According to Dallas Animal Services volunteer and rescue affiliate Alicia Ayers,
“Dallas Animal Services (DAS) is Dallas’ municipal shelter and has the third highest animal intake shelter in the entire country. They also have over 1,000 animals in foster homes—enough to fill 2 other shelters! They support the pets in our community and could use our help.
“Launched in 2018, BeDallas90 is DAS’ community outreach campaign, with the efforts to find positive outcomes for more than 90% of the shelter population. They reached this milestone in September of 2020, where they achieved their first-ever fiscal year life release rate of over 90%. This major milestone would not have been possible without the support of the community.
“While they do so much for the animals in our community, there is still so much work to be done and supported to help our community shelter! During 2020, COVID-19 brought new challenges to DAS and pet owners in Dallas, but also created opportunities to increase awareness and support.
“My wish this holiday season is for you to join the #BeDallas90 movement to help us save the lives of pets in need. Here’s how you can help:
- “Adopt – If you are wanting to add the next furry family member to your home, visit DAS, where adoption staff can help match you with a great fit for your family. Adoptable pets are available online, or you can visit the shelter in person at 1818 Westmoreland Road to meet them. If a pet is in a foster home, you can submit an online query and their foster family will be in touch.
- “Volunteer – There are volunteer opportunities open for anything you are interested in, and for a range of ages (while younger ages require parent/ guardian participation!). Volunteering can help the shelter increase the number of lives we save, improve the quality of the lives of pets in the shelter, and support our community in becoming the nation’s best pet owners. There are countless ways to become involved, and all volunteer positions are a huge help to DAS.
- “Foster – If you aren’t quite ready to adopt, you can still open your home to foster a DAS pet. These volunteers are crucial to help save more animals. Whether you are a dog person or a cat person, you can commit to a short-term or long-term opportunity. DAS will work with you to ensure a good match for your home. This gets animals into homes where we can learn more about them to help them find their forever families, and clear kennel space for incoming animals.
- “Donate – No donation is too small and will help make a difference in the lives of shelter pets at DAS. Please consider making a contribution to Friends of Dallas Animal Services, the non-profit partner of DAS. Friends of DAS is volunteer run and strives to have low overhead costs, so more dollars can go directly to the pets and shelter for lifesaving support.
“Visit www.BeDallas90.org which will link you to everything you need to know about DAS’s services, applications for specific opportunities, and an updated roster of pets available for adoptions—there are countless ways to support this incredibly meaningful cause.”
* Photo provided by Dallas Animal Services