Austin Pets Alive! coordinating rescue of dogs in "deplorable living conditions" in rural Texas
Texas - Austin Pets Alive! is working to rescue dogs in "deplorable living conditions" on a property in rural Texas.
APA! says their national education and outreach division, American Pets Alive!, is coordinating the rescue of 58 dogs by working with shelters and rescues across the US. APA! says they are looking for local Austin-area foster homes for 11 of them.
(Austin Pets Alive!)
According to a release from APA!, a man running a rescue organization in rural Texas reached out to APA! because he could no longer take care of the dogs due to his failing health.
APA! says because of the man's rescue sign, many people drop off dogs they found or no longer wanted at his home, sometimes tying them to a nearby tree in hopes they would be taken in. When the man’s health began to fail and his funding was depleting, he kept trying to save more dogs anyway because APA! says he feared the local animal shelter would kill them.
(Austin Pets Alive!)
APA! says that because of Austin's status as a No-Kill city, he reached out to them for support.
“Typically our work is focused on getting shelters and rescue organizations to learn our lifesaving methods so they can help themselves and empower their communities, but in this case, seeing the dogs in these conditions and this man, so desperate for a solution before he dies, we had to help coordinate the shelter community to get these dogs out,” says Dr. Ellen Jefferson, executive director for American Pets Alive!.
According to APA!, the dogs were living in inches of feces and debris, with some living in closets with rats crawling on them. Some also had sores and infected wounds.
“The cost of saving these dogs, getting them food and water, vaccinating them, arranging transport, and more has placed a strain on our organization, but we couldn’t leave them in that condition,” Jefferson said. “We’re just glad there are other rescues out there willing to save lives too.”
Most of the dogs are going to out-of-state rescue organizations, says APA!, including Big Sky Ranch/Catnip Foundation in Louisiana, Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society in Ohio, Great Lakes Humane Society in Michigan, Nashville Humane Association in Tennessee, and For the Love of Dog in New Hampshire. Pflugerville Pets Alive! also took in some of the dogs.
APA! says Mission: Miracle K9 helped transport many of the dogs to the northern rescue, and the local animal shelter provided paperwork and rabies vaccinations.
To donate to APA! to help dogs like these, click here and to sign up to foster, click here.