City News

City of Arlington opens new family-friendly shelter for homeless population

The space for families and children has been expanded and improved.

Courtesy photo

The city of Arlington just opened a new homeless shelter that increases the previous capacity by nearly half and expands space for recreational and educational programs.

Called Arlington Life Shelter, it opened June 4, despite ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

The new shelter is a two-story facility at 325 W. Division St. with 12,000 square feet and a simple-but-elegant design that promotes an atmosphere of dignity, inspiration, safety, and hope.

Some of the new features include:

Expanded family quarters. The facility has seven family bedrooms that can house women with children, or full families with children. This represents an increase of 40 percent in the number of beds. The family and individual bedrooms were outfitted in part by more than $40,000 in contributions community members made via the Amazon Wish List.

Expanded education, recreation, and programming space. The previous shelter only had one room dedicated to these functions.

Upgrade in children's quarters. A much-expanded recreational, educational, and program space for children to give them a sense of normalcy. Previously, the shelter had only one small room to serve children of all ages. The new facility has separate spaces for toddlers, elementary-age children, and a room for teens.

Open-air playground. Can be used by all ages.

New, larger kitchen and dining hall. This allows a larger population of residents to be served more quickly and efficiently.

Computer lab with audio/visual equipment. This provides opportunities for residents to upgrade their computer skills with a goal of better paying jobs. Children can also participate in classes.

Large classroom. This provides space for training and educational classes, as well as for outside agencies and groups who want to assist the homeless to present to large groups. Two smaller study rooms will also be available for small group training.

The new facility came about when Arlington Life Shelter purchased the building next door to the existing shelter facility through a gift from a local donor. That building was demolished, to make room for the new facility. It connects to the prior shelter which underwent remodeling and re-purposing.

The shelter was first formed "on a very cold night in 1987," when volunteers opened the doors of First Presbyterian Church of Arlington. During its first three years, the shelter was operated entirely by volunteers. It moved to its current location in 1988 and was renovated in 1993, increasing the capacity for clients from 43 to 87. Construction began on the shelter expansion in summer 2019.

Over 25,000 homeless men, women and children have sought refuge at the Arlington Life Shelter over the past 33 years.

downtown

Animal News

Dallas police seek help in identifying 2 jerks who dumped their dogs

DPD

Fat jerk getting back into his red Jeep after dumping his dog.

The Dallas Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying not one but two men who abandoned their dogs off Dowdy Ferry Road in southeast Dallas.

In Texas, abandoning a dog is considered animal cruelty. The penalties for abandoning a dog in Texas can include: Misdemeanor – Abandoning a dog is a Class A misdemeanor in Texas. If convicted, a person can face up to a year in jail and up to $4,000 in fines. That's something but it's not enough.

Both incidents took place in the 2400 block of Dowdy Ferry Road, an area well known amongst low-lifes for dumping animals and anything generally sketchy.

The first took place on June 3, 2024, at about 5:15 pm, when a male exited a red Jeep with a black hardtop, opened the back door to let out a black pit bull type dog, then drove off.

The dog sniffs some paint cans, also dumped on the side of the road, then notices the Jeep has driven off, and runs after him.

How do you be that guy? How do you be a jerk with a fat gut, scraggly black hair, ballcap, scraggly chin fuzz, stupid tattoos on your calves, who looks to be in your 30s yet goes around outside wearing flip-flops as regular shoes, have a sweet dog you dump on the side of the road?

Sometimes it's easier to identify someone if you see them moving. To see this guy as he waddles to the back of his Jeep, click here for the video.

If he or his Jeep looks familiar, this investigation is case number 086508-2024.

Fat dumpy male, dark car, Dowdy Ferry Road Dumpy male gets out of his dark car, while his two dogs are still inside.DPD

The second incident took place June 18, 2024, at about 12:05 pm, when a male exited his dark-colored car and opened the front passenger door to let out two Cane Corso dogs, then abandoned them at the location.

He looks to be in his 40s, with a paunchy gut, wearing a pale collared jersey, jeans, and sneakers. His car is a beat up old Scion, around a 2006, dark gray or black with a few dents in the front. Who do you know who drives a Scion?

This guy exhibits guilt. He gets out and trudges around the area with the two dogs following him. He returns to the area of the car and the dogs jump back in. He looks around, then stumbles a bit down the street before returning to shoo the dogs out.

To see him in action, click on the video here. This investigation is ongoing and is documented on case number 094077-2024.

The videos are from the Dowdy Ferry Animal Commission, a group of volunteers, some of whom live nearby, who've spent a decade documenting this behavior. Their Facebook page is here, and they accept donations for cameras and other gear.

Anyone with any information regarding these offenses is asked to contact DPD Crime Stoppers at 1 877-373–TIPS or Detective H. Tamez, #8518, with the Animal Cruelty Unit, at 214-671-0115.

animals