Austin Pets Alive! receives record amount of fosters ahead of winter storm

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Pets Alive! made history this week thanks to an overwhelming show of support in finding homes for hundreds of dogs ahead of the arctic blast.

The kennels are usually full, but on Wednesday, they’re quiet and mostly empty thanks to an outpouring of community support.

What they're saying:

Austin Pets Alive! asked Central Texans to foster 75 dogs to keep warm ahead of the arctic blast. They ended up doubling that goal and then some.

"Austin stepped up. We had hundreds of people come through our doors. We got over 200 dogs into foster in three and a half days, which is insane," said Allison Swearingen.

Allison Swearingen, dog placement senior program manager, says she’s never seen the shelter this quiet.

"Just really thankful that our community is here for pets in Austin that aren't even necessarily their pets, but everyone just really wants to help. Everybody comes together to help the dogs and the cats, and it's just really a heartwarming experience to be a part of," said Swearingen.

Going into the freeze, only 18 dogs remained on site compared to the usual 150, allowing for double the kennel space. Those dogs stayed in heated kennels with extra blankets and staff they already knew.

With fewer animals, care improved, too.

"Because we only had 18 dogs on site, what's normally a crew of like 20 plus staff members and tons of volunteers, we only have to have five people on site to care for them. All the animals got really quality outings because they don't have to share the time. So yeah, it was really awesome to have that few dogs," said Swearingen.

Austin Pets Alive! originally asked fosters to keep dogs through Wednesday, but with below-freezing temperatures lingering into the weekend, they’re asking families to extend their stay with their dogs or better yet make them permanent.

And it comes just in time to make room for more dogs coming in.

"We are actually expecting a few more transports from three of our rural shelter partners this week. So, we'll be getting those dogs in. Part of the reason we're able to continue supporting and saving those lives, though, is because of our folks who have converted and aren't bringing their dogs back. So we can now give that kennel to another dog in need," said Swearingen.

If you didn’t get a dog during the freeze, APA! says it's not too late. You can visit their website to adopt or foster a dog before they come back to the shelter.