HAYS COUNTY PET RESOURCE CENTER
PetSmart Charities has awarded Austin Pets Alive! a major multi-year grant to support the development of the Hays County Pet Resource Center from 2025 to 2027. The purpose of the grant is to catalyze the success of the Pet Resource Center, and share lessons learned about the process of implementing a revolutionary new model for animal services with the greater animal welfare industry.
The Hays PRC is at the forefront of implementing a new system in Hays County based on the Human Animal Support Services model, a national collaborative project facilitated by Austin Pets Alive!, whose programs are considered the future of animal welfare. As one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S., the Hays County Commissioner’s Court championed the creation of a pet resource center, shifting away from traditional animal services to focus on community-based programs.
“HASS-based programs focus first on solving problems that jeopardize the bonds people have with their pets, by offering resources and partnering with human welfare organizations to address the reality that when people face crises so will the pets whom the majority are considered to be family members,” said Lee Ann Shenefiel, Hays County Pet Resource Center Director and Austin Pets Alive! Executive Advisor.
“PetSmart Charities is proud to support this first-of-its kind pet resource center for Hays County with Austin Pets Alive!, because helping pet owners keep their animals safe and their families whole is part of what builds a thriving community,” said Kate Atema, Director of Community Grants at PetSmart Charities. “We are excited to be part of the future of community support systems that include pets as part of the family.”
The funding from PetSmart Charities allows additional expertise and mentorship from HASS to Hays County to guide the Pet Resource Center’s development. HASS staff specialize in education and training for implementing new programs, data, research and community engagement.
For more information about APA!’s work in Hays County, please visit hayscountytx.com/ pet-resource and follow Hays County Pet Resource Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn).
Austin Pets Alive! is a nonprofit animal shelter and rescue organization pioneering comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save the most at-risk homeless companion animals and educate others to do the same through its American Pets Alive! nationwide education and outreach division. A leader in No Kill sheltering in America’s largest No Kill city, APA! helps more than 12,000 dogs and cats annually in Central Texas and beyond get a chance at the life they deserve. To learn more about APA!, visit austinpetsalive.org.
The Human Animal Support Services project is a movement seeking to revolutionize the animal welfare industry by leading with and embracing a community support model. By providing both private and municipal animal shelters with equitable access to data- driven resources, education and implementation tools, HASS aims to create pathways t oward unified support systems for pets and their people in every community. Separated into three main pillars, education, data, and policy, HASS encompasses a network of more than 1,500 animal and human welfare professionals. In the project facilitated by Austin Pets Alive!, HASS’s 22 founding pilot organizations and over 200 partner organizations have joined the movement by committing to implement the HASS model. To learn more, visit humananimalsupportservices. org.
PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its instore adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps up to 400,000 pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Our grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crisis with access to food, shelter and disaster response. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities. org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $500 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the past 18 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more visit petsmartcharities.org.
Follow PetSmart Charities on Instagram: @ PetSmartCharities Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmart-ChariTs Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmart-Charities See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart-CharitiesInc
