News

21 hours ago

The short story: It's hot at the shelter. Our normally 20-ton capacity HVAC unit is functioning at slightly less than 10 tons. So, half of the shelter is fine, but half must either be evacuated or cooled.The longer story: It's been 11 years since our HVAC was installed, and now various parts have started to malfunction. When it works, there is literally nothing better. It completely exchanges the air inside 15 times an hour. But it’s complex. Not just anyone can work on the system. It has dozens of delicate sensors, 2 rooftop units the size of Volkswagen buses, and two large compressors. We've worked with several repair companies over the years. When last week’s company gave us an estimate worth thousands of dollars for the replacement of a unit that has been replaced recently enough to be under warranty, we wished them good luck on their corporate karma. We brought in a different company on Friday.The technicians spent the entire Friday checking, diagnosing, and resetting until we finally got clarity on the issues. They will be back Monday to tally the warranty availability, the parts we actually need, and the labor it will take to remove the old and install the new. We will have a timeline and a firm number. So far, we believe it will fall between $8,000 and $12,000.How can you help?If you'd like to contribute, please donate here or via our website (friends4life.org/donate). You can also mail a check to Friends For Life at 107 East 22nd Street, Houston, Texas 77008.How are we handling this for the animals?We're using our emergency system: free-standing cooling units. We invested $7,100 in that backup system, and it's working! The units are set up strategically to cool the sections of the shelters where animals live. They are powerful, so life is quite comfortable for our cats, kittens, ferrets, and rats.We have two units focused on dog kennels. While it has made it a decent temperature, we cannot achieve the ideal air circulation in each individual kennel.Because we have an extremely large shelter dog population right now, we have had to put Julia, a senior post-surgical dog, in our dog living room. It is not ideal. She has a small A/C unit and a fan, but the best solution for her would be a medical foster. If you could offer this gentle senior dog a temporary place, or maybe just want to get more details, email kira(at)friends4life.org, and all questions will be answered!We also completely closed the mezzanine and moved all office fosters to air-conditioned areas. Many staff who work upstairs are now working downstairs in the unairconditioned lobby like one big, sweaty dorm. But not a single person would change prioritizing giving all air conditioning units to the animals. Our #Blueshirts showed up in full force today to work their weekend magic, and Houston Rabbit Resource even held a rabbit vaccination clinic at the shelter this morning! We are unstoppable.We're grateful to the volunteers and staff who already took home elderly and recovering pets. If you think you’d like to be an FFL foster parent, fill out this form (friends4life.org/foster) so we can get in touch to talk about it.We will get through this. The animals are safe. The people are tough, and our community has our back. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

Some people love to accessorize. Adoptable Cash and Burrito are certainly in that club.Are your pets into fashion? Post photos, please! P.S. If you'd like to meet these fashion icons, please check the links to their bios in the comments. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

Goodnight from adoptable Vicky. If you happen to know someone looking for a chill cat, she's all ears.friends4life.org/vicky ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

Adoption update!On the 11th anniversary of Choco's adoption, her family wrote: "Choco is doing so well in her senior years. She visited Norway and a few other countries in Scandinavia this year. Enjoying her retirement a lot."Happy Gotcha Day, sweet girl! We dream the best for each of our shelter animals. We're forever grateful to adopters who make those dreams come true. ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

Adoptable boy Julio says that even sticks are bigger in Texas!He's an intelligent, fun-loving guy. If you're interested in a four-legged sidekick, check out his profile linked below.friends4life.org/adoptable-pets/julio/📷 by Volunteer Michael R#adoptme #fosterme #fosteringsaveslives ... See MoreSee Less