Austin Animal Services is sounding the alarm: the city-run Austin Animal Center needs 70 foster homes by Sunday as staff scrambles to relieve severe overcrowding. With kennels packed and temporary housing already pressed into service as a stopgap, shelter workers say getting animals into short-term homes eases stress on the pets and opens badly needed space for new arrivals. Officials say the current crush of animals is stretching day-to-day operations to the breaking point.
The plea for 70 temporary fosters by Sunday was reported Friday by KVUE, which noted that shelter staff are racing to move animals out of kennels and into homes to make room. Volunteers and partner groups were being mobilized to help handle the surge, the station reported. With the clock ticking, the shelter says anyone who can open their home, even briefly, could make a crucial difference.
How to help
The City of Austin says foster families receive supplies and that the shelter covers medical care for foster pets; officials also asked for donations of large and extra-large kennels and other supplies, according to the City of Austin. Austin Animal Services is directing potential fosters to its online foster application and notes that walk-in adoption and reclaim hours run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Staff emphasizes that even a short foster commitment can free up space and improve outcomes for animals biding their time in kennels.
Why shelters fill up
Shelters often hit a breaking point after a single large intake or when contagious illnesses move through kennel populations. A December respiratory outbreak in local kennels, for example, forced mass fostering and transfers to partner organizations, as detailed in virus slams Austin shelter dogs. Volunteers and rescue groups have repeatedly stepped in during those crunch times, but constant cycles of intake and transfer keep municipal capacity under pressure.
"When we experience a large, unplanned intake like this, it immediately strains our resources and space," Austin Animal Services Director Monica Dangler said in a city release, underscoring the urgency of the current request, according to the City of Austin. With Sunday fast approaching, shelter staff says that even a week or two of fostering can make a real difference for animals waiting for permanent homes.
