Big Fix for Big D

Get your pet fixed for free in Dallas during limited-time program

A valuable free spay-and-neuter program in Dallas just got a major expansion. Called "The Big Fix for Big D," this initiative has been extended through the end of March for any low-income pet owner who lives in Dallas.

In the past, the Big Fix did free spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and pet registration services only in certain ZIP codes — mostly in South Dallas, where the need was greatest. It's now available to any low-income pet owner throughout the city. Free spay and neuter surgeries and vaccinations are also offered for community, aka feral, cats.

Big Fix For Big D was formed in April 2012 as a three-year project aimed to reduce the number of stray cats and dogs. It has provided spay and neuter services for more than 21,000 animals.

Big Fix for Big D is doing its part to reduce the number of unwanted animals that might otherwise end up in a shelter or on the streets.

Spaying and neutering reduce unwanted litters, which cuts down on the number of animals that must be euthanized.

"More than 16,000 dogs and cats were euthanized last year in Dallas," says project manager Diana Rowden. "Big Fix for Big D is doing its part to significantly reduce the number of unwanted animals that might otherwise end up in a shelter or be left to roam Dallas streets."

Four organizations provide the free services: Dallas Animal Services, Dallas Companion Animal Project, Spay Neuter Network and SPCA of Texas.

Pet owners who live in Dallas and would like to take advantage of this limited-time offer can find more information on BigFixforBigD.com and make appointments by calling 214-324-4349. Caretakers of community cats should email pam.asturias@spayneuternet.org for assistance. You must provide proof of residency at the time of surgery.

The Big Fix for Big D initiative is funded by the Companion Animal Funders Coalition, which includes the Dallas Foundation, Meadows Foundation, PetSmart Charities, Rees-Jones Foundation, George & Fay Young Foundation, Mike & Mary Terry Family Foundation and Summerlee Foundation.

The City of Dallas provides in-kind support for the project in the form of free pet registration. If you'd like to make a donation to the program, you can do that online.

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Cowboys news

Mike McCarthy reportedly out as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

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Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday, January 13.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because a decision hasn’t been announced. They said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and McCarthy agreed to part ways.

The coach’s contract expired following a 7-10 season. Dallas was 12-5 each of the three years before that, but still hasn’t been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since its last Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.

McCarthy’s contract expired January 8 and the Cowboys have an exclusive negotiation window through Tuesday, but the parties have decided to split ahead of the deadline.

At least one other NFL team asked during that time about talking to the 61-year-old coach who won a Super Bowl with Green Bay.

Next season will be the 30th for the Cowboys since winning the last of their five Super Bowl titles during the 1995 season. They haven’t even been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since then.

Before taking the Dallas job after a full season out of coaching, McCarthy was with the Packers for 13 seasons and had a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. He was 10-8 in the playoffs and led Green Bay to a Super Bowl title won at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Cowboys, 14 years ago.

There were also three other NFC championship games for McCarthy in Green Bay, and that is what Jones envisioned — and more — when he hired the coach in 2020 after Jason Garrett never got that far in his 10 years.

Jerry Jones at the Cardinals game Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is on the hunt for a winning head coach. Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

McCarthy finished with a 50-38 record in Dallas, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs. That included last season, when the Cowboys were NFC East champions and had won 16 consecutive home games before trailing by 32 points in the fourth quarter of a 48-32 wild-card loss to the seventh-seeded Packers.

Dallas played the final nine games this season without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott because of a torn hamstring. Top receiver CeeDee Lamb, seven-time Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin, cornerback Trevon Diggs and rushing defending DeMarcus Lawrence also finished the season on injured reserve.

Garrett had the franchise’s second-longest coaching tenure. Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry was the coach for the Cowboys’ first 29 seasons, the same number of seasons they have now gone since winning a Super Bowl. Jones fired two-time Super Bowl winner Landry when he bought the Cowboys before the 1989 season.

Only 12 NFL coaches have more career regular-season wins than McCarthy’s 174, which is still far behind Don Shula’s record 328. The only active coaches with more wins than McCarthy are Andy Reid (302 wins over 29 seasons) and Mike Tomlin (183 wins in 18 seasons).

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