Frequently Asked Questions

We are open daily from 11 AM to 6 PM. Our Lifesaving Partnerships Hub is available by appointment at ci@operationkindness.org. 

Appointments are not required for our animal shelter and adoption center. Appointments are required for our Lifesaving Partnerships Hub at ci@operationkindness.org.

Operation Kindness Humane Society operates a lifesaving animal shelter and programs to assist people and pets.  

Our programs include pet adoptions, lifesaving medical care for shelter pets, 24-hour care for neonatal kittens, affordable veterinary services for community pets, a pet food pantry, forensics for animal cruelty, interstate transport, lifesaving shelter partnerships, disaster response support, foster care for vulnerable animals, volunteer opportunities, Texas Unites professional training, and Friends of Dallas Animal Services. 

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.

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 may be a lower amount. 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. 

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 municipal shelter partners. They are transferred to Operation Kindness Humane Society when another shelter is facing a lack of space or needs our extensive medical resources. We are proud to partner with more than 100 municipal shelters and rescue groups across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.  

To adopt a pet, you must be at least 18 years old.

To return your adopted pet to Operation Kindness Humane Society, 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society is not a stray-hold facility and does not have the vehicles, staffing or resources to pick up loose animals.

Operation Kindness Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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 which agency is the appropriate one, check with your local law enforcement agency.

In Dallas, Operation Kindness Humane Society has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Animal Services to provide forensics services such as live exams, necropsies, and court testimonies for animals identified by the Dallas Police Department to be victims of cruelty or neglect. However, we do not have the legal authority to investigate cases of animal cruelty or seize animals, so you may call 3-1-1 or report animal cruelty online. If you believe the animal’s life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

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 Humane Society or you 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.

Pets are placed in loving foster homes to help them grow, become socialized, recover from medical treatment, and/or as a short-term trial before adoption. We offer several different types of fostering and you may explore foster opportunities and sign up here.  

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!

Operation Kindness Humane Society provides all medical care and all supplies such as food, crate, kitty litter and toys. Foster families provide housing and a safe place to stay. They also provide exercise, socialization, and lots of love! 

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.

The typical foster stay is two weeks to two months, depending on the needs of the individual animal(s) in your care. The time frame of each foster situation will be discussed with you ahead of time. 

Yes, we welcome pet owners as fosters. With some fosters, specifically puppies, kittens and nursing mothers, we recommend keeping shelter animals separate from your pets. This helps prevent stress and the spread of illness. The risk of spreading illness is greatly reduced if your animals are current on their annual vaccines. 

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, such as transport pets that already have an adoptive home at their destination, 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!  

For nearly 50 years, kindness has been the heart of who we are and our enhanced name communicates that truth more clearly. We are a humane organization in every sense: compassionate, community-focused, lifesaving, and dedicated to creating a kinder world for pets and people. Adding Humane Society simply reflects the work we already do every day: providing medical care, shelter, foster support, community resources, and opportunities for pets and people who need us the most. The core of our identity stays the same: kindness. Operation Kindness Humane Society is kindness in action.

No. Operation Kindness Humane Society remains fully independent, locally operated, and locally funded. We are not joining, merging with, or being governed by any national organization. “Humane Society” is a descriptive term – not a franchise, not a membership group, and not a national corporation. Many local shelters use it to express their humane values and work. For us, it simply gives our community a clearer understanding of who we have always been.

Absolutely not. We are – and will remain – a North Texas–based humane organization, serving pets, families, and partner shelters that need us the most. While we may utilize our strengths and expertise to address community needs on regional, state-wide, and even national scales, the heart and focus of our work remain local. This enhancement strengthens our identity by making it easier for communities, donors, and partners everywhere to understand our role and impact. It reflects what our community already knows: Operation Kindness Humane Society is a safe haven and a resource hub for pets and people who need us the most.

Not at all. Our brand, our work, and our culture remain grounded in warmth, compassion, hope, and integrity – the same values that have defined us since 1976. The name enhancement is not a shift toward corporate bureaucracy. It is a shift toward clarity, connection, and kindness-forward communication. This update helps us feel more human, more heart-centered, and more accessible, aligning every part of our identity with our mission.

As we expand lifesaving programs, deepen community partnerships, and lead with kindness in more ways than ever before, the enhanced name helps to ensure our community understands:

• We are a humane organization providing gold-standard care.
• We are deeply involved in the regional animal welfare landscape.
• We serve pets and people through sheltering, medical care, and community support and resources.
• Kindness is not just our name – it is our guiding principle.

The enhancement strengthens our ability to reach more people, support more pets, and communicate our mission with clarity.

Only one thing: the words you see in our name.
Everything else remains unchanged:

• Our mission
• Our leadership
• Our focus
• Our programs and services
• Our commitments to transparency, compassion, and community
• Our belief that kindness saves lives

Our donors, adopters, fosters, volunteers, and partners will experience the same compassion, hope, and partnerships they always have because kindness continues to guide and lead every decision.

Everything that defines us:
• Kindness as our foundation
• Lifesaving medical care and shelter
• Community-focused programs, support, and resources
• A culture of safety and compassion
• Hope-forward communication

Our name is changing but our heart, work, and focus on responding to community needs remain the same.

The enhanced name is a direct reflection of our brand essence: kindness saves lives.

Operation Kindness Humane Society reinforces that we are:
• A kindness-led organization
• A humane care provider
• A trusted community partner
• A place where pets experience safety, love, and hope
• A movement built on compassion and connection

It ensures our identity, language, values, and visual style all work together in a single, unified message.

No. Our mission remains the same – kindness-led rehabilitation, medical care, sheltering, and community support that transform lives. Our enhanced name strengthens our ability to continue this work with greater clarity and community recognition.

It means our front-facing identity now better reflects the kindness-led work we already do. Internally, nothing changes except that we now have a shared language that reinforces what we stand for: warmth, hope, compassion, community, and above all, kindness. Every person involved with Operation Kindness Humane Society is a Kindness Ambassador and this enhancement helps the world see what we know to be true: kindness is our mission, our method, and our movement.

Listen to why we’re so excited to be enhancing our name!

Click here.

Friends of Dallas Animal Services was founded in 2019 to serve as the official, non-profit fundraising partner of Dallas Animal Services (DAS).  Friends of Dallas Animal Services merged with Operation Kindness Humane Society in March 2025 to expand our resources, enhance our impact, and provide even more lifesaving care to animals in need.

Together, we continue to support Dallas Animal Services while strengthening community programs, adoption efforts, and critical medical care for thousands of pets. We work closely with DAS leadership to identify priority needs to support innovative and lifesaving programs and services. 

Friends of Dallas Animal Services, an initiative of Operation Kindness Humane Society, raises funds to support the pets and people at Dallas Animal Services, but we are completely separate entities. Friends of Dallas Animal Services helps bridge the gap between the city’s budget and the cost of lifesaving programs at Dallas Animal Services, which positively impact shelter pets every day. 

Friends of Dallas Animal Services receives no government funding and is not involved in day-to-day shelter operations.  

You may donate online. Friends of Dallas Animal Services is an initiative of Operation Kindness Humane Society, a 501(c)(3) organization with federal tax ID #75-1553350. Your donation will include a receipt that you can use for tax deduction.

Yes!  All funds previously raised by Friends of Dallas Animal Services – as well as future donations designated for this initiative – remain restricted to use only to directly support Dallas pets.  This ensures that donor contributions continue to provide critical assistance to Dallas Animal Services and the pets they serve. 

Yes, Operation Kindness Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) organization with federal tax ID #75-1553350. Your donation will include a receipt that you can use for tax deduction.

Your donation to Operation Kindness Humane Society 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 Humane Society 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.