The community can join the celebration on the organization's Facebook page. The celebration is free and open to the public, and all the animals in their care are in for a treat.
The shelter is located at 1855 S.E. Inner Loop, Georgetown, and serves Round Rock, Cedar Park, Hutto, Leander and Williamson County. The celebration will showcase the dogs and cats in its care, and the pups will receive a birthday cake and cats will get a special treat.
The WCRAS, which was founded in 2007, serves about 7,000 animals per year and has had a 90% save rate since 2010, WCRAS Community Coordinator April Peiffer said. The shelter expanded in 2019 to add a second building dedicated solely to adoptable animals. The organization repurposed the old building to house stray animals and those whose owners have not been located.
“We need adopters; we need fosters,” WCRAS Animal Services Director Misty Valenta said in a Facebook broadcast.
Although each of the five jurisdictions the shelter serves pays for animal care based on the percentage of animals that come from their area, the shelter is in urgent need for the community to adopt a pet as it is over capacity. Since March 10, it is in the process of receiving 150 dogs from a single location, and until this morning had already received 41 of them. For now, the new guests are in their intake room. The goal is to move the new arrivals to their normal area of the shelter, but that can only happen if the pets that are ready for adoption find a home.
“It’s because of the community that we are able to achieve a 90% savings rate, year in and year out with their support through adoption, fostering and donating,” Peiffer said.
The community can participate by giving a gift to the animals here, viewing pets for adoption here and then emailing here to schedule an appointment. Until March 14, medium to large adult dogs are up for adoption for $15.