Frequently Asked Questions
About Our Shelter
Our animal shelter and adoption center is located at 3201 Earhart Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006.
We are open daily from 11 AM to 6 PM.
Appointments are not required.
Yes, if you can arrange transportation for your new pet. We can provide adoption counseling over the phone.
First, complete a dog questionnaire or cat questionnaire. Then, give us a call during business hours at (972) 418-7297 and receive adoption counseling about the animal you’re interested in. If you are ready to move forward, you will pay for your adoption fee over the phone via debit/credit card. You will need to provide prompt pet transport.
On any given day, we are caring for about 300 animals at Operation Kindness. We also have another 100-150 animals in foster homes until they are ready for adoption.
No-kill is defined as saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved. At Operation Kindness, we believe each animal deserves an excellent quality of life in a loving home. We will not euthanize an animal for space or for a treatable medical condition.
No-kill is commonly defined as a save rate (or live release rate) of 90% or above. Even though we take in a large number of vulnerable, sick, and injured animals, our save rate is consistently well above the no-kill benchmark of 90%.
The Rees-Jones Foundation Medical Wing only provides medical care to animals at Operation Kindness or who have been adopted within the past 14 days.
Our Community Initiatives team offers free or low-cost vaccinations, microchips and spay/neuter services to the public. You can find upcoming events for these services here.
Operation Kindness is not formally affiliated with other animal welfare groups, but we work cooperatively with dozens of other organizations. We acknowledge that when we all work together, we can save more lives.
We are also proud to be a Best Friends Animal Society Network Partner and a participant in Shelter Animals Count.
Operation Kindness is funded primarily by donations of individuals. We receive some funding from foundations, businesses, fundraising events, and adoption fees. We do not currently receive any government funding. We are so grateful to our generous community for supporting our mission.
Adoptions & Our Process
Our goal is to get homeless pets paired with the perfect new family as quickly as possible. For that reason, we do not allow animals to be held or reserved. Adoptions are first come, first served.
Dog/puppy adoption fees are $205. Cat/kitten adoption fees are $155. Some pets have had their adoption fees sponsored or waived, so their fee is $0. Each pet’s adoption fee is listed on their profile.
Adoption fees help cover our costs to provide each animal with medical care, spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate core vaccinations, a microchip, food, shelter and more.
I am interested in adopting an animal listed on your website. Who do I contact for more information?
If you have a specific question that you would like answered prior to coming to visit the animals, please email us at clientservices@operationkindness.org or call us at (972) 418-7297.
We have a wide variety of breeds! You will always find a large selection of pets in all sizes, shapes and colors. Our adoption counselors will help you find your perfect match. Every animal is an individual and breed is only one factor that determines physical appearance and temperament.
Most of our animals come from our rescue partners. They are transferred to Operation Kindness when another shelter is facing a lack of space or needs our extensive medical resources. We are proud to partner with more than 70 municipal shelters and rescue groups across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
To adopt a pet, you must be at least 18 years old.
Resources & Surrendering
Yes! Our Community Initiatives team is out in the community every week offering spay/neuter services, and affordable vaccine, microchip and wellness clinics. Locations and prices vary, check our community events calendar for the latest information.
Operation Kindness offers training and behavior resources for adopters. Read articles on our website or reach out for individualized support by emailing behavior@operationkindness.org.
To return your adopted pet to Operation Kindness, please fill out a surrender form. If you adopted within the past 120 days, a surrender fee is not required. Please complete the form, and you will receive a response within 48 hours.
If you arrive at the shelter without an appointment, you will likely be turned away if space is not available.
Making the decision to rehome your pet is a difficult one. Operation Kindness will do everything we can to accommodate your needs, but we receive more requests than we have the space to accommodate. To have your pet considered, please complete the appropriate form below. A member of our team will respond to your request within 48 hours.
The Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry provides temporary food assistance to help owners keep their pets. You can learn more and download the application here.
If the animal is friendly and responds to you, look for ID tags or a microchip tag on the animal’s collar and contact their owner to return the animal to its home.
If you can’t approach or safely contain the animal, please call your local animal services or animal control. They will gather information from you about the animal so that they can assist.
Operation Kindness is not a stray-hold facility, so we cannot accept stray animals. All stray animals need to go the local animal services (in the city they were found) for a stray hold. This is their best chance at reunification with their family. The shelter will also scan the animal for a microchip and if one is found, the owners will be notified.
Operation Kindness transfers weekly from local shelters, as do many other rescues. If the animal you have found is not reunited with its family or adopted by another family, it could be transferred to Operation Kindness or another rescue.
We also partner with Petco Love Lost, an online tool for reuniting lost pets. You can post that you have found a pet and also search lost pets to see if the animal you have found is reported as lost.
Our friends at Dallas Pets Alive offer a program to help keep pets with their families and reduce shelter intake. Learn more on their website.
Operation Kindness provides companion animals to be personal pets. For service animals, try reaching out to Patriot Paws or Service Dogs, Inc for assistance.
For loose or stray animals, you should reach out to municipal/government animal services in the city where the animal is located. For example, if you live in Dallas, call Dallas Animal Services and they will respond to your request for the animal to be picked up.
Operation Kindness is not a stray-hold facility and does not have the vehicles, staffing or resources to pick up loose animals.
Operation Kindness is only able to assist with homeless dogs and cats. Your local animal services can likely offer the quickest assistance. Also, the Wildlife Center of Texas can provide guidance on what you should do and may offer assistance.
Operation Kindness is a supporter of TNR efforts, but we do not have the resources to assist with these efforts. We’d recommend that you reach out to Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance, Texas Coalition for Animal Protection, Texas Feral Cat Organizations or Alley Cat Allies.
Operation Kindness cares deeply about how animals are treated in our community. If you witness an animal being abused, neglected or suspect abandonment, you should reach out to municipal/government animal services in the city where the animal is located. If you’re not sure who is the appropriate agency, check with your local law enforcement agency.
In Dallas, you can call 3-1-1 or report animal cruelty online. If you believe the animal’s life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
Operation Kindness does not have the legal authority to investigate cases of animal cruelty or seize animals.
Volunteering & General Information
You can explore volunteer opportunities and sign up here. Once you sign up, you’ll complete an online training course, then hands-on training at the shelter.
You can unsubscribe directly from the bottom of any email message sent to you from Operation Kindness or your can send us an email at communications@operationkindness.org.
To be taken off of our postal mailing list, please email us at communications@operationkindness.org and be sure to include your complete name and address.
Fostering Pets
You can explore foster opportunities and sign up here. You’re welcome to sign up in advance and schedule a time to pick up your foster pet, or take advantage of many walk-in opportunities where you can complete an application and take a pet home the same day!
No experience is required to become a foster! We provide training, resources, and support to ensure you feel comfortable caring for your foster pet. Our team is here to guide you through the entire process.
Yes, you can browse our Pets in Need of Foster section of our website to choose the pet that you would like foster. We’ll do our best to match you with animals that fit your experience and household setup.
Yes, socializing your foster pet in a controlled, safe way is beneficial for them. However, it’s best to ensure your foster pet has adjusted well to your home environment first, and introductions should be done calmly to avoid overwhelming them.
This depends on the pet’s medical or behavioral needs. Some fosters need regular check-ups, while others only need visits if issues arise. We will provide a schedule when you receive your foster pet, and we’ll be flexible to work with your availability.
We understand that situations can change. If you’re unable to continue fostering, please contact our Foster Team so we can arrange to bring the animal back to the shelter or find a new foster home.
Yes! As a foster, you have the first opportunity to adopt your foster pet before they become available to the public. If you or someone you know is interested in adopting, please notify the Foster Team before returning the pet to the shelter. Only the most current foster parent holds this “first right to adoption.”
**Please note that some pets are not available for adoption by their fosters. If a pet is unavailable for foster adoption, this will be clearly indicated in their website profile and mentioned at your pickup appointment. We’re here to help make the adoption process as smooth as possible if you decide to make your foster pet a permanent family member!
Donations
Yes, Operation Kindness is a 501(c)(3) organization with federal tax ID #75-155350. Your donation will include a receipt that you can use for tax deduction.
Your donation to Operation Kindness provides a second chance to dogs and cats in your community who urgently need lifesaving care and an opportunity to find loving homes.
Your gift will help provide shelter, medicine, surgeries, nutritious food and loving care to homeless dogs and cats in Texas. Operation Kindness has earned high ratings from Charity Navigator and the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.
Yes, we accept donations of pet items! During operating hours we gladly accept in-kind donations of food, litter, gently used bedding, towels, bleach, cleaning supplies, etc. If you have questions about what we can accept, give us a call at (972) 418-7297.
Please drop the items off at the front desk. In-kind donation receipts available upon request during drop off.
You can also send donations of what the animals need most directly to the shelter through our Amazon Wish List.
If you need to cancel your monthly gift or update your credit card information, reach out to us at development@operationkindness.org or call 469-289-0674 for assistance.
