Community’s Help Needed for First-Ever Mega Transport

El Paso Animal Services is sending out an SOS (Support Our Shelter) call to the community, asking for help to clear the shelter.

Every year during the summer months, more pets tend to enter the shelter. The Animal Services Center is at critical capacity, currently housing more than 700 animals. With help from The Bissell Pet Foundation and other lifesaving partners, more than 300 pets will be transferred from El Paso Animal Services to shelters and rescues up north needing great adoptable pets.

This will be the department’s first-ever mega transport and will need the community’s help to coordinate this effort. Animal Services is asking the community to help make history and foster a pet or donate toward this lifesaving event.

FOSTER A TRANSPORT PET
Animal Services needs 400 Flight Attendant Fosters that are willing to welcome in a shelter pet for four-to-seven days while they await their rescue flight. Food, supplies, and medical care will be provided. Anyone that wants to foster is encouraged to come to the shelter Tuesday, June 22 through Friday, June 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where they will be matched with a pet.

FOSTER OTHER PETS IN NEED
For pet lovers not looking to adopt at this time, fostering a pet is great option. By fostering, families will be able to care for a shelter pet temporarily, which will free up space for other adoptable pets at the shelter. Families will be asked to foster an animal for a minimum of two weeks but are welcomed to foster a pet even longer if they would like. Currently the greatest need are fosters for large, adult dogs and kittens.

DONATE
For those looking to support the shelter’s lifesaving efforts but may not have space for a new friend at home, donations are a great way to help. Animal Services needs the following items:
 Plastic airline crates of all sizes
 Wire crates of all sizes
 Canned puppy and kitten food
 Dry dog and cat food
 Pet treats and pet toys
Donations can be dropped off at the shelter’s front doors any day between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or can be purchased and delivered through the department’s Amazon Wishlist bit.ly/EPASDogWishlist.

The coordination of this historic pet transport is made possible by El Paso Animal Services’ lifesaving partners, The Bissell Pet Foundation, American Pets Alive!, Best Friends Animal Society, Team Shelter USA, Maddie’s Fund, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, Animal Rescue Corp. and Human Animal Support Services. By clearing the shelter, El Paso Animal Services will be able to continue to provide the best care for pets and families needing assistance.

For more information on El Paso Animal Services and how you can help, visit ElPasoAnimalServices.org or reach out via email at EPAS@elpasotexas.gov.

Temporary Operational Changes

As preparing for a transport of this size, temporary operational changes will be made for the next few weeks to allow our lifesaving staff and volunteers to focus care on this effort. We appreciate your patience with us while we work on this history lifesaving event!

COMMUNITY CATS- All Community Cat surgeries will be on pause until Tuesday, July 6. You can view future available appointments on our Community Cats page. 

PET ADOPTIONS-Walk-in adoptions will be postponed until Saturday, July 3. However, we do encourage anyone looking to help a pet, to become a Flight Attendant Foster for a pet awaiting their transport flight. If you are able to foster a pet for a couple of weeks, visit us at the shelter Tuesday, June 22 through Friday, June 25 from 6 pm to 8 pm to be matched with a pet that needs foster before they fly out the following week.