Dogs from a local shelter are being given a second chance at finding a ‘fur-ever’ home thanks to two animal transport groups.
Thirty-eight dogs from the Garland Animal Shelter will travel to New Hampshire, Maine, Tennessee, Illinois, and Wisconsin through Pink Happy Tails Transport and Paw Pilots, according to Garland Animal Services (GAS). Archangel Animal Network funded the transports.
Shelters in these areas have more families waiting to adopt and space, according to CBS News Texas.
“That’s why we feel so strongly about rescue transport: These great dogs who have been overlooked here many times for months will go and get adopted within days or a week when they head to these northern rescues,” said Delia McLinden, founder of Archangel Animal Network.
Out-of-state rescue partners select dogs utilizing the GAS master inventory of all its dogs and the information that the rescue partners can access. From this database, rescue partners can select dogs that fit within their capacity and resources.
“The idea for our dog transport initiative came about as a way to help rescue animals in need of homes find loving families,” Christie Fuentes, GAS community outreach coordinator, told The Dallas Express.
GAS has been conducting transports since 2019 and aims to conduct at least one per month.
“Our shelter is home to some truly amazing dogs, and it is our mission to advocate for them and ensure they have the best chance at a new life outside of the shelter walls,” Fuentes added. “Every animal that finds a new home through our transport program is a reminder of the importance of our efforts and the impact we can make in helping to alleviate the overcrowding crisis in our community.”
A second transport will take place on April 9, where more dogs will be moved in hopes of finding their perfect match in Minnesota.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support and dedication of our staff, volunteers, fosters, and partners. Their care and compassion for animals in need is truly inspiring and makes our work possible. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of so many animals,” said Fuentes.
The Dallas Express previously reported that shelters across DFW have been struggling to find enough space due to the large number of animals in them.
In March, Dallas Animal Services (DAS) was around 129% at capacity for dogs, meaning 388 dogs in 300 kennels. Fort Worth Animal Services (FWAS) typically maintains more than 1,200 animals; however, last month, over 1,300 were in its shelters, according to Anastasia Ramsey, the superintendent of the Fort Worth Animal Care and Control Shelter (FWACC), previously reported DX.
“The adoption of shelter animals is crucial for communities because it saves lives, alleviates overcrowding in shelters, and promotes responsible pet ownership,” said Ramsey.
In July 2023, these shelters were facing an overcrowding crisis, as DAS was at 130% capacity, and FWAS shelters were at 99%.
Shelters want to inform people that foster care options are available if they are interested in taking care of a dog but aren’t quite ready to adopt.
“We offer same-day fostering! Come to the shelter at 1818 North Westmoreland Road, pick out the pet you wish to foster, fill out the application here at the shelter, and take them home the same day! You are also able to foster-to-adopt most of our adoptable pets,” the DAS website states.
Both DAS and FWACC have foster programs where applications are required. FWACC foster dogs are available here. DAS foster dogs can be found here.
