The SPCA of Texas this week announced the launch of a $31 million capital campaign, Care Unleashed, to fund a major campus expansion and facility reimagining. The announcement came Thursday morning, Oct. 9, at a “Cornerstone Unveiling” event at the SPCA’s facilities at 2400 Lone Star Drive.
According to a press release about the announcement, this expansion will “provide more space, advanced veterinary medical resources and enhanced adoption experiences to meet the growing needs of animals and people in North Texas.
Chris Luna, SPCA of Texas’ president and CEO, said, “This campaign represents an historic investment in the future of animal welfare and the overall health of our communities in Texas. Between 2025 and our organization’s 90th anniversary in 2028, this expansion is projected to double our annual reach, from approximately 50,000 to nearly 100,000, serving more than 350,000 animals and families over that period.”
Luna said that “every dollar raised” through the Care Unleashed campaign will help the organization “create an expansion where animals not only survive but thrive.”
“This will increase our ability to care for pets rescued through cruelty investigations, which often are high-volume cases, in a place separate from our adoptable animals,” he said. “We also will have more room to accommodate vulnerable pets who need help after natural disasters while connection more families with loving companions.”
The press release notes that the cornerstone unveiling event “marks the celebration of several transformational gifts,” including an $8 million gift from the Stephens Greth Foundation that encompasses $5 million for a new building and $3 million to accelerate programs.
The reimagined campus will be named The Stephens Greth Foundation Campus will include three vital buildings: the new The Addy Foundation Care and Recovery Center, the Dallas Animal Care Center, and the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center.
A $5 million gift from The Addy Foundation will help build the newest SPCA of Texas facility, The Addy Foundation Care and Recovery Center.
Other lead gifts include $1 million from The Eugene McDermott Foundation and $500,000 from Steven and Sue Koons for the Steven and Sue Koons Surgery Center.
“The SPCA of Texas is grateful for the support for the Care Unleashed campaign from [donors including] Communities Foundation of Texas, Embrey Family Foundation, Hoblitzelle Foundation, The Meadows Foundation and Theordore and Beulah Beasley Foundation,” the press release noted.
Also according to the press release, the extended campus will add 254 kennels designed for comfort and calm, dedicated recovery spaces with advanced ventilation for fragile animals, expanded surgery and treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art forensics lab to strengthen accountability in cruelty cases.
It will also double the SPCA’s capacity for adoptions and foster placements each year, double current capacity to conduct wellness visits and spay/neuter surgeries, use the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center as a temporary hub for animal intake in cases of natural disasters and large-scale animal cruelty cases, and significantly boost the capacity of the SPCA of Texas’ Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit to rescue cruelly treated animals and help prosecute cases of cruelty, abuse or neglect.
More than 80 percent of the Care Unleashed campaign has already been raised, with 100 percent participation in financial support from the organization’s board of directors, according to the press release
SPCA of Texas Board Chair Whitney Eichinger said, “The SPCA of Texas always steps in when animals and families need help. As North Texas has grown, so have community needs. Our shelters are crowded, and families are facing tough choices. Right now, compassion matters more than anything.
“That is why we are expanding, to create more spaces where fragile animals can rest and heal,” Eichinger continued. “We are creating a welcoming place where families can meet their next furry family member, and we are also giving our teams the tools to prevent cruelty, to respond when disaster strikes and to give every pet a chance at a healthy, happy life.”
The Care Unleashed Steering Committee includes Jennifer Altabef, Jodi Benefiel, Katy Bock, Pam Busbee, Lauren Embrey, Jonathan Kelly, Sue and Steve Koons and Charles Lipscomb, as well as the President’s Council which includes Diane Brierley, Kristin Hallam, Mary Spencer and Karen Urie.
Visit the SPCA of Texas website for more information about Care Unleashed and how to get involved the organization, or contact SPCA of Texas Development team through email at development@spca.org or by phone at 214-461-1828.
— Tammye Nash