Lakeside area leads nation in animal welfare

(This article was published in the neighborsgo section of the January 3, 2014 edition of the Dallas Morning News. It was written by Rockwall Pets Executive Director Michael Kitkoski.)

Communities surrounding Lake Ray Hubbard continued to be national leaders in animal shelter reform during 2013. The No Kill advocacy that Rockwall Pets began in 2010 is beginning to pay off in a big way. Nearly 2,000 additional shelter pets were adopted in Rockwall County during 2013 compared to four years ago. During that same period, the number of pets killed in animal shelters nationwide fell from around four million per year to 2.7 million, according to the Humane Society of the United States. That’s an improvement of over 25 percent in a brief time.

How is our area leading the way? After Rockwall Pets worked with city officials, Rockwall joined Seagoville in establishing our area’s first No Kill municipal shelters in 2011. Carl Alsabrook, the city manager in Royse City, jumped on board in 2012. Rockwall County killed nearly 60% of every animal in its care five years ago, but now saves the lives of over 95%. (The term “No Kill” means returning “euthanasia” to its dictionary definition. Gravely ill and overly aggressive pets should be euthanized. Killing healthy and treatable pets is just that: killing.)

We spent much of 2013 working with the Rowlett and Dallas shelters. With some urging from its citizens and government officials, the Rowlett shelter is poised to join the ranks of area No Kill shelters during 2014. Of the nearly 500 shelter pets rescued by Rockwall Pets last year, about 100 came from Rowlett.

How did we get here? Everyone at Rockwall Pets believes it’s time for our animal shelters to reflect our values as Americans. According to Forbes magazine, Americans spent over $50 billion on our pets during 2011. That’s more than we spend on videos, music and video games combined. We Americans obviously love our pets.

Animal sheltering began in the late 1800s when Americans used animals as working stock. Many animals were worked literally to death while others were routinely rounded up and killed. Following World War II, Americans began keeping pets in our new suburban backyards. Then, as the year 2000 approached, many of us began inviting our dogs and cats to sleep with us. During those 150 years, pets went from our barnyards to our backyards to our bedrooms, yet our animal shelters never changed.

During the 1970s, shelters began blaming the “irresponsible public” for what they called “pet overpopulation.” But 2.7 million pets died in shelters last year even though 17 million American families were looking to adopt. That’s a marketing problem, not pet overpopulation. And I believe that most of us are good people. The HSUS estimates that 83% of owned dogs and 91% of owned cats have been spayed or neutered compared to around 10% in the 1970s. That’s what I call a responsible public.

That’s why our dream is to spread our No Kill mission from Lake Ray Hubbard to all of north Texas. It’s time our animal shelters shared the compassionate values of pet-loving Americans.

Abandoned dogs escape troubled past

Shaggy was one of five dogs abandoned in the parking lot of a Dallas apartment complex.

Shaggy was about to abandon hope. The seven-month-old terrier mix was completely disoriented when he discovered he was marooned with four similar puppies in the parking lot of a Dallas apartment complex. Some of the dogs, like his friend Thelma, had been stuffed into a recycling bin.

Before they could get their bearings, Shaggy and the rest of the confused young dogs were whisked away to the Dallas animal shelter. Danielle Fry, the shelter’s rescue coordinator, sent out an urgent call for help. She felt the petrified dogs would fare poorly in the shelter environment.

Within minutes, Christina Arriaga, who manages the rescue operation for the nonprofit Rockwall Pets, was busy arranging foster homes for the frightened puppies. Rockwall Pets quickly notified the shelter that it would take Shaggy, Thelma and the other three abandoned dogs.

Just two days later, the smile had returned to Shaggy’s face after he discovered he and his friends were safe. Rockwall Pets is a nonprofit rescue organization dedicated to ending the killing of healthy and treatable shelter pets in north Texas. Shelter killing is the number one cause of death for healthy dogs and cats in the United States, according to the American Humane Association.

After leading local efforts to achieve No Kill status for the Rockwall and Royse City shelters, Rockwall Pets set its sights on saving the lives of shelter pets throughout north Texas, especially in Dallas. The nonprofit estimates an average of 50 healthy and/or treatable dogs and cats are killed every day at the Dallas shelter. Rockwall Pets has saved the lives of nearly 300 pets from the Dallas shelter during the past 12 months.

Dallas Animal Services conducted an investigation into the abandonment of the dogs but could find no leads.

Within a couple of days of his rescue, Shaggy was attending his first Rockwall Pets adoption event. His ever-present smile offered no clue as to the horrors he’d witnessed the previous week. He was a long way from a filthy recycling bin in the middle of a crowded parking lot. For what could be the first time in their lives, Shaggy, Thelma and the rest of their friends are experiencing the love and joy of being a puppy.

Donate today to help the abandoned dogs.

Looking ahead to 2013

Bear was one of the first pets rescued by Rockwall Pets in 2013.
The heartworm-positive shepherd mix was rescued from the Dallas shelter on January 2.

This interview with Michael Kitkoski of Rockwall Pets appeared in the January 4, 2013 edition of neighborsgo in the Dallas Morning News.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities you anticipate for animal shelters in 2013?

The most critical concern for any retail-like business is location. That puts most animal shelters at a disadvantage, since they're generally located in out-of-the-way areas. We've proven in Rockwall, Seagoville, Austin and the other 200-plus no-kill cities and towns across the nation that taking the pets to the people - by doing adoption events at places like Petco and PetSmart - increases pet adoptions.

How will 2013 differ from 2012?

Most Americans are now aware that the facilities they thought of as "shelters" kill a lot of healthy and adoptable pets. Shelter killing is the No. 1 cause of death for healthy dogs and cats in America. In a recent AP poll, three-fourths of Americans said they didn't want their tax dollars used to kill healthy pets in shelters. So the mindset is changing. The Dallas shelter, for instance, has been making tremendous progress under the leadership of Jody Jones. If Dallas continues to improve during 2013, it won't be long before it's the largest no-kill city in the nation.

What are some goals for your organization this upcoming year?

We have an ambitious goal: To double the number of adoptions we did this year. Since nearly every pet rescued by Rockwall Pets was in danger of being killed at an area shelter, that means we're doubling the number of lives saved. Our mission is to save every life we possibly can.

What are the main needs your organization will face in 2013, and how can community members help?

Until we can purchase our own facility, we always need more foster homes and volunteers. As we expand, we're also looking for more local businesses that are willing to host adoption events on a regular basis. And donations, of course, are always needed and welcome. If a fundraising expert wanted to volunteer to help us, it would be a festive occasion!

What growth and development would you like to see in the animal shelter community in the coming year?

The old shelter business model, which was based on the killing of healthy pets to make space, is gradually giving way to the more compassionate lifesaving model. It's about time, since the old method has been in place for about 150 years! The Dallas shelter has nearly doubled its save rate in one year; it was 26% in September 2011 and 43% this year. There's still a long way to go, but they're making substantial progress. It's time for other North Texas shelters to follow that lead.

What important pet- or animal-related issues should residents be most aware of in the coming year?

Forbes magazine recently documented that the pet business is now one of the largest industries in the United States. Americans spent $50 billion on our pets during 2011, which is more than movies, music and video games combined. It's obvious that Americans love our pets.

What factors are most important to consider for those who want to adopt an animal in 2013, and during the winter months?

Consider adopting instead of buying a pet. When someone adopts a pet from Rockwall Pets, they're not only saving a life, they're getting a pet who's had full veterinary care, including spay/neuter, vaccinations and testing. Puppy mills and backyard breeders, on the other hand, often keep their pets in deplorable conditions. Nearly 17 million American families are looking for a new pet each year, while four million adoptable pets are killed in shelters annually. Do the math. If only a fourth of those families would adopt a shelter dog or a rescue cat instead of buying from a puppy mill, we would end shelter killing. And that would mean a happy New Year for all of us.

Another record: this time a two-fer!

You've done it again! These Jack Russell terrier mix puppies were your Rockwall neighborsgo Adoptable Shelter Pets of the Week. Mere hours after they were posted on neighborsgo.com, they were both adopted. Incredible!