Chapter 3
Linda Perryman Evans became the third president of the Foundation in 1996. During her tenure, the Foundation put an emphasis on work in animal welfare and gained many partners in that space. SPCA of Texas has been a partner of the Foundation since 1973 and embodies a dedication to animals that spans cities.
A message from SPCA of Texas
The SPCA of Texas takes seriously its role as a guardian of animals in Texas. The SPCA of Texas prevents and prosecutes animal cruelty, cares for rescued animals, and keeps pets in their safe and loving homes. We are proud to partner with many others working for animals and their human family members in this region.
One aspect of partnering in the community is demonstrated by our Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit. This unit has cultivated a social worker’s mentality when approaching cases of animal cruelty, where some individuals are willfully negligent or abusive, many started off well-intentioned and quickly became overwhelmed. The unit operates with the full force of the law and works with the sheriff’s department in Dallas and neighboring counties to train in proper animal handling and procedures for pursuing cases of animal cruelty when necessary. However, in many situations, they take time to educate families on responsible pet ownership.
According to recent data, 66% of families include four-legged friends. As household expenses continue to rise, our team continues to meet those challenges so families can avoid making drastic decisions based on temporary financial circumstances. Connecting directly with families to meet them where they are, SPCA of Texas’ Russell H. Perry Pet Resource Center offers financial assistance and access to pet food and supplies during monthly drive-throughs and weekly office hours. During these sessions, we offer families ways we can assist them or connect them to our community partners, animal or human-service oriented.
Community partnerships with organizations, municipalities, volunteers, and donors drive this important work. Not only does the Perry Pet Resource Center work with our neighbors in Dallas directly, but we also partner with Cuddly, Dallas County, Operation Kindness, Dallas Animal Services, Spay Neuter Network, Dallas Pets Alive!, Fort Worth Animal Services, and others for quarterly free food and vaccine drives. These region-wide events make pet health and wellness accessible and offer opportunities to spur more industry collaboration.
Our organization is proud to have received funding for our current building, and The Meadows Foundation Adoptions Lobby has hosted hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Most importantly, though, this lobby has witnessed the insurmountable joy of completing almost 75,000 adoptions during its time.