When a class of elementary school children down in the Texas Panhandle saw a picture of a box overflowing with puppies, they asked their teacher, “What if no one takes them home?” That was the moment Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary – the no-kill shelter known as DAWGS – was conceived.

Run by schoolteacher Diane Trull and her student volunteers, DAWGS is still in operation 15 years later and has saved the lives of thousands of animals.

A true Texas feel-good story, DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them (March 31, 2020) describes their repeated challenges in opening the shelter. All the odds were against them, though, from the local politicians who didn’t want to sell the land for a shelter, to the weather in the Texas Panhandle, to cattle ranchers and farmers who placed no value on dogs.

The kids learned to stay focused on keeping the shelter running. They also learned the responsibility of caring for animals, growing their self-esteem, and learning about community, compassion, and commitment.

Today, the kids who were there from the beginning are graduating from college and getting jobs. They all say their work at DAWGS has changed them forever! And the lives of so many dogs, too.

Today DAWGS runs entirely on donations and adoptions from all over the country, and they hope a kind benefactor will work with them on a planned mobile veterinary unit that can handle neuters up in the Panhandle. Learn more about this amazing group of kids on their website.

More info: dawgsntexas.com

The DAWGS volunteers with pups, all available for adoption.

Who’s cuter, Alix or Chico?

DAWGS volunteer Cindy gets back the love she gives

Hannah and Sissy

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