Advocate For Animals

The essential guide to animal volunteer opportunities in Dallas-Fort Worth

Advocate For Animals

The essential guide to animal volunteer opportunities in Dallas-Fort Worth

Local photographer Sylvia Elzafon works with Dallas Animal Services to raise awareness about animals in need at the city shelter.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
When it comes to getting a pet, adopt, don't shop.Photo courtesy of Dallas Animal Services
Try some meatless meals at restaurants such as Spiral Diner.Photo by Marc Lee
Don't miss the annual Texas Veggie Fair.Photo by Marc Lee
Hold signs and protest outside the circus.Photo by Marc Lee

You love animals, and you'd like to help them in some way. You know there are animals in need, and organizations dedicated to helping them, but you don't know which to support.

Here is our master list of nearly every possible way you can help animals, whether it's an active role or from the comfort of your couch, beginning at the top with those that require a big time commitment, tapering down to easier ways to get involved.

IF YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ANIMALS

Adopt an animal from a shelter or rescue. This one's a big commitment. You're taking care of an animal for the rest of its life, and that can be a long-term relationship. In your search for a pet, avoid breeders and instead adopt from a shelter or rescue. (See some rescue choices below.)

Foster an animal from a shelter or rescue. When you foster, you're still giving an animal a home but it's temporary, for a shorter period of time. You're like a babysitter, until a permanent home can be found.

Volunteer at your city shelter. When you volunteer, you don't take animals home; instead, you visit with them and make them more comfortable during their stay at the shelter. City shelters are great places to help because they shoulder the biggest burden, with the greatest number of animals. Major city shelters include Dallas Animal Services, Fort Worth, Arlington, Burleson, Everman, Irving, Garland, Mesquite, Seagoville, Sunnyvale, Collin County and more.

Volunteer with one of the many groups that assist shelters (and there are more than are listed here):

Volunteer with a rescue group. If you'd prefer to work with a smaller organization than the city shelter, there are hundreds of rescue groups across Dallas-Fort Worth, that specialize in every flavor and breed. Like retrievers? There's a rescue group for that. Like rabbits? There's one for that too. If you want to help cats, there's Feral Friends. A list of rescues is at the bottom of this story; other volunteer opportunities can be found on volunteermatch.org.

IF YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE

These groups are good if you want to help animals, but are also seeking social interaction with other people.

Animal Connection of Texas is an activist group that focuses on ending animal suffering, abuse, and exploitation. You'll hold signs at protests and raise awareness about the cruelty of fur, circuses, and animal testing.

Big Fix For Big D is a program that conducts free spay/neuter, vaccinations, and registration clinics for pets in eight Dallas zip codes. You'll be helping poor people take better care of their pets.

Black Vegetarian Society preaches the benefits of a plant-based diet. You'll attend the occasional seminar and potluck gathering.

Dallas Vegan is the biggest vegan organization in Dallas and sponsor of the annual Texas Veggie Fair. You'll attend monthly drink sessions at vegan-friendly bars and other occasional events such as films and special dinners.

Denton Vegetarian Society is a vegetarian/vegan discussion, support, and advocacy community in Denton. You'll attend random seminars, bake sales, and events.

The Humane League Dallas is part of a national organization that does grassroots outreach, education, and campaigning on behalf of animals. You'll hand out leaflets at rock concerts.

Texas Humane Legislative Network is a statewide organization that works on animal legislation. You'll join one of their nine regional chapters and help get out votes on animal protection laws while networking with other animal advocates.

Urban Animal magazine is a quarterly magazine and social enterprise dedicated to increasing the demand for adoptions of homeless pets. You'll respond to requests for supplies and action.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HANG OUT

Donate. If you're not out to socialize with people or pets, one easy way to make a contribution is to donate. Nearly every organization listed here is underfunded and staffed by volunteers. You can donate cash, make contributions to medical bills, or buy food and supplies online and have them shipped.

Go meatless. The simplest thing you can do for animals is to stop eating them. Join the annual Texas Go Vegan Week in October. Follow the Meatless Monday Facebook page or join the Meatless Monday Facebook group where you can trade tips and recipes. Eat more often at vegan restaurants such as Spiral Diner, Be Raw, and Kalachandji's.

Visit a nonprofit sanctuary such as Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch or In Sync Exotics, which rescues animals from zoos and other inhumane circumstances — preferable to patronizing zoos, circuses, or animal-themed amusement parks.

Report cruelty. Call 911: if you see someone on the side of the road selling puppies or kittens; if you see a dog chained to a tree; if you see an animal running on a street without an owner.

LIST OF LOCAL RESCUE GROUPS

inspiration

Animal News

Advocates find false info being fed to Texas legislators on pet store law

Puppy mill dogs do not have a great life.

undefined Courtesy

A national pet store chain has been implicated in a dishonest campaign to try and influence Texas lawmakers on an upcoming bill making its way through the legislature.

The pet store chain is Petland, and they're engaged in a battle against The Ethical Pet Sale Bill (SB 1652 / HB 3458), which would encourage pet stores to stop selling at-risk animals from puppy mills and support shelters and rescue groups instead.

The Ethical Pet Sale bill has support from rescue and animal groups across Texas, who are all grappling with a glut of animals on the streets and in overcrowded shelters. That pet overpopulation problem gets even worse when pet stores import more animals from puppy mills in states like Missouri and Ohio.

If Texas passes the bill, it will join a growing number of states and cities who've already passed similar laws including Dallas, Austin, Bryan, College Station, El Paso, Euless, Fort Worth, Houston, New Braunfels, Pasadena, San Antonio, The Colony, Sherman, and Waco.

Most reputable pet store chains such as PetSmart and PetCo do not sell cats and dogs. Petland does. The company operates 84 stores in the U.S., and fights bills like this by hiring lobbyists such as Jake Posey at Mercury Public Affairs to discourage legislators from supporting these bills.

Phony list
In this case, a two-page summary was distributed to some Texas state senators listing reasons why they should oppose SB ("The evidence from other states, especially California, demonstrates that these types of bans do more harm than good"), plus a list of organizations that are opposed.

Most of the organizations opposed to the bill profit directly from animals, such as Petland and Puppy Dreams, a North Texas chain that also sells animals.

But the list also had surprising names including PetSmart, PetCo, and Pet Supplies Plus — the three largest pet store chains who all have a history of supporting adoption of shelter animals.

Their presence on the list caught the eye of animal advocacy groups such as Texas Humane Legislation Network and Humane World For Animals, who've worked with the big three in the past.

"We became aware of Petland Inc.’s lobbyist, Jake Posey, apparently sharing the attached document with legislators, claiming the listed pet and pet product industry leaders are opposing this legislation," said a spokesperson from Humane World of Animals (HWA). "We checked in with contacts at Petco, Petsmart, and the American Pet Products Association, and all of them deny opposing this legislation or giving Petland permission to list them on this opposition letter. It’s very possible others listed in this letter also did not give their permission to be included — we only connected with the those listed above at this stage."

CultureMap also contacted the three major pet store chains and received similar responses that they had not been consulted nor did they issue a rejection of the bill, although none wanted to be quoted.

Jake Posey did not respond to a request for comment.

The misrepresentation is concerning because it muddies the water with false information at a time when the bill is still under consideration:

HB 3458 — the version going through the Texas House — passed a House Committee with a 10-1 vote and has been moved up the chain towards passage.

SB 1652 — the version going through the Senate — still needs to get through the Senate Committee, Calendars, and a floor vote.

"By creating a false narrative about the position of the above industry leaders, this letter has the potential to sway lawmakers at a critical juncture in the legislation’s journey," the HWA spokesperson says.

Two Petland stores in the Dallas area — in Frisco and Tyler — have been the subject of undercover investigations. Petland Webster recently settled a lawsuit with several families that the store allegedly sold sick puppies to, and several lawsuits have been filed against Petland Woodlands in Texas, claiming the store sold sick puppies. One pet owner told the House Committee that he'd spent $20,000 on medical care of a puppy he bought at a pet store.

"Banning the retail sale of puppies and kittens is a common-sense solution to protect both animals and Texas consumers," said Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, who filed the bill. "My SB 1652 would help reduce pet overpopulation, promote responsible breeding practices and prevent families from unknowingly purchasing sick animals. With varying local ordinances in place and further action at the city level now restricted, it is important for the state to provide a clear and consistent approach that prioritizes both animal welfare and consumer protection."

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