Dallas Pets Alive! recently announced a $1 million capital campaign to help North Texas reimagine rescue by building a one-of-a-kind adoption facility made out of shipping containers. The facility, which is expected to begin construction in 2020. This announcement was made by Leslie Sans, executive director of Dallas Pets Alive!, at the inaugural Dallas Pets Live! concert fundraising event held at The Rustic earlier this month.
“We have always had the goal of opening an adoption center, but we wanted to do it a bit differently,” Sans told the more than 800 attendees at the Dallas Pets Live! benefit concert and silent auction. “We have always tried to make rescuing an animal not only feel like the right thing to do, but the cool thing to do and we need an adoption center that will speak that truth. We want to create a brand new facility that will welcome people into the space and make them not feel like they are in a typical shelter.”
Dallas Pets Alive! does not currently have a shelter facility and relies entirely on a dedicated team of volunteer foster families to care for pets until they're adopted. The rescue group is also one of the primary transfer partners for Dallas Animal Services and they have successfully helped increase the city’s live release rate from 42.7 percent in 2012 to 73.3 percent in 2016.
At any given time, Dallas Pets Alive! has more than 300 volunteers around North Texas fostering more than 300 pets at their own homes. To capitalize and grow on this successful network, Dallas Pets Alive! is creating a showroom to allow more access for the public to meet these adoptable animals. The new facility will be able to house approximately 40 animals per day, which will help Dallas Pets Alive! increase their adoption rate to 1,720 animals per year.
“A huge hurdle we face is the assumption that rescue animals are damaged,” said Sans. “Our innovative approach of building a facility out of shipping containers shows the community that there is beauty in the used.”
The new facility was designed by Dallas-based architecture firm, M Gooden Design, which is known for their mid-century, modern design. The project will be about 3,800 square feet and partially constructed out of 12 shipping containers, a method that’s socially responsible and cost-efficient.
Inside, the facility will have 20 kennel spaces with digital cards outside each space to display the animal’s information. Other interior features include a wellness clinic, a large reception and waiting area, an indoor play area where potential adopters can meet with adoptable pets and special contained spaces for adoptable cats.
Additionally, there will be an 800-square-foot outdoor roof deck with turf, where Dallas Pets Alive! can conduct meetings and training sessions. Other exterior features will include a patio with multiple seating options, a large outdoor play area where animals can socialize with potential adopters, lots of green space with trees and plenty of parking.
More than $13,000was raised at the Dallas Pets Live! benefit concert and silent auction, which kicked off the capital campaign on Nov. 16. The inaugural event was hosted by The Rustic, in collaboration with Spune Productions and Do214. Event sponsors included Gloria Goss Realty, Texas Silver Star Vodka, and Austin Eastciders. Special guest and Instagram star, Nelson the Golden Doodle was also in attendance to shake paws and take selfies. Austin-based band, Wild Child, performed a special live performance for event attendees in support of their new album, “Fools.”
“The Rustic has a very philanthropic crowd, so we were really excited to partner with Dallas Pets Alive and Wild Child for this concert and capital campaign kick-off event,” said Sydney Cannon, event manager at The Rustic. “I have known Leslie for a while and this event came together and worked out nicely, everyone seems excited about the fundraising launch and the next phase for Dallas Pets Alive.”
Dallas Pets Alive! is actively looking for sponsors to help them reach their $1 million goal to reimagine the rescue experience and help build a better way forward for animal adoptions in North Texas.
Giving levels and naming rights available include:
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$200,000 Building Naming Rights
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$100,000 Play Yard & Rooftop Training Area
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$75,000 Cat Room, Clinic, Dog Play Area
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$30,000 Technology (Kiosks, Digital Kennel Cards)
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$15,000 Dog Kennels
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$10,000 Office Spaces
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$5,000 Tree/Benches in Outdoor Play Yard
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$1,000 Legacy Stones
For more information about the project and see renderings of the space, visit http://dallaspetsalive.org/buildabetterway/#reimagine.
About Dallas Pets Alive!
Dallas Pets Alive! is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit rescue group dedicated to promoting and providing resources, education and programs to eliminate the killing of companion animals. DPA focuses on pulling pets from the rescue list at Dallas Animal Services and on proactive measures to reduce the number of animals entering the city shelter with their Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) and Positive Alternative to Shelter Surrender (PASS) programs. DPA’s goal is to one day make Dallas a no-kill city. Learn more at dallaspetsalive.org.