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(Courtesy of Pet Paradise)
Pets live exhausting lives—all the sleeping, playing and endless affection doesn't come easy and they need a break. Pet Paradise seeks to solve that problem, with the added benefit of giving owners peace of mind while they take their own vacation.
<p>Pet Paradise is a comprehensive pet care provider that offers anything your pet might need while you're away. It is set to open its first hill country location on Sept. 30 at 716 S. I-35 in Georgetown.</p><p>While this is Pet Paradise's first location in the Austin area, the chain has seven locations in Texas and over 50 across the U.S.</p><p>In addition to on-site veterinary care, boarding and grooming, the 20,000 square foot location also boasts a bone-shaped swimming pool, a "Tiny Town" area for small dogs, misting stations so your furry friend can escape the blistering Texas heat, VIP amenities, webcams for pet viewing and plenty of room to romp and play.</p>
<p>Although the location is geared more toward dog-lovers, Pet Paradise features a cattery with private cat condos for your finicky feline friend.</p><p>The new location offers a <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/get-acquainted-day.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free day of camp</a> and a <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/free-veterinary-care-exam.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free wellness exam</a> to new customers. Click <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/georgetown.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.</p><p>Your pet will thank you. </p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk4NDY5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzExNzMzOH0.fKNWVEHrM1p9Pj2tmQQW03ZN7UkZGpaQsuo_F-f2KWU/img.jpg?width=980" id="ee9e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6d9f62cd8002f213dbc28c908681005b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Photo Courtesy of Pet Paradise)
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(The Zebra)
Maribeliz Ortiz, agency quality assurance coordinator at The Zebra, used her pet stipend to welcome home Niko, a miniature long haired dachshund.
Working from home just got better for employees of local insurance-comparison site The Zebra, with its new employee benefit that gives them a stipend to adopt a furry friend - the first employee benefit of its kind in the nation, the company said.
<p>Employees are offered a $300 stipend and are encouraged to take "pawternity" leave under the company's paid-time-off policy to get acquainted with their new pet, particularly while they are working from home "for the foreseeable future."</p><p>CEO of The Zebra Keith Melnick <a href="https://www.thezebra.com/about/press/the-zebra-is-first-employer-in-us-to-cover-employees-pet-adoption-fees/" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow" target="_blank">said</a> his dog made a "huge difference" in his life and wants his employees to share that experience. </p><p>"There was a time a while ago when I took my Labrador, Zuma, with me on the train into my office daily. I know this kind of companionship can make a huge difference in quality of life and mental health. Especially now that we're all working remotely for the foreseeable future, I want to make sure that anyone at The Zebra who wants to can experience that," Melnick said.</p><p>A few employees are already taking advantage of the new benefit.</p><p>At Austin Animal Center, an open-intake facility that takes in lost and surrendered pets, a significant number of people have stepped up to foster and/or adopt since they are spending more time at home, said spokesperson Jennifer Olohan.</p><p>When businesses closed their doors in March due to the pandemic, the animal shelter followed, but they were able to get more 400 animals adopted or fostered. As more people are adopting or fostering while they work from home, the shelter's capacity to take in homeless pets has been steadily increasing since reopening, Olohan said.</p><p>"Animals are amazing companions, and shown to decrease stress levels, so it makes a lot of sense that people are opening their hearts and homes during such a difficult time," Olohan said.</p>
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(Katharine Jose/Austonia)
Samples of blue-green algae taken from Lady Bird Lake at Festival Beach and Red Bud Isle recently have been confirmed as containing toxins, the Austin Watershed Protection Department announced.
<p>Toxic algae<a href="https://austonia.com/city/blue-algae-austin" target="_blank"> killed several dogs</a> in Austin last summer. The city is recommending pets stay away from the lake and that people avoid handling the algae.</p><p>From the press release:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The toxin is contained within the algae and has not been released into the water. This is important because it means that currently exposure to the toxin would occur through touching or ingesting the algae, not through contact with the water."</p><p>The city is monitoring four locations and will post results on <a href="https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/227b9eb1a55f4a1ca0ca110612c22d4c" target="_blank">its algae dashboard</a>.</p>
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(Katharine Jose/Austonia)
Update 7/10 6:58:
The Austin Watershed Protection Department said in a statement that there is now some preliminary concern about algae found at Red Bud Isle last week, though so far results are not definitive.
<p>UT's laboratory "noted the presence, albeit low, of a cyanobacteria species of concern from the sample collected at Red Bud Isle," the statement says. "The species is undergoing further molecular identification, and toxin results are still forth coming."</p><p>The department is urging caution: "Conditions can change rapidly at a site. While we wait for test results, people should take extra care at Red Bud Isle."</p><p><strong>Original post:</strong><br/></p><p>As the <a href="https://austonia.com/city/austin-weather" target="_blank">summer heats up</a>, bringing with it ripe conditions for a harmful algae bloom, Austin officials said they have started tested local waterways and shared recommendations for how residents can keep their pets safe when going swimming. </p><p>Last year, at least five dogs <a href="https://austonia.com/city/blue-algae-austin" target="_blank">were killed by a deadly blue-green algae bloom</a> in Lady Bird Lake. </p><p>With help from UT researchers, the city took water and algae samples Thursday, <a href="https://mailchi.mp/austintexas.gov/increased-risk-of-harmful-algae-on-lady-bird-lake?e=995fbf6736" target="_blank">according to a Friday press release</a>, and should have the first updates about water quality next week. </p><p>Samples came from:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Red Bud Isle</li><li>Vic Mathias Shores</li><li>Festival Beach </li></ul> <p>Another area, the mouth of Barton Creek, is also being monitored, but the city "did not observe any concerning algae," according to the press release. </p><p>Results from these samples will be listed on <a href="https://austintexas.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1861810ce1dca1a4c1673747c&id=26b3980d87&e=995fbf6736" target="_blank">AustinTexas.gov/algae</a>. </p><p>The website also lists symptoms to watch out for in pets after swimming, and asks that residents report their pets getting sick to 311. </p><p>Anyone who wants to take their dog swimming in Lady Bird Lake should avoid warm, stagnant water and areas with floating mats of algae, according to the city. Owners should also rinse their dogs after swimming in the lake.</p><p>If the city or UT researchers detect potentially harmful algae, updated guidance for keeping dogs safe, including any bans on dogs swimming in the lake, will be posted on that website.</p>
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(staff/Austonia)
The city of Austin warned residents in a tweet about the potential return to Lady Bird Lake of the blue-green algae that killed several dogs last summer.
<div id="2ffc1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6dab26646b27fcd09da6ca17bcadae6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1273317674026704896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We’re approaching a time of increased risk for harmful algae on Lady Bird Lake based on seasonal conditions.
🚫 Av… https://t.co/KdM68m5rAq</div> — City of Austin (@City of Austin)<a href="https://twitter.com/austintexasgov/statuses/1273317674026704896">1592417565.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=337439" target="_blank">contract that the city signed</a> with the University of Texas for monitoring the algae stipulates that testing will begin in July.</p>
<p class="">The algae bloomed around Red Bud Isle and other popular dog destinations <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/pet-owners-advised-to-keep-animals-out-of-lady-bird-lake-due-to-possible-toxic-algae/" target="_blank">in August of last year </a>and kept Lady Bird Lake closed to pets until <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20191112/blue-green-algae-withers-but-austin-officials-delay-all-clearrsquo-for-lady-bird-lake" target="_blank">well into late fall,</a> when cold temperatures arrived.</p><p>A hot, dry summer contributed to conditions that allowed the algae to grow to toxic levels, and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/14/texas-climate-change-worsening-toxic-algae-blooms/" target="_blank">scientists expect to see more of it in the future</a>.</p>From Your Site Articles
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(House Rabbit Resource Network)
Welcome to austonia.com, a new local news site for Austin. We're local people producing local stories. 100% free for news, trends, controversies, celebrities. Sign up for daily updates to get our latest stories in your inbox.
The highly anticipated vaccine for a deadly virus stalking rabbits across the Lone Star State arrives this week in Central Texas from France, touching off a collective sigh of relief in an increasingly anxious local bunny-owner community.
<p><span></span>"It's awesome. We're super excited," said Lindsay Rader, shelter manager at the House Rabbit Resource Network in Pflugerville, one of the biggest and oldest rabbit rescues in the state.<br/></p><p>The shelter, which typically houses 150-200 bunnies, is a potential hot spot for the highly contagious Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus strain, known as RHDV2.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzMyNTE0Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzE4MDM1OH0.uxts94iQ3-iRqasUeegVDgvxWBgb3PZfw-QdUcw8e6M/img.jpg?width=980" id="5e065" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c51803110826541b7512d17b663028b4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Baby Shark and Quebec
(House Rabbit Resource Network)
<p>The shelter is, therefore, first in line to vaccinate its current population when the hard-won vaccine—secured through a months-long slashing of state-level red tape by locals—gets here at the end of May. </p><p>Until then, bunnies that come in are quarantined for two weeks before they are allowed into the general population, Rader said. The volunteer staff leave their shoes at the shelter or cover them with booties to keep from bringing home RHDV2. </p><p>"We've already been doing more of that because of COVID-19, so it hasn't been such a big jump for everybody to take on added security," Rader said.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzMyNTE1MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDUwNDg2N30.NdLPkWudSpyURDvFQ8DQDLeqTUt2tnfqnOWvR6U3_QE/img.jpg?width=980" id="b9e16" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="003e5fab62e3eb334da5e5f131973cb1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Abra
(House Rabbit Resource Network)
<p>At least <a href="https://www.tahc.texas.gov/news/2020/2020-05-13_RHDV2.pdf" target="_blank">one pet bunny has died of the illness in Lampasas</a>, the closest report to Austin so far.<br></p><p>"We think the virus is moving rapidly towards this area," said veterinarian and rabbit specialist Todd Riggan, owner of White Rock Veterinary Hospital in Pflugerville, who spearheaded the effort to get a vaccine to local domestic bunnies.</p><p><a href="https://www.tahc.texas.gov/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_BiosecurityRabbit.pdf" target="_blank">Austin-area bunny owners are being warned: </a>Keep pet bunnies indoors, separate them from other pets in the home, leave shoes at the door when they come inside, and don't gather food for them outside.</p><p>Austin bunny owner Angela Southern, whose lionhead rabbit Winston is 10 years old, is married to a nurse who already takes his shoes off when he comes home from work—so as not to expose his family to COVID-19.<br></p><p>The dual virus precautions feel "overwhelming," she said.</p><p>"Everybody is at risk of something," she said. "But we're on the list for the vaccine so hopefully in the next couple of weeks, he'll get that. And then I won't be so paranoid."</p><p>Although the two are not connected, parallels to the simultaneous battle being waged by the human race against the coronavirus pandemic are not hard to find.<br></p><p>Except with death rate upwards of 70% and "sudden death" listed as a symptom, the bunnies are doing worse.<br></p><p>"It's like Ebola for rabbits," Riggan said.</p><p>RHDV2 can jump from wild rabbits to domestics, but not to other species. </p><p>It is easily transmitted through contact, surfaces, mice, mosquitoes, flies and bird droppings. It can live in an environment for three months and resists typical disinfectants. Symptoms are rare but can include jaundice, bleeding and seizures. </p><p>The vaccination arriving in Texas on May 30 is only allowed for domestic rabbits. </p><p>The current strain appeared in Washington State a year ago. It showed up again in Arizona and New Mexico in March, hitting West Texas in May, according to the <a href="http://www.rabbit.org/" target="_blank">House Rabbit Society</a> information network.</p>
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Stephanie Schwartz
Ian Voelzel, Westlake Animal Hospital's medical director, demonstrates veterinary telemedicine for the author's dog, Mateo. (Stephanie Schwartz)
It all started with an idea about Carfax reports, but for horses.
Steven Carter and Price Fallin had a friend who spent a lot of money on a high-performance horse, and it turned out that before the sale, the seller had medicated the horse to hide some problems. The group thought it would be good to have health records before a horse purchase—and in 2015, they founded Horse Facts.
<p>Carter said that as part of this business, he and Fallin spent a lot of time in equine veterinary practices. There they observed that many people were traveling great distances, even across several states, to take their horse to the vet. The two partners then created an equine <a data-linked-post="2645619144" href="https://austonia.com/telemedicine-offers-health-care-at-a-social-distance" target="_blank">telemedicine</a> product. And word spread.</p><p>"Through pure luck, some small animal vets found my phone number," said Carter, "and they would call, and literally every call they would say, 'Are these the horse guys?'"</p><p>Carter and Fallin renamed their business TeleVet in 2016, and they went on to serve mostly small-animal vets, along with a few large-animal vets and one vet that does telemedicine for 50,000 pigs. </p><p>In January, about 100 veterinary practices used TeleVet. As the <a data-linked-post="2645676614" href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/what-austin-needs-to-know-about-hospitals-ventilators-and-the-citys-new-surge-plan-2645676614" target="_blank">coronavirus pandemic</a> hit the U.S., that number rose quickly to over 1,000 practices. The company recently announced it is offering veterinary practices a free month of service during the pandemic.</p><p>TeleVet's system allows veterinarians to interact with animal owners through video, texts and phone calls. States set guidelines for veterinary telemedicine, and Texas requires that a veterinarian have an established relationship with an animal before treating it, which means having previously examined that pet in person. </p><p>Carter said that an increase in veterinary telemedicine was poised to happen, even before the pandemic.</p><p>"I think the veterinary practices as a whole knew that telemedicine was something on the radar," he said, "but they often thought they would put it off for a year or two."</p><p>Due to the rapid increase in demand, TeleVet is accelerating planned expansions to its platform. To bring in the necessary resources, the startup is raising more funding, after closing a $2 million seed round in January. </p><p>Ian Voelzel, veterinarian and medical director of Westlake Animal Hospital, said that he had been considering telemedicine before the coronavirus pandemic, but not all vets at the clinic were on board. Now the practice is using both TeleVet and curbside service to continue to treat its patients. </p><p>It is working well, allowing the staff to feel safe about coming to the practice for procedures that must be done in-house, such as a recent surgery on a cat's broken leg. Which is not to say that there are no challenges to veterinary telemedicine.</p><p>"Our patients don't talk," Voelzel said. "We are trying to get the information through the owner—a third party, basically."</p><p>He expects telemedicine to be a part of the clinic's practice even when social distancing requirements have relaxed. Voelzel said the platform is great for checkups after an operation, as well as a triage to determine whether an animal needs to be seen in the clinic.</p><p>There is a limit, however. Voelzel said that manipulating the limb of an injured animal, for example, can produce a dangerous reaction. Dogs with ear infections can also be very protective. There is an art, and sometimes the involvement of sedatives, to being able to examine an animal. </p><p>"Some things we can't train the owner to do," he said.</p>
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photo by Connor Leech
Cherrywood resident Connor Leech adopted Walter from Austin Pets Alive while working from home due to the coronavirus. (Courtesy Connor Leech)
Last weekend, after the city of Austin recommended social distancing, but before the shelter-in-place order was announced, Connor Leech brought home a new dog.
The 24-year-old IBM content strategist lives in the Cherrywood neighborhood with two roommates. Prior to the pandemic, he planned to adopt a dog. But after realizing he would be working from home for at least several weeks he decided to call Austin Pets Alive.
"If there was a right time, it would be now," Leech said.
<p>In early March, Austin's shelters began preparing for the coronavirus to arrive in Austin—and the likelihood that volunteers and staff would be affected. APA, the Austin Animal Center and the Austin Humane Society began calling for foster placements on their social media pages in an effort to free up space at their facilities.</p><p><br/>With fewer animals on site, staff could continue to accept critical cases—such as sick or injured animals—and absorb the work usually done by volunteers, most of whom are not considered essential workers. Having fewer animals also means that the shelters can operate with a leaner staff.</p><p>"We needed to get as many animals out in case we had staff that became ill and we didn't have enough staff [to care] for animals," AAC Director Don Bland said. </p><p>AAC's goal was to move half of its inventory into foster homes. As of this morning, there were 129 animals on site, with around 494 in foster homes.</p><p>For the time being AAC is not worried about running out of animal food or supplies and will be able to continue to observe the city's no-kill policy, which requires 95% of animals that enter the shelter not be euthanized. </p><p>"This is going to be something that we'll be able to maintain easily now that we've sent so many animals to foster," Bland said. </p><p>Although animal shelters are familiar with emergency situations—those in Austin took in thousands of animals during Hurricane Harvey—this pandemic is different.</p><p>"This will be a more sustained response," said Dr. Katie Luke, a veterinarian and chief operations officer of the Austin Humane Society. "We don't really know what the endpoint will be."</p><p>To this end, AAC is no longer accepting strays or surrendered animals and is instead only responding to top priority calls, such as those involving a bite or an animal that is sick or injured. The shelter recommends that people who find dogs outside try to return them to their owners, who likely live nearby. APA is hosting virtual meet-and-greets on Zoom and Google Hangouts to avoid unnecessary contact between staff and prospective foster owners. And AHS has inventoried its medical supplies to see what masks, gloves and gowns it may be able to donate to area hospitals and clinics treating those with coronavirus.</p><p>The latter is also preparing for the likelihood that some animals exposed to the coronavirus will need care. Although there is no evidence that dogs and cats can contract the disease, they may carry it in their ears and mouth. Shelters may need to keep animals isolated or take in the pets of people with the disease who cannot care for them while ill, Dr. Luke said. </p><p>Another concern for shelters is fundraising.</p><p>Citing a drop in donations and cancelled events, Austin Pets Alive created a Facebook fundraiser on March 21 with a goal of $25,000. As of this morning, it has raised $16,724.</p><p>The nonprofit usually runs two thrift stores that generate revenue for the shelter; both are closed because of the pandemic. </p><p>"We know that as people fall on hard times, animals will fall on hard times, too," APA's Executive Director Dr. Ellen Jefferson said in a Facebook video posted to the shelter's page on March 26.<br/><br/>In the private sector, animal-related businesses are also experiencing financial hardship—but a boom in adoptions could mean more customers once this pandemic is contained. </p><p>Tim Smith—owner of Southpaws Playschool, a dog day care in South Austin—said he is seeing 80% less business than usual, even as he has increased operating hours to 24 hours a day to accommodate the schedules of essential workers. </p><p>Some customers, however, continue to bring in their pets because they need more exercise after being cooped up at home all day or they want to support a local business. Smith is also hopeful that, once people return to work, they may bring their new pets to Southpaws.</p><p>"Anything that gets pets out of the shelter—whether they get into foster care on a temporary basis or take the next step and actually get adopted—that's a good thing," he said.</p>
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