|
This is a year of big changes for the Dallas Animal Services Rescue Team! We have new staff for you meet and are expanding the ways we engage you, our amazing rescue partners. We are excited to share our first monthly newsletter, which we'll use to share important updates and celebrate rescue successes. Thank you so much for all of the incredible work you do to save lives!
New Tagging Template
Moving forward, when tagging pets at DAS, please use the following template to ensure clear and efficient communications!
Rescue Name:
Animal ID:
Spay or neutered needed?
Person picking up:
As a reminder, all pets must be picked up within 24 hours of being tagged or the day they are released from their hold. If you have any questions about this new template or the pickup timeline, please reach out to us via email!
|
|
Please welcome Erika Bennett, our new Shelter Manager who oversees outcome programs, including Adoptions, Rescue, and Foster. Erika comes with a wealth of knowledge from previous positions, including supervisor roles in Pet Support, Pathway Planning, Playgroups, and more. She also brings more than 15 years of experience in animal welfare. Erika says, "My goal is to increase outcomes while connecting on a greater level with our rescue partners in Dallas and the surrounding areas."
|
Say hello to the anchor of the rescue team: Jasmine Rivas. Jasmine has worked for Dallas Animal Services for eight years in departments including Pet Support and Field Services. She is known for her obsession with Baby Yoda, mangey pups, and extensive knowledge of what pet you might tag and who to call. She has been with the Rescue Team for five years, so many of you already know and love her. You know it will be a good day when she is in office!
|
We'd also like to introduce Danielle Lockett, an A&M alumnus who has been with Dallas Animal Services for four years. She comes to the Rescue Team with experience in Pet Support, Adoptions, and Playgroups. Danielle is a wiz at animal behavior and is our go-to person for any related questions. She oversees the application and onboarding process for all new rescue partners. We are so excited to have her on the team!
|
Lastly, rounding out our team is Tina Soria, our Rescue Coordinator. She is a Tarleton State Alum with experience working with animals from the early years of being an active member of FFA and working in a clinic for over five years. Tina has big goals for the Dallas Animal Services Rescue Team. She says, "I am excited to help refocus the group and celebrate the fantastic partnerships that make our mission possible."
|
|
|
|
Being one of the largest open-intake shelters in the nation, we are constantly adapting our operations to help fit the changing needs of our community. We have made the following changes to keep DAS pets safe and healthy while streamlining communications with you, our partners:
-
Rotating Surgery Calander: As we continue to battle illness in the community and the shelter, our surgery team is rotating unexposed and then exposed surgery days for spay/neuter and general surgeries to ensure we're minimizing exposure risk in our surgery suite. The Rescue Team will continue to schedule all our partners' surgeries to minimize confusion. Please email DASResue@dallas.gov to get on our surgery calendar.
-
New Rescue Partner Onsite Assessment/Tag appointments: Rescue Partners do not need an appointment to walk through the public areas of our shelter, but if you'd like to visit our neonatal nursery, tag on the spot, or need assistance with assessments, please book here so we can be sure to have a staff member available to you while you're here. If you'd like to get your team trained to handle dogs onsite without a DAS team member present, please email us to coordinate training.
-
New pickup process: Our Pickup Team has switched to a new check-in system, so you won't be required to call a phone number when you arrive to pick up an animal!
- When you schedule your pickup appointment, a confirmation email will be sent with a link. Once you arrive for your pickup, you will click the check-in link to notify our Pickup Team that you are here and ready for your rescue pet. This new process will make the pickup process smoother for both staff and rescues.
 |
|
|
Remember Smurf (A1171426)? Smurf came into our care as a stray, her body covered with burns. Our medical staff started treatment, and The Love Pit, stepped in to help rescue this little one and made a big difference in Smurf's story. We are excited to share the story of Smurf, now known as Purdy.
|
What was the first week like taking in Purdy?
Purdy was transported to one of our vet partners straight from the shelter. She stayed there for a couple of weeks before going to foster. While with our vet, she received IV fluids & antibiotics to help fight her skin infection and to rehydrate her along with many other treatments to get her to a healthy starting point. In the first few days, we also started a fundraising campaign to help cover her medical costs. Without supportive donors, we can't pull major medical cases like Purdy so it's imperative that we have a strong fundraising strategy, a reliable vet partner and transparent, accurate communication. A volunteer checked in with her at the vet after a week or so to test her temperament and dog friendliness - she passed with flying colors! A week or so later, she was released from the vet on the same day we were having an adoption event at our headquarters facility. The volunteer who transported her from the vet to HQ fell in love with her and took her home as a foster the same day!
|
What is the future for TLP and all the amazing pitties you are saving?
At The Love Pit, we remain focused on our mission to save bully breeds through rescue, rehabilitation, advocacy and education. Our strategic direction is centered on strengthening our volunteer, foster and adoption programs so we can responsibly save more lives as well as building up our advocacy programs so we can support our community of bully breed owners and keep dogs in their homes. We also believe all dogs should be treated as individuals and not by their breed label and will continue to move the needle forward with innovative marketing campaigns and educational opportunities to break the stigma.
What words of encouragement would you share with other rescues pulling medical cases like Purdy's?
Only take on what you can handle! We all want to save them all, but it's not always financially possible and resources often become scarce - like fosters. Don't bite off more than you can chew otherwise you will not be sustainable and be able to save more and more dogs. It's hard to say no, but sometimes it's the healthiest thing for your organization and the dog. If you are able to say "yes", have a plan - covering medical expenses, where the dog will go if a foster isn't available, how to market for a foster or adopter, what the possible length of stay could look like.
|
"We would love to reintroduce this beautiful girl!"
What does Purdy's life look like now?
Purdy is ADOPTED! Her new family says, "We first met Daisy “Purdy” at the adoption event the day she was released from medical boarding. Her story and sweet nature just touched my family’s heart and we knew she was going to be such a great addition to our family. Daisy is such a fun loving, sweet soul that needed a home to thrive in, we are so happy and excited to be able to bring her into our family and give her nothing but our love."
|
|
|
Daisy and her new sibling loving life and thriving.
 Join us for a virtual Rescue townhall meeting!
When: May 30th from 6-7 pm.
How to join:
Meeting ID: 248 671 573 601
Passcode: BqtGds
During this meeting, we will cover essential updates on shelter operations, our tagging process, and much more. This is also an excellent opportunity to give constructive feedback and help our program grow.
|
|
Would you like to get the most updated information or have the tagging process go more smoothly? Please fill out this form so we can stay up to date on your organizations:
|
|
|
|
|
