Despite all the obstacles Winter Storm Uri brought on — power outages and burst water pipes coupled with historically low temperatures — we have been blown away by the outpouring of support from our community, both during this historic winter weather event and throughout the next stages of recovery taking place across Texas.
Even with some remaining plumbing repairs, today APA!’s Town Lake shelter is back up and running at full capacity with power restored, running water, and our staff and volunteers back in action. We are serving as a vital hub to transport animals from our partner shelters here in Texas to safe shelters throughout the United States. Our goal is to transport 1,000 pets to safety in just two weeks, and we’re taking all measures to make sure lives get saved.
Many of our partners have faced infrastructure damage, increased pet admissions, and a decrease in available resources due to Winter Storm Uri, meaning that many of these pets were at risk of euthanasia. By partnering with shelters and rescues across the country, we can ensure pets escape needless euthanasia by traveling to shelters needing more adoptable pets.
Thanks to David Nelson who offered his private plane, today our team flew to Harlingen, TX to pick up two cats and two dogs from San Benito Animal Control, stopped in Laredo, TX to rescue seven cats from Laredo Animal Care Services, and brought all 11 pets back to Austin. Shortly, they’ll make their way up north to their final destination in Boston.
Transports like this one are especially important to the No Kill movement because cats and large dogs, like the ones we rescued today, are often at the top of the euthanasia list compared to small dogs, puppies, and kittens who are considered more adoptable.
Over the next several weeks, animals are being transported from Texas towns and cities including Tyler, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Devine, Gonzales, Laredo, San Angelo, and Harlingen, and coming to APA! to receive vital care before they continue on their journey. Receiving cities include Cheyenne, WY; Chicago, IL; Salt Lake City, UT; Spokane, WA; Arlington, VA; Denver, CO; and several others.
Dozens of transports are planned for this and next week, in addition to our daily medical care and surgeries, foster placements and adoptions, as well as behavior training. All of this is possible because of your support. As we continue to recover from this cold weather crisis, we want you to know that we could not have gotten this far without you.
