Halloween is the season of costume parties and masquerade galas, so Austin Pets Alive! saw it as the perfect opportunity to gather together animal lovers to help raise funds for four-legged friends in need.
On Wednesday evening, in the Nowlin Rehearsal Studio at ZACH Theatre, APA! and local community supporters joined one another for drinks, a full-course vegan meal and a presentation on the positive effects of APA! among animals looking for a forever home.
Naturally, it wasn’t the people who were the stars of the evening, with the spotlight stolen by APA! pets including Chihuahua Brazoria and very young kitten Ebert.
Namely, the nonprofit organization has helped earn Austin the honor of being the largest no-kill city in the country, thanks to funding by generous donors and the tireless efforts of volunteers and staff devoted to saving lives.
Ellen Jefferson, APA!’s executive director, and Rusty Tally from APA!’s board of directors spoke about the immense progress made by the organization, at the same time expressing hope that in the future, Austin won’t be the largest no-kill city in the nation.
They also expressed their gratitude for the support from local community leaders, including state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and Austin City Council Members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez.
Naturally, it wasn’t the people who were the stars of the evening, with the spotlight stolen by APA! pets, including Brazoria, a Chihuahua who came into the care of APA! with canine parvo virus but left with a clean bill of health, and the very young kitten Ebert, a current resident in APA!’s successful bottle-feeding program.
With the fundraising dinner and continued support from the community, APA! will be able to make sure it can continue to save thousands more just like Brazoria and Ebert.
Alex Winkelman, Brazoria
