Austin Humane Society takes on 70 animals

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The Austin Humane Society helped clear shelter space in Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Barry, but now their own shelter is full. 

On Wednesday, four staff members loaded 41 kittens and 33 dogs into a trailer and drove them from the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter in New Orleans to Austin. 

Ashley Steffey, community cat program supervisor at AHS, drove the trailer. 

“It’s nerve wracking for sure.” she laughed. “You know it’s a little stressful to have that many animals towing behind you, but we’re all here because we love this kind of work.” 

The paw-clad pilgrimage is not the first the shelter has made. They have helped with countless emergencies, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Katrina and the Bastrop fires. 

“After any major weather event, like Hurricane Barry there’s a huge influx of animals that get lost in the storm,” Steffey said. “They’re afraid, and so shelters wind up seeing a larger number of animals come in. So, we were ready to respond to that and take some of those animals.” 

Having taken some of those animals — 74 to be exact — AHS has hit capacity.    

“We are full, pretty much every kennel that we have has got an animal in it,” Steffey said. “So, we’re ready for people to come and adopt them.” 

Steffey says the dogs transported were pulled from a hoarding case, but are doing well and are social and highly adoptable. 

The shelter is located on 124 W. Anderson Lane and is open Monday – Saturday 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

For more information you can visit the shelter’s website.