PAWS shelter announces temporary closure in Kyle, asks for donations

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Central Texas animal shelter announced it is temporarily closing, citing “the weight of the economy” as a reason.

PAWS Shelter of Central Texas said on social media Monday that the Kyle campus will temporarily close on Oct. 31.

“Running a shelter is extremely expensive. From providing our animals the vet care they need, to food and supplies, to things that most people don’t think of like heating and air conditioning, it all adds up. For now, we can no longer afford to keep our doors open at both locations,” the shelter said in part.

Overall, PAWS has two shelters total — one in Kyle and one in Dripping Springs — which has been in the community for nearly four decades, the shelter said. The animal shelter was one of eight shelters chosen to participate in the Tails Out Tour Shelter Contest put on by pop-star Kesha and Spot Pet Insurance. The contest ran for six weeks throughout the summer, which was dedicated to raising awareness and support for animal shelters across the country.

The animal shelter said Monday the dogs and cats that are not adopted or put in foster by the time the temporary closure happens will be transferred to its Dripping Springs campus, which the shelter said will remain open.

In a Tuesday update on social media, the animal shelter thanked the community for its support following the announcement of the temporary closure.

“Like we mentioned, we are not giving up! We love our Kyle location and the pets and community it serves,” the animal shelter said Tuesday.

After having “constant communication” with the animal shelter’s board, the shelter said that if it meets a goal of raising $200,000 it will be able to keep the Kyle location for a few months.

Furthermore, the animal shelter said its board wanted to be available to the public. Anyone interested in talking about ideas or other details with the board can email executive-board@pawsshelter.org.