This sweet mother dog had how many puppies??

Akasha will soon be available for adoption.

As many of you who follow my business and my blog know, I volunteer for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter just north of Austin, TX. I have been volunteering with this shelter since 2010 (Wow, it's really amazing to think I have been with them for 7 years) and during that time, I have watched it grow into a true No Kill facility. That means, every animal that comes through their doors is given a chance to thrive (not just survive) in the shelter system. 

So, of course, when a super sweet mother dog and her nine (yes, 9!!) puppies arrived at the shelter, the staff kicked into gear to ensure every one of these little babies has the best opportunity to be given a wonderful life. 

As it happened, I stopped into the shelter shortly after this little family arrived and to my delight, was able to photograph each of these puppies along with spending time with their beautiful mother, Akasha.

Akasha is just one of those dogs that you instantly fall in love with. She has a tail that a Tesla would envy, 0 - 60 in 1.0 seconds. She has been a wonderful mother to her puppies, but she is happy to let her caregivers handle them and even more excited when she can sneak in a pet of her own. She was full of kisses and when I took her out, away from her babies for a walk together, she was delighted to spend time romping around the shelter conference room and enjoy some treats and quality time for herself. It's hard to  believe that this little 40lb dog had such a large litter, but without being spayed, there is never a guarantee on how many puppies a dog will or will not bring into the world. 

SOOOO cute! 

True to the No Kill mission and vision of the shelter, the staff reached out to see if we could find foster homes for Akasha's 9 puppies who will need a few weeks of TLC as they grow old and strong enough for adoption. The puppies are currently around 6 weeks old and looking for fosters in the Austin, TX metro area. If you or your family are interested in fostering, stop by the shelter to fill  out a foster application and start saving lives! Of course, if you are not in the Austin area, you can make a donation for their care to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter or even better, sign up as a foster for a local rescue in your area! 

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art
www.petstudioart.com

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Pupdate: As of 1-18-2016, 3 of the 9 puppies have found a foster home.  

Unicorns make wonderful pets!

Have you ever wondered what a shelter dog dreams of becoming? Well, we asked a few of them and guess what, they wanted to become a unicorn! 

.... okay fine, maybe they didn't actually tell us in so many words, but once we brought out the costumes, they were 100% game!

Meet the unicorns of the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter:

ELLIE

Ellie is an adorable little terrier mix. Based on our time together, I might guess that she has a little bull terrier in her. She is a gem of a dog, loving, happy and very well mannered. Ellie is about a year old, spayed and ready to go to her forever home.

HANNA

Hanna is just precious! This sweet 3 year old pit bull mix is just as charming as she is cute. By the end of our photo shoot, I was covered in sweet kisses and absolutely in love. Hanna was surrendered to our shelter after her former owner felt he could no longer care for her. She is reported to be great with cats and seems to love every person she meets! 

PRINCESS

Princess fits her name well. This little Diva is just over 1 year old and is very energetic! She loved all the attention she got today while having her photo shoot! Princess is looking for her prince charming and would love a family that can offer her long walks (they don't have to be on the beach) and plenty of snuggles! 

Of course, we always want our adoptable pets to find amazing families, and sometimes, it takes a crazy photo shoot to get them noticed. If you or someone you know is looking to adopt a magical dog of their own, please visit (or encourage a visit) your local shelter to find the perfect pet! If you live in the Austin, TX area and are interested in learning more about Ellie, Hanna or Princess, visit www.wilcopets.org to learn about adopting these charming pups!

Order a Unicorn Kitten tote!

This photo shoot would not have been complete without the amazing unicorn horns from Brooklyn Owl! Last month, I reached out to Annie (owner of Brooklyn Owl) to let her know that I had a unicorn photo shoot in mind and she was incredibly generous in gifting these amazing unicorn horns to help the pups get noticed and find their forever homes. We cannot wait to continue using them and to promote more unicorn pups in the future! Thank you Annie!!

If you would like to offer your pup the opportunity to become a unicorn, visit www.brooklynowl.com and order a horn of your own. Please be sure to let Annie know that Pet Studio Art referred you! 

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art |  Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Pretty Girl was not so thrilled. 

Princess

Hanna

Of course, every photo shoot needs a few bloopers (or in Ellie's case poopers).

Magical Moments...

The past few months have been hectic with holiday preparations for my little business. With this crazy schedule, I have unfortunately been unable to get to the Williamson County Regional Shelter for one of my favorite activities - photographing cats to help them find their forever homes! 

This week, I finally had a few free hours and made some time to visit the shelter and I am SO glad that I did because I had the opportunity to meet Jordyn. Not only does she love animals, but Jordyn has such a huge heart, she and her brother Jeremy decided that instead of gifts for their birthdays, they would ask for donations for the shelter animals! This week, Jordyn brought these gifts in; piles and piles of treats, toys, cleaning supplies and a personal donation to help our shelter financially! 

As a Thank You, one of our most adorable adoptable pups, Butter, came out to say hello and it was just magical watching Jordyn's face light up! Jordyn happily clutched Butter's leash and smiled affectionately at him as she shared her favorite dog stories with us, including her favorite show, Lucky Dog on CBS where she has learned the basic steps to ensuring a happy, healthy and well trained dog! Listening to her tell her stories, we were all touched by her love and passion for animals and we are incredibly honored to have such an amazing friend for our shelter pets!

Thank you Jordyn and Jeremy for supporting the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter! 

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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The little brown dog...

Last week, as I headed out to grab a cup of coffee, I spotted a little brown dog jogging down the sidewalk about 2 blocks from my art studio. Worrying about this loose little guy, I immediately pulled over into the next parking lot and grabbed my 'car leash' hoping to scoop him up and take him to safety. Little did I know, this was one savvy little stray and for the next 2 hours, I followed him, hoping for an opportunity to loop this incredibly scared pup with my slip lead.

Unfortunately, as hard as I tried, this dog had me outwitted and every time I got close, he bolted. I finally had to give up the chase after he started bolting into traffic to get away from me. I was afraid that I would scare him from the area or worse into an area where he would be seriously injured. I called Animal Control, they dispatched two officers and were able to join in the chase. Unfortunately, they were also unable to catch him and all weekend long, I worried about this lost little pup.

With each trip to my studio, I kept an eye out, hoping to see him and have an opportunity to pick him up while also worrying that I would see him lying on the side of the road after being hit by a car. After a couple of days of not seeing him, I began to worry that the cold nights had taken their toll, as it has been in the 20's and terribly rainy. Knowing the area he frequents, I spoke with a friend who has humane traps that would be large enough for him and even set up a time to borrow one this week. Happily, I did not need the trap since, finally, this little guy was caught and brought into the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (WCRAS) where he is now safe and warm. 

I'll admit, as he entered the shelter, I had happy tears as this boy has been on my mind constantly for the last week. In fact, the first thing I did was tell my husband that the brown dog was safe because I have been talking about him so much, others were even starting to worry about his fate!

At WCRAS, this little pup has been named Sam and while he is currently on stray hold, we are hopeful that he simply got out of the yard and that his family will reclaim him. However, if that doesn't happen, this cute boy will be getting vet care and going up for adoption.

Today, after a night at the shelter, I was able to visit with Sam and wow, what a sweetie! This handsome boy is a completely different dog than the scared, dirty stray that I first met. I always feel like dogs know when they are being cared for, Sam is no exception to that. As I took him out of his kennel today, Sam immediately gave me tons of kisses and was the perfect gentleman during our photo shoot. It warms my heart knowing that this little loose dog is going to be offered a second chance, I can't wait to see who gets lucky enough to adopt this sweet boy!

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Why don't you adopt that foster pet?

I hear the phrase 'foster failure' often and it makes me smile knowing that a family opened up their home to a shelter or rescue pet and then fell so head over heels in love they had to adopt him/her! I think it's a wonderful ending to that pet's story and it is never a bad thing to hear the words 'foster failure'. 

Prada looking gorgeous on the green couch!

For me, however, I don't foresee that phrase coming up anytime soon (I won't dismiss it altogether, because who knows what the future holds). Yesterday, I posted about Prada, my sweet foster mother that went back to the shelter to go up for adoption. I had a few people express concern regarding that blog, questioning why I didn't simply adopt her 'if I loved her so much'. 

I gave Prada a chance to find her forever family BECAUSE I love her so much. I would love to make Prada my own and offer her the life I know she deserves. I fell in love with her charming personality, she very quickly became part of my life and as hard as it was, saying goodbye was always in the plan. 

My husband and I have four pets of our own; Holly, Cody, Jazz and Izze Belle. My four pets are always my priority and adding an additional pet in my home is just not an option. We have a routine, my pets deserve my full attention and adding in a fifth is not something my husband or I want right now. We have had foster pets at our house many times over the last few years and the dynamic always shifts dramatically between our pets. I hate seeing my own little ones stressed out, so when I opened my new studio, we decided that we would have foster pets at the studio only. Our personal pets are happy with the arrangement.

So far, studio fosters have been a perfect compromise. We are able to foster litters of kittens, which gets them away from the shelter environment where we can socialize them, offer them a safe space, away from illnesses they may catch at the shelter and let them grow up in a semi-homelike environment. When we brought in Prada and her babies, the plan never changed. I did, however, become much more attached to Prada than I usually do to my fosters. That doesn't mean I should adopt her immediately, it just means that I love her and saying goodbye was tough. If I thought for even a second that Prada would not find a wonderful home, I would have kept her as a long-term foster at my studio. I do have faith that my shelter will step up for her and I have seen first-hand how wonderful the families that adopt our shelter pets truly are. Saying goodbye was a gift for Prada, she deserves a home with a family that can give her love.

By fostering Prada and her babies, I opened up a kennel at the shelter so another cat could be saved. By bringing her little family here, I saved 8 lives. That's nothing to feel bad about and I don't feel bad for even a second putting Prada up for adoption. I am sad and I miss her, but there is never even a little piece of regret or doubt that fostering is an amazing gift. I look at it as a gift to Prada as well as a gift to myself. Prada was special and I will always love her. I also know that her next family will love her to pieces as well!

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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When fostering hurts...

Prada snuggles with two of her kittens.

Over the past 10+ years that we have been fostering animals, I have said goodbye to literally hundreds of fosters. At almost any given point in time, we have a fluffy litter of kittens running around, with the occasional foster dog or adult cat. My most recent group of fosters has been a wonderful little crew. Prada came into the shelter with an adorable litter of six very little kittens. She was placed in our kitten nursery at the shelter, where things run a little slower and the area is quite to keep the families a little less stressed. Even with an amazing staff and calm nursery, the shelter is not a great environment to raise babies and it was fairly obvious that Prada was not comfortable in the shelter. 

Prada nursing her babies shortly
after arriving to my studio.

On one of my weekly trips to update photos for the cat area, I stopped in to say hello to the nursery kittens and decided to take Miss Prada back to my studio, where she had a little more space to raise her family. Once at the studio, Prada made herself at home and relaxed. She felt safe and comfortable for the first time in several weeks and she showed that appreciation to me every day. 

Over the past 2 months, I have become so attached to my sweet momma and although I knew the time would come that she would go up for adoption, I wasn't as prepared as I expected. For the first time ever, I cried on my way to the shelter to drop off a foster. 

Today, Prada will get spayed and once she is on the road to recovery, she will be placed up for adoption. I may never see her again once she moves on to her new home and as much as that hurts, I know that without being fostered, there is a chance she could have lost her kittens, or worse, her life if the shelter had become too overcrowded. 

I volunteer with an amazing animal shelter. We are an open admission shelter, which means we take in any animals that come through the doors, no questions asked. We save nearly all of the healthy and adoptable pets that enter our doors, but that doesn't mean we don't have rough months where our kennels are all full and that dreaded kill-list could go up. 

As hard as saying goodbye has been today, I know that Prada was given a better chance at life because she came to live with me while she raised her family. Seeing her love and devotion to her kittens is an experience that I cherish. Prada has been a wonderful mother and I know that by letting her go, I am giving her the chance to be babied herself. 

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist

www.petstudioart.com

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What can we learn from Annie?

Annie during my holiday photo shoot for Christmas 2012.

Annie's shelter and rescue history is a long one, but one that really shows how a dedicated community can achieve No Kill. With many shelters, Annie would not have been provided more than a week to wait for her forever family, let alone a few months, which eventually turned into a few years with one of the shelter's partner rescue organizations. Annie is a testament to the No Kill Equation and how following steps to achieve No Kill really does save lives.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some information on how Austin became a No Kill city and how important that success is for the entire nation. Austin has become a symbol of hope for shelter pets everywhere and while I think it is so important to share the success that Austin Pets Alive has had over the past 6 years as they transformed the city of Austin, it is equally as important to share the successes of other counties and organizations. Georgetown Animal Outreach is one of those inspirational organizations and while they aren't in the main spotlight quite like Austin Pets Alive is, they work just as hard and their group of volunteers is one that I have come to love and admire.

Annie, a Dogo Argentino (a breed generally grouped into the Pit Bull category) mix entered our county facility, The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter several years ago. Luckily for Annie, our county shelter is striving to be No Kill and Annie was given a chance to be shown for adoption. Unluckily for Annie, she just didn't adjust or show well in the shelter, as is the case with many wonderful dogs. While the staff at WCRAS loved her, the limited staff wasn't able to really dedicate the time Annie needed and finally, after spending months in the shelter with no interested adopters, she was given a break and rescued from her shelter kennel by the wonderful volunteers of Georgetown Animal Outreach. 

Annie getting a belly rub at one of our adoption events!

Much like Austin Pets Alive began, GAO is an organization that is run on the support of foster homes. This year alone, GAO has pulled 4 cats and 22 dogs from our city shelter, however, one of those dogs was pregnant when she was pulled and had a huge litter of 12 puppies, so let's say they pulled 34 dogs! In addition to their work physically rescuing dogs from the shelter, they have also taken in several owner surrenders before they were dropped off at the shelter, ultimately keeping another pregnant mom from having a litter at the shelter. 

Annie was fortunate enough to be one of the dogs that GAO had a space for and quickly became a volunteer favorite with her charming tiny bark and her incredibly sweet personality. I initially met Annie while I was hosting an adoption event in Round Rock, TX. She reminded me so much of my own sweet Holly, I of course came to love her as much as the GAO volunteers did. 

While everyone wanted to see Annie in her forever home, we all knew she was safe and loved with GAO. Annie had everything she needed while she waited for that perfect family and finally, just a couple of weeks ago, her dreams came true and Annie was adopted into a wonderful family with another pup that looks like her long lost cousin! From the photos her family has shared, it seems that Annie is right at home and we are all thrilled to see her there!

With rescue partnerships, volunteer involvement, foster programs and a shelter director that truly cares, The Williamson County Regional Shelter has makes a difference in the lives of thousands of animals and their new families every year! 

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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