When it comes to your pet's safety and well-being, the ball is in your court.
That means it's up to you to get microchips and update ID tags.
It's up to you to spay and neuter your pets and take them to annual vet check ups for vaccinations. It's up to you to keep from dropping the ball on your pet.
Last year alone, the Austin Animal Center took in 12,972 lost dogs and cats.
Resources to keep your pet healthy and safe:
Austin Animal Center has numerous programs and partnerships designed to help pets in the shelter, pets in the community and pets at home. Services range from free rabies vaccination clinics to low-cost / free veterinary care, including spay or neuter services. List of resources on the Austin Animal Center's webpage, here.
View the free pet services flier in June includes spay and neuter, rabies vaccination, and microchip. For more information about fee and low cost services visit Emancipet.org.
Fencing and Dog House assistance
It is important to keep pets secured during extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms and excessive rain. The City provides several opportunities to assist with this effort such as the free fencing and dog house assistance program, more information about the program here.
Unrestrained Dog prohibited
Except in public areas where restraint of a dog is not required (off-leash dog parks), an owner or handler of a dog shall keep the dog under restraint. A person holding a dog on a leash or lead shall keep the dog under control at all times.
Tethering of dogs prohibited
Leaving a dog alone on a chain or a tether is prohibited by city law (Austin City Code Section 3-4-2)
Animal Protection
Animal Protection serves the community by defending threatened animals from abuse or neglect, working closely with law enforcement to contain or help aggressive animals, assisting other agencies with wildlife such as coyotes, deer, bats and rodents, and ensuring that City ordinances related to animal welfare are followed.
Injured & Lost Pets
Animal Protection handles lost animals that need to be picked up and/or are injured.
More about Animal Protection, here.