Texarkana Animal League (TAL) is a 501©3 and we exist to provide protection and care for abandoned, abused, neglected and unwanted companion animals. We also promote animal welfare through programs and services that mutually benefit animals and people. Officially organized in Texarkana AR in 1994, TAL has gone through over 20 years of growth and change. Each year we help hundreds of animals and their families through our assistance programs. We have expanded our reach past Texarkana and now serve people and animals in Bowie & Cass counties in Texas and Miller & Little River counties in Arkansas. We have big dreams for the future and hope that we can count on the continued support of our community in order to achieve those dreams. TAL is a group of community-minded volunteers dedicated to improving the lives and welfare of animals. Because our organization is run mainly by volunteers, all proceeds directly benefit animal care and adoptions, and will assist with our community outreach programs such as a Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), Foster Programs for cats and dogs, as well as educational and service projects to assist TAL’s belief that all animals are deserving of life, respect and care. TAL is NOT the animal shelter nor are we connected to any governmental animal control unit, but we do support the Texarkana AR Animal Care & Adoption Center (our local shelter) in many ways, including financially and we assist area Animal Control Officers from both Texas and Arkansas whenever they contact us.
Both dogs and cats have very different physical characteristics, personalities, medical issues, behavioral tendencies, and etc., based on the many breeds within each species. The internet is full of information that will help you make the decision on the breed(s) that will be most compatible with your specific desires and environment. If you do not have access to the internet, speak with a local veterinarian. One of TAL’s foster program volunteers will carefully review your application to ensure you meet our general requirements for adoption, as well as additional needs that might apply to a specific animal. If you have provided a veterinarian reference, we will contact that office to verify you have provided routine care for your past or current pets, i.e., annual vaccinations, routine physical examination, annual heartworm testing and administration of monthly heartworm preventative. If a home visit is logistically possible, we may ask to do a home visit. These visits are not meant to make an applicant uneasy. Instead, we use these visits to evaluate the environment for compatibility with the animal you are applying to adopt. We also use these visits to determine the integrity of your fence and assure it is appropriate for the breed size and characteristics of the animal you are interested in. When an applicant lives too far TAL to do a home visit, we accept photographs instead. If this is the case, we will provide you with a list of needed pictures. An animal might cost us $200 to $400 in vet care, and many people will want to adopt it. An older one with health issues can easily cost $400-$2,000 in veterinary expenses, and may require months of foster care for rehabilitation; yet we can only ask a minimal adoption fee, and it may be a long time until anyone comes forward to adopt it. Fees from the younger, more adoptable animals help offset the cost of caring for the others. Most of our animals have a sad story to tell, and some have suffered through years of neglect or abuse. We hope that you too are willing to give an opportunity for a better life to ALL of our animals by supporting them through adoption fees. Without these funds, our rescue efforts would not be possible. Most Saturdays, you can find us at PetSmart, where we will bring a few of our furry friends that need good homes to be adopted. Come see us sometime!
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