If you’ve ever been through a Houston storm, you already know what it’s like. The walls shake and the windows rattle. On January 24th, Pasadena Animal Shelter experienced every Houstonian’s worst fear. Kennel techs working with the dogs that day looked up to see the roof over their heads peel away, letting strong winds and […]
Houston Pets Alive! Blog RSS feed for this section
HPA!’s 2022 Highlights
We have had a lot to celebrate this year! Thank you for making it possible to save the lives of at-risk companion cats and dogs and find them loving homes. You’ve been there for the animals through thick and thin, and we wanted to highlight some of the amazing things this community has accomplished in […]
Your gift is MATCHED 100% for #GivingTuesday!
Help us turn a $75,000 goal into $150,000 in lifesaving funds! What could be better than saving the life of a homeless and vulnerable dog, cat, puppy, or kitten? Saving the lives of two dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens, of course. Thanks to a generous donor, your impact will be DOUBLED! YOU can be the lifesaver who rescues […]
Happy National Love Your Pet Day
Your gift is MATCHED 100% for #GivingTuesday, up to $25,000!
What could be better than saving the life of a homeless and vulnerable dog, cat, puppy, or kitten? Saving the lives of two dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens, of course! YOU can be the lifesaver who rescues not one, but TWO animals at risk of being euthanized right here in Houston! Now through November 30th, Giving Tuesday, donations made […]
Just saved from being euthanized… now they need you!
Do you see these smiling faces? Yesterday they weren’t quite so happy. These six pups were going to be euthanized unless we saved them – they had no other options. Of course, we just couldn’t let that happen, so we got them out of there as fast as we could. Now, we’re sending an urgent plea […]
TRIPLE your gift (200% match!) through National Mutt Day: 7/31/21
Would you like to be part of saving THREE TIMES the number of dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens from being euthanized? Well, now through National Mutt Day, Saturday, July 31, when you make a lifesaving gift to HPA!, a generous donor will MATCH your one-time gift 100%, up to $5,000! But there’s even better news! […]
Microscope needed to diagnose medical issues
“Hear ye, hear ye! Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! HPA! needs a new microscope. Can you help so they can better diagnose medical issues like my giardia? Yuck!” HPA! uses microscopes to diagnose all intestinal parasites, including but not limited to hookworms, roundworms, coccidia, giardia, tapeworms, whipworms, and many others, for ear cytologys […]
Mama + 11 puppies were just dumped and need your help!
This sweet family was JUST dumped at our facility – the puppies were literally in a Huggies diaper box. Not only do they need a foster (if you can help, apply here), but we also need help covering their care! At an average of $252/pup, this family of 11 will run us $2750+ through their […]
Mandy & 12 puppies need your help
Last week, we put a call out to our HPA! family for a lifesaving foster. It wasn’t a small ask: a mama dog and her 11 one-week-old puppies. But because our family is amazing, a lifesaving foster stepped up to save this entire family. And, it turned out one puppy was hidden amongst them, and […]
Will you sponsor a dog’s heart worm treatment?
Nearly every Saturday, we host a dog adoption event at our 2800 Antoine Drive facility. But this Saturday, things will be a little different. Instead of dozens and dozens of dogs finding their forever homes, over 100 HPA! alums will be receiving heart worm treatment, at NO cost to their adopters! At Houston Pets Alive!, […]
Save 2x the lives for Giving Tuesday
Are you ready to save TWICE the number of lives for Giving Tuesday?! Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts will be matched 100%, up to $25,000. That means your Giving Tuesday donation–and your lifesaving impact–is DOUBLED! Will you help turn a $25,000 goal into $50,000 to save cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies at risk […]
Ask a vet: looking ahead to the holidays, the scoop on poop & other things
In the spirit of the season, there is a good chance that your pet(s) and foster(s) (if you have one!) will have an opportunity to get in on some good treat action and socialization with new animals visiting from various places. This is a good time to refresh some important dos and don’ts over the holidays.
4 ways to know your dog is engaged in “good play”
Something we get asked a lot is what “good play” looks like – folks often aren’t sure if their dogs are playing, they are being too aggressive, or if all the noises they hear are friendly or not!
Make more families whole – $10k match!
UPDATE: Due to impending storms Marco and Laura, matching funds will help support any anticipated needs from the storm! Thank you for your support! * * * It has certainly been a challenging year so far. But it has also been an amazing one! During this pandemic, together, we have saved 1,769 animals and gave […]
It takes time to build a pet connection
By Meghan W., adopter If anyone who adopts their dog and doesn’t have the immediate ‘connection’ they think they should have – don’t worry! It will come! We started fostering Yolo, and when we got him he was so timid. He settled in well enough to sleep on our floor, but he wouldn’t come near […]
Fosters and donations needed ASAP to save 30 kittens
Can you open your heart and home to save a life?! We would love to be able to help ALL 30 kitties but we need foster commitments first! These should be very short term, though you must be committed to fostering through adoption!** If you can help us save these babies, please EMAIL intake@houstonpetsalive.org ASAP […]
Keep families together with microchips
“I can’t find Mom. I don’t know where I am. I don’t recognize these people. I’m scared. I’m getting hungry. Is my family coming to find me?” When Charlie slips out of her leash or bolts out the front door, it happens in an instant. If it was your beloved furbaby, can you imagine the […]
Anubis needs your help to walk painlessly again
Anubis was originally brought to our friends and partner, Jacinto City Pound, by a good samaritan who found her on the side of the road. She was in pain and unable to walk, with injuries to both left legs as well as her head. She was covered in wounds and bruises and after veterinary evaluation was […]
Help heal Hooligan!
Update: Hooligan has been adopted and is finishing his recovery in his loving forever home. * * * Hooligan was picked up as a stray and had a few huge wounds that seemed a few days old. It is suspected that he got swiped by a car, but luckily none of his […]
Pollock and O’Keeffe need your help to recover from the streets
* * * UPDATE 2: Pollock and O’Keeffe have been adopted and are now in loving, forever homes! * * * UPDATE 1: For all of you following Pollock and O’Keeffe’s medical journey, they are feeling much better and have doubled in weight at a hefty 5 pounds each! They […]
What’s important to you?
Donate for #GivingTuesdayNow in response to COVID-19
During this pandemic, YOU have given hope to so many puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats… 700+ lives saved! 700+ spay/neuter surgeries! 450+ loving homes found for our precious animals! But there’s still a LOT of work to do. #GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of unity created as an emergency response to the unprecedented needs caused […]
Tesla needs an echocardiogram for her heart
When little Tesla was anesthetized for her spay surgery, her heart unexpectedly could not handle the stress, unbeknownst to our medical team. The next day she presented in an emergent state with congestive heart failure, which was diagnosed by X-ray. She was provided high doses of a diuretic, which stabilized her. We learned that Tesla was born […]
Help protect them
Just because doors are closed, it doesn’t mean our beloved animals are protected from life-threatening heartworm disease. One simple mosquito bite can turn a pup’s life upside down. Routine details may seem menial with everything that’s going on right now, but monthly heartworm preventatives save the pets in our families from a treatment that requires […]
Milo’s broken leg needs your help!
Help! Milo’s broken leg needs you! Milo came into a shelter as a stray with an injured leg, and when we took him into our program we suspected a femoral head or pelvic injury with nerve involvement and muscle loss, much evidenced by his labored limping and also evaluated by our vet. The best […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Laura & Adrian Berg
Laura and Adrian Berg of Katy, TX have been volunteering for Houston Pets Alive! since August of 2018. They are HPA! volunteers extraordinaries, acting as lead dog fosters, hosting adoption events, assisting the medical team, and stepping up everywhere in between. How did you originally hear about HPA!? During Hurricane Harvey. We were part […]
COVID-19 Coronavirus Announcement
Given the situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, we wanted to inform you that HPA! is working diligently to keep our pets, volunteers, and staff healthy and safe. We are taking preventative measures to ensure that we have enough supplies to take proper care of our animals. Fortunately for HPA!, many of our volunteers and staff […]
Kittens Need YOU to Survive! Your Gift Today will be MATCHED!
When you hear the cries of hungry, motherless kittens, do you turn away? Of course not! You are different. You’re a person who believes that all animals deserve to live… and you dedicate yourself to that mission. What if you could save 1,000 kittens and mother cats from euthanasia this kitten season? That’s 1,000 hungry […]
Magoo’s Broken Femur Requires Your Help for Amputation
Magoo was recently hit by a car, which completely shattered his femur, fragments spewing out in all directions. His leg is swollen and inflamed, and he’s in a lot of pain. The best course of action is amputation, which could run upwards of $1,200 if outsourced. Luckily, our awesome in-house vet can do the job, […]
226,460 Strays Prevented
Our in-house surgery clinic is making a remarkable impact on Houston’s stray overpopulation problem! At Houston Pets Alive!, every animal is spayed or neutered by our team, and it costs us $71.25 per surgery. In 2019, spay/neuter surgeries amounted to a whopping total of $105,663.75. We need 2,000 animal lovers like you to sponsor a single surgery […]
From the ED, December 2019
As 2019 winds down, think about what an important year this has been. It was the start of a new chapter for HPA! when all your hard work and commitment paid off!! But 2020 is just days away and HPA! has a bright future ahead! I hope you’re as excited as I am! With your […]
Healthy Treats for You and Your Furry Best Friend
Now, more than ever, you will find people treating their furry friends more like their first child than a pet. We’ve all seen the commercials inspiring “love them like family, feed them like family.” Pet parents are more and more likely to take a closer look at the ingredients listed in their pet’s food. Rather […]
Nebula, her 9 puppies, and 15 kittens, need you to help them get spayed/neutered
Mama Nebula, her 9 adorable puppies, and 15 cute kittens are waiting their turn to be spayed and neutered today in our in-house surgery center, led by our amazing on-staff veterinarian, Dr. Amanda Hanna. Spays/neuters are absolute vital surgeries to prevent unwanted pregnancies amongst the pet population. Houston Pets Alive! includes the spay/neuter surgery in […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Tacy Smith
Tacy Smith of Missouri City, TX has been a volunteer for Houston Pets Alive! Thrift since August 2018 when she read about the store’s opening in the newspaper, and she has since become a volunteer store supervisor! How did you originally hear about HPA!? When purchasing items in PetSmart, I noticed HPA!’s cats, which were […]
Ivy’s Burns Need Your Help to Heal
Ivy is the sweetest, happiest girl, but at just one year old she has already had a tragic history. She came to the local municipal shelter as a cruelty case with a severe burn down her back. While we can never know the true cause, it is thought that she may have been doused […]
What You Need to Know About Adopting a Pet
Whether you’re thinking about adopting or have newly adopted, there are many factors to take into consideration to make the experience as joyful and easy as possible. To help, we have put together some basic tips thanks to 1-800-PetMeds to get you and your new fur baby through the journey with ease. BEFORE Getting […]
Pups Need Your Help to Get to Forever Homes
Did you know that many cities do not have the overabundance of homeless pets that we see here in Houston? Sometimes, pets have a better opportunity to be adopted out-of-state, and HPA! often transports dogs to give them a better chance at finding a forever home through one of our partner organizations up north. After […]
10 Pups Need Your Help to Be Transported to Find Forever Homes & Receive Training
Because of the overabundance of available pets in our dear city of Houston, sometimes loving pups can get stuck waiting long periods of time for their forever families. In other cities, there is a dearth of pets, and potential owners are just waiting and waiting to adopt! To find some of our pups homes […]
Nearly Euthanized to Forever Home in just 48 Hours
Moncler was surrendered to BARC because his owner “didn’t have time for him anymore.” Three days ago HPA! had ONE HOUR to save his life from euthanasia. Three days ago an amazing HPA! foster stepped up and saved his life. His previous owner spoke very highly of him: Moncler is a happy dog and the […]
Barbie Has Stomatitis and Needs Your Help!
Have you ever experienced pain while eating? Hopefully not. But imagine having to feel any level of discomfort in an act so vital to live, an act done multiple times a day. Barbie has feline stomatitis, which is severe, painful inflammation of a cat’s mouth and gums. Dental disease, certain viruses, and some other inflammatory conditions […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Suzanne Martin
Suzanne Martin of Houston, TX started volunteering with HPA! in April 2014, way back in our organization’s infancy! From the start, Suzanne has spearheaded cat care at our pet store partners, where she contributes so much more than just cat care! How did you originally hear about HPA!? My friend, Lin Phillips, started the Dunvale […]
Featured Pet: Dobby
Dobby is a 1-year old lab mix and incredibly loyal. Just like his house elf namesake, he’s right by your side in times of need. He’s very playful and energetic and can get very excited! In fact, he likes cats a little too much, so a catless household would suit him best. Kids and other […]
Featured Pet: Janice
Janice is a 7 year-old American bulldog mix, but a total puppy at heart! She LOVES to fetch, so much so that once she’s got the ball she’ll want to keep it forever… or at least until you throw another one! In fact, she loves to play ball so much, her signature look is a […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Clark
Emily Clark of Houston, TX (Montrose) started volunteering with HPA! at the cat facility just days after Hurricane Harvey hit. Now, she’s transitioned from the cat facility to multiple volunteer areas, including fostering kittens, transporting cats and dogs, and store supervising as well as managing social media for HPA! Thrift. How did you originally hear […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Lynn Pauwels
Lynn Pauwels of Houston, TX has been volunteering and fostering with HPA! since September 2017. Starting out with dog care, Lynn is now a foster, volunteers at events and HPA! Thrift, assists behind the scenes answering emails and applications, and manages private HPA! Facebook groups. How did you originally hear about HPA!? Hurricane Harvey news. Why did […]
Bottle Babies Need YOUR Help to Survive!
Kitten season is here and the babies need YOUR help to survive! This spring, hundreds of litters of kittens will end up slated for euthanasia before they can even open their eyes, simply because of the sheer number of them. These neonatals are in DIRE need of our help. First, we must save their lives […]
Introducing Pennies for Pets
We’re seeking 100 people like you to pledge their Pennies for Pets. Not $100. Not $10. Not $1. Just pennies. HPA!’s “Pennies for Pets” program gives you the opportunity to round up your credit or debit purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the pennies to HPA! For example, when you spend $12.87, just $0.13 will […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Beth Shoaf
Beth Shoaf of Richmond, TX (originally from Lafayette, IN), has volunteered with HPA! since just after Hurricane Harvey hit. Since, she has volunteered in almost every corner of HPA! and is now focusing her volunteer efforts in our medical clinic for surgeries. How did you originally hear about HPA!? I was out of state when […]
14 Pups Need Your Help to Find Forever Homes in Washington!
If you can believe it, there are cities that simply don’t have the overabundance of available pets that we have here in Houston. Transport provides these precious pups with an opportunity to find their forever homes much quicker out-of-state. Rosie, Woody, Landon, Liberty, Morgan, Ameera, Jazzy Jane, Quinn, Sassy, Belle, Sherlock, Saul, Bro, and Nala […]