This time of year, I want to remind you how incredibly important fostering is to APA. You know the old saying "It takes a village to raise a child"? At Austin Pets Alive we need every villager to take a "child" (the pet kind that is)!
It is puppy and kitten season and we are trying desperately to be able to save every single baby under 14 weeks of age. Due to recent disease at the shelter we are working to keep these babies in foster until they have had their second booster shots which means at least 2 weeks in a foster home. We want them to get out of the shelter fast and stay healthy.
The "teenagers" and adult pets usually have to sit at the shelter longer than the babies and we have found that many are a little sick when we rescue them.
The good news is that your pets should be protected against these diseases as long as they are current on their vaccinations (Bordetella and DHLPP for dogs, FVRCP for cats), although we still recommend separation for your pets' sake.
The bad news is that many of our sweet rescued animals are suffering temporarily from shelter illness and are in critical need of a foster home's tender loving care to recover. Even if they have the sniffles, they are still worth saving, they just need YOU to help them springboard back to healthiness and their new life.
We have grown tremendously over the last 12 months and have about 3 times as many animals in need of foster care as we did this time last year. We are not a No Kill City yet and we still need everyone to pitch in, take a little four legged waif under your wing, and recruit your friends to do the same.
We can save all these animals but it won't happen without a lot of hard work by a lot of people. I urge you to sign up to become a foster if you are not one already. And please help us recruit by telling your friends/family/colleagues about fostering.
Thank you for your tireless efforts. The animals who are in need today don't know that we have helped so many before them. They just know they want to survive and you are their ticket to life.
Sincerely,
Ellen
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Ellen Jefferson, DVM
President
Austin Pets Alive!