Video Length: 41 minutes
When reaching no-kill status, part of the last few percent-to-save are dogs and cats with terminal but manageable illnesses. This presentation discusses how Austin works to save the last few percent through the use of specialized hospice foster homes for dogs and cats. This presentation was recorded at the 2016 American Pets Alive! Conference.
Clara Showalter is a professional cat wrangler. Her day job is Lead Cat Adoption Counselor for Austin Pets Alive!, where she helps cats and kittens find forever homes. By night, (and weekends, weekdays, holidays, or any other day really), she spends her time working with medical and hospice foster cats. She has previously worked as an EMT, and brings that experience to her seven years of work as a medical and hospice foster. For the last four years, she has mentored hospice fosters as they walk through the last days and weeks with their foster cats. Her focus is on ensuring a positive, low stress fostering experience whenever possible.
Jessica Marsh has been a lifelong animal lover and rescue advocate. Since 2010 she has volunteered with Austin Pets Alive! in nearly every program that APA! has to offer, including dog walking, bottle baby fostering, adoptions processing, dog rescue/behavioral evaluations, medical clinic technician, and medical fostering. Jessica also spent a year commuting between Austin and San Antonio to assist in the development of systems and protocols for San Antonio Pets Alive! Jessica most enjoys volunteering as a technician in the Austin Pets Alive! medical clinic and fostering dogs and cats with serious medical needs, including numerous hospice cases.