AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is getting a big boost to ease concerns around overcrowding.
The organization announced Tuesday that it's one of the animal shelters receiving a $100,000 grant from PetSmart to help transport pets for adoption.
The grant will support the APA! pet transport program, which moves adoptable pets to other shelters nationwide so those animals have a better chance of finding their forever home.
The funding aims to reduce overcrowding at shelters and strengthen programs that have a larger impact on animal welfare.
“Transport programs are vital to increasing pet lifesaving efforts in Texas,” Clare Callison with APA! said. “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.”
APA! also recently opened a transport hub in Elgin to save more pet lives from rural shelters.
In 2023, more than 2,600 animals were transported from 74 source shelters in Texas to 65 destinations through a transport partnership. APA! said it's set to save an additional 8,000 lives in the next three years.
