pet passport

Austin Pets Alive receives $100K grant to move pets to less crowded shelters

APA!'s transport coordinator loads a pup safely onto a plane, to make her way to a new shelter.

Photo courtesy of Luis Sanchez, Director of PR, Austin Pets Alive!

The national shelter system is becoming more crowded with pets who need to be adopted. Many civilians are aware of this, as it's largely publicized. One thing that many people may not be aware of, though, is the importance of transporting these pets from shelter to shelter in order to save lives.

Here's how it works: Overcrowded shelters (often in the South) transport pets to less crowded shelters (often in the North) where they'll have a better chance of being adopted. Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of the leading shelters helping to transport pets from this area to other shelters, and in an effort to help APA! in this endeavor, PetSmart Charities just gave them a grant of $100,000.

“Transport programs are vital to increasing pet lifesaving efforts in Texas,” says APA!'s Clare Callison in a recent press release. “With the help of the PetSmart Charities grant, we can help close the gap and connect under-resourced shelters in Texas with communities up north, saving the pets most at risk of euthanasia.”

The grant will help by funding APA's recently opened Transport Hub located in Elgin, Texas. Here, animals from under-resourced rural Texas shelters are connected to rescues with more space and adoption demand, all around the country. Their program coordinates travel between shelters, gives health certifications, and provides care for cats and dogs who have a "layover stop" at the Transport Hub after being rescued from euthanasia at their original shelter.

According to the APA! press release, 2,676 animals were transported last year alone from 74 source shelters in Texas to other shelters throughout the U.S. This new facility is set to save an additional 8,000 lives over the next three years, and much of this is thanks to this recent grant.

Heidi Marston, director of pet placement initiatives at PetSmart Charities, adds in the press release, “As many communities grapple with animals staying longer in shelters and work to build out long term solutions, partnerships with regions who have capacity to bring in animals is paramount to our collective lifesaving efforts. We’re proud to support Austin Pets Alive! and their work to ensure adoptable pets find their families as quickly as possible.”

More information about APA! is available at austinpetsalive.org. More information about PetSmart Charities® is available at petsmartcharities.org.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans about invasive screwworm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

It probably won't take much to convince Texans to stay away from the latest invasive species from Mexico, once they hear about the symptoms. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says to look out for evidence of the New World Screwworm (NWS) affecting animals, especially near the state's southern border.

So far it sounds like the NWS is still relatively far away, having been spotted in a cow at a checkpoint near the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It was eradicated from the United States in 1966, according to TPWD, but it is being tracked northward from South and Central America.

Although it's called a worm, it is really a parasitic larva, and this is where things get disturbing.

Before the "worms" become the NWS fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), they lay eggs in open wounds or orifices of live tissue. They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. An infestation can even lead to the death of the animal.

The larvae drop to the ground after feeding, and emerge as flies that can travel long distances, so the movement of livestock — not just contact among them — is a concern.

If you don't own livestock, you're not quite out of the woods. Although the NWS does affect those animals the most, it also affects wildlife like deer and birds, and even pets and humans. Hunters should also keep an eye out, as well as any "outdoor enthusiasts," says the release.

From the release, here are some things to look out for:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

To keep the flies away, especially when traveling to NWS-affected areas like Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American countries, TPWD says it's important to clean and cover all wounds. Travelers should also use insect repellant on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Those enjoying Texas’ natural resources have an opportunity to serve as the first line of defense in protecting wildlife, livestock, and human health,” said TPWD wildlife veterinarian Dr. J Hunter Reed in the release. “Their eyes and ears will be critical to quickly responding and managing this threat.”

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