Dallas Animal Services offers free adoptions amid overcrowding, looming repairs
DALLAS – North Texans looking to adopt a new furry family member are in luck.
Dallas Animal Services has partnered with the Bissell Pet Foundation for its "Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope" campaign, the nation's largest funded adoption event, which offers free adoptions.
"You get everything that you need to start off your pet dog or cat is being spayed and neutered, vaccinated and microchipped," Dallas Animal Services assistant director Mary Martin said. "We send you home with a whole bunch of swag, including, maybe a coat if the dog needs one, food."
Employees at the shelter were busy on Sunday caring for the hundreds of animals currently living there.
"Right now, we have 488 dogs just under 70 kitties," Martin said.
She highlighted the urgent need to find homes for pets, as the shelter has been over capacity for about a year and is currently operating at 127% over capacity.
"It makes it worse now because we're having flooring issues that have to be repaired, and to repair those flooring issues, we have to empty the kennels, which gives us less capacity than we already had," Martin said.
While the shelter is in dire need of homes for the animals, they encourage prospective adopters to ensure they're prepared to care for a pet.
"You need to think about what you have the time to do," Martin noted. "For example, getting an adult dog is generally easier than adopting a puppy or the same thing with a cat or a kitten."
People can find purebred animals at the shelter. Some examples of purebred dogs available include Doodles, Yorkies, Lhasa Apsos, French Bulldogs, German Shepherds, Great Pyrenees and Dobermans.
"It is impossible, absolutely impossible, to walk through this building and not fall in love, and so what we ask of you is that at least think of us first and give us a shot," Martin said.
Free adoptions run through December 17.