Sick mama dog and puppies get a lifesaving second chance

A sick, stray mama dog and her seven newborn puppies are now safely recovering in a foster home thanks to the collaboration of the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter and Austin Pets Alive!

Genevieve, a Husky- mix, arrived at SMRAS with her newborn puppies, showing symptoms of distemper, a highly-contagious, viral and deadly disease. The family was placed in isolation and provided the necessary care from the SMRAS medical team before being transferred for specialized care at the APA! clinic.

Once in Austin, the family was further treated at the APA! clinic, and then placed in a foster home. Genevieve and her puppies have settled into the home beautifully, according to their foster parent, Pam Martin. “Genevieve is a very sweet girl and easy to handle; just a little apprehensive. She's very attentive to her puppies, and allows me to handle them without any issues. The puppies are all nursing well.”

“As the intake facility for Hays County, SMRAS takes in hundreds of animals each month. Collaborations with rescues and non-profits are crucial for providing the best care possible for all the animals in need,” said Minnie Buckhaults, SMRAS Community Engagement Coordinator. “These partnerships allow us to broaden our reach and ensure that every animal gets the attention and care they deserve.”

In addition to this partnership, APA! recently expanded its Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender Program (P.A.S.S.) to Hays County as a part of the Pet Resource, Education, and Research Center project in order to provide pet owners access to services in the area, helping keep pets with their families and out of the shelter system.

SMRAS and APA! remind the community of the importance of keeping their pets up-to-date on vaccinations to keep them safe from diseases like distemper. For a list of services in Hays County offering low-cost vaccination clinics, view the Hays P.A.S.S. Pet Resources Guide. Learn more about how Hays County and APA! are working together to expand services for pets and people here.

For those interested in supporting shelter pets like Genevieve and her puppies, they can contact either the shelter about adopting, fostering or volunteering or visit the websites of Austin Pets Alive! at austinpetsalive. org and San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter at sanmarcostx.gov/208/ San-Marcos-Regional- Animal-Shelter.

APA! is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. People can visit the main location at 1156 W. Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78703, or the Tarrytown Adoption Center (Small Dogs and Cattery) at 3118 Windsor Rd, Austin, TX 78703.

SMRAS is open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday located at 750 River Rd, San Marcos, TX 78666.