230 dogs in Dallas shelter get fresh start

When a mama-to-be dog named Maddie arrived at Dallas Animal Services (DAS), the shelter was already filled beyond its capacity with dogs and cats. With so many animals needing care during a particularly busy time of the year, the future for Maddie and her soon-to-be family appeared uncertain.

Fortunately, a commitment to lifesaving made by DAS a few years prior had paved the way for an environment where they were all able to get the second chances they deserve.

“Five years ago, Dallas Animal Services took the bold step of committing to working toward a 90% save rate (the benchmark for no-kill) with their BeDallas90 initiative,” says Sophia Proler, Best Friends South Central region director. “With the second largest (pet) intake in the state, it has been no small feat to strive to save every healthy or treatable animal, and it would require looking beyond the four walls of the shelter and into the community for support.”

Since 2019, transfers of animals from one shelter to another (a way to create more time for animals in crowded shelters to get adopted) have decreased by about 14%. Meanwhile, adoptions haven’t increased at the same rate, causing the number of pets in shelters to rise, with DAS reaching 150% capacity over the summer, according to DAS Assistant Director Mary Martin.

[Inspiring tales of teamwork saving pets’ lives]

With more dogs and cats arriving every day, the shelter staff needed a plan and some assistance — fast. To help alleviate the situation, Best Friends funded a rescue incentive grant, which would provide stipends to be paid to other organizations for each animal taken in from DAS. Giving dogs and cats a chance to be adopted by moving them to other shelters is one of the ways Best Friends is helping shelters across the country reach no-kill.

Transferring pets from full shelters to others with the capacity to take them in and place them in new homes can be a lifesaver. It gives shelters an alternative to killing pets because they’ve run out of space. So DAS sought to place as many dogs as possible with other shelters that could help. They asked for assistance, and shelters and rescue organizations far and wide responded.

Meanwhile, several other organizations stepped up to take cats from Dallas Animal Services, which would further alleviate the situation at the shelter. Between June and August, volunteers drove approximately 150 cats and kittens to various organizations in north Texas, including the Humane Society of North Texas, Operation Kindness, and the SPCA of Texas.

Solid teamwork by the DAS staff got things moving, and it didn’t take long before many outside groups showed interest in taking dogs. Kirsten Tourville, DAS foster, adoption, and rescue manager, had relationships in the Chicago area, which resulted in many dogs going from Dallas to the Windy City. The staff made cold calls to shelters and rescue groups in multiple states. Outside groups spotted DAS’ calls to action online and volunteered to help.

Everyone came together to do their part of a logistical plan, including volunteers, crates, vehicles, health certificates, medical checks, and other items to move animals from one city or state to another. The grant funds from Best Friends covered anything needed to help the dogs get where they needed to go, including travel expenses, vaccines, and in some cases temporary boarding.

After Maddie — a beautiful, black, Doberman-type dog with two brown spots above each eye — gave birth to 11 puppies, the whole family joined a group of dogs who went from Dallas to Compassion Animal Rescue, operated by Maddie Maitland and her husband in the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area. Maddie (the person) was right there to greet them on arrival. “They were all so sweet,” she says.

From April through August, DAS moved 230 dogs to other shelters and rescue groups for adoption in 25 states with the grant funds from Best Friends. And between June and August, DAS sent 147 cats and kittens to rescue groups in Texas. That’s in addition to all their other work to support the animals in their community.

The rewarding five-month period of lifesaving helped alleviate capacity issues at the Dallas shelter and energized the DAS team, which continues to work its way toward a 90% save rate. “Our capacity issues are still up and down,” says Mary. “But each transport helps us have one good day, and then another, and then another after that. And though we have to take small victory laps, each day we can save a life is a win for our team.”

[A well-rounded approach to saving more dogs and cats]

DAS has even started adopting pets to people in other states — because people were asking to adopt them and the pets needed a place to go. “(That’s) something we’ve never done before,” says Kirsten. “What our staff has been able to accomplish (this summer) shows what we can be in the future.”

Heading into fall, interest in helping DAS give their dogs a second chance continues to build. Recently, people from an animal welfare group in Maryland were in Dallas on a rescue mission, and they mentioned on social media that they had more room in their van for any dogs needing a lift.

A DAS networker spotted the post and connected with the group. They not only picked up 13 dogs that day but have since returned for more dogs on subsequent trips.

Maddie and her puppies are just a few of the dogs and cats alive and well today, and in new homes, because so many people pulled together to help them when they needed it most.

“We immediately got 11 foster wins, plus Maddie,” says Maddie Maitland. “DAS had spent a lot of time with her, and she was very loving and calm with her babies. It wasn’t long before the adopters were lined up. We’re happy to say that Maddie and all of her puppies are happy in their new homes.”

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.