Austin Animal Shelter has moved to a new location

November 06, 2011

By Mike Jordan

Have you Heard…the Austin Animal Shelter has moved to a new location. A couple living in Oak Hill told me they volunteer weekly by taking dogs at the Animal Shelter for exercise walks. They have been doing volunteer work for several years and, according to them, it is not only satisfying work but also lots of fun. The hardest part of the job, they say, is resisting the impulse to adopt a dog, or two, every time they visit. If you read the Gazette Pet Page you probably know the Animal Shelter has just moved from their compound on Town Lake to a location just off Airport Road. The shelter is larger, but volunteers are needed continuously. Since it is open 24 hours a day, there are always opportunities to help. Besides helping to exercise the animals, volunteers are needed to help clean the kennels, feed the animals and more.

Along with the usual array of dogs, the shelter has cats of all breeds and ages and even the occasional rabbit, guinea pigs, ferrets and once in a while other exotic animals. Presently, there are no monkeys or snakes. Adoption of the animals is free, but there is a minimum fee for neutering if it has not already been done (the animal, that is). There is one problem, though; if you have a kind heart, you might want to adopt several pets. If you haven’t had a pet before, or even for some time, you will find that a pet quickly gets into your life and your heart. Being a “dog guy” of course I am partial to dogs. I have a White Shepherd” (yes, that’s an actual breed) and he may be the best friend I have. If I come home with liquor on my breath, or lipstick on my collar, he doesn’t care and still loves me. He has a great bark and warns me when strangers come around. But, he doesn’t bite – ever. If I ever told him to attack, he likely would have one.

If you are interested in volunteering, call the Animal Shelter volunteer line at 978-0500 or contact Joanna Johnson at Joanna.johnson@austintexas.gov

Have You Heard…Oak Hill is getting famous around the world. This past week, two reporters from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) radio were in Austin for a few days. They spent part of their time interviewing a half-dozen local veterans of the Gulf Wars to discuss the vets’ experiences upon their re-entry back into the US and whether there were difficulties adjusting to home, finding jobs, and also their reactions to the President’s plan to pull the troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The interviewer was Jonny Dymond and he is the BBC correspondent to Washington DC. His experience includes a number of years as a correspondent in such places as Turkey, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East and Europe.

Mr. Dymond did his interviews at the Oak Hill VFW and when I asked him about his reactions to the interviews, he said he was struck by how positive the vets were pertaining to their experiences in a war zone, how they were sure that they and their compatriots’ actions made life better for the citizens of the countries where they served, and that the world is a better place as a result.

The interviews will be broadcast on BBC radio which is broadcast throughout the world. That being the case, I am positive that many people will be curious about Oak Hill will look us up on the web and on world-wide travel sites. Soon, I expect people will be coming from all over the world to see our historic sites. I can already see Oak Hill pictured as the “Gem of the Mid-west.”

Thought for the day….La Quinta translated means “Next to Dennys.”