lake Shelter and has always provided a much-needed AC break to our pups, as well as a home-like setting for them to decompress. It's seen a lot of wear and tear over the many months it has been used by our pups, so when we were approached by Lincoln Ventures about giving the Airstream a makeover, we couldn't have been more excited.
Lincoln Ventures felt compelled to do this project for many reasons. "We as a company have a huge passion for dogs so what better way to best use our skills than to develop a better environment for the deserving dogs at APA! We knew we had the relationships with amazing vendors in town to help us pull off the makeover and our passion for design would really shine in this endeavor. We wanted to embrace the classic nature of the Airstream and create a destination on the APA! grounds that was cheerful and a departure from the somewhat stressful surroundings. A bit of a stay-cation for the pooches! The Palm Springs vibe seemed like the perfect direction with its nostalgia and playful roots in both design and travel culture.
Renovating this space for our dogs was no small project, and we had a lot of help and support from the following companies: Led by Lincoln Ventures and TBG teaming with Blue Sky Design and Build, US Lumber Brokers, Clean Scapes, Clay Imports, and Forever Lawn. These companies donated their time, talent, labor, and materials to improve the lives of the dogs in our shelter and we couldn’t be more grateful. They refreshed the interior of the Airstream trailer and even added an outdoor relaxing space, complete with a patio deck. A huge thank you to them all!
When asked what they hope the makeover will offer the people and pets of APA!, Krista from Lincoln Ventures explained that their “hope is that this indoor/outdoor retreat allows the volunteers to introduce the dogs to a safe place to escape the chaos of the shelter life and start dipping a toe into what life will be like when they land their forever home.” The Airstream gives our shelter dogs the opportunity to receive some “in-home” training before they reach their foster or forever home. Krista also hopes that “seeing these resilient animals in beautiful spaces may resonate with families looking to adopt. Not everyone can handle seeing photos of a dog in a cage, but by seeing them in a space that looks like home, they may be able to visualize adopting and incorporating these dogs into their lives.”
Our staff and volunteers couldn’t be more excited to break in our new Airstream space with every pup this fall. The dogs of APA! are ready for a pool party! Check out the photos of our dogs living the good life in their new space while they await their forever homes!
