Operation Kindness has launched a new Lifesaving Partnerships team within their Community Initiatives program. The new team will work with shelter partners in North Texas to save the lives of more shelter pets.
Working together to save more dogs and cats
The Lifesaving Partnerships team will be funded by a peer mentorship grant from Best Friends Animal Society. The grant will provide Operation Kindness with $1 million over the next three years.
The team, consisting of one veterinarian and two vet technicians, will work with eight key shelter partners in the region. The ultimate goal is to raise the live release rate for dogs and cats to 90% and assist 3,000 additional shelter pets in the first year.
For each shelter, Operation Kindness’ Lifesaving Partnerships team will evaluate operations and the support that’s needed most. Types of support offered include establishing medical protocols, providing veterinary support, assisting with data input and output, creating community outreach and intake diversion programs, assessing foster, adoption, volunteer and other programs and much more.
Partnering with Best Friends Animal Society
Due to the high number of pets dying in Texas shelters, Best Friends Animal Society identified Texas a top priority state to support with resources to increase the number of dogs and cats saved.
“Best Friends’ goal is to help every shelter in the country get to a 90% save rate by 2025. But we can’t do it alone,” said Best Friends Animal Society CEO Julie Castle. “So we are excited to partner with a great organization like Operation Kindness who has already been tremendously successful in their own community and to help them create an even bigger impact. This partnership has the potential to expand the lifesaving goals of both Best Friends and Operation Kindness across the entire Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.”
This support will create long-term, sustainable lifesaving strategies that partner shelters can continue to build upon to maximize the number of lives saved.
A new veterinary team
Dr. Kim Heinefield will serve as Operation Kindness’ new Lifesaving Partnerships Veterinarian. Dr. Heinefield is a Texas native who graduated from Texas A&M University. After college, she moved to DFW and began her career in private practice. In 2015, Dr. Heinefield began working for the SPCA of Texas where she provided low-cost services to communities in need. Since then, she has worked for many low-cost vaccine and surgery clinics, as well as local shelters.
“I am looking forward to being part of such a caring, hard-working group as the Community Initiatives team,” Dr. Heinefield said. “Supporting pet owners and providing services to underserved animal shelters will greatly improve the lives of so many animals. I am thankful to Operation Kindness for this opportunity!”
Operation Kindness’ Chief Community Initiative Officer Meredith Jones said the organization is excited for the opportunity to team up with Best Friends Animal Society on this new initiative.
“Best Friends Animal Society and Operation Kindness share the same commitment to making the world a kinder and more compassionate place for both animals and people,” Jones said, “We appreciate Best Friends Animal Society’s significant support and confidence in our Lifesaving Partnerships program, and we look forward to working with our partners to create sustainable lifesaving strategies for under-resourced and overcrowded shelters that increase the number of dogs and cats saved in Texas.”
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