Austin Animal Center at capacity, calls "Code Red" and needs help from community
A local animal shelter is calling a “Code Red” and, it's not a drill.
The Austin Animal Center has so many animals they can't take anymore unless it's an emergency situation or they are injured. Being a no kill shelter, they are in dire need of help.
Kristen Auerbach is the Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer for the Austin Animal Center.
“In most shelters they would be euthanizing for space at this time, instead of doing that we are asking for the communities help,” she said.
Auerbach said there are many ways to help. They are asking anyone who finds a stray, to keep it.
“You can file a found report, and you can bring it in to scan it for a microchip but we are asking people to hold those dogs for a couple of days so the owners can claim them without them coming in to the shelter,” she said.
They are hoping for many people like Joann Moore, “I am hoping to adopt. I want a small dog, something miniature.” She lost her dog six months ago, and saw the center is at “Code Red” so she decided it's time to adopt. “They need a home, someone needs to come get them, and take care of them,” she said.
It's a great time to adopt, considering all the care, including shots, spay or neuter, and microchip and the adoption fee for all animals at the center is only $20,
If offering a permanent home is not an option. Fostering can be a short term game changer for the animals.
“They can bring them back in 2-3 weeks and those animals can come back to be adopted. But that fostering frees up kennel space and is truly life-saving,” Auerbach said. Something first time foster mom Ilana Magill, said works perfectly for her, “My boyfriend and I are actually musicians and we travel a lot and so we feel bad adopting a dog and so we thought fostering would be great because we can help out dogs that have been in the shelter for a while and just need a break,” she said.
A break from the shelter, and a possible renewed hope to find that permanent home, “We might adopt him, when you foster, you're the first one, you can adopt the dog,” Magill said.
Auerbach said they need fosters for so many different types of animals, she is sure they’d be able to find a pet that fits into anyone’s lifestyle. They can process foster applications on the spot.
If you want to foster or adopt the center is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 7 PM.