Why a Dallas Dog Lover’s Decision to Give Hippo a Second Chance Should Matter to All of Us

The story of Hippo is that some dogs don’t waste second chances.This scrappy 2-year-old pit bull mix, broken down after months of fending for himself on the streets, could easily have been written off as a bad dog. To escape the euthanasia table, Hippo desperately needed someone to believe in him.Deborah Rodriguez, an East Dallas textiles artist and animal advocate, took that chance, stepping in at the last minute to foster him.But before I tell you what happened next, here’s why Hippo’s story is more than a feel-good animal tale.People willing to temporarily foster dogs or cats are essential for municipal shelters. Many fosters work through rescue groups that pull vulnerable animals from shelters. Others partner directly with shelters such as Dallas Animal Services, which is growing its own foster program as well as continuing to work with rescue operations.Fosters help free up kennels and give “animals more time outside the shelter to become more adoptable,” Dallas Animal Services director Ed Jamison said last week.  Continue reading...