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Austin Subaru to host 10th annual Paddle for Puppies event

By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published  May 7, 2021 3:41pm CDT
Pets and Animals
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Subaru is hosting the 10th annual Paddle for Puppies fundraiser this weekend on Lady Bird Lake to help fund Austin Pets Alive!'s Puppy Parvo Clinic.

The fundraiser is going on now through Sunday and the public is invited to register and participate in the event at Rowing Dock. The dates and times for the event are:

  • Friday, May 7: 4-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 8: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 9: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Participants can register at $40 per adult with an optional boat rental fee and enjoy a leisurely paddle, kayak, or canoe ride on their own down Lady Bird Lake with all proceeds directly benefiting the Puppy Parvo Clinic. 

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All participants will receive an exclusive Paddle for Puppies t-shirt. Children under 16 can be added on as an additional rider for $25. 

However, due to recent detection of toxins in an algae sample taken from Lake Austin, APA! is asking participants to not bring their dogs along for the paddle this weekend. 

Over the past 10 years, APA! says that Austin Subaru has raised over $20,000 annually for the clinic which is designed to care for puppies that contract canine parvovirus, a highly contagious viral disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness in puppies.

APA! says there are currently unprecedented cases of canine parvovirus in Texas, causing a spike in euthanasia in shelters throughout the state. Canine parvovirus most often strikes in puppies between six and 20 weeks old, but older animals are sometimes also affected.

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APA! says it is one of the only shelters in Texas providing onsite parvo treatment for puppies in shelters. Right now, APA! has 41 puppies in need of immediate foster homes to make room for incoming puppies who are desperate for a life-saving space in the clinic. 

75 puppies were treated in the APA! Parvo Puppy Clinic in April 2021, with a 96% save rate, says the rescue group.

APA! is also asking everyone in Austin to please vaccinate their pets for parvovirus and distemper at their local veterinarian and to sign up to foster..