A few months ago, we won a huge victory in our long quest to have our new shelter stay at our current location at TLAC. At that important meeting, Council Members Mike Martinez and Laura Morrison brought forward a resolution that APA! would be "at the table" during the master planning process for the entire Lamar Beach tract of land (where TLAC currently sits). We are incredibly grateful to Mike and Laura for continuing to champion No-Kill. It passed unanimously and I have no doubt that your strong vocal support and physical presence had a LOT to do with that. That was the first step in the right direction.
Now it is time for step two and we need you. Again championing No-Kill, Council Member Mike Martinez is bringing forward an item on the council agenda to grant APA! an extension to stay at TLAC for 2-5 more years. Chris Riley is co-sponsoring it. This will give us time to build our next shelter (no matter where it is- we won't know that until after the master plan is finished but we hope it is right where we are at currently).
Without an extension, APA! will be homeless in May 2015.
Obviously that is a huge deal and we need every APA! supporter to help show support for the item Mike is proposing.
Here is how you can help:
1. Send an email to council members politely requesting that APA! be granted an extension for the full 2-5 years proposed. You can email all members at once by going here.
2. Show up at the Council Meeting on 11/20. We know that the item is on the agenda for after 6:30pm. However, we have no control over the timing of the item which means it might be read at 7pm or at 2am (I hope not) or anywhere in between. Since we don't know and will have no heads up, we need people there continuously after 6:30pm, so please drop by whenever you can for however long possible!
Thank you so much for your support during this process. Each step in this long political process, no matter how tedious, is vital to our existence in the future.Your help will ensure that APA! is here for a very long time and in the place that generates the most adoptions for our harder to place animals. We can't afford NOT to get this extension.
Thank you for caring about APA! and APA! animals. YOU are what makes this organization great.
Sincerely,
Ellen Jefferson
Austin Pets Alive!, Executive Director
P.S. The agenda item also includes an amendment to the license agreement that would enable us to make upgrades to the facility. Previously we were not allowed to do any major improvements- so that would also be exciting news for APA! animals.
