The Dallas Animal Services shelter remains far over capacity, and some animal advocates have said the solution is moving into a larger facility.
Located in western Dallas, Dallas Animal Services (DAS) has been dealing with a crisis, having been considerably over capacity for some time now. The organization reported on August 2 that the shelter was at 170% capacity, urging local residents to consider adopting animals at the shelter and waving adoption fees as an incentive, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Operation Kindness, a local non-profit no-kill animal shelter, announced that it would be moving to a bigger facility of its own to support DAS in its efforts.
DAS said that while the number of animals at the facility has decreased, the shelter is still over capacity for dogs (147%), with 442 dogs at the facility.
DAS and its supporters are now urging the City to include funds for a new $114 million facility in the upcoming $1.1 billion bond election this November, according to D Magazine. Mary Martin, assistant director of DAS, said that despite the improving situation, a new facility is needed to account for the growing needs of the shelter.
“The current shelter is not set up as a humane shelter,” said Martin, per D Magazine. “We used to think of animal control as protecting people from animals, and the humane society was protecting animals from people. But now animal control is often expected to do both.”
Martin said that a new facility will not only provide benefits to potential new pet owners by providing an easier adoption system but also provide additional benefits to the animals by reducing their stress levels and providing “better kennels, and more room to help socialize dogs.”
“We want to reduce their stress, and that will also help reduce the length of their stay,” said Martin.
Texas’ next election will be held on November 7.
Visit the shelter’s website to see new animals being added each day.
