Pictured here is Precious — the dog who started it all.

Precious was housed in an overcrowded municipal shelter, sharing a kennel with three unfamiliar dogs. The constant stress and noise overwhelmed her, and in her desperation for attention from adopters, she began lashing out at her kennel mates. As a result, she was moved to quarantine and labeled “Code Red.” She was running out of time.

She was the first dog I ever watched be placed on the red list. Outside of the shelter environment, she was affectionate and gentle — and once placed in a foster home, she even proved to be dog friendly. Precious was eventually adopted into a loving home.

She taught us something we will never forget: in Texas’ ongoing stray crisis, time is always of the essence.

While Precious came from a shelter, Time is Precious Pet Rescue focuses on underserved communities — helping dogs who may never have access to animal control, spay/neuter resources, or intervention programs. By working upstream, we aim to help dogs before they ever enter the shelter system.

We honor the lifesaving work shelters do. Our mission simply operates in a different space.

Time is Precious Pet Rescue was named in honor of the dog who reminded us that sometimes all a dog needs is time — and someone willing to give it.