The Dallas Police Department is beefing up its Animal Cruelty Unit, adding detectives as it continues working on the cruelty problem with partners Dallas Animal Services and Operation Kindness.
The non-profit Operation Kindness finalized a “memorandum of understanding” with DPD and DAS in February of last year, putting together a specialty veterinary team to provide forensic exams and necropsies — those are animal autopsies — for animal cruelty cases.
Now the DPD’s animal cruelty unit of three detectives and a sergeant is “expanding,” according to unit member Det. Mike Bono of the DPD. Operation Kindness CEO Ed Jamison said two detectives are being added.
The extra help will be welcome.
“In 2023, 3,476 animals of all shapes and sizes came into care at DAS for cruelty,” Jamison said at an event on Saturday, March 2. “The numbers were super-heavy on roosters. I think the number was 1,500 roosters on our second week of involvement, and every time they turned the corner and went into a new building, they found more pockets of roosters. The final total for the year was 2,571.”
Roosters are often used for cockfighting, which is illegal in Texas, Jamison explained.
The Operation Kindness chief executive and Bono both were speaking at an event called “Coffee, Donuts and Dogs” at Operation Kindness’ shelter in Carrollton. There, a standing-room-only crowd of animal welfare supporters heard updates about animal laws and ongoing efforts to combat animal cruelty.
During the hour-long presentation, Operation Kindness Board Chair Scott Wilson reported that the group had facilitated a record 5,702 adoptions last year and “touched” 24,531 animals, a whopping increase of 14,834 animals over 2022. The organization works with 139 partner-shelters, he said, a number that includes humane societies, municipal shelters, rescue groups and veterinarian partners.
Operation Kindness is just one part of an “overburdened animal welfare system” in the state, Board Member Charles Gearing pointed out, adding, “Everybody here has the ability to help neglected and abused and underserved animals here in Texas.”
Shelby Bobosky and Jaime Olin of the Texas Humane Legislation Network told the attendees about bills passed by the Texas Legislature affecting the treatment of animals.
Among the recent successes, Olin said, were the Safe Outdoors Dog Act (a.k.a. the Tethering Law) and the Texas Licensed Breeders Law. The former bars owners from using chains or heavy weights as restraints on dogs left outside, among other things, while the latter cracks down on large-scale breeding operations that previously escaped inspections and basic standards of care.
During the next legislative session, Olin said, THLN will be advocating for the Humane Pet Store Bill. It would require that only healthy puppies and kittens “sourced from shelters and rescues be sold in retail pet stores.”
Others presenting at the event were Dallas Animal Services Director MeLissa Webber; DAS Assistant Director Paul Ramon; and Dr. Rachel Redd, chief veterinarian for Operation Kindness’ Community Initiatives program.