Photography by Danny Fulgencio.
Neighborhood nonprofit, Dallas Pets Alive! (DPA) welcomes Dogs Matter as a new department under its umbrella, focusing on supporting pets and their owners in times of extreme hardship.
Dogs Matter seeks to create a broader network of pet caregivers during challenging circumstances, particularly for individuals seeking substance abuse treatment. This collaboration aims to streamline fostering efforts, allowing DPA to focus on the human aspect of its mission, helping individuals attend rehab while ensuring their pets are cared for by DPA.
“What it means for us is that we get to focus more on the human part of our mission, which is helping addicts and alcoholics go to rehab. When they have nowhere to place their dog, then we foster them — now, Dallas Pets Alive! will be able to do the fostering, and then we’ll be able to work with the human, to be able to make sure that both get healthy,” Stephen Knight, executive director of Dogs Matter, said.
Dogs Matter will place dogs in temporary foster homes for individuals undergoing substance abuse treatment, facilitating reunification after treatment through their Aftercare Program. This program offers resources such as a recovery coach, counseling, medical assistance and pet-related deposits for up to 12 months.
“To get involved with Dogs Matter and Dallas Pets Alive! is a critical need in the city of Dallas for the overcrowding of shelters,” Knight said. “We provide the solution, and we need people to help us be part of that solution.”
The partnership with Dogs Matter will also enhance the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program, North Texas’s sole initiative preventing pet surrenders during crises. Since its inception in 2016, DPA’s PASS program has supported 16,509 pet owners and prevented the surrender of 2,679 animals to local shelters.
“Animal welfare is not just about the pets, but about the humans that love and care for them. DPA is proud to have the opportunity to help expand the impact Dogs Matter can have on those seeking inpatient treatment,” founder of Dallas Pets Alive!, Leslie Sans, said.
