The SPCA of Texas, the nonprofit animal shelter located near the city-run Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center, is reopening to the public on Friday August 13.

The facility had been closed since May 2020 due to the pandemic. This opening follows a soft opening that took place over the last two weekends.

Located at 2400 Lone Star Dr., the SPCA's Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center will reopen their adoption floor, meaning walk-in visitors can come visit; hours of operation will be seven days a week from 12-6 pm.

The Customer Care Center is answering phone calls Monday-Saturday from 8 am-5 pm.

Although their facility was not open to the public, they were offering adoptions by appointment, which they will continue to do; you can make an appointment online at www.spca.org/adopt.

Equine and livestock adoptions will continue by appointment. They're a horse of a different color. <-- equine joke. To learn more about adopting an equine or livestock animal, visit www.spca.org/equine.

The SPCA of Texas looks forward to welcoming back people to visit their adoptable animals, and require all visitors and staff to wear masks at all times.

Their reopening follows the lead set by Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center, the city shelter, which reopened at the end of May.

In addition to opening their adoption floor, the SPCA is continuing to offer other programs and services including:

• Spay neuter. The SPCA of Texas' Mary Spencer Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic continues to take dog spay/neuter and basic veterinary services (e.g. vaccines, microchips, annual checkups, etc.) appointments on a limited basis for select zip codes Monday-Friday. To schedule an appointment, call 214-742-7722 Monday-Saturday from 8 am-5 pm, or fill out an appointment request form online at www.spca.org/spayneuterappt.
• COVID pet assistance. The SPCA of Texas continues to offer Pet Resource Center assistance to families that have been affected by illness and/or business closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit www.spca.org/prc for information on how food, medical, housing, or other assistance for your pet.
• Cruelty investigations. The SPCA of Texas' Animal Cruelty Investigations team will continue to respond to cases of suspected animal cruelty.
• Emergency surrenders. The organization will take in alumni surrenders in the case of an emergency.

They'll also bring back their signature fundraiser Fur Ball 2021, on Saturday October 2 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas as well as virtually. It was canceled in 2020.

Volunteer shifts are available for existing volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact volunteer@spca.org to be added to a list to be contacted once the program resumes.

Since March of 2020, the SPCA of Texas has been revisiting the policies and procedures that were put in place to protect staff, volunteers and visitors from risk of COVID-19 transmission in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities. As they prepare to reopen the adoption floor to the public, safety remains a top priority.