Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Norah Meier-Maroulis is a Kentucky girl who was shocked at the number of street dogs when she moved to Dallas.

She started rescuing diseased and abused pups, sneaking them into her apartment, cleaning and vaccinating them. In 2006, she started a Facebook page called Dallas Strays and Rescues, which is packed with tips and help for lost or stolen pets. In addition to her day job selling commercial furniture, the Preston Hollow neighbor is social media marketing and advertising coordinator for EARS, the Education and Animal Rescue Society.

When she’s not combing the neighborhood on bulk trash day, looking for abandoned pet supplies to donate to shelters, she lives with husband, Steven, and a pack of dogs that includes Waffles, Dakota, O’Reilly and Kyoto, a doberman mix. Kyoto kept setting off a Ring Doorbell alert when he came to steal cat food off the porch. The foster mom feeds the dogs kale, carrots, blueberries, pureed pumpkin, zucchini, squash and banana. Catch her walking her pack off Azalea Lane between Edgemere and Hillcrest, but don’t be surprised if she has a thing or two to say. Here’s Meier-Maroulis unleashed:

  • She’s distraught by neighbors who don’t abide by the leash laws. “People feel entitled. If they have a small dog, they don’t think they need to leash it. It just takes one time for a dog to chase that squirrel, one time to attack another dog, one time for something bad to happen. When I walk my pack, they are always on harnesses. They have lights during the evening.”
  • She’s distressed by neighbors who dump new and gently used pet accessories without donating them to shelters. “We’re all privileged around here, and we just want to haul stuff to the curb and be done with it.”
  • She’s ticked off about neighbors who leave dogs in their cars. “I will go into Whole Foods and Walgreens and say, ‘Someone has left their dog in the car. Announce it over the PA, or I’ll call the police and fire department.’ Some people get nasty about it. You’re running in to get a Diet Coke and you’re killing your dog.”
  • She’s annoyed by neighbors who don’t clean up after their dogs. “You should always pick up the poop because the rats will go after it.”
  • She wants to re-educate neighbors who outfit their dogs with retractable leashes. “They’re bad training tools, teaching your dog it has no boundary. One lady reached out to me on NextDoor, saying she had gotten tangled up in one and it actually slit her neck.” Meier-Maroulis recommends a 6-foot leash and a harness.
  • She prefers neighbors who opt out of pronged choke collars. “They’re painful devices that can cause puncture wounds. Dogs will associate that pain with walks.
  • She wishes neighbors would provide end-of-life directives for their pets. “We assume a family member will take care of the pet, but the kids say, ‘I don’t have time. I don’t want to deal with it.’ And they dump them. You would be surprised how many pets end up in the shelter and get put to sleep.”
  • She detests neighbors who put dogs in truck beds. “It’s illegal in Dallas, and you have the right to call and report it.”

Resources:

EARS (Education and Animal Rescue Society), earstexas.org.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio