Dallas Animal Advocates

Icon

Friends of Dallas Animal Services

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance – not quite what it appears to be.

Please read this statement below, from the Texas Humane Legislation Network and HSUS.and be aware of the RPOA’s real agenda. Education is the only real defense against propaganda.

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (RPOA) is a front group for commercial dog and cat breeding facilities and consistently fights any legislation or proposed city ordinances that would implement spay/neuter programs or regulate large-scale commercial breeding operations in any way.  

RPOA argues that any restrictions on commercial breeding could actually result in a shortage of dogs and cats.  Who are they kidding?  More than 700,000 companion animals were destroyed in animal control facilities and humane societies in Texas last year alone simply because there were no homes for them.  Meanwhile, commercial breeders continue to flood the pet market with thousands more puppies and kittens, exacerbating the pet overpopulation problem even more.  With no measures taken, there is little chance that we can even reduce the euthanasia numbers in our Texas shelters, let alone move toward no-kill city-run facilities for decades to come. 

RPOA is part of the problem, not part of the solution.  They are fighting to keep the floodgates of pet overpopulation open while animal welfare agencies and animal control officers try in vain to control the rising tides.

RPOA members frequently malign legitimate animal protection organizations such as the Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), alleging them to be “animal rights extremists,” and peddling an assortment of urban myths in an attempt to destroy the reputations of those who are effectively exposing RPOA for what they are. Please know that RPOA’s baseless allegations and fear-mongering tactics are motivated by the financial greed of the puppy mill and pet trade industry.

In truth, Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), the HSUS and the ASPCA are mainstream organizations whose efforts to protect animals from cruelty are supported by law enforcement officials and criminal prosecutors throughout the state. 

Another frequent RPOA talking point alleges that The HSUS wants to “end pet ownership” and “cause the extinction of animals.”  Puppy millers, cockfighters, dogfighters, canned hunters and other animal abusers use this same false accusation repeatedly as an attempt to deflect attention from their own actions.  The HSUS’s long history of promoting humane care for our animal companions — as well as celebrating the joy that they bring to our lives — stands on its own merits.

That every companion animal should live a long and happy life in a good home is the true objective of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, The HSUS and the ASPCA.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Pet Watch Summit July 21 – helping lost and found pets in your neighborhood

Sharing information on this important event to help reunite lost and found pets with their families!

Event: Animal Alert! – Pet Watch Summit
A meeting of Those Interested in Helping with Lost and Found Pets in Their Neighborhood.

Purpose:  To meet with other neighborhood Animal Alert! / Pet Watch groups OR those interested in establishing one for their neighborhood.  We are working hard to help establish an Animal Alert! or Pet Watch Program in every neighborhood across Dallas.  

Goal:  To be able to LINK to all the neighborhoods on a timely basis in the event of a lost or found pet. 

Agenda:
*  How to establish a Program for your neighborhood.
*  How to set up a phone and/or computer system to help get the word out fast.
*  How to LINK to the other established neighborhoods.
*  How to handle volunteer burn out.
*  Fund raising ideas.

Plan:  We try to have a Pet Summit about every 6 months in order to help establish Pet Programs in new neighborhoods and LINK them all together across Dallas.  Together we can help unite a lost pet to its family.  There is nothing better than the SMILE of a happy reunion!

Date/Time:  Tuesday-  July 21   7:00 – 9:00 PM  Doors open at 6:30 PM.  Come early to meet and greet before the 7:00 meeting.

Location:  We will be meeting in the For the Love of the Lake office in Casa Linda Shopping Center-  at the intersection of Garland Road and Buckner Boulevard.  This is under Another Broken Egg restaurant.

HELP:  Please pass this information on to anyone you know that might be interested in helping with this project.  Does your neighborhood have an Association or a Board?   Is there anyone at your vet that might be interested in receiving emails about the Pet Summits?  If so, please pass this information on to them.

For More Information:

PetSummit@aol.com   (214) 328-0508  Andie Comini

info@lfhanimalalert.org  Maeleska Fletes

Thank you for caring and helping!

Filed under: Uncategorized

Humane education resources for summer school or camp

Are you teaching at summer school or camp? If so, why not take the opportunity to help teach children compassion and keep them interested in animals?

imageCompanions for Life is committed to humane education – they run a variety of humane education programs and also have resources and lesson plans designed specifically for teachers at on their Teachers Only page.

The ASPCA Humane Educators have prepared some fun activities, tips and resources too, which you can access on their site.

Compassionate kids will grow into respectful and compassionate adults, so inspire a kid today!

Filed under: Uncategorized

We’ve been bringing our dogs to work for 10 years!

Every year, thousands of Americans take their dogs into the office as part of National Take Your Dog to Work Day, created by Pet Sitters International ten years ago!

imageTYDTWD is an annual event designed to celebrate dogs as companions, encourage employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace, and encourage pet adoptions from shelters, humane societies and rescue groups.

According to the Pet Sitters website, a  2006 APPMA [American Pet Products Manufacturers Association] Survey showed that millions of employees feel that pets in the workplace can lead to a more creative environment, decreased absenteeism, improved productivity and can help co-workers get along better, yet only about one in five companies allow pets in the workplace. 

Take this poll here and tell us if your company participates in Take Your Dog To Work Day!

Filed under: Uncategorized

June 20 is Doggie Date Night!

FEATURES FLICK, FAMILY FUN FOR PEOPLE AND PETS

image

Hawaiian Falls Waterpark in The Colony will host Doggie Date Night with a special showing of “Hotel for Dogs” on Saturday, June 20.  Fittingly, pet owners can bring their canine companions as well as their children to this family-friendly flick.

Billed as a date night for people and their pooches, the event benefits Animal Guardians of America.  The evening under the stars begins at 7:30 p.m. with games, activities and contests for children. 

The film will be shown at dusk on a 16’ outdoor screen on the lawn adjacent to Hawaiian Falls.   Attendees can bring lawn chairs and blankets, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. 

“This is a special opportunity to have a night out on the town and watch a movie on the big screen with your four-legged best friend by your side,” said Annette Lambert, president of Animal Guardians, a nonprofit organization that cares for homeless and abandoned dogs.   “For those who might be thinking of adding a new canine friend to their family, we’ll have several of our most adorable, adoptable dogs at the event.”   

“Hotel for Dogs” is a heart-warming movie about children who take in stray dogs in an old, abandoned hotel.  While the movie has a happy, “Hollywood” ending for the homeless dogs, Lambert said the reality for strays in the Metroplex is not always so pleasant. 

“While we want everyone to come out and enjoy the movie and the entertainment, it’s important that we realize that much still needs to be done for our homeless animals,” said Lambert.  “Our local animal shelters are operating at full capacity.  Sadly, over 100,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in Dallas-Fort Worth every year.  It will take all of us working together to change these sad statistics.”

  1. Admission to Doggie Date night is just $7 per person or $25 for four people; dogs get in free.  
  2. Reservations are requested, but tickets may be purchased at the door.  To make reservations, call 214-207-0045 or email stevehurst@animalguardians.com
  3. All proceeds benefit Animal Guardians of America. 

Hawaiian Falls Waterpark is located at 4400 Paige Road in The Colony at the corner of Highway 121 and Plano Parkway.   For more information, visit www.AnimalGuardians.com.

# # #

The mission of Animal Guardians of America is to rescue stray, abandoned and neglected dogs; bring about their recovery as healthy companions; and promote care and compassion for all animals.  The nonprofit volunteer group is committed to enriching the lives of dogs who may be without shelter, food, care or love—regardless of age, natural beauty or condition—and finding them temporary and permanent homes.  Animal Guardians takes dogs that no one wants and turns them into dogs that everyone wants.

Filed under: Uncategorized

New adoption hours at Dallas Animal Shelter effective June 3, 2009.

Heads up everybody – effective tomorrow, June 3, the Dallas Animal Services shelter at 1818 N. Westmoreland has new and more convenient adoption hours.

Moving forward, adoption hours will be as follows: 

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday – Saturday:  11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Sunday: 12 noon – 5:00 p.m.

So come along and find some unconditional love and a wonderful furry companion to share your life!

Filed under: Uncategorized

Pet food RECALL: Nutro Cat Food

http://www.nutroproducts.com/

Franklin, Tennessee (May 21, 2009) –  Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO® dry cat food.

This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO® dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Mixed Feelings about Michael Vick/HSUS partnership

Wouldn’t it be nice if Michael Vick were to acknowledge and abhor the brutality of his previous actions and use his tremendous media appeal and influence to advocate against dog fighting and animal cruelty in general?

What a redemption story! A controversial, photogenic, sporting celebrity with a rough past and uber street cred uses his powers for good instead of evil”. It seems like a GREAT idea, right? After all, who better to influence impressionable youth than someone who’s been in the belly of the beast, so to speak?

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Like a Hollywood screenplay – and who doesn’t love a good redemption story?

imageAs part of a concerted PR campaign, Michael Vick has been looking for a while for a partnership with an animal welfare group to help convince the public he’s a changed man.

In December, PETA walked away from a deal with Vick, believing that he fits an established profile for anti-social personality disorder, or APD (a nice way to say he’s a raving psychopath).

Now he’s in talks with the HSUS, who think he can be an asset in their anti dog fighting campaign and that they can use him to spread the message that dog fighting is a crime that can cost you everything.

On the HSUS blog, the HSUS President Wayne Pacelle wrote that Mr. Vick "asked for an opportunity to help. I want to give him that opportunity. If he makes the most of it, and demonstrates a sincere, long-term commitment to the task, then it may prove to be a tipping point in our campaign to eradicate dog fighting."

imageKudos has to go to the HSUS for giving this a try. We have mixed feelings about the idea though. 

From a humane education standpoint, there’s clear value in having a high profile name like Vick in your corner.  You can’t argue that he appeals to the demographic that is most at risk of getting involved in dog fighting.

But are we really expected to believe that Michael Vick has had a change of heart, is truly repentant and is now simply wanting to restore Karmic balance? The same Michael Vick who didn’t just participate in but willfully instigated the most vicious acts of animal cruelty, someone who allegedly laughed while throwing family pets in the training ring as bait?? Even accepting that such a remarkable moral reversal is possible, let’s consider what Vick stands to gain if this particular PR exercise is successful: international fame, a well-paid career back in the public eye – and let’s not forget those lucrative endorsements and licensing deals. The story alone is worth millions.

And doesn’t that send a different message? That you don’t REALLY lose everything and the consequences of your felonious brutality aren’t permanent – do the crime, do some time, make nice with the animal welfare people and it’s like nothing happened.

We hope for the animals’ sakes that the Humane Society’s instincts are right on this one.

What do you think?

Further reading/Listening:

(by Urbancritter)

Filed under: Uncategorized

Lone Star Pet Adopt-A-Thon This Saturday, May 9 at The Ballpark in Arlington

Join us this Saturday for some fun in the sun and (hopefully) meet your next furry family member!

image

This Saturday – May 9, hundreds of organizations across the state will be participating in the Lone Star Pet Adopt-A-Thon Weekend, sponsored by the Texas Animal Shelter Coalition. The weekend adoption event is designed to promote animal organizations as “the place” to adopt dogs and cats.

Headlining the weekend will be a huge Adopt-A-Thon on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Ballpark in Arlington, Parking Lot E, at the corner of Ballpark Way and Six Flags Road. 

More than 35 animal shelters, rescue groups and vendors will have hundreds of adorable, adoptable dogs and cats available for adoption and all in one location.

Please come out and join us!  Even if you aren’t ready to adopt, we’ll have lots of great information available to help you prepare your pet for an emergency, free pet thermometers, paw print purses, stop puppy mill bracelets, and games and coloring books for the kids!

For more info:

(by urbancritter)

Filed under: Uncategorized

Huge Adopt A Thon May 9 at Ballpark in Arlington!

tasclogoThis year, May 9, 2009, Companions For Life and hundreds of organizations across the state will be participatging in the Lone Star Pet Adoptathon Weekend, sponsored by the Texas Animal Shelter Coalition. The weekend adoption event is designed to promote animal organizations as “the place” to adopt dogs and cats. Headlining the weekend will be a huge Adopt A Thon on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Ballpark in Arlington, Parking Lot E, at the corner of Ballpark Way & Six Flags Road. More than 35 animal shelters, rescue groups and vendors will have hundreds of adorable, adoptable dogs and cats available for adoption and all in one location.

Please come out and join us! Even if you aren’t ready to adopt, we’ll have lots of great information available to help you prepare your pet for an emergency, free pet thermometers, paw print purses, stop puppy mill bracelets, and games and coloring books for the kids!

For more info: Find out why it is so important to adopt, not buy, visit Companions For Life on the web, or check out the Texas Animal Shelter Coalition website.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Subscribe to Dallas Animal Advocates by Email

Get all the latest news and updates when they happen! Subscribe to Dallas Animal Advocates by Email

Save A Life – Adopt A Pet!

Dallas Animal Services has many wonderful pets available for adoption! Fees are only $85 for dogs and $55 for cats - and that includes initial vaccinations, spay or neuter, and microchip! Click HERE to see just a few of the dogs and cats looking for new homes.

Picture This –

In FY 2006-2007, the City of Dallas had no choice but to euthanize 26,979 unwanted pets. It would take 550 DART buses to transport that same number of people - or 63 Boeing 747 jets!

Local Events

April 18, 2009 - Samuel Grand K-9 Classic community dog event 10am-2pm at Samuel Grand Park & Rec Center, 6200 East Grand Ave, Dallas Tx - leashed dogs welcome. Contact Heidi Hulin – heidi.hulin@dallascityhall.com for more info.

April 26, 2009 - DFW SPAY DAY at the SPCA’s Martin Spay Neuter Clinic. Email onecatsluv@sbcglobal.net or call 972.671.0429 to make an appointment or see http://www.dfwspayday.org for more info.

May 9, 2009 - Texas Animal Shelter Coalition Adoptathon at the ballpark in Arlington - see http://www.sheltercoalition.com/09adopt.htm for more details.

June 28, 2009- Fix A Bull free s/n clinic for pit bulls in Arlington. www.respectabull.com for more information

Need free spay/neuter?

Visit the Metroplex Animal Coalition for more information on free spay/neuter by clicking HERE.

How You Can Help

If you'd like to help Dallas Animal Services, please consider volunteering or making a donation to Metroplex Animal Coalition's DAS fund. You can donate online through Metroplex Animal Coalition. Just mark the box next to Dallas Animal Services.

Did You Adopt from DAS?

Send us a photo and short note about your pet and we'll feature him/her on our ALUMNI page. Email your information to dallasanimaladvocates@gmail.com.