PAWS Shelter Reopens Kyle Location After Austin Pets Alive! Partnership
The nonprofit aims to double adoptions and foster placements at its Kyle and Dripping Springs facilities following a September collaboration.
By Talia Bennett ·
The Kyle location of PAWS Shelter of Central Texas resumed operations on Nov. 5. The facility reopened after a partnership with Austin Pets Alive! was established to support the organization's financial and logistical needs.
PAWS had suspended operations at the Kyle site on July 17. The shelter’s board determined that maintaining both the Kyle and Dripping Springs locations was not financially or logistically feasible. The decision led to a period of closure for the Kyle campus while the organization focused resources on its Dripping Springs facility.
In September, the boards of directors for PAWS and Austin Pets Alive! announced a collaboration. This agreement created the entity known as Hays County Pets Alive!. The new organization aims to provide essential animal services to the region and support the return of the Kyle shelter.
Mara Hartsell, the Shelter Director at the Kyle campus, stated that the primary goal is to save more lives. "Our number one priority is to save more lives," Hartsell said in a news release. "This vital work is powered by you: the fosters, volunteers, donors and staff across Hays County and the greater Austin area who are committed to helping us save the animals most at risk for euthanasia. We are honored to open this next chapter with you."
Hartsell added that the collaboration expands the local safety net for animals. "The partnership continues and expands the local safety net, ensuring that animals across the region will receive loving, high-quality shelter care and lifesaving, backed by expanded community support," she said.
The organization plans to increase the number of animals saved through adoptions at its Kyle and Dripping Springs facilities. PAWS also intends to double the number of available foster homes. These efforts are part of a strategy to support animals most at risk for euthanasia in the Hays County area.
A new thrift store named the Hays County Pets Alive! Thrift will open on Nov. 7 in San Marcos. The store will provide partial financial support for the operations of PAWS Shelter of Central Texas.
