FAQs

Henry’s Haven is a nonprofit organization that finds homes for abandoned cats throughout the greater Austin area, and provides behavior intervention when needed to improve chances of adoption. Founded in 2019, we operate an animal rescue and sanctuary in Austin. We also provide programs that enhance the bond between animals and people. Henry’s Haven is a 501(c)3 organization.

We are located at

We are open Mondays-Sundays from 10am-5pm. You must be here by 4:30pm to meet animals.

When you meet an animal you like, you will fill out an adoption application. We ask for a personal reference (this can be a family member, friend, employer) who can attest to your ability to care for a pet. For adopters, we ask for your building information to make sure you are allowed to have pets in your apartment. This information can be in the form of a lease, phone number of a leasing office, landlord, super or property website. If you currently have a pet, we ask for your vet’s information.

Some cat adoptions can be processed same-day.

Yes. The adoption fees are:
$150 per cat
$175 per kitten or $275 per pair (Read Why Two Kittens Are Better Than One)

Please visit the volunteer section of our website.

We do utilize fosters for some of our animals, including neonatal (bottle-baby) kittens. Our fosters are recruited from within our shelter volunteers. If you’re interested in fostering for Henry’s Haven, please visit the volunteer section of our website and sign up to become a volunteer.

Please visit the Contact Us section of our website to send a message to our Intake Department.

Yes we do. The only things we cannot use are open bags of food, open/expired medication, pillows, large comforters or anything with down filing. Anything else you’d like to donate you many bring in during any of our shelter hours. Another great way to donate much needed supplies is though our Amazon.com wish list.

Henry’s Haven will never euthanize for space or time. Adoptable animals will stay in our care for as long as it takes to get them adopted, into a foster situation, or as long-term residents of Henry’s Haven.

Due to the fact that we are such a small shelter with limited time and resources, we cannot accommodate school group visits.

We recommend alerting the community via the PawBoost app for lost and found animals. They offer free support and tools like instant flyer creation and constantly updated listings of all found animals in the area. We also recommend calling around to your local shelters and rescues to see if your pet has been brought in. Social media is also a great tool for spreading the word.

Yes, please call us at 540-450-7918. We will arrange a time for you to bring the cat into Henry’s Haven during business hours and we can scan for a microchip. In the meantime, you can alert local volunteers and owners through PawBoost, a free app for reuniting lost and found pets.

Most of the animals come from Henry’s Haven Network partners, which are located all around the state.

Pets surrendered by their owners make up the majority of pets received at HH. We cannot legally accept strays and recommend that these animals go to the municipal or county animal control services where the animal was found. Lost pets are more likely to be reunited with their owner if the animal stays in the jurisdiction where it was found.

We also transfer thousands of pets to HH each year from other shelters across Texas and neighboring states through our Transfer Program. We utilize a network of rescue groups and shelters to choose animals that are at risk of being euthanized for time limits or space constraints.

It’s a sanctuary for homeless pets where animals are able to stay for as long as it takes them to find loving homes. Animals may still be euthanized humanely if they are irredeemably sick or injured, but they are not killed in order to make space for more animals.

Most of them are soon ready to go to good homes with loving families, making way for new arrivals. For the small number of animals who are never ready for adoption, the Sanctuary is their home for life.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide this service. If you can no longer care for your pet and you cannot bring it to our HH Admission Department, please find a friend or relative who can bring you and your pet to our facility. All owner-surrendered admissions require proof of ownership through bill of sale, purchase/adoption contract, vet records, license, and microchip. You can also try contacting your local Animal Control agency for assistance. If you are unable to bring your pet to us, you will need to send a signed letter transferring ownership to HH and granting the person bringing the animal permission to surrender the animal on your behalf along with your proof of ownership and contact information. Pet surrenders are accepted by appointment only through our Admissions page.

Yes, all of our cats are microchipped prior to adoption. Henry’s Haven highly recommends that all pet owners microchip and register their dogs and cats.

Microchips are a safe, permanent way to identify your companion animal. A pet microchip is a small computer chip (about the size of a grain of rice) safely injected under the skin between the animal’s shoulder blades. Having your pet microchipped greatly increases the chances of it being returned to you when lost or misplaced. HH also recommends that all dogs and cats should wear an ID tag with a current contact number on it, preferably your mobile number, at all times – but microchips are the best backup for a collar and visible ID tag.

Microchips are not GPS trackers or similar devices. A pet’s geographic location cannot be tracked by a microchip. The chip must be scanned (at a vet’s office or shelter, for example), which will provide the scanner with owner contact information from a computer database. Be sure to keep your contact information up to date with the microchip company so you can be contacted if your pet escapes and is found and brought to a vet or shelter.

Henry’s Haven is committed to ending the pet overpopulation problem. HH considers spaying and neutering the number one solution to the tragic problem of overcrowded shelters and the euthanasia of healthy and treatable pets across America.

Many pets are already spayed or neutered before coming to HH. Any animals that are not yet spayed or neutered are surgically sterilized at our in-house Clinic before being placed in our Adoption Program.

We are fortunate to have most of our dry food donated by people in the community (please note that we can only accept donations of unopened bags and cans of food). Because donated dry food consists of many brands, it is mixed in barrels to reduce the shock of a change of diet. Using donated food saves our shelter over $30,000 each year! Of course, monetary donations to help us purchase canned wet food, special formulas of food for animals with allergies or other health problems, and kitten milk replacement formula, are always appreciated. Click here to make a financial contribution.

Absolutely not! Under no circumstances are animals from HH utilized for experimentation or research, nor are they sold posthumously to rendering plants.

If you need to report an animal emergency, call 911. If you suspect or know an animal is suffering from neglect or abuse, call HH’s Investigator at (540) 450-7918. Our Investigator will ask you for detailed information about the location, animal in question, and potential suspect as well as your contact number, which will be kept strictly confidential. Our Investigator will determine the appropriate action and you will be given information on contacting your local police department, sheriff’s office, or Animal Control agency when appropriate. HH does not provide emergency response.

You should report stray animals by phone to your nearest Animal Control agency (either your municipal or county shelter). If the dog or cat is friendly and approachable, you can try to contain the animal to determine if it has an identification tag on with a name, address or phone number of its owner. If no identification tag is present, you can transport the animal to your local animal control services to be scanned for a microchip and held to reunite with the owner.

HH cannot legally take in stray pets and requires proof of ownership for surrendered pets. Since owners will be searching for their lost pet in their local area, taking a lost or stray animal to your local animal control services offers owners the best chance of finding their pet.

The Humane Society of Utah urges you to visit your local Animal Control services and local veterinary clinics in person since it may be difficult to find a pet based on a verbal description or photo.

Visit our Admissions Department in person during regular business hours if you do not locate your pet through Animal Control.

Remember to keep checking with other shelters as the stray holding period depends on when the animal was received. Some individuals attempt to find owners on their own before bringing the animal to a shelter. You may also try the Facebook group Central Texas Lost & Found Pets. Read more tips at PawBoost and consider using My Lost Pet Alert and Lost Pet USA services.

We strongly recommend having your pet microchipped and registered to you as a safe and permanent way to identify your animal. Remember to keep your contact information updated with your pet microchip registration company.

Our Clinic does not provide full veterinary services to the public. You will need to take your pet to your own full-service veterinarian or a local after-hours animal emergency center if needed.

HH greatly appreciates financial donations, volunteer time, and supplies. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Your financial support helps us maintain and expand the life-saving programs and services we offer to the community. Many of our programs would not exist without the generous donation of time by volunteers who work tirelessly with the animals at the shelter and in foster care. There is a world of opportunity offered to individuals who want to volunteer at HH. Finally, to reduce operational expenses, the public is encouraged to donate needed items directly to the shelter.

If you have a question that is not addressed here, please Contact Us for more information.