140 pets scared by storms flood shelter

AUSTIN (KXAN) - More than 140 stray dogs and cats have flooded the Austin Animal Center since Sunday and hundreds more are likely to come in as the stormy weather continues.

To help make it easier for people to come claim their pets, the city-run shelter will stay open until 9 p.m. Thursday.

“Many of these animals were noticeably frightened and disoriented by the continuous thunder and lightning,” said Abigail Smith, chief animal services officer. “It’s clear that they have run away from their home. We want to get them back with their families as soon as possible.”

"We have over 30 dogs who are in places where they shouldn't be because we simply don't have space for the number of animals that have come in," said Sarah Hammond, foster coordinator with AAC. "They (owners) need to get here today. Once an animal has been here for three days we can adopt it out to somebody else or we could send it to another rescue group. They might not be here after three days. When we are this full we are really relying on the public to come adopt or looking to our rescue partners to pull for their programs. So after three days, if they aren't reclaimed they could be gone."

There will be no fee for people looking to reclaim their pet. The center will also provide free identification tags, collars and microchips for anyone who reclaims.

If a pet is lost, owners should visit the shelter or call 311. The shelter also lists lost and found pets on its website.