Preston Hollow-based nonprofit Dallas Pests Alive! is celebrating a one-year anniversary of their BARK program, which provides temporary foster care for dogs who’s parents are undergoing medical treatment.
BARK, or Building Attachment and Resilience K-9, pairs these foster dogs with children at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s Gainesville State School.
The largest juvenile detention center in the state houses 140-160 teen boys, 16 of which are housed in dorms in pairs with dogs from the BARK program.
Rebel with A..S. Photo courtesy of Dallas Pets Alive!.
“The BARK youth are learning responsibility, that’s the number one thing,” said Gainesville State School Superintendent Darryl Anderson. “Those guys are in school, they don’t get disciplinaries. They are positive role models for the other kids.”
According to a news release, the children exercise and teach or review basic commands with their dogs.
“Being [in the BARK dorm] is really a privilege,” one participant, identified as A.S., said. “I’m learning how to be patient. When you go out (back to the community) there’s a lot of altercations and you have to know how to separate a good situation from a bad situation. You have to cope with it and understand when to move ahead and when to let go.”
A.S. takes care of a tan-and-white dog named Rebel. Rebel is one of 16 foster dogs that has participated in the program since its inception in September 2023.
“TJJD is grateful to Dallas Pets Alive! for providing the youth with this opportunity to learn new skills and give back to the community,” a news release said.
