Why Texas?
Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Dog from Houston, TX
Serving the Houston Community
In Houston, no dog is safe from euthanasia. It is not unusual that a pregnant dog is euthanized in an effort to prevent more unwanted dogs; or even more often, the mother is spayed during a pregnancy, resulting in the puppies being aborted. Newborn and underage puppies are also euthanized because they do not have the resources to raise the dog up to an adoptable age. It is a reality that most people in our community cannot comprehend, but it is happening everyday. In addition to the overcrowded shelters, there are an estimated one million stray dogs on the streets that are breeding unchecked.
We believe that any dog conceived should have the chance to live their lives. It is not their fault that they are here because of a culture that does not value spay and neuter. Our mission is to save these moms and puppies from euthanasia, bring them to a community that is ready and willing to take them in and stop the cycle by spaying and neutering every dog before they have a chance to reproduce.
Houston needs help. This is where our heart is. We are not creating these lives, we are just trying to save the ones that are already here. It comes down to a difference in mission from our local Rescues and we think that is okay. We all have the same goal of saving lives. We at Path of Hope are just focusing on a different way of achieving that. We provide a path of hope to a life that is valued, where every dog is wanted.
Serving the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest has accomplished an incredible feat. We have a culture that values spay and neuter so much that we have a dog population that is under control. The shelters are virtually empty. Dogs are usually adopted within days, there are no strays, the hard cases are advocated for and placed with Rescues to rehabilitate, and we do not have any shelters forced to euthanize because of overpopulation. We are so proud of our community. For many parts of the country, what we just described feels like an unachievable, utopian dream.
Yes, there are dogs that face difficult situations in this region, but they are the minority and they are not fighting just for the chance to live beyond their three day hold in a high kill shelter. Our community has finally gotten our head above water enough that we are not worried about dogs making it out alive from our shelters anymore. We have the time to focus on the more difficult medical and behavioral cases. We treat our dogs like part of the family in the PNW and it shows with the numerous Rescue organizations that are supported and loved by the community. We have the utmost respect for these Rescues as they take on the hard cases. Their work is necessary and important and ultimately gave us the reassurance that our community was so well taken care of that we could focus on a different kind of mission.
People want puppies. Someone set on getting one will acquire one even if they "rescue" it from a puppy mill or a Backyard Breeder. In our area, we actually have a shortage of adoptable adult dogs and very few options for someone looking to adopt a puppy. “Rescue” is valued in our community, so most people start at the shelters. They quickly find out there are none, or they have to wait until an Adoption Event to hope to be the first in line to adopt. They then start searching Craigslist, Facebook or Walmart parking lots. There is nothing wrong with a family who is ready for the time and commitment of a puppy, and wanting the experience of raising one. We are providing an option for someone to TRULY rescue a puppy.
What Makes Path of Hope Different?
Path of Hope is different from other Inland Northwest Rescues in many ways. We are the only Rescue that transport dogs from out of state as their main business model. We are the only Rescue that specializes and works exclusively with mommas and puppies. And we are in the small minority of Rescues that operate like a business.
Many Rescues run as a side hobby or something that is done in addition to a ‘real job.’ Caitlin, our director, is committed to running this 501c3, Washington-registered Non Profit as a legitimate business. It is her only job and she treats it like that, working a full 40 hour week. We invest time and money in policies, insurance, taxes, accounting, and legal counsel, like any other business would.
Treating this Rescue with the same respect as any other professional entity ensures the financial stability of the Rescue and allows us to fully invest ourselves in the future of the organization.
Caitlin founded Path of Hope Rescue, because there are communities whose reality is very different than ours. One of those communities is Houston, Texas. She did not truly understand what they were facing until she saw it in person. What she saw was a completely different world. It felt like an alternate reality.
There are approximately 35 shelters in the Houston area and they are all desperate for help. Hundreds of dogs are euthanized every week because of overpopulation. In Caitlin’s many travels to the Houston area, she saw crates of dogs lining hallways and stacked three high, rooms full of days old puppies that were on the euthanasia list, kennels built for one, but crammed with six dogs. There were shelters that did not have electricity or running water, and shelters that do not even attempt to adopt out animals and kill every dog that comes in, shelters that have lines wrapped around the building on 'owner surrender' day. It was not just eye opening; it was life changing. This became her mission: to help these dogs facing euthanasia only because of their existence. The overpopulation is extreme, ugly and desperate. We will make a small difference in a community that is pleading for help.
The sad reality in this kind of work is that you will never be able to save them all. Our mission at Path of Hope is saving pregnant dogs and puppies. This allows us to fill a need in our community while also helping to fill a very specific need in Houston.
What does the future hold?
Here is our Vision for the Spokane Chapter of PHR by 2026
We have a beautiful modern architecture building on a large grassy lot with a beautiful parklike lot. The entire building is dog friendly with dog amenities everywhere. There are large photographs and graphic art showing off our rescued dogs and monitors with slide shows of Houston, interviews from our staff and adopters and photos that show our dogs. There is a large piece of art with the words “Our Heart is in Texas”.
Our employees and staff have a large open concept office. The area is clean and beautiful and our staff loves coming to work! Dogs are encouraged to come with staff and each desk has a fenced in area around the desk with dog beds, toys and treats provided. There are gates between these areas to allows dogs to interact or have space to themselves. Our staff are trained in dog behavior and committed to always increasing their knowledge.
Litters each have their own room with a viewing window and decontamination area. The rooms feel more like a home then a kennel but with the added safety and easily cleanable surfaces. There are live cams in each room that the public can log on to. Moms have the ability to jump over baby gates and roam the building. “Foster Families” can apply to be assigned to a litter and have full access to a litter room. Visitors can sign up to hang out in the puppy play room.
We are the go to place for Adoptions in the Northwest even though our application process is even more rigorous including background and criminal checks now. Our Adopters are fiercely loyal and consider them part of the PHR Pack. We have robust post-adoption support for our Adopters. We organize birthday parties and litter play groups for our dogs and stay in constant contact.
We are a household name in the community and a destination spot for dog lovers in Spokane. Dogs and people are always welcome and encouraged to come hang out.
There is a coffee stand and a cafe-like atmosphere. We frequently have live musicians and partner with local businesses. There are breakout rooms for people who need space for their dogs or themselves.
We have several community focused services. We have regular seminars and education. We employ trainers who offer free training. We have a free or low cost spay and neuter clinic with our own “Talaga” on staff. We offer regular playgroups for the public.
