Most car dealerships are closed on Sundays. But there’s always an exception, and this Sunday Clay Cooley Volkswagen of Park Cities (5555 Lemmon Avenue) will be howling with activity. However, nary a car will be sold or even test-driven.
Instead, the place will be going to … and for … the dogs.
Partnering with Dallas Animal Services, Clay Cooley Auto Group is holding a mega Dog Adoption Event from noon to 4 p.m. with pooches from Dallas Animal Services, its foster network, Dallas Pets Alive!, Rockwall Pets and Hearts and Bones.
In addition to a Twin Stacks BBQ Food Truck, a Kona Ice snow cone truck and yard games, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia will be on hand representing the Dallas K9 program, and word has it there may be a surprise or two planned.
The project is the brainchild of Ciara Cooley Biggers, who is far more than an animal lover. She’s fostered five dogs who have found forever homes, and now is fostering nine-month-old Buddy.
In the meantime, she has also become a champion for “making Dallas the best city in the country for pets and pet owners.”
And she has the information to back the need.
- Dallas Animal Services has one of the highest intake rates in the whole country. They have anywhere from 200-400 dogs at any given time at the shelter.
- There are another 200-300 roughly in foster.
- They have enough dogs in their care to fill the shelter two times over.
If you check the bedallas90 website, you’ll see that as of today the shelter has 305 dogs, which translates into 101% capacity.
A grim reality is Dallas Animal Services’ most recent daily report card, which reveals that 42 dogs were taken in by the shelter, 16 were returned to owners and 12 were euthanized. Were the dozen worthless mongrels? Probably not. They were in all probability once cute puppies that weren’t fortunate enough to be given a chance to lifelong companions.
According to Ciara, “We are really excited to get dogs out of the shelter environment, in front of potential adopters and, hopefully, get so many dogs into their forever homes this weekend.”
If you’re not ready to adopt, consider fostering. Not only does it relieve the overcrowded shelter, it helps dogs prepare for adoptions.
This is a very family-friendly event that’s not only free for the attending, but all adoptions are free, and each newly adopted dog will go home with a swag bag including a tennis ball, a bandana, a leash and a collapsible water bowl.
* Graphic/photo courtesy of Clay Cooley Auto Group