Photo by Danny Fulgencio
The City of Dallas’ efforts to curb our loose dog problem just received a $13-million boost.
Grants were announced totaling $13.45 million from the Rees-Jones Foundation ($10 million), the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation at the Communities Foundation of Texas ($3 million) and the Dallas Foundation ($450,000), which will go toward spay/neuter efforts, education and awareness in southern Dallas.
Based on recommendations from a consulting group the city hired last year, the millions will pay for 46,000 surgeries per year over the next three years. The money also will pay for a mobile surgery unit, expanding existing clinics and providing pick-up and drop-off transportation for pets that need spay/neuter surgery.
From the Dallas Foundation’s announcement:
An estimated 8,700 loose dogs roam through southern Dallas – compared to virtually no loose dogs in North Dallas – and incidents of dog bites in southern Dallas have increased 15 percent annually since 2013.
Only about 15 percent of dogs in southern Dallas are fixed, compared to about 80 percent north of the Trinity River.
The initiative also will offer free vaccinations and pet wellness exams, as well as spay/neuter surgeries for pet cats.
