Paula Oberle makes her way through the Heart Of Texas SPCA canine rescue agency’s kennels, pointing out the new puppies recently brought in. Over to the right is an empty cage, where Levi, a sweet Dachshund mix, had been staying before his recent adoption.
“When (the agency) first started, it was a 10-dog facility. At one point, we had 150 dogs,” Oberle said. “It got overwhelming. I never wanted to be that big, so when I found this place, I made it a rule: no more than 30 dogs.”
Heart of Texas SPCA kennels are located in Fair Oaks Ranch at 28730 Interstate 10 West on the access road, just north of Fair Oaks Parkway.
Heart Of Texas is a by-appointment only animal rescue agency, due to its low number of employees and its outdoor kennels. A staffer is needed to escort any visitor to see the dog they specifically came to see — Heart of Texas has two dozen dogs looking for a “forever home” on a link from the Heart Of Texas website, Heartoftexasspca.com
Once there, a click on “Dogs For Adoption” and another on “Adopt-A-Pet” brings the viewer face-tomuzzle with Rocky and Prince Romeo, a bonded pair of Lab–hound mixes; Connor, the Labrador– Spitz mix; Freckles the Collie–Great Pyrenees; Blossom, the Dachshund– terrier mix; and the cute-and-adorable Buzz, a 3-month-old lab–retriever mix, among others.
“When I first started, I was just a volunteer, coming out on Saturdays,” Oberle said. “Then they asked me to be a board member, and it just grew from there.”
Oberle originally had another full-time job at a veterinary clinic and spent time with Heart of Texas on a part-time basis. “Then the girl I hired asked for more days, and I thought ‘Sure, no problem,’ as long as we can keep the finances going for her to be here and pay the rent, I’m good with it,” she said.
That formula worked well for several years ... until the calendar flipped to 2024.
Then ... POOF — This year, adoptions dried up. Donations dried up. Volunteer hours shriveled.
Levi, a Dachshund mix who came to Heart of Texas with chemical burns on his back and required two months of rehab, found a new home that day — but just the ninth adoption of the year thus far, far behind the 31 dogs adopted during all of 2023.
“I know every rescue is going through the same thing,” she said. “A lot of rescues operate out of their homes; I don’t, so I have overhead to pay. So I’m in a bit of a panic mode because winter’s coming.”
Winter means fewer patron adoption visits, which translates to maintaining the same dogs, allowing less space for intake — and less money to care for them.
“Then I really socked in the gut (in August) when both my grants were declined,” she said, grants “we always got, every year. And they didn’t say why, they just sent a letter saying, ‘sorry,’” she said.
Volunteers can perform grant-writing, fund-raising, clean cages and socialization of the dogs, which is a key factor for adoptions. She said not knowing a stray’s background can be a detriment in establishing the dog as soon as possible for adoption.
Kendall County resi dents considering adopting a dog can go to the website heartoftexasspca. com and follow the links there. The rescue’s Facebook page — Heart of Texas SPCA, a.k.a., HOTK9 Rescue — is updated daily, where patrons can see the puppies and dogs they might eventually want to take home. Paula and her staff can be reached at 830-981-2300.
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