Earlier this month, Austin Animal Center made a rather controversial announcement: They’d no longer be taking in any animals, unless they have life-threatening illnesses, injuries, or are a danger to the public. The facility is simply too crowded, receiving far more animals than they’re able to rehome.
This speaks to a larger problem in Austin, and even nationwide, according to Luis Sanchez, PR Director at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!). The organization is once again helping to lessen the load of responsibility on its city counterpart, this time with a new vaccine clinic this summer that's already having positive results.
“There are a number of factors attributing the space crisis that Austin, and shelters around the country are facing,” Sanchez says. “The shelter industry is at least 30 years behind the rest of veterinary medicine and needs major improvements in everything from government support to operations protocols.”
This plus rising costs of living and lower adoption rates (because of breeders), means there is “a national trend showing that a significant number of people are coming into the shelter with the intention of taking an animal home but leaving empty-handed.”
This is one reason APA!’s “Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender,” or P.A.S.S. Program, is so important. This program is designed to help Texas pet parents keep their animals whenever possible, by aiding them with emergency pet food, resources for affordable pet care and behavioral training, help raising pet deposits, referrals to outside social services and animal welfare, and as a last resort, pet rehoming assistance. The point is keeping the animals out of the already-crowded shelter system.
According to P.A.S.S. Program manager Lucy Fernandez, the program began in 2010, two years after Austin Animal Shelter’s live release rate was just 55 percent. “Back in 2008… Dr. Ellen Jefferson asked a volunteer, Patty Alexander, to sit outside of the shelter and ask people why they're needing to surrender and what support they might need to keep their pets.” Many people reported needing help with food and supplies, vaccines and medical bills, behavioral training, and more — so that’s just what APA! decided to create.
From the P.A.S.S. website:
“We urge you to exhaust all other resources and alternatives before surrendering your pet to an open-intake shelter. This helps shelters ensure resources are available for the pets that need it most – those who are lost, displaced, homeless, injured, or sick.”
The new vaccine clinic feature in the P.A.S.S. Program make it possible for people like Kristen to change their pets' circumstances with more flexibility. This is an early case study shared by APA!
In June, Austin Pets Alive! held the first-ever P.A.S.S. Program vaccine clinic in partnership with the Banfield Foundation. Kristen arrived with her two dogs, Amy and Zelda, because Zelda had a few new concerning lumps. Unfortunately with the rising cost of vet care, Kristen wasn’t able to get her dogs thorough exams at an animal hospital.
While Zelda got an exam from the Banfield Foundation, Fernandez got to talking with Kristen. As it turned out, Kristen was struggling financially and had been moving from home to home since the pandemic. At the time, she was living out of a rented U-Haul, finding it nearly impossible to land an affordable home that would allow for two large dogs.
Amy and Zelda at the PASS Vaccination Clinic.Photo courtesy APA! Director of Public Relations, Luis Sanchez
Fernandez urged Kristen to submit her case to the P.A.S.S. Program so that APA! could help in any way possible. Once the case was submitted, Fernandez got to work, contacting a local homeless assistance coalition, which helped put Kristen and her family into a hotel temporarily. A few short days later, enough funds were raised and Kristen’s family (including dogs, Amy and Zelda) found a safe place to stay, and Kristen could finally get Zelda the more thorough veterinary care she needed. Thanks to a medical grant from the Friends of Austin Animal Center and P.A.S.S. fundraising, all of Zelda’s vet bills will be covered.
Amy and Zelda in their temporary hotel digs.Photo courtesy APA! Director of Public Relations, Luis Sanchez
“It's a humbling experience when you consider how easily things can fall apart for all of us,” says Fernandez. “How that impacts our housing, transportation, food, and, most importantly, our families. Pets are family — there's science and a million stories to back up that statement. By doing something as basic as listening without judgment, connecting problems with existing solutions is possible.
“It's not perfect and it doesn't always turn out the way we want, but we're able to make long lasting changes to support both ends of the leash.”
If you are struggling to take care of your pet(s) and considering surrendering them to a shelter, you may want to seek support from the P.A.S.S. Program. You can find resources for your pet through the P.A.S.S. website, or email pass@austinpetsalive.org with questions.
