Operation Kindness Opens Bear’s Den on March 28

Operation Kindness is pleased to announce the grand opening of Bear’s Den, a kennel area dedicated exclusively for large breed dogs, on March 28, 2012. The special shelter was made possible by a generous $250,000 donation from Norma Carney. Operation Kindness is the oldest and largest no-kill shelter in North Texas.

Bear’s Den is a 2,000-square-foot building on the grounds of Operation Kindness, located at 3201 Earhart Drive, Carrollton, TX  75006. This newest space is named for the Carney’s dog, a Great Pyrenees whom they adopted from Operation Kindness in 2003. Large breed dogs often take longer to find their new forever homes, but they want a loving home just like smaller dogs.

The new kennel has 30 large dog runs, doubling the capacity of dogs that Operation Kindness can help each day. It offers glass fronts to increase visibility of the dogs, is air conditioned and will provide top-notch noise and disease control.

When Bear first came to Operation Kindness, he was severely underweight – 83 pounds – and had lost most of his fur due to a very bad case of mange. He could not be touched or taken on walks. Norma Carney, who was volunteering at the no-kill shelter, agreed to take Bear home and foster him until he was healthy enough to be put up for adoption.

And he is healthy, now weighing in at 130-plus pounds. Once Bear was in the Carney’s home, there was no going back. They were inseparable, and Bear became the center of the family. “Bear is an angel in doggy fur. He has touched our lives in a way I had never imagined,” says Norma.

But Bear also made such a huge positive impact on the family that Norma felt they needed to do more – to give back to all of the other homeless dogs in the community. The idea for the kennel and donation was born.

“I just felt that Bear impacted our lives so deeply I wanted to give more large dogs a chance to do the same,” Norma explains.

Mrs. Carney’s donation means Operation Kindness is over two years ahead of schedule. The shelter was about to start raising funds through a capital campaign for a large dog kennel they hoped to open in late 2014.

Sherwin Daryani, executive director of Operation Kindness said, “Bear’s Den will double Operation Kindness’ capacity to bring in large dogs and increase our small dog capacity by 50 percent, allowing us to save hundreds of more dogs each year that otherwise would not have a second chance at a good life.”

Bear’s Den is a welcome addition to the Operation Kindness’ campus. Other funds have allowed Operation Kindness to add a new education room, a gazebo and beautification projects to its grounds.

Many dogs and cats are awaiting their new forever homes at Operation Kindness. Remember the no-kill shelter when considering adding a pet to your family.

For more information on Operation Kindness and/or Bear’s Den, go to http://www.operationkindness.org. Operation Kindness is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Kindness/30251945822).

Media: High Resolution photos are available upon request.

About Operation Kindness
Founded in 1976, Operation Kindness is the oldest and largest no-kill shelter in North Texas. Operation Kindness has saved nearly 70,000 animals since its inception. They care for an average of 200-250 animals on a day-to-day basis, with another 60-80 animals in foster homes. More than 3,000 dogs and cats are assisted by Operation Kindness each year. Learn more about Operation Kindness at http://www.operationkindness.org or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Kindness/30251945822).
###
Media Contact:
Jo Trizila
TrizCom Inc.
jo@TrizCom.com
www.TrizCom.com
O 972-247-1369
C: 214-232-0078