50-plus dogs find fosters, adopters during APA! staff shortage from COVID

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Pets Alive! says that more than 50 dogs have found emergency foster homes or have been adopted.

Last week, APA! called for the community's help to find 50 dogs emergency foster homes as the shelter is currently experiencing a major staff shortage because of COVID. 

APA! says it was concerned that due to so many staff and volunteers in quarantine, the dogs would not receive the "typical high standard of care." 

APA! said earlier this week it needed foster homes for 50 dogs until staffing levels could return to normal. On Friday, APA! said nine of the dogs had been adopted and 32 had been placed in emergency and short-term foster homes. On Sunday, APA! said that more than 50 dogs are now safe in emergency foster homes or with adopters.

Can you help? Austin Pets Alive! says it needs to find foster homes for 50 dogs until their staffing levels can return to normal. 

APA! says that there is still a need for adopters and fosters for over 300 dogs in the shelter's care and that it hopes to be back to manageable staffing levels within the next ten days.

Both new and existing fosters are encouraged to help if they can, according to APA!. Anyone who can help foster a dog but is not already an approved foster with APA! is asked to fill out the foster application.

This week, record numbers showed 1 in 3 tests are positive for COVID-19 in Central Texas. The World Health Organization said Thursday that a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were tallied over the last week as the omicron variant of the coronavirus swept the planet.

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