Family & Charity

Meet the Clinton Family

If you spend fifteen minutes with Ryan, chances are you're going to hear about his family; there simply isn't anything in life that he's more proud of.  Ryan and Sarah met in Austin, married in 2013, and live in the Rollingwood neighborhood with their three children and rescue dog.  Sarah is an accomplished public-school teacher who taught special education and remedial reading to middle-school students in Southeast Austin and elementary-school children in South Austin.

Sarah is currently taking time away from her career to spend more time with their kids.  Once the children are older, she intends to return to public service either through teaching or social work.  Sarah is also a long-term volunteer at Austin Pets Alive!, where she previously ran the animal shelter's cat foster program as a volunteer.

Saving Shelter Pets

Ryan and Sarah are devoted rescue-pet parents who believe that every animal who enters an animal shelter should be treated just like we treat our own pets---and that includes giving every shelter pet the same chance at a good life in a loving home.  In addition to Sarah's volunteer work as Austin Pets Alive's cat-foster manager, Ryan and Sarah have fostered several dozen pets, including several litters of unweaned kittens separated from their mothers.

In 2005, Ryan founded FixAustin.org with the goal of making Austin a "No Kill" city for shelter pets, and Ryan and Sarah also helped start Austin Pets Alive's rescue program in 2008.  In 2010, the Austin City Council mandated that the city shelter implement a "No Kill" plan largely written by Ryan, and the city became the largest city in America saving 90% or more of shelter pets just six months later.  In 2017, Austin's municipal shelter saved 98% of all impounded animals---the highest save rate in the nation for a large animal shelter, and among the highest for any shelter of any size. 

Ryan's work in promoting lifesaving programs and shelter policies has received national recognition, and he has been featured in publications including the Christian Science Monitor, the American Dog Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Baton Rouge Advocate, and the Austin American-Statesman.  In 2009, Ryan was recognized as one of the most effective animal-welfare advocates in the United States by the California-based No Kill Advocacy Center. And in 2018, Ryan was presented with the prestigious “Maddie’s Hero” award by Maddie’s Fund.