Growing up, I would usually watch TV with our golden retrievers, Mack and Buddy, lying at my feet (pictures below of the ever-so-talented Mack, who could fit three tennis balls in his mouth). I loved those crazy dogs like brothers, which might be why I vividly remember the sickening sadness I felt whenever the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) would air ads playing tragic music as clips of neglected and abused animals would flash across the screen.

I felt a similar sickening sadness when I learned that there is a major animal welfare problem in Texas. But I felt a stronger sense of hope, knowing that Fort Worth nonprofit Saving Hope is working tirelessly to alleviate the problem — and there are SO many way you and I support them in their mission.

I first found out about them when we hosted a Fort Worth dog rescue and adoption event at the Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty office. Saving Hope brought a bunch of puppies in need of a home for an afternoon of snuggles, foster connections, and adoptions. It was the best day!

I had the pleasure of interviewing two Katies — Katie Roberts, a volunteer ambassador, and Katie Whittenburg, staff event coordinator — to learn more about their personal involvement in Saving Hope and how more people can get involved with the Fort Worth dog rescue. So, if you are a loving pet parent or want to play a small part in keeping animals in our community safe, healthy, and off the streets, read on!

Katie R adopted four pups from Fort Worth dog rescue Saving Hope.

How long have you been working with Saving Hope? How did you initially get involved?

Katie R: I started in 2017 by fostering a dog named Curly. After we found him a forever home, I continued to foster and get more involved. Today I serve as an ambassador, and we do everything! We help with community events, answer questions, and encourage people to volunteer. We also help with fostering, intake, and transport — whatever we can do to help!

Katie W: I’ve been on staff since February of this year, but I’ve been involved with the rescue for almost 8 years. I started volunteering when I was a student at TCU — I helped out with events and ended up fostering more than a dozen dogs. As a foster, your job is to set dogs up for success, so I got them potty trained, crate trained, taught them to sit, helped them learn how to sleep through the night, and more. I pour so much energy into fostering, so I take pride in the fact that a lot of my dogs have worked so well for their forever families.

My new full-time role is event coordinator. We are grateful to have a lot of community support and event inquiries, so my job involves selecting who to work with based on what’s best for the dogs. Is it a good environment for them? Will it provide good adoption exposure? We love engaging with the community and showing people a good time, but at the end of the day, it’s about the dogs!

Y’all are big advocates for spaying and neutering animals. Can you tell us a little more about why it’s the humane thing to do?

Katie W: Whenever dogs on the street get pregnant, there is nowhere for the puppies to go. Just this month, we have seen an awful increase in overpopulation in shelters. They never stop intake, and they euthanize when they become overcrowded to make space for new intakes. Many shelters have euthanasia lists multiple days per week — about 8-20 dogs, depending on the day. Because of the lack of spay/neuter laws here in Texas, we see far too many healthy, lovable, adoptable dogs get put down for no reason other than lack of space. Spaying and neutering can and will prevent that! Humane Society International wrote a great article on Why Spay/Neuter Is Important, and how it benefits both animals and communities.

Katie R’s backyard has astroturf to keep her dogs and house clean!

How has your love for animals influenced the way you have decorated your home?

Katie R: We have tile in our den where the dogs hang out, which is easy to clean. All of our fabric is Sunbrella because you can wipe it down and wash it — Ballard Designs in Clearfork has some really great Sunbrella products. We also made our backyard very pet friendly — it’s hard to keep grass and plants alive with so many dogs running around, so we keep flowers in pots and put in astroturf. It’s amazing for dogs because they don’t come into the house muddy, and it’s easy to keep clean.

Katie W: My husband and I are renovating our entire home, and it has 100% had an influence on our decisions. We love opening our home to help save lives, so we designated a spot for all the pups and dogs — we have a “dog room” with stained concrete floors. We also have scratch-proof/waterproof vinyl floors through the rest of the house.

How can someone get involved with Saving Hope Fort Worth dog rescue?

Katie R: There are so many ways to get involved! Physical work like cleaning and stocking shelves is needed at the house facilities — in Benbrook and eventually Aledo. You can also help out at shot clinics or volunteer to foster. Saving Hope provides a ton of resources for their fosters — they supply food, crates, and toys, and they make sure all the animals are vetted, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered. You might not be able to foster if you’re in an apartment (it depends on the dog), but you can help with transport, events, food drives…if you’re interested in getting involved, reach out, and there will be a way for you to help! You’re helping the dogs, but the dogs are also helping you — with all the mental health issues going on, I see dogs as a big part of helping with that.

Katie W: We are in the process of building a property in Aledo that will be called the Saving Hope Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary. We should ready to start accepting volunteers in Aledo by 2024. It will also provide education — dog training, animal welfare condition awareness, school field trips, and more. We exist because there is a huge animal welfare issue in Texas, and our goal is to change that through both rescue and education efforts.

We also need donations — both supplies and money. We could always use puppy pads, beds, food, and toys, which you can drop off at the house facilities. Financially, our medical bills for Q1 alone were $478,923.82. We provide vaccines for every intake, plus heart worm prevention, deworming, etc. Monetary donations are used to ensure that animals are healthy and safe, and go towards medical costs, dog food, and more. You can see a cost breakdown in the graphic below:

If you feel called to support this cause monetarily, you can donate via Venmo (SavingHope-Rescue), PayPal (SavingHopeRescue), or directly on their website. If you want to participate in their events, keep an eye on their event calendar. If you simply want to stay informed, follow the Saving Hope Fort Worth dog rescue page on Facebook. Even something as simple as sharing a social media post helps!