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Austin Animal Center waiving adoption fees for 'Home for the Pawlidays' event

Looking to add a new family member to your house for the holidays? Now is the time to swing by the Austin Animal Center!

AUSTIN — If you're looking to add a new member to your family this Christmas, the Austin Animal Center wants to help make that easier!

This weekend, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the center will be hosting its "Home for the Pawlidays" event, which will include waived adoption fees, rabies shots, spay and neuter services, micro-chipping, ID tags and any age appropriate vaccines your new pet may need. The event will also feature holiday fun and a visit from Santa.

"We're really trying to find as many homes for these animals as possible so that they don't have to wake up on Christmas morning here in the shelter. It's no place for them to be, so we're waiving adoption fees both Saturday and Sunday," said Jennifer Olohan, communications and media manager for the Austin Animal Center.

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She also had a few tips for those who may be considering giving a pet as a gift this Christmas.

"If you're thinking about getting a gift for someone or getting a pet as a gift for someone, make sure that they've expressed interest in being a pet parent, that they are financially able to care for a pet and we try to tell people keep it in the family," said Olohan. "Maybe don't buy a puppy for your best friend. If it's a parent that's buying or adopting a pet for their kids we totally encourage that -- we love for people to do that because there's nothing better than having a new furry friend under the Christmas tree."

On Saturday, Dec. 15, there will be fun holiday activities and a station set up at the center for pet owners to make toys and beds for the animals. On Sunday, Santa will pay a visit to the center to take pictures with adopters and the new members of their families.

If you're not quite sure you're ready to adopt, but still want to help, Olohan explained that the center is in need foster pet parents and that the shelter is past maximum capacity.

"If someone is staying around for the holidays and can take a dog in particular for a few weeks it would be so so helpful," said Olohan. "The holidays can be a tough time for finding fosters. A lot of the people who have animals in their home that are fostering right now are going out of town, so they're having to lean on other people to foster animals. And right now because we've been so, so full for months, we're still trying to find new fosters. So on top of trying to get the animals here in the shelter out to foster, we're having to find different fosters who are in foster homes as well."

To learn more about the fostering process, click here.

If you are interested in donating, Olohan said they're always welcoming the extra help.

"We're always in need of items, really. Donations from the community help support our foster program, in-home fosters and programs like our jail foster program, too. So all of the puppy pads for puppies, blankets, treats and sometimes foods for those animals all come from community support," said Olohan. "Treats are another really big one. Enrichment is so, so important for these animals here so we like to make sure that they have lots of treats, toys and sticks for them to keep them occupied while they're here. And that's something that's also funded by donations from the community."

Olohan also mentioned that some supplies that are desperately needed, but sometimes overlooked, are crates and dog houses for fosters and new adopters.

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