Late in the afternoon of Oct. 15, the Fort Worth animal shelter contacted the Saving Hope Foundation with an urgent cry for help. The shelter once again was over capacity and would have to euthanize dogs simply because there was no room for them.
"We were, of course, all devastated," says Saving Hope founding board member Gloria Moncrief Holmsten. "I contacted a few of our board members and then reached out to our friends at Hulen Hills Animal Clinic. They agreed to accept as many as 20 animals and hold them until we could work the next day to find a more suitable living situation - hopefully, a home."
The Saving Hope rescue team drove to the shelter and filled their Suburbans with dogs. There were so many animals that the shelter had some in their air-conditioned cars out front. The team took 19 and drove straight to Hulen Hills.
"They all are wonderful and loving animals," Holmsten says. "To us, it seemed obvious that they had been someone's pet. But whose? Why are these friendly, loving animals winding up in a shelter? Is it because they get loose? Is it because their owners allow them to wander the streets? Why are none of them microchipped? They seem well taken care of, so why? These questions are what we hope to find answers for through our work, so this can end."
The inspiration for the Saving Hope Foundation was a little pug-mix dog found the evening of July 9, 2012, wandering Kit and Charlie Moncrief's ranch in Parker County. Her snout purposely taped shut and her tongue protruding and swollen, she was dehydrated, dangerously overheated, and had been stabbed multiple times. It took 100 internal and external stitches to close her wounds. Veterinary workers named her Hope.
In three weeks" time, Hope was happily playing with the other dogs at the Moncrief's home in Fort Worth. She is now a healthy and much-loved member of their family.
Hope's abuser has not been found, but her spirit inspired Kit Moncrief, her two daughters, Gloria Moncrief Holmsten and Adelaide Moncrief Royer, and six other passionate community leaders to start a new foundation in August 2012 - one dedicated to implement programs to educate the public about responsible pet ownership, provide discounted mobile spay and neuter and vaccinations, and to facilitate animal rescues and adoptions from local shelters.
Every year an estimated 200,000 dogs and cats are euthanized at Dallas-Fort Worth animal shelters. Much of this is due to unwanted litters because pet owners are not spaying and neutering their pets.
On June 29, 2013, the Fort Worth Pet Project hosted an animal awareness and adoption fair for the community at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. The project is a strategic partnership of several community groups that works to reduce the numbers of animals killed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by putting emphasis on education, adoption and responsible pet ownership, and with an innovative spay and neuter program. To highlight this "Day of Hope," Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and the board of directors of the Saving Hope Foundation led the ribbon-cutting in dedication of a new 40-foot, state-of-the-art mobile spay and neuter clinic called The Hope Mobile.
In 2013, Saving Hope reached 3,000 animals through its partnership with the Spay Neuter Network, both through the Hope Mobile and within area community centers in the "high risk" areas of Fort Worth. These 3,000 animals were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, chipped, and registered with the city. In addition, the owners were provided educational materials and information for keeping up with annual preventatives. All owners were sent reminders.
"This year we hope to reach over 6,000 animals, both through the partnership with the Spay Neuter Network and also through a new partnership with Texas Coalition for Animal Protection, which also offers spay and neuter services in many clinics in the DFW area," Kit Moncrief says.
"In 2015, Saving Hope will work even harder to increase the number of animals reached through the spay/neuter initiative. We are happy that the city has a new shelter manager and new assistant manager. We will be working closely with them to increase adoption numbers," she says.
As of the print date for this magazine, Saving Hope had found homes for 15 of the 19 dogs saved that day in October. Seven were sent to Virginia to a rescue group that helps match dogs with loving homes.
In 2010, under Fort Worth businessman Bill Boecker's guidance, the City of Fort Worth and PetSmart Charities worked together to open the first government animal-control pet adoption center models inside two PetSmart stores in Fort Worth.
"Unfortunately, animals are euthanized," Boecker continues. "I don't know of any shelter that truly avoids that situation. Part of the answer is to have effective spay and neuter programs and education. Without that, we're putting our finger in the dike."
Boecker says that Saving Hope will be working with the City of Fort Worth on the opening of the new Z Boaz Dog Park on the west end of Camp Bowie. "We plan to work on a campaign to promote the park and educate the city on good pet ownership at the same time," he says.
"It's going to be wonderful," Holmsten says. "We'll have amazing areas for all pets, food trucks, and our Hope Mobile, which will visit regularly for onsite free or discounted spay and neuter and vaccination services. We also hope to have onsite adoptions."
What has the foundation done to improve the shelter?
"We sincerely believe that if we can reduce the number of animals being born, we will reduce the number of animals that wind up in the shelter," Holmsten says. "That is why we are so passionate about spay and neuter. We believe that is the key to helping the shelters - reducing their intake and allowing for all animals that wind up in shelters to be adopted to good, loving homes."
Saving Hope stays up to date on all adoption events the shelter hosts and advertises those by way of social media. The group helps find rescue groups to take animals, including older dogs that may be blind or dogs that may be heartworm positive.
"Those types of dogs may not be rescued, but if we help get them the medical attention they need, there is an opportunity for adoption. We need everyone's help to make this work," Moncrief says.
Saving 19 dogs that day was incredibly rewarding, but also frustrating, Lauren Anton says. "While I know it was a huge accomplishment and made a difference, I walked away thinking I wished we could have done more," Anton says. "We could save 20 dogs a day and 20-plus-more file right in behind them - strays, owner surrenders, litters of moms and puppies every day. It seems there is a never-ending cycle." The Hope Mobile has provided free spays and neuters and vaccinations to all of Fort Worth for the last three months. We must think of it as saving one dog at a time, or we will be completely overwhelmed."
Saving the 19 dogs that day made the Saving Hope team more aware of what rescue groups battle every day," Anton says.
