CultureMap's Dallas Charity Guide is shining a spotlight on the many ways local charities are shaping our community. The guide, in partnership with Frost's Opt for Optimism campaign, is a one-stop resource for folks looking for opportunities to give back.

Here, we take a look at the Dallas-area charities and nonprofits that are protecting and caring for those most vulnerable in the community — animals in need. Find out how to support, get involved, and help rescue animals with these local organizations.

Cane Rosso Rescue

Mission: Cane Rosso Rescue aims to support local dog rescue groups, create a network of foster homes, and ultimately find homes for abandoned or homeless dogs. It was founded in March of 2014, when Jay Jerrier, owner of Dallas pizza restaurants Cane Rosso and Zoli's NY Pizza Tavern, expanded his reach beyond the restaurant world in order to help save the life of Walter, a Vizsla mix at a shelter in Arlington. A longtime Vizsla and German Shorthaired Pointer owner, Jerrier and Cane Rosso Rescue have since helped find homes for over 300 dogs (and counting).

Get involved: To see current volunteer opportunities and to fill out the waiver, head here.

Major fundraiser: In addition to maintaining its own network of fosters and dogs, Cane Rosso Rescue seeks to support other DFW-area dog rescue groups through its collaborative "Pups on the Patio" events, held in the spring and fall seasons at Cane Rosso locations. Area rescue groups are given the opportunity to bring adoptable dogs to Cane Rosso's dog-friendly patios for an evening of fundraising, pet adoptions, and pizza. Donations are accepted from patrons in exchange for discounts and deals on food and drinks, and all donations are matched by Cane Rosso.

Dallas Companion Animal Project

Mission: Dallas Companion Animal Project recognizes that a deep connection with pets transcends socio-economic boundaries, and no one should be denied the opportunity to experience the benefits and joy that come from the human-animal bond. The group focuses on the future of the community by strengthening the connection between people and animals. The Pets for Life program addresses inequity and the lack of access to pet resources that people experience in under-served communities through community outreach and pet owner support services in the 75210, 75215, and 75216 ZIP codes.

Get involved: Volunteer opportunities with Dallas Companion Animal Project range from creative to administrative, and with pets or without pets — from going door-to-door offering help for pet owners to helping out at spay/neuter events to picking up donated pet food, tracking inventory, and much more. To get started, fill out a volunteer application.

Dallas Pets Alive

Mission: Dallas Pets Alive's mission is to promote and provide the resources, education, and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. The organization is run mostly by volunteers, and all pets are housed by dedicated foster families throughout North Texas. The group focuses on helping the healthy and treatable pets who are at risk of euthanasia at Dallas Animal Services, by rescuing the pets at greatest risk and helping owners who are having problems so great that they need to surrender their pet(s) to a shelter. The rescue program focuses primarily on the pets who have already been passed over by other groups and the Dallas Animal Services' adoption programs, taking only the healthy and treatable pets who have no other options.

Get involved: Consider volunteering or becoming a foster to an animal looking for a fur-ever home. Volunteers who work directly with the animals can increase an animal's chances of adoption by providing additional human contact. Volunteers also help inform the community of the aims and objectives of Dallas Pets Alive and promote responsible pet ownership.

Major fundraiser: In addition to weekly adoption events, Dallas Pets Alive holds an annual "pup crawl" to raise money for medical care and training for the animals in its care.

DFW Rescue Me

Mission: DFW Rescue Me is a foster-based dog rescue group in the Dallas area. Their mission is to provide a “new leash on life" by finding permanent and loving homes for lost, abused, and abandoned dogs.

Get involved: To get involved in DFW Rescue Me, you can donate, foster dogs, or become one of the many volunteers that DFW Rescue Me depends upon in order to be successful.

Major fundraiser: DFW Rescue Me hosts many adoption events around Dallas. To learn more about where and when these events take place, click here.

Humane Society of North Texas

Mission: Humane Society of North Texas' mission is to act as an advocate on behalf of all animals and to ensure their legal, moral, and ethical consideration and protection; to provide for the well-being of animals who are abandoned, injured, neglected, mistreated, or otherwise in need; to promote an appreciation of animals; and to instill respect for all living things. Their services include a clinic — which features low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, pet microchipping, and a monthly vaccination clinic — humane investigations, and community outreach and education.

Get involved: The Humane Society of North Texas relies heavily on its volunteers. Opportunities to become involved with HSNT include becoming a foster parent, dog or cat socializer, clinic helper, adoption assistant, event helper, and much more. Head here for volunteer guidelines and information on signing up as a HSNT volunteer.

Membership: Becoming a pet partner through a recurring monthly donation provides the Humane Society of North Texas with a source of consistent support for its life-saving programs.

Humane Tomorrow

Mission: Humane Tomorrow is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue and placement of unwanted and abused animals in Flower Mound and the surrounding areas. They are also committed to spay/neuter assistance and education to companion animal guardians. Humane Tomorrow works with Flower Mound's animal shelter to secure homes for found animals. Since Humane Tomorrow does not have a shelter, all animals in their program are placed in temporary foster homes until permanent homes can be found. Since 1997, Humane Tomorrow has rescued over 6,000 animals. They are dedicated to promoting a respectful, responsible, and compassionate relationship between animals and people.

Get involved: Humane Tomorrow's range of volunteer needs is vast, from monitoring the phones to hands-on care with Flower Mound's animals. New volunteer orientations are held every month to introduce those interested to the different opportunities available. They are usually held on the third Wednesday of each month, but head here for a current volunteer orientation schedule.

Membership: Humane Tomorrow accepts general donations but also has special programs set up for specific giving. These include the Mercy Fund, which helps provide victims of abuse and neglect the care they need, and Love on Wheels, a program with the mission to reduce euthanasia of dogs in Texas shelters by transporting them to areas where demand for adoptable dogs cannot currently be met.

Major fundraiser: Humane Tomorrow's annual Tuxes and Tails gala is the organization's largest fundraiser, featuring a fun-filled evening of dinner, drinks, and, of course, visits from some of the event's four-legged beneficiaries.

Operation Kindness

Mission: Operation Kindness' mission is to care for homeless cats and dogs in a no-kill environment until each is adopted into responsible homes, and to advocate humane values and behavior.

Get involved: Operation Kindness receives no government funding; they rely solely on generous donations, sponsorships, and adoption fees to fund their operations. To learn more, click here. Volunteering at Operation Kindness is rewarding and makes a huge difference in the lives of the animals. Caring and hard-working volunteers help in a variety of programs throughout the year.

Major fundraiser: Operation Kindness hosts the annual Hope Gala in April.

SPCA of Texas

Mission: The SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. The SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare agency in North Texas, with two shelters and three spay/neuter clinics located in Dallas and McKinney. It serves as an active resource center, providing an array of programs and services that bring people and animals together to enrich each others' lives.

Get involved: Help provide emergency support for animals in need, both now and in the future, through all of SPCA's mission-driven programs and services. You can do this by donating, volunteering, or fostering dogs.

Major fundraiser: SPCA of Texas hosts weekend adoption events, Strut Your Mutt, Fur Ball, Paws Cause, and Home for the Holidays, which are all events to benefit the SPCA of Texas and the many animals they host.