Operation Kindness is a no-kill animal shelter in Carrollton, Texas, founded by volunteers in 1976. You can adopt a dog or cat there without an appointment or application, usually the same day, for $155 to $250. The shelter does not run its own donation trucks, but its thrift partner Recycle 2 Support picks up clothing and household goods and pays Operation Kindness for what you give.
Operation Kindness Humane Society has two adoption sites in the Dallas area:
| Site | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Shelter and Pet Food Pantry | 3201 Earhart Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006 | Shelter daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; pantry Thursdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| PetSmart Adoption Center | 16821 Coit Road, Dallas, TX 75248 | Closed Mon and Tue; Wed to Sat 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
The shelter's main phone is (972) 418-7297. It has been at the Earhart Drive site since 1999, and the on-site Rees-Jones Foundation Medical Wing was completed in 2021. Operation Kindness also takes in animals from more than 100 municipal shelters and rescue groups as a transfer partner.
Yes, it describes itself as a no-kill shelter. Its stated policy is that it does not euthanize animals for space or for treatable medical conditions. Euthanasia is considered only when an animal has an irredeemable medical condition or behavior problems that rule out rehabilitation and adoption. Owners who need to give up a pet start with an online surrender request form linked from the shelter's website.
The process is short by shelter standards:
You must be at least 18. There are no home visits, and pets cannot be held or reserved, so adoptions are first come, first served. Current fees:
| Animal | Fee |
|---|---|
| Puppies (6 months and under) | $250 |
| Adult dogs | $205 |
| Dogs over 50 lbs | $50 (listed as its own tier; confirm with the shelter) |
| Kittens (6 months and under) | $175 |
| Adult cats | $155 |
Every fee includes spay/neuter before adoption, age-appropriate core vaccines, a microchip, a free health exam at a VCA Animal Hospital, trial-size food with a retailer coupon, and an adoption packet with medical records. The adoption pages do not cover returns or senior-pet pricing, so ask staff before you sign. Questions can go to [email protected].
Operation Kindness does not send its own trucks for donations. Instead it works with Recycle 2 Support, a thrift collection company that a 2024 Operation Kindness post calls Donate 2 Impact. The partner resells goods at Thrift Giant stores, recycles what cannot be sold, and pays Operation Kindness by the weight of what donors give. In that post, the shelter said the partnership raised $218,000 for it in 2022.
To schedule a pickup: book online at r2s-tx.net or call (972) 438-5463, choose Operation Kindness as your charity, and leave the items at your front door. Accepted items are clothing, shoes, small household goods and small electronics. Furniture is not on the list; for that, see our guide to furniture donation with free pickup. The pickup service area is not published, so check when you book.
Drop-off sites for the same program include the Carrollton shelter plus collection points in Frisco, Little Elm, Argyle and Denton listed on the Operation Kindness website. Clothing should be clean and dry; our clothing donation guidelines explain what thrift sorters reject.
Pet supplies and food are better sent through the shelter's Amazon, Chewy or CUDDLY wish lists, which are linked from its Other Ways to Give page. Donated food helps stock the Pet Food Pantry, which gives food and supplies to local pet owners on Thursdays and Sundays.
Volunteering. Individual volunteers must be 16 or older, pay a $10 fee that covers a badge and training, and log at least 4 hours a month to stay active. Roles include kennel care, the kitten nursery, enrichment, medical support, events, client service, the Pet Food Pantry, and a Saturday dog walking and jogging group. Youth, family and group programs are listed separately. The individual program does not accept court-ordered community service.
Fostering. No experience is needed. Operation Kindness supplies food, crates, litter and toys and covers medical care through its on-site hospital. Most fosters last two weeks to two months. Options include bottle-fed kittens (after a class called Kitten College), puppies and nursing mothers, animals recovering from surgery, day trips with adult dogs through Kindness on the Go, and short trial fosters.
Charity Navigator rates Operation Kindness Humane Society a Four-Star Charity, with accountability metrics drawn from fiscal year 2024 data (checked October 2026). The shelter also reports a Candid (GuideStar) Platinum seal.
Its Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 2025 shows $17.6 million in revenue and $20.4 million in expenses, a deficit of about $2.7 million, with net assets of $23.6 million. The year before, revenue was $18.6 million against $15.6 million in expenses. For 2025 the shelter reports 5,785 adoptions, 15,048 shelter and community spay/neuter surgeries, and 36,188 community pets served. Gifts are tax-deductible (EIN 75-1553350). For other options, see our list of top-rated animal charities or browse Texas charities.