Today we’d like to introduce you to Laniq Adams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Laniq. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In the late 1990s, I had a feral mama cat repeatedly deliver litters of kittens in my back yard.
She was also a very smart, very trap-wise mama: it took 2 1/2 years to successfully trap her. In that amount of time, in order to find homes for the kittens, I began working with several local groups.
In 2000, several of us decided to start our own group. We began with a simple philosophy: if an animal needs help, and we CAN help – we help. Sometimes it just is simply directing a person in need to the right organization. Sometimes it is transporting an animal or holding on to one for a few days. We also consider ourselves a more laid back group of people (maybe a little eccentric!) who work together under a big umbrella.
Our primary focus from the beginning was cats and kittens – after all, we are “your friendly neighborhood cat ladies.” We first began showing at the Red Jacket – a former nightclub with animal-friendly owners who allowed rescue groups to show on Sunday afternoons. The dogs had the lower dance floor, the cats the upstairs one.
Several years later when the club closed, we began showing at the Greenville Ave Petsmart, and we are still there every Sunday afternoon (except Easter). Nowadays, we also show at the Petsmarts at CityPlace, in Mesquite and Inwood/Forest on various dates.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
While there are always obstacles when dealing with animals and the public, one of the biggest and on-going problems is funding. Covering the basic care for a cat or kitten includes four sets of vaccinations, spay or neuter, combo test (to test for FIV or feline leukemia), microchipping, deworming, and flea treatment. Even with discounts, this usually averages at least $75.00.
With an adoption fee of $100.00, that doesn’t leave much to pay for other necessary supplies for the rescue’s operational needs, such as gas and insurance for the transport vehicle, office supplies, collars, and ID tags, etc. It doesn’t begin to cover the necessary vet visits and medications for injured and sick animals or ringworm outbreaks.
It also doesn’t begin to cover some additional projects such as our recent Seattle transport trip. Many of the northern states have a scarcity of adoptable dogs and cats and “import” them from other states. It can be a great opportunity, and in November we took 20 cats and kittens to find new homes (when we got there, the 3-story facility only had two available kittens in-house).
The majority of our transfers adopted out within a week! We received no income or reimbursement for our vetting or transport costs, just the satisfaction of saving 20 lives. However, the reality is that the trip cost us over $2000 – this included rental of a cargo van plus mileage, gas, supplies, and health certificates for each cat. Our transport volunteers paid for their own food and slept in the van each night.
We want to do it again, but it took a big bite out of our budget, and we have a number of upcoming needs just as important. Kitten season is going to begin again (with a vengeance) in a few short months, and we desperately need local foster homes and/or people willing to provide transportation around DFW to and from foster homes for spay/neuter and medical appointments, and adoption events.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Texas Pawprints story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization doing animal rescue, predominantly cats and kittens. However, the reality is that for whatever crosses our path, if we can help, we do help. This has included everything from over 2,000 baby frogs to 5-foot snakes and even a black widow spider.
I think one of the things that sets us apart is our willingness to work with animals that others may not accept – which is probably why our nickname is “the scratch-and-dent” rescue. While it is not as uncommon now, when we started back in 2000, we were one of the few groups that would accept feline leukemia positive cats. We have also accepted cats that were diabetic, hyperthyroid, hit by a car, blind, or had other conditions.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Back in 2003, we were lucky enough to find a sponsor to underwrite the cost of our first shelter, which allowed us to grow and establish our presence as an independent rescue group in DFW. While we have become a 100% foster-based rescue and no longer have a shelter, that sponsor still participates and contributes as they can to our rescue.
Despite sometimes working donation to donation, we seem to always land on our feet, and we have been very fortunate over the years to have had faithful supporters who have backed us, and continue to back us. Enough good people have stood by us through the rough times that we have been able to continue doing what we love to do: rescue animals in need and match them with their forever homes.
Pricing:
- Adopt 1 cat or kitten – $100.00
- Adopt 2 cats or kittens – $160.00
- Adopt 1 dog – $125.00
- No extra charge for “fancy” or purebred breeds
Contact Info:
- Website: Texaspawprints.org
- Phone: 214-912-2573
- Email: hairball@texaspawprints.org
- Instagram: Instagram.com/txpawprints
- Facebook: Facebook.com/neighborhood.catladies
- Twitter: Twitter.com/txpawprints
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
