Animal shelters in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have struggled for several months with overcapacity issues, making the need for adoptions more critical than ever.
Data from Best Friends Animal Society shows that in 2023, 568,352 dogs and cats entered shelters in Texas, with over 433,000 of those pets saved, or a 76.2% save rate.
Best Friends Animal Society is a welfare organization that aims to promote animal adoption and end the use of kill shelters. The organization partners with shelters across the U.S. to find loving homes for the animals. The goal is to increase the “save” rate in animal shelters nationwide to 90% by 2025.
“Roughly 7 million people in America are planning to acquire a pet this year, and if just 6 percent more people chose to adopt versus purchase their pets, we would end the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s shelters,” Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society said in a press release.
Brent Toellner, senior director of lifesaving programs at Best Friends, told The Dallas Express that inflation, increased housing costs, and other economic barriers have adversely impacted the number of pet adoptions in recent months.
“The good news is that we have recently seen signs of a shift in more people returning to adoptions, which is a positive for struggling shelters and rescues,” he added.
Best Friends has several locations across the country, including one in Houston. The organization partnered with shelters in the area to make Houston a no-kill city.
Of the 379 animal shelters in Texas, 142 are no-kill shelters. In Dallas County, 10 out of 21 shelters are no-kill. In neighboring Collin County, two of its six shelters are no-kill shelters. Some counties, like Kaufman and Ellis, do not have any shelters that are no-kill.
Although Best Friends Animal Society has no plans to establish a shelter in DFW, it will continue to support rescue pet parents in the area.
“Collaboration between national groups, local groups, and the community is the best approach to improving positive outcomes for pets. We encourage the community to support lifesaving by choosing to adopt or foster at their local shelters,” Toellner said.
As of July 17, Dallas Animal Services’s total dog kennel capacity was at 138%, with 427 dogs in 307 kennels. Cat kennel capacity was at 118%, with 112 cats in 95 kennels, Karla Alvarado-Falcon, animal services coordinator with Dallas Animal Services, told The Dallas Express.
There are several dogs and cats on the emergency placement list, and they are at risk of euthanasia. Several of these animals have serious medical conditions.
Over the weekend, 150 dogs and 54 cats were surrendered to DAS.
Alvarado-Falcon said that “it takes a village to save these lives,” noting that adoption fees have been waived and DAS is constantly networking the animals with the public and their rescue partners.
DAS has partnered with other shelters to get some animals transported out of state, “where they may have a better chance,” Alvarado-Falcon noted.
To view adoptable pets, visit the BeDallas90 website.