At Austin Boxer Rescue (ABR), we believe every Boxer deserves a second chance. Through vital partnerships with shelters across Texas, the ABR team works tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Boxers in need. These connections serve as a lifeline for hundreds of dogs every year.
How Does ABR Work with Shelters?
Collaboration is at the heart of ABR’s mission. Here’s how the process works:
- Shelter Alerts: Shelters notify ABR about Boxers needing rescue, often via direct calls, emails or social media messages. Volunteers and pet advocates also flag dogs in need to the ABR team.
- The Evaluation Process: ABR determines eligibility by evaluating behavior, medical conditions and whether the dog meets Boxer breed standards. While aggressive or severely untreatable conditions are exceptions, ABR strives to help as many dogs as possible.
- Health Information Exchange: Shelters share the medical history of the dogs, if available. The information varies widely, from fully vaccinated and neutered dogs to those needing comprehensive medical care.
- Transport Coordination: Once a Boxer is tagged for rescue, the real teamwork begins. ABR volunteers step up to safely transport dogs to ABR kennels or foster homes, often creating multi-leg relay systems for the longer journeys.
Partnerships Saving Lives
ABR collaborates with more than 100 shelters across Texas. Some of the strongest partnerships include facilities in San Antonio (ACS), Dallas (DAS), Edinburgh (PVAS) Laredo (AS), Houston (BARC) and Fort Worth (FWACC). These partnerships have been built over time through trust, respect and a shared dedication to animal welfare.
Melissa, an ABR volunteer who helps coordinate with them, explains, “The volunteers who pick up the dogs are really nice to the shelter staff. They are some of the most unselfish people working in a thankless job and it’s very stressful for them because dogs are coming in all the time. So, even though a volunteer may have to wait for the staff to figure something out, they are all respectful and grateful. Clear communication, gratitude and patience are critical.”
Volunteers at the Heart of Every Journey
From the first shelter contact to a dog’s arrival at ABR, volunteers play a pivotal role. Here’s how they make a difference:
- Intake Coordination: A team of coordinators monitors shelter alerts and works quickly to place Boxers into the program.
- Transport Heroes: A single rescue situation might involve four volunteer drivers meeting at key handoff points covering hundreds of miles of Texas roads.
- Foster Families: Once Boxers arrive, families step up to provide temporary homes and individualized care while ABR works to place them permanently.
For example, transporters may take rescue dogs coming from Valley area cities like Laredo and Edinburgh to San Antonio, where a volunteer will meet them, or in some cases, bring the dogs all the way to Austin.
“Sometimes it’s not about distance, but time,” notes Melissa. “I’ve gone to the Houston area to pick up two different dogs in two different counties and that was a 10-hour day. I try very hard to keep the volunteers’ round trip time to about 4 hours by having multiple legs or drivers. It’s a lot to ask someone to make a 6+ hour round trip, but there are a few road warriors who don’t mind and will do it if it means saving a life.”
Laura, another ABR volunteer, added, “For those of us in DFW, we have people who make long drives from East Texas and others who pull dogs from places in West Texas like Lubbock and Midland and drive to the Hewitt kennel or meet a Hewitt worker part way. We have done Longview to Hewitt and back home on the same day, which is a 7-8 hour round trip.”
Why Shelter Partnerships Matter Now More Than Ever
The challenge of overcrowded shelters is nothing new, but it remains as urgent as ever. Many shelters face difficult choices due to limited resources, struggling to maintain no-kill policies or reduce euthanasia numbers. Breed-specific rescues like ABR provide critical support by relieving shelters of dogs that have a better chance of being fostered and adopted, enabling them to dedicate resources to other animals in need.
Through these partnerships, ABR plays a crucial role in alleviating shelter strain while offering Boxers a second chance at life.
ABR volunteer Melissa summed it up perfectly, sharing, “For me, it’s an honor and a privilege to be a cog in the wheel of rescue. I wish we could rescue ourselves out of a job, but unfortunately, there’s always one more.”
How You Can Be Part of the Rescue Mission
Are you wondering how you can help? Here’s how to get involved:
- Adopt: Open your heart and home to a rescued Boxer. Every adoption saves a life. Learn More
- Foster: Provide a temporary haven for dogs on their way to their forever family. It’s free, and the rewards are immeasurable. Learn More
- Transport: Sign up as a transport volunteer and join the team saving lives one drive at a time.
- Donate: Your contributions fund medical care and supplies for dogs in need. Every dollar goes directly to saving lives. Learn More
As Laura noted, “Nothing would get done without volunteers. I say it every month, the number of dogs we help is a testament to the work and time every single volunteer puts in. We have four intake coordinators who work with the shelters throughout the state to get dogs on the radar and safe. All is dependent on volunteers being able to help. Foster homes are very important, too, and we couldn’t save the dogs we do if we didn’t have them step up to help.”
Melissa added, “Volunteers play the most crucial role in rescue. They volunteer their time, money, car mileage and so much more. I get to see transport volunteers who’ve picked up some really stinky, sick and dirty dogs and love on them before sending them down the road. They may not ever know the full impact their few minutes of love and attention has played in that dog’s life, but they do it over and over and over.”
A Final Word of Thanks
At ABR, success is truly a team effort. Without dedicated volunteers, supportive shelters and compassionate adopters and fosters, saving these beautiful dogs would not be possible. We’d like to give a special shout out to volunteers like Lisa C., Liz & Jim C., Linda J., Nancy G. and Sarah F., regulars who love transporting and jump at the chance to help, and to Lexi and Stephanie. We’d also like to send a big thank you to Laura, Melissa and Avni, who help coordinate transport.
Want to make a difference today? Fill out an application to volunteer, foster, or adopt and become part of the ABR community working tirelessly to give these Boxers a better life.
From all of us at ABR, thank you for your unwavering support. Together, we’re giving every Boxer a chance for a brighter future.