Are You Looking to Adopt?
We’re on record as being big-time animal lovers.
In fact, when meeting a new person, we’ve been known to ask what their dog’s name is before their own! Kinda rude? Yup! But hey, it’s not our fault that dogs tend to have cooler, more memorable names than say, Chris, or Ed. Anyway, we digress. Because we are such fans of cats, dogs, and everything in between (Catdog?), we decided to put together a page for the purpose of showcasing some of the best adoption resources for giving some of the cutest animals in Austin a forever home.
Austin Pets Alive!
Arguably the most famous pet rescue in Austin, APA! has cats and dogs in its downtown Austin location, as well as some in foster throughout the city. Austin Pets Alive! is a no-kill shelter committed to rehabilitating at-risk pets and reducing euthanasia rates across Austin. APA! also has a barn cat program, where they place non-traditional cats that are feral or non-socialized with owners that can give them a safe shelter.
Austin Animal Center
Austin Animal Center is the city-sponsored animal shelter that provides rehabilitation programs for at-risk pets and strives to reduce the number of homeless pets in Austin. The center is an open-intake facility that accepts all homeless pets regardless of breed, size or temperament.
Love-A-Bull
The Love-A-Bull dog rescue seeks to help homeless pit bulls find a forever home but has also made it its mission to adjust the stereotypes of pit bulls through education and advocacy programs. The rescue is 100% volunteer-run, with no paid positions on its roster.
Austin Siamese Rescue
The Austin Siamese Rescue is a private shelter that doesn’t have a public space, but rather homes all of their adoptable cats in foster homes. The shelter focuses on the 14 breeds of the Royal Thai Family, including Siamese, Balinese, Javanese, Oriental Shorthairs and Longhairs, Birmans, Burmese, Himalayans, Ocicats, Ragdolls, Snowshoes, and Tonkinese cats.
Lizzy’s Animal Hospice
Lizzy’s Animal Hospice works to provide the most vulnerable shelter dogs – those who are elderly or terminally ill – with a loving home in which to spend the rest of their life. Lizzy’s Animal Hospice was founded on the idea that all dogs deserve a loving and comforting end of life, and seeks to provide that for this vulnerable population. Lizzy’s Animal Hospice also runs Lucky Mutts, a dog rescue organization with younger/healthy dogs that Lizzy’s brings in mistakenly or by choice.
House Rabbit Resource Network
The House Rabbit Resource Network advocates for the livelihood of house rabbits by educating owners about proper rabbit care and facilitating the adoption process for homeless rabbits and potential owners. The resource works not only to facilitate these adoptions but also to provide education about how rabbit owners can take better care of their new pet.
Forgotten Friends Mixed Breed Rescue
The Forgotten Friends rescue is devoted to rescuing mixed-breed dogs and finding them suitable homes. The program has existed for 20 years and is a 100% volunteer-run organization. Mixed-breed dogs enter the program from area shelters, then the rescue finds a suitable foster home and, eventually, adopter.
New Hope Animal Rescue
After volunteering at area shelters and seeing how desperate they were for rescue support partners, Kelley Rice founded New Hope Animal Rescue. New Hope works to reduce the number of dogs that are euthanized in shelters each year by advocating for animal adoption over purchase from breeders and educating the public about the importance of spaying and neutering.
Wee Rescue
The Wee Rescue works with the Austin Animal Center to place small dog breeds – such as Havanese, Lhasa Apsos, Pekingese Shih Tzus – in forever homes. All of the small dogs are spayed/neutered, receive shots and get microchipped before they are made available to adopt. They also spend at least two weeks in a foster home so potential adopters can get a sense of their personality and triggers.
Purrfect Pals Rescue
The Purrfect Pals Rescue specializes in particularly at-risk kittens that require round-the-clock care and bottle feeding. They work to rehabilitate these kittens and prepare them for placement in a forever home, with the goal of reducing the euthanasia rates among kittens that need extra care.
Austin Humane Society
The Austin Humane Society is the largest non-profit and no-kill shelter in Austin. It is also the longest-standing shelter in the city, as it has been in service since 1952. Similar to other large-scale shelters in the city, the Humane Society is dedicated to safely rehoming pets and educating the public about responsible pet ownership.
CONTRIBUTED BY EMILY GIBSON | Do512
