Dogs

Forgotten Dogs Of The 5th Ward Project

Porter, TX 77365

About

We are a committed and compassionate circle of volunteers helping to care for abandoned and neglected dogs in Houston’s 5th Ward. This area has a significant and ever-growing population of stray dogs, many of them abandoned by their owners and left to roam and fend for themselves. Because almost all of these dogs are not spayed or neutered, countless litters of puppies are born in a never ending cycle of struggling to survive without the basic medical care, nutrition and attention necessary for any animal to grow up healthy and happy. Our group was formed to intervene in this vicious cycle of deprivation and misery, in response to the strays we observed in the 5th Ward wandering the streets. Our first and foremost goal is to educate and assist area residents who may need help in understanding how to better care for their pets and who may need economic assistance to ensure their pets receive essential medical care. We provide residents with paid veterinary care appointments and do our best to provide shelter to chained and outside animals to protect them from the elements. Our efforts often extend beyond dogs to other creatures in need, especially cats and horses. Our volunteers drive feeding routes a few times a week to fill as many bellies of the hungry as possible. We also take pictures in order to network them for foster homes, adoption, or for other rescue groups that will offer them a second chance at life. Many of the dogs we have helped are suffering from severe mange, distemper, parvo and other diseases, gunshot wounds, broken bones, lacerations, etc. This project is 100% funded by donations and volunteer effort. We rely totally on the generosity of those who share our compassion and care for the welfare of the neglected and abandoned animals, and without them, we would not be able to help a single one. In the past four and a half years, we have been able to help over 1,000 dogs, providing them a second chance at life with the comforts of a loving forever or foster home, where life is not a daily struggle just to survive. We have much more work to do, and welcome the support of others to join in our efforts as volunteers, fosters, adoptive families, and donors!

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

You will first be required to complete our Adoption Application. Once received, an FD rep will contact you via phone or e-mail. If it seems you are a good fit for each other based on the info you provided, a phone interview will follow. If you are renting, we require proof that you are allowed to have a pet as well as any breed or size restrictions that may exist. If you have pets or did previously, we require your vet information and we will call them to verify that your pets are in good health, current on vaccines and spayed/neutered. We require that all pets in the home be spayed/neutered unless there are health reasons that can be verified with the vet. The final step is a home visit, where an FD volunteer comes to your home to verify your home is a safe place for an animal. It is also a time where the volunteer can answer questions and discuss safety precautions. In our Adoption Agreement, we require that every animal be spayed/neutered (if not prior to adoption) by a specific date. This is VERY important as the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country is a sad result of too many unplanned litters! If for any reason the match is not as perfect as we all had hoped, the dog or cat must be returned to Forgotten Dogs, not given away or turned in to a shelter. Serious fines apply to violators of the Forgotten Dogs Agreement to Adopt. So be clear about what you are signing and be prepared to abide by the contract. It is legally binding and we take it very seriously. Forgotten Dogs’ adoption fees are $150 for adult dogs ages 2+ and $175 for puppies >2 years old (plus an additional spay/neuter deposit on those that are too young at the time of adoption: $75 local, or $250 for long-distance adoptions). Long distance transportation costs vary based on size/weight/breed of the individual dog being adopted, as well as the mode of transportation (ground, air, etc). Our fees go towards covering spay/neuter, lifetime-registered microchip, vetting costs such as vaccinations and deworming, shelter fees, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding, behavioral training, and any additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our system do. Thus, any “extra” money from adoption fees – which almost never happens – goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Forgotten Dogs, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well. We are a small group of volunteers and almost all of us have full-time or part-time jobs, families, and pets of our own to care for. There is not set amount of time it may take since we have to coordinate schedules with multiple people in order to do home checks, meet and greets, etc. Please understand that we do try our best to expedite the process as much as possible. If you are looking for a quick adoption, please visit your local shelter, as there are many dogs there that need homes, just as our Forgotten Rottens do.