About
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is an Austin, Texas 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization that pioneers comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save the shelter animals most at risk for euthanasia. Reborn as a rescue organization in 2008, APA! helped make Austin the largest No Kill city in the United States and has grown from a volunteer-led local initiative into an organization whose training and shelter-support work reaches communities across the country and beyond.
Mission
To promote and provide the resources, education, and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. Its vision is that every shelter animal, in Central Texas and beyond, gets a true chance at the life they deserve.
What they do
- Rescue pets from the Austin city shelter who are at risk of euthanasia for medical or behavioral reasons — orphaned puppies and kittens, pets with parvovirus, distemper and other potentially fatal illnesses, animals recovering from neglect, and senior pets with chronic conditions — plus thousands of animals from surrounding counties and other parts of Texas each year.
- Operate specialized medical and behavior programs, including a Parvo Puppy ICU (started in Dr. Ellen Jefferson's bathtub in 2008), a Bottle Baby Kitten Nursery, feline leukemia and ringworm programs, barn cat placement, and a dog behavior program.
- Run the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (P.A.S.S.) program, a state-wide support network that responds to about 1,000 requests for help each month to keep pets with their families.
- Through its national arm, American Pets Alive! (AmPA!), train and consult for shelters across the U.S.; in 2021 alone AmPA! supported more than 150 shelters.
- Lead Human Animal Support Services (HASS), an international collaborative launched with 22 pilot shelters and some 500 partner organizations to transform animal services around the human-animal bond.
Scale and impact
When APA! was first imagined, Austin's shelter kill rate was 87 percent; today the city has a save rate of 97 percent. In 2011 Austin met the City Council's 90 percent live-release benchmark and officially became the largest No Kill city in the US. In early 2022 APA! saved its 100,000th pet since officially opening its doors in 2008. The organization saved 5,000 animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and transported over 1,000 pets to partner shelters during the 2021 Texas winter storm.
Financials
For the fiscal year ending December 2024, APA! reported total revenue of 21,662,684 dollars and expenses of 21,640,802 dollars, with contributions making up 95.8 percent of revenue and net assets of 16.7 million dollars (IRS Form 990 data via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer). The organization states it is funded by public support including grants, sponsorships and individual contributions plus adoption fees, and does not currently receive funding from government entities or national humane organizations.
Governance
Dr. Ellen Jefferson serves as President and CEO, leading an executive team and board of directors.