Paws-r-us
- Valeria Emanuelli
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
By: Valeria Emanuelli
ROWLETT, TX, Dec. 8, 2025---The Rowlett animal services animal shelter lies hidden behind the local Applebee's right across from an overpriced health food cafe, a dog hotel, and veterinarian. It's quaint with a maximum capacity of 25 guests and a high turnover rate. While being tucked away in a corner helps the dogs' rehabilitation process it is difficult to get attention from potential adopters and fosters. Thus, a new tradition arose with local small businesses volunteering alongside shelter volunteers and staff to create events where dogs could be adopted. The highest need being for Pitbulls and Shepard's.
https://youtu.be/o1nxGtQ93rU - Behind the scenes of the two most common breeds at the Rowlett animal shelter and their traumas and stigmas. What is it that people think and how does the shelter staff help to mitigate harm.
According to shelter staff, Pitbulls and Shepards have the most negative associations attached to their breed with Huskies following in third place. Pitbulls carry the lockjaw stereotype while Shepards, most notably German Shepard's have high energy and prey drives that require training to tame. In the past month, the Rowlett Animal Shelter had multiple German Shepard rescues with one rescue resulting in finding a family of 5 brothers being dumped in their full pack onto the street.
A few months ago, the shelter held the annual Rowlett Adoptathon with a modest goal of 5 adoptions. They had 12 adoptions by the end of the week. Including the pit/lab mix in the image above.
These dogs have varying adoption statuses with some being adopted during the adoptathon while others were returned or recent discoveries by the animal control staff. It's common for large or thought to be aggressive breeds to go back and forth between the shelter and the public.
Due to their limited capacity, the shelter must export or transfer excess residents. It's common for shelters to share resources. In the local area the Garland and Rockwall shelters are within a 20 minute radius.
The staff from the Rowlett Animal Services Animal Shelter is also made up of three members who previously worked at the Garland Shelter.
Bailey Johnson who was featured in the video began her journey at the Garland Shelter before moving to the Rowlett location 2 years ago. Johnson expressed that it was overwhelming to be surrounded by hundreds of dogs and cat day in and day out but still rewarding. The Garland location is larger and more known to the local community therefore they also receive the most funding.
Rowlett in comparison is much slower. The staff and volunteers are able to take a more personalized approach and focus on each individual dog's recovery process.
Two examples are currently present. The first is how the shelter has the unique opportunity to give dogs on the euthanasia list for medical reasons, additional care through surgery and rehab.
A volunteer takes out this post-op pup for a spin after surgery for a benign tumor and cherry eyes which took his beauty but not his spirit on Oct. 25, 2025 (Photo/Valeria Emanuelli.)
Facial and body surgery is not easy to recover from. This oldie went from being on the euthanasia list to fully recuperating on Oct. 25th, 2025 (Photo/ Valeria Emanuelli).
Shortly after the shoot, this special needs dog was adopted. He had sparked a lot of interest but with his list of needs the shelter ensured his future family would be well prepared. Shelters such as the Rowlett Shelter do occasionally receive complaints about the adoption or care process and as such have a vetting process of their own. This helps reduce returns and rates of abuse for dogs in the area.
Animal abuse for dogs like the Pitbulls and Shepards discussed by Johnson involves dog fights and backyard breeding. As strong, energetic and working dogs, their features are desirable for those doing no good. The males are used for fighting, the young and small as bait, and the females for breeding.
Abuse is higher in some breeds than others. Once again, Pitbulls and German Shepards make the list. Recent studies suggest that the infamous Pitbull bite is in most cases a response to abuse. When abuse becomes and expectation, an animal gains hypersensitivity and is more likely lash out in unwarranted ways.
Abuse often starts young, in the case of the female pit-mix featured above, she was forced to breed at only a few months of age and kept in a small, filth filled enclosure. She is awkward around open spaces, non-shelter stafff and is camera adverse yet craves human touch and connection.
Dogs are a part of human history due to their ability to bond. Even when betrayed by humankind, they still find their way back.
It takes a special kind of person to help these abandoned, abused, and unlucky dogs get their lives back. Each and every one of the Rowlett animal shelter staff had a moment where they decided that they wanted to be that person.
A common phrase said by the staff is that people call them animal cops or comically the "paw patrol" not unlike the children's television show.
Animal cops aren't evil, violent people who take away an old cat lady's identity but rather they save both animals and people from danger.
Animal services help maintain public and animal health through sterilization programs and vaccine drives as well as stopping hoarders. Although, it doesn't always look dramatic or glamorous.
A significant portion of the job is taking calls, deescalating situations, filing paperwork and cardio. It can take up to two weeks to capture a dog on the run. Particularly those with persnickety personalities and traumas.
Lesser known to the public are the hazards of being an animal control officer. Female staff shared experiences with sexism. There is also always a risk of getting injured.
However, the least recognized risk is expanding your household. The average number of pets per household for the shelter staff is 5. Most of the dogs owned by the staff were foster failures from the shelter or puppies who needed overnight care and stayed long term.
As faith would have it, due to the most common breeds found in shelter and perhaps even attributed to the vast farmland near Rowlett, many of the shelter staff own multiple Pitbulls, pit-mixes, German Shepards, and Husky mixes.
The friendlier of the staff pets are used as therapy aids for the dogs who still remain in the shelter. They are brought for shifts, allowed to roam the office, socialize with others, and used for introductions to test temperament.
In 2026, the shelter has plans to expand their base in order to increase their capacity and awareness to the public.
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