Hearts and Paws Animal Rescue - Texas

11/06/2026

Thank you to our amazing Hearts and Paws Animal Rescue - Texas directors, Denise Trail and Sondra Wilkinson, for leaving their homes at 1:45 am to load up 5 precious lives and do the 6 hour round trip trek to get them on a flight to their forever homes! This flight represents a second chance for each of these babies and a a critical part of their journey home.

There’s even a special cameo of our Leo (blue pibble) and Tippy (black and white lab mix) going up the conveyor!

Special thanks also to Wags & Wiggles Rescue and Live and Let Live Farm Rescue for partnering with us to take these babies on to their next phase of rescue!

It takes so many people to get these babies to new lives and hope. Fosters, donors, local transporters, our veterinary team at Animal Health & Medical Center, our Board members with vet medicine experience, and many more along the way. We can’t do it alone. No group can. We just hope some day, responsible pet parents will outnumber the irresponsible ones. Pet parents will fix their animals to stop the overpopulation onslaught. They will keep their pets and teach their children the meaning of commitment, not dumping them for any made up reason. We hope some day we won’t be needed. Until then, we are so grateful for all the support.

10/28/2026

Our mission has always been to help the abused, neglected and discarded dogs in our city and beyond. Promoting Spay and Neuter, educating the public and helping people with ways to KEEP their pets is key to that mission.

Our mission has never been to relieve you of you of the commitment YOU made to your pet when you took them in.

People have babies and keep their pets. If you wouldn’t get rid of a child, who takes far more work than a pet, when you have a new baby, you have no reason to dump your pet.

People change careers and keep their dogs.
(I've changed jobs at least 5 times, across 2 states, in the past 20 years. I've run a rescue for 6 of those years and fostered for 16 years. During that time, I’ve had, on average, 7 pets in my home and lived alone for much of that time. Sometimes as many as 23. Never once did I get rid of any of them due to working a job. They sleep 18 hours a day, at least, and just loved my interacting with them before and after work.)

Peoples schedules get hectic and they keep their dogs.
(I work about 60 hours a week in my day job and about 30 hours on rescue each week and still manage to take care of our dogs)

People move and find a way to keep their dog.
(I've moved more than 10 times in the past 16 years, with pets, across two states. I’ve rented and owned. All of them with multiple animals. Never once did I have to get rid of my pets because I was responsible enough to plan ahead and look for as long as it took to find a place do live where they were accepted. It’s not hard.)

People run into issues with manageable/trainable behavior AND THEY KEEP THEIR DOGS.
(Its called training and consistency. And caring enough to try.)

People keep their pets safe by putting up a fence. (We make sure every place we live has one. I’ve put several up at rent homes made of welded wire and T posts when I had no money. If your dogs keep getting run over because you aren’t responsible enough to put up a fence, that is most definitely on you.)

People get their pets fixed so they don’t have “oops” litters. It’s a one time fee. There are many low cost options. If you can afford a night out at the bar, tattoos, ci******es and many other luxuries on a regular basis, you can afford to fix your pet so rescues don’t have to clean up the mess you allowed to happen.

These situations are not unique.

We didn't start this rescue to bail you out. I'm sorry, I know that may sound harsh-- and yes, we know that there are absolutely situations in which people can truly no longer care for their pet- and we help with those as much as we can.

But for the love of Dog and all that is holy-- step up for your pet. Show up for your pet. Teach your children how to do right and honor responsibilities and commitments by doing right by your pet. Show your pet the same love and commitment today that you showed them the day you brought them home.

Dogs and cats are being euthanized all over the country in the tens of thousands. In shelters every single day because the shelter does not have space. Rescues do not have space. FRIENDLY. HEALTHY. HAPPY. ADOPTABLE. PETS.

Your PET is no different than any of the pets that have been losing their lives every day and if you give up on your pet-- they could be next.

09/10/2026

Join us this Saturday at the south side Tractor Supply in Abilene! We will have shirts, dog blankets, doggie clothes and other assorted goods for sale! All proceeds go to pay vet bills and pay for vaccines, medicine and food. We will even have home made dog treats by Love at First Bite Home Bakery!

May also have a couple of our adoptable doggies out to meet and greet!

08/30/2026

Lacey has been a long term rehab baby. She came to us terrified of the world because her first owners isolated her so completely. She has really blossomed in the care of an amazing foster. She now knows commands, is great with other dogs, adores children and fetch is the best thing ever!! House and crate trained. Good on leash. Fully vetted and 2 years old.

08/30/2026

Jasper is another long term baby. He’s been with us 2 years just waiting for a family of his own.

08/30/2026

Three of our long term babies are brothers: Houdini. Tippy and Fatz are all about 1.5 years old. They are house and crate trained. Working on leash manners but master snuggle bugs! Houdini will need a tall privacy fence. He has earned his name!! All are great with other dogs and fully vetted. We are working on getting better photos.

08/30/2026

We are getting a lot of calls lately from people whose unnamed “friend” or “neighbor” gave them our name and sent them our way to help with animals. Please stop, unless you are willing to help donate and foster.

Folks, we are closed to intake. Our work does not stop, it just means we are not adding more to our plate while ignoring responsibilities that have piled too high. We have 5 long term dogs in our care that MUST be placed before we take on more. We have vet bills to pay, still need to purchase vaccines, medicines, supplies and food for animals we already committed too. We also have fosters and Board Directors facing major life changes and no one new stepping up to help.

We have not stopped. We are just being responsible. It is beyond traumatic to have to turn people away. So before you send folks our way, contact us and ask first. Or better yet, be the one to step up and help them. Encourage them to fix their animals. Help them work out solutions to keep their pets. Help with vet bills. Rescues can’t do it all alone. As soon as we can take care of the ones who need us most and have waited so patiently and we reformulate, we will open back up. Until then, we are focusing on bills, fundraising and long termers who deserve families of their own.

08/29/2026

Tomorrow is the last day to order Tees and Tanks!! We turn our orders in on Monday!!

Hoodie sales will come in October with the Paw and Order design!

08/01/2026