Summer Dashe/The Daily Campus
(Summer Dashe/The Daily Campus)
Her little body trembled as she waddled around the sidewalk, her crooked tail swatting people’s legs as she hopped about. She was underweight and scared. Kelly leaned down and scooped up the fragile Chihuahua, setting her on her hip like a toddler.
This pup was given the name Paris. She had been found tied to a tree outside a Dallas animal shelter with a note tucked under her collar. Her family couldn’t afford to feed her anymore amidst economic turmoil, so they left her in hands they thought were safe at the shelter. But safety would not come for Paris until later.
It is estimated that each year nearly 30,000 shelter animals are euthanized throughout the greater Dallas area.
“With the economy the way it is and more people surrendering their animals, the city just can’t keep up, and thus the reason for the high euthanasia rate,” Kelly Carden, the volunteer coordinator for Paws in the City, said.
Paws in the City is a strictly foster-based non-profit organization located in Dallas. The group, which started in 2005, rescues dogs from shelters and places the animals in foster care. Some shelters in the Dallas area only give a pup 45 days in their care, and if the dog is not adopted by then, it is euthanized.
“It will take a lot of dedication from our local politicians and support from Dallas citizens, and people need to know how important it is. If Austin can do it, we surely can,” Carden said.
Austin, like many other cities across the U.S., is in the process of becoming an entirely no-kill zone.
“We are implementing innovative and progressive programs in Austin and Central Texas after studying the best practices of other cities who are no-kill or are in the process of becoming no-kill,” according to the AustinPetsAlive.org mission statement.
More and more no-kill shelters are appearing throughout large cities; however, in a recession, they are suffering. Paws, however, has gained a superior amount of notoriety, and fundraising has only increased. The organization earned recognition when it was discussed on the Bravo television show, “Most Eligible