Please welcome Amber Gibson as our newest Board member and Cindy Shaw who returns for another term.

The next TARPA General Meeting is to be announced. Date and location information coming soon.

This is Cherie, a sweet little dog that was rescued from a puppymill in Texas and placed through a member of TARPA.

For information on Shih Tzu or Lhasa Apso, click here.

TARPA is a nonprofit organization of Texas releasing agencies and animal adoption organizations who have come together to establish a set of standards for maintaining and placing rescued animals.

This organization was founded for two primary reasons:

1.  to address the need for releasing agencies to feel confident that the "rescue and adoption" groups to whom they were releasing dogs and cats were reputable and provided adequate care for the animals within their program.

2.  to address the need to provide the general public with the knowledge that organizations from which they might adopt were reputable and provided adequate care for the animals within their program.

Member Benefits

The current members of TARPA are listed on the Membership page.  Our members have documented the reasons they feel TARPA is important as an organization. Please click here to see their list of TARPA Benefits.

Membership Requirements

To apply to become a member, organizations must have a primary or active volunteer location within the TARPA coverage area. Each member organization must agree to adhere to the TARPA Code of Ethics and also agrees to periodic random inspections of the primary location where animals are housed. See "How to Apply for TARPA Membership" for initial application information.

TARPA Member Coverage Area

Some member organizations are state-wide or national rescue affiliated, with volunteers in other areas of Texas. Organizations which have no members available in the TARPA area, and are interested in TARPA, may wish to contact these members for local assistance and/or consider creating a local TARPA affiliate. Please contact TARPA for further information.

How to Apply for TARPA Membership

All "rescue and adoption" groups are invited to apply for membership in TARPA.  Initial applicants provide a veterinary reference, two adoptive references, a foster home reference and supporting organizational documentation. The organizational documentation includes spay/neuter policies, health policies, adoption application, adoption contract, and owner release form.

To download an application, click here. You can send the application, along with the required supporting documents to:

EMAIL: TARPA Membership *

MAIL: TARPA Membership, 615 Pitts Road, Richmond, TX 77469

* Please remember to also mail a check for your annual membership dues to the mailing address provided above.  Checks are payable to TARPA in the amount of $25 (US Dollars). Your check will be held until your application is fully approved.

Member Approval Procedure

Once a COMPLETE application package and your membership dues are received, the Board of Directors of TARPA will review your application package and communicate the initial status within seven days.  Once tentatively approved, TARPA members will then schedule a home visit with one of the primary homes within your organization.  Home visits should be scheduled within 30 days of initial notification or you may be asked to resubmit your application.  The final results of the application approval process will be reviewed by Board of Directors and official status communicated with the primary contact for the rescue group.

Membership Renewal Dues

New Membership: New member applications, if submitted within the last quarter of the calendar year, include the next full year of TARPA membership as part of their initial dues.

Email: Please email the TARPA Membership Director with any questions about membership dues or current status.

Mailing Address: Please mail your renewal dues to TARPA Membership, 615 Pitts Road, Richmond, TX 77469