Austin Pets Alive! recently celebrated the grand opening of their new Maddie’s^® Cat Adoption Center, a facility dedicated to the treatment, care and adoption of cats with ringworm. To kick off the celebration, they held a Ringworm Kitty Homecoming Carnival and invited the public. Supporters were given tours of the facility, played carnival games, had festive food and drink and could even get their faces painted.   

Austin Pets Alive! believes the lives of pets who have ringworm are not only valuable, but these pets are highly adoptable. Ringworm is a non-fatal fungus that can be treated easily and cured within a few months. Instead of holding cats and kittens who have it until they display no more symptoms, they are available for adoption, because pets heal best in a loving home. Potential adopters receive education and resources on the fungus to ensure they understand how to continue their new pet’s treatment. 

Austin Pets Alive! has been putting the fun in fungus for over 10 years. Their program started with a mission to educate those in animal welfare and the public about ringworm, advocate for pets who have it and save as many lives as they could.  Now, through their facility and a massive network of foster caregivers, APA! saves the lives of hundreds of cats and kittens with ringworm in shelters across Texas every year. 

The new Adoption Center has room for over 100 felines, boasts three larger rooms where cats can live in groups and a room where potential adopters can meet with kitties. “We have been ‘making it work’ in hallways, trailers, sheds, and conference rooms for years,” says Anita Lunos, Manager of the Ringworm Cat Program at APA!. “The new adoption center allows us to provide a higher quality of care for the cats that are being treated for ringworm, as well as a higher capacity to bring in cats. It feels so amazing to have a space built with our needs in mind. I cannot express enough how this impacts the good work that we can do, thanks to Maddie!”