In the heart of Central Texas, a surge of stray, pregnant dogs has pushed a local rescue to its limits. Sasha Aghili, founder of Jack Jack’s Pack, says the group is overwhelmed by the number of animals needing care. Over recent weeks, the rescue has taken in seven pregnant mothers, each carrying up to ten newborn puppies. With the shelter’s intake closed and a contagious virus spreading among dogs, volunteers and donations are urgently needed.
The Growing Crisis
Jack Jack’s Pack has rescued seven different “momma dogs,” each with as many as ten puppies. Aghili explained to KXAN’s reporters that the newborns are extremely vulnerable. “You have these newborns puppies that are so vulnerable, right? To disease, predators, or just kind of bad people picking them up,” she told KXAN’s Avery Travis and Will DuPree on Tuesday. The rescue is now facing a backlog of animals that cannot be housed in the current facility.
Aghili’s Mission and Early Days
Earlier this year, Aghili was honored as a nominee in KXAN’s Remarkable Women contest for her work rescuing, rehabilitating, reuniting or rehoming lost or abandoned animals in the Austin area. She founded the non-profit on Christmas Day 2021 after spending weeks searching for her own beloved, lost pet. Instead of finding her dog, she discovered dozens of other dogs living on Central Texas streets. “Before Jack Jack went missing, I had no idea what was going on,” she said. “It’s a real problem right now. There are a lot of dogs suffering.”
Challenges at Austin Animal Services
Austin Animal Services frequently closes intake due to issues with capacity. This month, the shelter is operating with major limitations because of the spread of a contagious virus among dogs there. The closure leaves many animals without a place to go. “Then, it’s taking calls from distressed good Samaritans that are seeing these dogs, and they have no answer because intake is closed at our shelter,” Aghili said.
Call to Action and Future Plans
Jack Jack’s Pack is in need of dedicated foster volunteers to take in animals and provide temporary homes. Aghili’s ultimate goal is to build a “safe haven” for animals in urgent need that she refers to as “911’s.” “It is being out on the streets non-stop, trapping these dogs that have been abused or that are semi-feral because they have never known love. They were born on the streets and the only thing they know about humans is that they might be able to get some food,” she said. “Some of them are true, true emergencies, and I can’t look away,” Aghili added. She is already preparing for when the weather turns frigid, anticipating that cold temperatures will worsen the animals’ conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Jack Jack’s Pack has rescued seven pregnant mothers with up to ten puppies each.
- Austin Animal Services has closed intake due to capacity and a contagious virus.
- The rescue urgently needs foster volunteers and donations to care for vulnerable animals.
With the number of stray, pregnant dogs rising and shelter resources stretched thin, Sasha Aghili’s plea for help echoes across Central Texas. Volunteers who can open their homes, as well as donors who can provide supplies, will directly impact the lives of these vulnerable puppies and their mothers. The community’s response will determine whether these animals can find safety before the winter cold sets in.
