Austin Pets Alive! reaches major milestone, celebrates 100,000th pet rescue

Austin Pets Alive! reaches major milestone, celebrates 100,000 pet rescue

APA! staff and volunteers were joined by Austin City Council members Kathie Tovo and Leslie Pool as they issued a special proclamation acknowledging the accomplishment.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Pets Alive! reached a major milestone on Tuesday, its 100,000th pet rescue.

"It’s a huge milestone for us, and honestly one we didn’t even dream about back when we first started," said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, president and CEO of Austin Pets Alive!

APA! staff and volunteers were joined by Austin City Council members Kathie Tovo and Leslie Pool on Tuesday as they issued a special proclamation acknowledging the accomplishment.

"My great thanks to Austin Pets Alive! for really helping transform Austin into a no-kill city and the largest no-kill city in the country," said Council member Tovo, whose district encompasses APA!

13 years ago, the City of Austin had an 85% death rate at the city shelter. Now, animals have a 97% chance of making it out of the shelter alive.

APA!’s 100,000th rescue, Copper, was treated for parvo at their facility. Copper’s former owner couldn’t pay for his medical expenses and he was left at the Austin Animal Shelter.

"In the past, that animal would be euthanized," said Dr. Jefferson. "So we created niche programs like the parvo treatment center to be able to treat very specific things that cause animals to end up on euthanasia lists at shelters."

Copper has already been adopted, but there are 17 other puppies being treated for parvo that will be available in the coming days.

Dr. Jefferson said their next goal at APA! is to expand to a new property as their current buildings are more than 70 years old. They’ve put offers in on several properties and are waiting for feasibility studies to be done.

Austin Pets Alive! is asking supporters to sign up to be Constant Companions and make a monthly donation in honor of achieving the significant milestone. To learn more, click here.

___
MORE HEADLINES:
Austin Pets Alive! in need of bottled water for dogs, cats
‘Safe Outdoor Dogs Act’ goes into effect in Texas on Jan 18

___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Daily Newsletter | YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter