New pet for Christmas? Here’s what you need to know

Did Santa bring you a new puppy or kitten for Christmas? Here are some important things to remember when caring for your new pet.

Leash your pet: Always leash your pet in public. It is against City ordinances for dogs to be at large in the City limits, and for cats that have not been altered or vaccinated to be at large. It is also against City ordinances to chain or tether your dog unless a person is holding the restraint.

License your pet: All dogs and cats that live within the city limits are required to have an annual city license. The City’s pet license requirement help keep rabies under control by enforcing the rabies vaccination requirements. The cost of a license is $5 for animals that are spayed or neutered or $20 for unaltered animals. For residents age 65 and older, the license is free if the pet is spayed or neutered. Free licenses are limited to one per person.                                    

Take care after your pet: You may not allow an animal to damage private property other than the owner’s property. Pick up after your pet by immediately removing any waste on public or private property and properly disposing of it. Free roaming cats that cause a nuisance while off their owner’s property can be impounded and their owner can be fined.

Learn more about Georgetown’s animal-related ordinances at pets.georgetown.org/overview/ordinances.

About the Georgetown Animal Shelter

The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter is located at 110 W.L. Walden Drive. The shelter is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. The shelter offers animal control and adoption services, as well as various programs throughout the year, including low-cost immunization and sterilization clinics, citywide dog and cat licensing, and adoption events. For more information, visit pets.georgetown.org.

Keep your pets safe this holiday season

With the holidays quickly approaching, the Georgetown Animal Shelter wants to remind everyone to take special care of their animals this season. With so many visitors, out of town guests, and annual holiday parties, it’s easy to get swept up in merriment and forgo the normal routine. Here are a few tips to keep our furry friends safe this holiday season.

  • When you have guests over, give your pet a safe place to escape the excitement and to prevent door dashing. A safe corner, crate or room also comes in handy during fireworks.
  • Keep people food safely out of reach. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions and other ingredients are toxic to pets, and many other foods could cause animals to have digestive issues.
  • Don’t leave your pet alone around seasonal decorations. Decorated trees, lit candles, potpourri and holiday plants, such as poinsettias, mistletoe, lilies and holly, are all hazards to pets.

A little bit of planning will save you from worrying during holiday parties and save you from an unplanned trip to the veterinarian.

Animal shelter seeking donations for the holidays

Our furry friends at the Georgetown Animal Shelter want to remind everyone to keep them in mind throughout the holiday season, but especially on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Monetary donations are encourage; however, donated items also help to support the shelter’s animal welfare programs.

For donation ideas, there is an Angel Tree in the shelter lobby with ornaments featuring needed items, such as specialized toys, food, and cleaning products. These items are also featured on the shelter’s Amazon Wish List at tinyurl.com/WoofPurr. A portion of the money you spend on Amazon can also be donated to the shelter by selecting the animal shelter as your designated nonprofit on Amazon Smile.

Beds for dogs are also available to donate a discount to the shelter by visiting kuranda.com/donate and designating the Georgetown Animal Shelter as the recipient.

Other items accepted by the shelter include:

  • Laundry detergent
  • Dish soap
  • Facial tissues
  • Hand sanitizer
  • New or used blankets and towels

The Georgetown Animal Shelter is located at 110 W.L. Walden Drive, and is open Mon., Tue., Thu., and Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. noon-4 p.m. The shelter is closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning and surgeries.

For more information, including other ways to support our shelter’s furry friends, visit pets.georgetown.org.

Low Cost Shot Clinic for Pets Nov. 16, 2019

The Georgetown Animal Shelter will conduct its final low-cost vaccination clinic of the year on Saturday, November 16, 8:30-11 a.m. The walk-in clinic is for cats and dogs.  Help protect your pet from diseases they can pick up outside!

Pets may also get a FREE microchip with the purchase of any vaccine. No appointments. Cash or check only. The shelter is located at 110 Walden Dr., Georgetown, next to the McMaster Athletic Fields.

Dog Vaccines:
Rabies $5
DHPP Combo $10 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parafluenza, Parvo)
Bordetella $5 (Kennel cough)

Cat Vaccines:
Rabies $5
FVRCP Combo $10 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

All dogs must be on a leash and cats should be in a carrier.  Payment is by cash or check only. (Debit or credit cards not accepted.)

The clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.

Low Cost Shot Clinic for Pets Sept. 21, 2019

The Georgetown Animal Shelter will conduct its next low-cost vaccination clinic of the year on Saturday, September 21, 8:30-11 a.m. The walk-in clinic is for cats and dogs.  Help protect your pet from diseases they can pick up outside!

Pets may also get a FREE microchip with the purchase of any vaccine. No appointments. Cash or check only. The shelter is located at 110 Walden Dr., Georgetown, next to the McMaster Athletic Fields.

Dog Vaccines:
Rabies $5
DHPP Combo $10 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parafluenza, Parvo)
Bordetella $5 (Kennel cough)

Cat Vaccines:
Rabies $5
FVRCP Combo $10 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

All dogs must be on a leash and cats should be in a carrier.  Payment is by cash or check only. (Debit or credit cards not accepted.)

The shelter has committed to offer one more low-cost clinic this year – on Saturday, November 16.

The clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.

Low Cost Shot Clinic for Pets July 27, 2019

The Georgetown Animal Shelter will conduct its next low-cost vaccination clinic of the year on Saturday, July 27, 8:30-11 a.m. The walk-in clinic is for cats and dogs.  Help protect your pet from diseases they can pick up outside!

Pets may also get a FREE microchip with the purchase of any vaccine. No appointments. Cash or check only. The shelter is located at 110 Walden Dr., Georgetown, next to the McMaster Athletic Fields.

Dog Vaccines:
Rabies $5
DHPP Combo $10 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parafluenza, Parvo)
Bordetella $5 (Kennel cough)

Cat Vaccines:
Rabies $5
FVRCP Combo $10 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

All dogs must be on a leash and cats should be in a carrier.  Payment is by cash or check only. (Debit or credit cards not accepted.)

The shelter has committed to offer several more low-cost clinics this fiscal year. The dates of the next clinics are:

  • Saturday, September 21, 2019
  • Saturday, November 16, 2019

The clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.

GTX Residents: 2019 Free Spay/Neuter Clinic for Cats

Kitten season is in full swing, and there are plenty of babies to visit and adopt.  To keep the kitten population from becoming overwhelming, the Georgetown Animal Shelter is holding its third and final free spay/neuter clinic for cats on June 22. The goal of the clinics is to reduce the cat population in Georgetown.  This is the seventh year that the shelter has offered free spay/neuter clinics for cats to help manage overpopulation in Georgetown.

Spay and neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations will be provided at no charge. Other services available at the clinic include a combo test (feline AIDS/leukemia test) for $20, an FVRCP vaccine for $5, microchip for $10, and e-collar for $10.

Appointments are required for the free clinics, which are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Cats or kittens must be at least three months old. The clinic is offered only for cats whose owners live in the city limits of Georgetown.

Additionally, the shelter continues to offer low-cost vaccine clinics every few months, which are walk-up clinics for vaccinations only (not spay/neuter surgeries).  Dates for the shot clinics can be found at pets.georgetown.org/programs/low-cost-shots-and-neutering/.

Email animalsvc@georgetown.org or call (512) 930-3592 to schedule your cat for surgery. All spay or neuter surgeries will be done by a licensed veterinarian.

The spay and neuter clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.

Low Cost Shot Clinic for Pets May 25, 2019

The Georgetown Animal Shelter will conduct its next low-cost vaccination clinic of the year on Saturday, May 25, 8:30-11 a.m. The walk-in clinic is for cats and dogs.  Help protect your pet from diseases they can pick up outside!

Pets may also get a FREE microchip with the purchase of any vaccine. No appointments. Cash or check only. The shelter is located at 110 Walden Dr., Georgetown, next to the McMaster Athletic Fields.

Dog Vaccines:
Rabies $5
DHPP Combo $10 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parafluenza, Parvo)
Bordetella $5 (Kennel cough)

Cat Vaccines:
Rabies $5
FVRCP Combo $10 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

All dogs must be on a leash and cats should be in a carrier.  Payment is by cash or check only. (Debit or credit cards not accepted.)

The shelter has committed to offer several more low-cost clinics this fiscal year. The dates of the next clinics are:

  • Saturday, July 27, 2019
  • Saturday, September 21, 2019
  • Saturday, November 16, 2019

The clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.

Customer Service Highlight

Last month, Animal Control Supervisor John Torrez was dispatched to catch a loose dog running on I-35. He received an update from dispatch cancelling the call because the dog was hit and killed by a car. Even though it wasn’t required of him, John continued to the location to find the deceased dog. He scanned it for a microchip, called the company for the owner’s information, and contacted the owner. John took the body to the owner so they would be able to make arrangements for their pet. Thanks to John for going above and beyond and allowing the family to have closure with their missing dog.

GTX Residents: 2019 Free Spay/Neuter Clinic for Cats

Spring is around the corner, and with spring comes kitten season!  The Georgetown Animal Shelter is again holding three free spay/neuter clinic for cats this spring – February 16, April 27, and June 22. The goal of the clinics is to reduce the cat population in Georgetown.  This is the seventh year that the shelter has offered free spay/neuter clinics for cats to help manage overpopulation in Georgetown.

Spay and neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations will be provided at no charge. Other services available at the clinic include a combo test (feline AIDS/leukemia test) for $20, an FVRCP vaccine for $5, microchip for $10, and e-collar for $10.

Appointments are required for the free clinics, which are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Cats or kittens must be at least three months old. The clinic is offered only for cats whose owners live in the city limits of Georgetown.

Additionally, the shelter continues to offer low-cost vaccine clinics every few months, which are walk-up clinics for vaccinations only (not spay/neuter surgeries).  Dates for the shot clinics can be found at pets.georgetown.org/programs/low-cost-shots-and-neutering/.

Email animalsvc@georgetown.org or call (512) 930-3592 to schedule your cat for surgery. All spay or neuter surgeries will be done by a licensed veterinarian.

The spay and neuter clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.