Pet of the Week: Ricardo

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Animal Protection & Control Officer Geoff Glass brought in KXAN’s Pet of the Week, Ricardo.

This boy and the other shepherd he came in with put on a big "tough-guy show" when they first arrived, but with positive handling and treatment he's learned to show his softer side.

He was found as a stray at the end of November, with no identification, and no one has come to claim him, so now he's available for adoption along with hundreds of other dogs and cats at the Austin Animal Center.

If he'd been wearing ANY type of ID, the folks who found him and his friend would have gotten them home immediately, or the Lost & Found staff at Austin Animal Clinic would have tracked their owner (s) down. Instead, Ricardo's still stuck at the shelter.

It's really easy to think that collars and tags are fashion accessories for pets, but they're FAR more than that! They're LIFESAVING equipment!!! Like helmets in football games, or seatbelts and airbags in our cars! They make it FAR more likely that a pet who accidentally gets loose, or gets lost, will SURVIVE getting loose or getting lost.

When you adopt a pet from a shelter like the Austin Animal Center, a microchip, collar and tags are all INCLUDED in your adoption fee, along with vaccinations and spay or neuter surgery - over $200 worth of medical care and equipment, and adoption is only $75!!!

The new Austin Animal Center is in East Austin, just off Airport Boulevard at 7201 Levander Loop, and they’re open every day from 11 to 7:00.

Ricardo is a three-year-old, German Shepherd mix.
ID #A614725
Dog Suite 210