DFW Pets Are Family - Dallas Animal Services

Imagine 18,000 lbs of food and more than 1400 pets and the people who love them out for a day of pet family care in Dallas...

That was the DFW Pets Are Family event, held on March 18th in south Dallas! 

The first of four events in 2023, the DFW Pets Are Family events provided free food, supplies, and services to pet families in need. Following several events in 2022, this year's events expand to Fort Worth, in addition to Dallas, and saw an astounding 177% increase in need. DFW Pets Are Family events are made possible through public donations and are a key component to keeping pets out of shelters. Months of planning by 11 CUDDLY partners, plus other local organizations, finally came to fruition and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. 

Pet families arrived before dawn and at the height of the day the line of cars for this drive-thru event stretched more than a mile down the road. Though this could have been a recipe for frustration, family after family flagged down volunteers to say thank you and have them take pictures with their pets.  

Many told volunteers about friends, family, and neighbors who couldn't make it, but planned to attend the next, signaling to partnering organizations that the next DFW event, to be held in Fort Worth early June, has to be just as big as the first. With so many pet families seeking assistance and area shelters consistently at capacity, these services have become essential lifelines to families and shelter pets, alike.

Dallas Animal Services, the largest organization to participate in DFW Pets Are Family, and one of the largest sheltering organizations in the country, saw an almost 30% increase in animal intakes - a jump of over 400 animals -  in March 2023 compared to the same month last year. For the first three months of the year, 1,036 more animals entered the shelter than in 2022. This kind of increase in animal intake is an urgent issue and part of the reason why surrender prevention support, like those offered at the event, are such a focus. 

"Surrender prevention is critical as it promotes love, health, and safety for both humans and pets in the home, and maximizes lifesaving in the shelter; these events do that in a really impactful way," said MeLissa Webber, Director of Dallas Animal Services.

None of this could have been achieved without the dedication of so many people. From the event planners who met diligently for the months leading up to the event, seeing to it that every last detail was right; the ALMOST 100 VOLUNTEERS who came to the event to ensure pet families got the help they needed; and the donors and supporters who dug deep to give more than 1200  items including bags of pet food, cat litter, flea and tick protection, and more. 

They say it starts with community and if the DFW Pets Are Family event is any indication - the pet families of the Dallas Fort Worth area have an incredible one rooting for them. Here's to the next! 💫 💫