(Rockwall) Melanie, Mia and Angel were fortunate to have heartworm problems this month. If the three chihuahua mixes had been tested as heartworm positive a couple of years ago in Rockwall, they wouldn’t be alive.
It’s a new day for sick and injured pets in Rockwall, since the community achieved a 97% live outcome rate during August. That means nearly every pet that entered the Rockwall animal shelter last month was adopted, returned to its owner or is still looking for a home.
A community-wide volunteer effort, led by the nonprofit organization Rockwall Pets, rallied to save Melanie, Mia and Angel. The organization raised enough donations in three days last week to fund the dogs’ heartworm treatments. Rockwall rallied to save the three dogs, and the word spread throughout the country. Donations came in from various Texas cities as well as from Florida, North Carolina and Alaska. All three dogs received their lifesaving heartworm treatments this week.
The Rockwall City Council voted unanimously last month to direct city staff to maintain a minimum 90% live outcome rate at the city’s open-admission municipal shelter. City management is set to begin a two-month-long evaluation of Rockwall Animal Services. The goal is an overhaul of the department’s business plan to comply with the city council’s No Kill mandate.
Refusing to wait, Rockwall Pets and its volunteers stepped into the void. They added a series of additional off-site adoption events to an already crowded schedule. They began opening the Rockwall shelter on Sundays and on holidays like Labor Day. And the volunteers are keeping the shelter open later on Tuesday nights for “Yappy Hour.” The goal is to make shelter hours and off-site adoption events more convenient for working families.
In addition, volunteers organized the campaign to save Melanie, Mia and Angel. The two sisters, Melanie and Mia, are being cared for in a volunteer foster home by Thomas Laidacker and Minh Do. Angel had been adopted just prior to her heartworm treatment.
That’s three more lives saved in Rockwall. Add those to the hundreds already saved by volunteers over the past six months. And the volunteers are prepared to work even harder to maintain the community’s 97% live outcome rate. That’s what No Kill Rockwall is all about.
Story and photos by Michael Kitkoski.
More information:
A summary of Rockwall live outcome statistics is at rockwallpets.com/no_kill
Website: rockwallpets.com
Facebook: facebook.com/rockwallpets
Twitter: twitter.com/rockwallpets
To submit your news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
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