Meet Tara Harper, Founder of Paws In The City, Reality TV Star and a "10 Most Beautiful Women In Dallas" Nominee!

Tell us about your first rescue?
Tara:  My very first rescue happened when I was three years old. My family was leaving church and I saw a dog running down the street so I chased after it until I caught her and begged my dad to keep her. He said no, but he always told me when he looked over at “my blonde ringlets and big blue eyes” he would cave. So needless to say, we kept the dog and Sally was a wonderful part of our family for over 18 years.

Move on to Tara's adulthood and you'll see nothing's changed except the number of rescues Tara is responsible for!  In 2005, Tara Co-Founded Paws In The City with hopes and dreams of saving dogs from certain death from the Dallas city animal shelter. Tara knew the need was huge and the startup rescue was small; but with good luck and determination, maybe the group could make a lasting difference.

Paws In The City is an all volunteer organization with no paid staff. It's mission is "to rescue dogs and cats from the City of Dallas shelter where they are being euthanized at a rate of almost 30,000 per year." Since the organization's grassroots beginning, it has grown from just a handful of volunteers to over 150. The number of pets that Paws In The City has helped is truly staggering with 100% of all money (raised) going directly to the care of the animals.

The organization's fundraising events are considered the best social events in Dallas because Tara works tirelessly to raise money and bring the best people together with hopes of saving as many pets as possible.

What motivated you to start  PITC?
Tara:  The driving force in my life is rescue, it's the reason I live and breathe; I know it may sound dramatic to some people but it is absolutely true.  Several years ago I   decided to stop “talking” and start taking action in the pet community by volunteering at different dog rescues and learned the good, the bad, and the ugly. This helped me learn what worked and  what didn't so when I co-founded PITC all of that experience guided me in every decision I made.

Since you don't have a shelter where do you put all of the rescued dogs?
Tara: PITC is 100% reliant on fosters. Fosters are people who keep and care for the dogs after we pull them from the shelter. When we run out of foster homes, we have an amazing network of dog daycare facilities and boarding places that donate space or charge us a minimal amount to board our extra dogs. We are very lucky to have such a strong support system in place.

Now that Paws in the City has volunteers, do you still (personally) rescue animals?
Tara:  Yes, of course I do! I think that’s a major misconception, I’m just as “hands-on” now as I was when there were just a few of us.  And with my company SPI, I am very fortunate to be able to leave at amoment’s notice when a sick animal is in need.  I can’t count how many times I’ve used a Starbucks coffee trip as an alibi to race across town to rescue a dog.  But, yes I’m   definitely on the front line.  

You star in a NEW Reality TV Show on Bravo TV called "Most Eligible Dallas".  How has the show changed things with your rescue efforts?
Tara: It has given me a national platform to showcase the great need for rescue. Fortunately, Bravo has been extremely supportive of my cause. I really couldn't have asked for a better situation or a better way to shed positive light on this issue. I really owe Bravo so much for letting me do this.

What has been the biggest Surprise since starting the show?
Tara:  I have to say it’s a tie. The first is being recognized more; and that can be good and bad.  In the past, I was always incognito when rescuing animals, in fact I would usually go out with no makeup and hair pulled in a ponytail. But now I am so shocked that people recognize me and sometimes that prevents me from keeping a low profile when on a rescue.  But, I try to use this recognition to build awareness so the good outweighs the bad. 

The second (surprise) is the amazing amount of viewers contacting me about their own adoption or rescue stories. My favorite situation is when people tweet me. I have to say I'm always so excited when anyone tweets me a photo of their dog and how they got it. I love getting these and I always ask everyone to “adopt don’t buy” and tweet me a pic @tarahaper01.

What do you think is harder: taping a reality show or running PITC?
Tara:  Definitely PITC, when the camera crew leaves and everything is done, that part is over. Dallas area pets are not a TV show, they will always need us and we will always be here to help them.

We understand you are nominated for D Magazine’s "Ten Most Beautiful Women in Dallas" contest, were you surprised by this?
Tara:  Oh absolutely! It’s kind of funny, I have friends who have been nominated and even won in the past, but for some reason when I got the call I thought I was the victim of a prank. But this is such a big deal in Dallas so I am truly honored and quite flattered by this whole wonderful experience. Most importantly, it is one more way to build exposure for Paws in the City.

We think you're fabulous! How do we vote for you to become one of the "Ten Most Beautiful Women in Dallas"?
Tara:  Just click the colorful "VOTE" in the box below and vote for me!  Wish me luck!

VOTE FOR TARA!!! 

VOTE FOR TARA!!!

**Look for more on Tara Harper in the next edition of BellaDOG Magazine!**

www.taralharper.com