Tonie reached out to our Pet Support and Resource Center to request a surrender appointment for her dog Cyrus because she couldn’t afford the medical costs associated with his care anymore. Tonie wasn’t just behind on Cyrus’s vaccinations; she said Cyrus has been looking sickly and losing weight, but he didn’t have the money to take Cyrus to the vet. We could hear how upset Tonie was over this decision and that she didn’t really want to surrender her dog to the city shelter. So, we referred Tonie to Dallas Pets Alive who arranged for Cyrus to be seen by a vet. After numerous tests, Tonie also learned that Cyrus was not sick but just needed a change in her diet. Upon hearing this news, Tonie was elated and said, “I’m definitely going to keep her and nurse her back to health, knowing she is okay and just needed a change in diet.”

Our Pet Support and Resource Center keeps pets and their families together because the best place for a pet to be is in a home, not a shelter.

Thanks to supporters like you, our Pet Support and Resource Center can provide pet owners with resources to either keep their pets in their homes or alternatives for re-homing them without putting them at risk of euthanasia at the shelter.

Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

Six months ago, Shereike found Chanel, a one-year-old Pitbull Terrier mix, homeless on the streets. She didn’t think twice about giving this adorable dog a good home. But as a medium, female dog, Chanel’s spay surgery and vaccinations would cost more than $400 at a vet clinic – way out of reach for Shereike.

Shereike wanted the best for Chanel. Sadly, she thought that meant surrendering Chanel to the city shelter so someone else could take care of her. Fortunately, through our partnership with the City of Dallas 311 and Dallas Animal Services, Shereike was rerouted to our Pet Support and Resource Center, which provides resources to keep pets and their families together. We gave Shereike a voucher to get Chanel fixed and vaccinated at one of our clinics. Rather than face an unknown future at an animal shelter, Chanel can now remain with the family who loves her.

In addition to ensuring Chanel didn’t have puppies, Shereike says there were a few added benefits she wasn’t anticipating: “She listens better and is learning obedience commands,” she says. “She has calmed down since the surgery.”

Since January, we’ve handled more than 5,100 animal cases from people needing to surrender their pets and kept more than 600 of those dogs and cats, like Chanel, either in their homes or on a new path for re-homing, bypassing the city shelter entirely!

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It had been over 20 years since Donald had a dog. But when his brother found a pregnant dog on the street four years ago, Donald stepped up to adopt one of the adorable heeler pups, whom he named Audrey (after his favorite movie star Audrey Hepburn). Fast forward to today, and Donald is now facing some housing challenges that were jeopardizing Audrey’s annual care. Through support for our Pet Assistance Program for People Experiencing Homelessness, we can provide free vaccinations, flea and tick preventatives, and even a spay for Audrey to ensure her continued care. Our goal is to keep pets and their people together during difficult times when they need each other the most.

Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

Even though Sheila was feeling stressed by the most recent challenges in her life, she took in Pebbles, a two-month-old chihuahua, from her son’s friend. Pebbles needed a home, and Sheila said she needed a friend to comfort her during this difficult time. But Sheila confessed she hadn’t had a dog since she was 23 years old and was unsure what Pebbles needed to stay healthy. Sheila brought Pebbles to the free vaccine clinic we hosted at the Bridge Recovery Center, a collaborative program that helps people experiencing homelessness and other financial challenges get back on their feet with housing, jobs, and skills training. We gave Pebbles flea and tick preventatives and the appropriate vaccinations for an eight-week-old puppy. We also shared information with Sheila on what other puppy vaccinations Pebbles would still need this year, and that 12 weeks was the right age to get her fixed. Our Pet Assistance Program for People Experiencing Homelessness ensures dogs and cats receive the best of care regardless of their owner’s financial challenges.

Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

Stevie was saved by a local rescue during a storm in May of 2022. The kitten was in poor health and in need of medical care. One of our vet techs (Darby) at the Dallas clinic fell in love with the kitten she named Stevie. Darby had his injured eye removed and brought Stevie to the Dallas clinic for his wellness vaccinations. We are happy to report that he is happy, healthy, and very loved. We often receive updates about Mr. Stevie on a regular basis as all of our team also fell in love with Darby’s tough little soldier! We can’t wait to see Stevie again when Darby brings him back to get neutered.

Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

Tammy stopped by our Fort Worth clinic to get flea and tick preventative for her nine-year-old dog, Ransom. When we asked about Ransom’s vaccines, she said he was past due. Being on social security and on a fixed income, she said she had to prioritize things. She was aware he needed his vaccines, but with summer and the heat, she wanted to make sure Ransom wasn’t scratching and uncomfortable with fleas, so she just wanted to get the flea and tick preventatives for now. We could tell she loved this guy and wanted to do more but simply couldn’t afford it. Every month, our staff at each of our three clinics is given the opportunity as a group to do an “Act of Kindness” by helping a family of their choosing with services they might need for their pet but can’t afford. Our Fort Worth clinic was able to provide Tammy with flea and tick preventative, rabies and Parvo/Distemper to ensure his health for the next year. We also sent Ransom home with a little homemade bag of treats with the hopes of seeing him next year, at the same time.

Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

When six-month-old Stevie came to our Dallas clinic, Christi said they already had several pets, but they took Stevie in as a tiny kitten during the February winter storm that took out power and stranded people all over North Texas. They intended to find him a home, but, of course, fell in love with this sweet-natured kitty. Knowing that the family had several pets they needed to care for already and that finances were tight, our staff in the Dallas clinic chose Stevie to receive vaccinations and neuter at no cost to his family through our Act of Kindness” program. This program helps people in our community and gives our staff a chance to live our mission by helping a new family every month. Through generous donations, we were able to get Stevie fixed for free…. Will you donate to support the next pet in need?

Coco’s owner had to move and didn’t want to surrender Coco but did not have the money for the pet deposit. Her case was transferred to Dallas Pets Alive and they were able to provide her with the pet deposit she needed to keep Coco with her.

These are the happily-ever-after stories we hope to create for pets every day.

Our Pet Support & Resource Center is an award-winning partnership with the City of Dallas and Dallas Animal Services to provide alternatives to surrendering a pet to the city shelter. Through this program, Spay Neuter Network provides services and resources to keep pets in their homes; helps pet owners rehome their pets on their own if needed; or routes pets to our local rescue partners for quicker adoptions.