Happy Spring!
Have you ever experienced something that just sticks with you and you just can't stop thinking about it? Last Wednesday at K9 Club - Autism for kids 11 - 16 years, I had one of those moments. It was early in the class and we were playing a get to know you game called Two Truths and a Lie. The idea behind the game is that each person tells two truths and a lie about themselves and the other kids try to figure out which sentence is the lie. The game was going really well and the kids were enjoying themselves, until one very shy and quiet girl had her turn. She said "I don't have any friends, I have anger issues and I don't have a dog." One of the boys raised his hand and proudly announced that surely I don't have any friends is a lie. NOPE. This young women sat up there and said, "I don't have any friends." To make the situation even more heart wrenching for the adults in the room, four boys raised their hands and said, "I don't have any friends either." Although I must admit that it took me a moment to recover, I said, "Well, you now have a roomful of friends and we will enjoy spending time with you every Wednesday night." I don't know about you, but I sure remember how important it was in middle and high school to not be differant. Our K9 Club-Autism students may not have the social skills needed to fit into a group, but they are acutely aware that they are differant. Our job is to teach them to be proud of who they are, but also how to act in a social setting so that they are accepted.
All the Austin Dog Alliance volunteers (about 8 of us each night we teach K9 Club) involved in this program are making a difference. Are you interested in helping us? Our programs are at capacity. To fully meet the needs of our community, we need to develop and execute a training and certification program to prepare more handlers and their dogs to work with the kiddos on the autism spectrum. Your donation could help us achieve our goal of expanding the program to serve more children. It's easy to make a personal donation.  Just click the button.
Or to inspire you friends, family and co-workers, you could create a personal fundraising page with your own pictures and story. No coding required and it easily links to a webpage, e-mail or social media like Facebook. To learn more about how it works, check out Personal Fundraising FAQ. Or just jump right in and 
Thank you for all your support.
Debi Krakar
Executive Director
Austin Dog Alliance
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Summer Camps - Reserve your spot now!
(June - August)
|  All About Dogs (Ages 7-9): Does your child have to pet or love on every animal they see? Sign them up for All About Dogs! This camp features hands-on activities and exciting lessons that increase understanding of dog behavior. We use our therapy dogs in this class, and include crafts and games where dogs are part of the action. This is an afternoon class. See schedule and details here.
Tricks, Games and More (Ages 9-10) and (Ages 10-14): Bring your dog with you to camp, or borrow one of our dogs for the week! This camp includes agility, learning how to teach a dog tricks and good manners, dog-themed games and crafts, understanding canine body language, and more, including field trips to our camp partners such as Mud Puppies Dog Wash and the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. Field trips vary by week and by camp - check the dates and details for camps Ages 9-10 and Ages 10-14. Sign language interpreter available the weeks of June 25-29 and July 9-13
 Advanced Tricks, Games and More (Ages 11-15): This is an advanced version of our Tricks, Games and More camp. Bring your dog to camp, or borrow one of our dogs! We continue to work on agility, learn advanced dog tricks and dog manners, and include field trips. To attend this class, the dogs must know sit, down, come and a brief stay. Field trips include Mud Puppies Dog Wash, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, and Candlelight Ranch(for hikes with our therapy dogs, water games, zip lines, and rope courses). Starts July 23.
 "I Want To Work with Dogs When I Grow Up" Camp (Ages 11-16): New camp for this year! This camp will be led by an experienced dog trainer AND a veterinarian. Each day includes a field trip to a different dog-related destination where campers will learn about vet care, animal control and dog training. By the end of the week, campers will have earned their pet first aid certificates. A day trip to Candlelight Ranch for zip lining and water fun is also included. Starts July 30.
Please Note: Our summer camps are designed for typically developing children (we are not yet staffed or funded to provide summer camps for children on the autism spectrum - we hope to add camps for kids on the spectrum in the future!).
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New video highlights Austin Dog Alliance programs
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 Rescue/Adoption, K9 Kids Summer Camps, Pet Therapy, Autism/Asperger's K9 Club Group Social Skills, Special Dogs for Special Needs, Group Training... these programs are all part of our mission. Watch our brand new 5-minute video, an overview of Austin Dog Alliance! Thanks to the talented folks at Elephant Productions for filming ADA's various outreach programs and putting together a great video of what we're all about! We have other videos on our YouTube Channel, as well. Subscribe and receive notifications when new videos are loaded on our organization's channel! |
Parents' Night Out / Kids' Night out - April 21 6:30 - 9:30
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 This event is co-presented by the The University of Texas at Austin Autism Project, and is open to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their siblings, ages 8-13. The evening features movies, games, crafts, snacks and time with our therapy dogs! Special thanks to the University of Texas and the Austin Dog Alliance Youth Association for their support of this special event! Read more about this special event and sign up here. Cost is $40 for the evening. |
King Florist selects ADA as April's Bloom of Hope recipient
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 King Florist has selected Austin Dog Alliance as the recipient of proceeds from their Bloom of Hope program for the entire month of April! King Florist is donating 20% of the sales price of a special arrangement they've created for ADA and this month's Bloom of Hope program. As you're ordering that perfect bouquet for Easter or any other special occasion in April, consider this beautiful and unique arrangement, featuring a selection of the first blooms of spring: Gorgeous premium Holland Tulips, voluminous Hydrangea blooms with lavish Orchid accents, all nestled in their high quality square glass vase with smooth river rock base details and a custom ribbon banding. Several size and pricing options are available for this beautiful arrangement. Visit King Florist online, or give them a call (512-453-6656 or 800-582-5464) to learn more. Note: King Florist also supports many non-profits in our commun  ity through their year-round One Bloom at a Time program, in which 5% of the retail price of your order is donated to your designated area non-profit. See the link for more details. Thanks, King Florist, for supporting our community and non-profit organizations!
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New Volunteer Orientation - April 21
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  Join the team and be part of something special!
Our next New Volunteer Orientation is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 1:00-2:30pm. Orientation includes a short PowerPoint presentation about our programs, with plenty of time for Q&A afterward. You don't have to have a dog to volunteer! We're always in need of people to help us in our office and at events. We're also in need of volunteers to foster pets in our adoption program. Our Youth Association is growing, and we need kids of all ages to help us in training classes where we train our therapy dogs. Volunteer one hour a month or 100 hours a month! Adults, kids, dog owners, non dog owners, there's a spot for you to lend a hand and have a uniquely rewarding volunteer experience. Come out and have some fun. To attend the orientation session on April 21, just RSVP to heather@austindogalliance.org. You can jump-start the volunteer process by filling out our Volunteer Application and indicating your areas of interest. Read more about the volunteer orientation session here. |
| ADA Youth Association (ADAYA) |
 In March, members of the our Youth Association (ADAYA) spent a Saturday at Bastrop County Animal Shelter making Kuranda-style dog beds for the shelter animals. The Youth Association partnered with another non-profit group, Urgent Animals at Bastrop County Animal Shelter on this important project. Nothing but smiles and happy pups, everywhere.  The ADA student group is open to teens ages 13-19. Read more about Austin Dog Alliance Youth Association and sign up to participate in future projects. Have fun and serve the community at the same time! |
Group Classes & Seminars
New sessions begin in April
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 Seminars and Short Classes: We're hosting our Pet Therapy seminar April 28. This seminar is for those who have a well-trained dog and are interested in learning more about the world of pet therapy and registering for the Pet Partners ® team aptitude and skill evaluation for animal-assisted therapy work. See details and enroll online via our Seminars & Short Classes page. It's a great time of year to be out and about with your pet. Make sure your four-legged companion beautifully handles a night out on one of Austin's dog-friendly restaurant patios, or spend some time gaining loose-leash walking skills so your daily walk has your neighbors saying "What a well-behaved dog!". We can help. Group Training Classes: This month, we're starting weekend/weeknight/weekday sessions of these classes:
- Dog Manners, Dog Manners C.L.A.S.S. (APDT's Canine Life And Social Skills program)
- Puppy Manners (6 months and younger)
- Pet Therapy six-week training class
Read more and reserve your spot online using our Group Training Classes page. In addition to group seminars and classes, our certified trainers are available for private sessions or consultation. Call the ADA Training Center (512-335-7100) and let's talk about your specific needs. Once again, THANK YOU for training with ADA. Your training and seminar fees support our community outreach programs, including pet therapy and our Autism/Asperger's Group Social Skills program.
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Adoptable Dogs
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 We've recently added some wonderful dogs to our Adoptable Dogs program.
After temperament testing and vetting, these dogs were rescued from area shelters. We think each one has great potential to add some unconditional love to a "forever family."
See all the loving ADA dogs in our Rescue/Foster/Adoption program on our Adoptable Dogs page.
PS - We'd love to save even MORE deserving, wonderful dogs. Read about our Foster Program and become one of our special foster homes!
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"Mutts and Masters" radio interview with Debi Krakar
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 ADA's Executive Director, Debi Krakar, was interviewed by Nolan Cruise, host of the Mutts and Masters talk radio program (broadcast on 1370AM and 96.3FM) on March 25. If you missed it, listen to the Mutts and Masters interview from their podcast page! |
Pet Therapy Update
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Through mid-March, ADA Pet Therapy volunteers have spent over 700 hours in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, retirement communities, or volunteering behind the scenes in support of our pet therapy program. We still have a waiting list of over 20 sites and facilities that have reached out to us, requesting pet therapy visits.Think you and your pet might have a future as a Pet Partners® team? Read more about animal-assisted therapy and our Pet Therapy Training Program or reserve a spot in an upcoming Pet Therapy Seminar. For new or renewing teams, sign up for a Pet Partners Evaluation. (Next evaluation dates are May 5 & June 2. All May 5 evaluation times are currently reserved, some open time slots remain for June 2).
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Looking ahead...
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- We'll be supporting our fellow non-profit Texas Hearing and Service Dogs in their 14th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk. Come on out to support their work and help set a few new Guinness World Records on April 7 at Auditorium Shores.
- The Greater Austin Walk Now for Autism Speaks is scheduled for September 22.
- Watch our Events Calendar for news on other upcoming events!
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| Contact Us | Board of Directors
Volunteer Outreach
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Event Coordinator
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