In Dalhart, Texas, a shelter made up of 4th grade students and their teacher was created. This noble initiative arose when a group of children saw a photograph of puppies inside a box. Anguished, they asked their teacher what would happen if they were not adopted, and she could not tell them that they could not do anything, just like that, Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary ( DAWGS ) was born.

This place is run by teacher Diane Trull since March 2003 with her student volunteers. It is still in operation and has saved the lives of thousands of animals.

4th graders rescue abandoned dogs

The children learned great lessons in this place, they focused on making the shelter work, they learned the responsibility that owning a pet entails, their commitment to the community grew, they learned compassion and they built their confidence.

Many of the children who started the shelter are now about to graduate from college, they look back on those days and are grateful for what they learned at the shelter. They claim that their work at DAWGS changed them forever.

DAWGS also has its book that bears the name of the shelter, it is a writing that tells the story of these homeless animals and the little ones that rescued them, telling all the challenges they had to face for the conformation of the shelter.

With the odds against them they had to face local politicians, farmers and the impetuous local climate, a true story of heroes.

Currently, DAWGS works with donations and adoptions around the country, they hope to find more benefactors and form a mobile veterinary unit.