DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Carla is a 13-year-old girl who has spent the majority of her childhood moving around in the Texas foster care system. But something that has helped her cope over the years is her love and appreciation for animals.
KVUE's Hannah Rucker met up with Carla at Service Dogs, Inc. in Dripping Springs. The nonprofit, founded by Sheri Soltes, has been around for more than 30 years. The group rescues animals from shelters across Texas and helps to train them to become service dogs.
Carla was able to connect with Daisy, a snuggly young dog who's been through a lot. Daisy was rescued from a shelter in Bastrop in rough shape, with a bb pellet in her leg.
Now she's going off to help veterans, first responders and teens experiencing trauma.
Carla loved being able to have one-on-one time with Daisy and explained why she felt such a connection.
"It’s kind of like being in CPS, but instead of being in CPS, there’s dogs who have been through so much like I have," Carla said. "When [they] come here, they get fed, training. They get helped, then they go out and meet other people."
PHOTOS | Forever Families: Meet Carla
Carla is entering the eighth grade next week, and she has some pretty big goals for herself.
“A possible career is Air Force or military, training dogs and being on the front lines on the battlefield," Carla said.
She said she is ready for a new chapter.
“I’m just hoping for a fresh new family, a fresh new start, and something just to ease my mind of all the pain that’s happened in my past," Carla said.
To learn more about Carla or to put in an inquiry to adopt her, visit her page on the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.
Editor's note: The children who are in the Heart Gallery program and featured in KVUE's Forever Families segments are children who have had every effort made on their behalf to connect them with family or others in their community to provide options for permanent, adoptive homes. Through no fault of their own, that hasn’t happened yet, and so in partnership with the Department of Family and Protective Services, we collaborate to bring awareness to KVUE viewers about these children in the hopes of finding them permanency before they age out.