Stray dogs in southeastern Dallas County have a lot to contend with: heartworms, ear infections, malnutrition — even alligators.

The patch of mostly undeveloped land to the east of Interstate 45 has been a common dumping ground for years. Dowdy Ferry Road is infamous for the number of dogs, living and dead, found along it.

Dogs found in that area, along the Trinity River, have few places to go.

Shelters around the county often are at capacity, and no-kill policies can mean a long wait for new intakes. That's why a number of nonprofit groups have popped up to focus on helping strays in southeast Dallas County.

In April, Dallas Street Dog Advocates heard rumors of a fluffy white Pyrenees mix with a black patch over his eye roaming the wetlands south of Belt Line Road.

One day during their search for the elusive giant, volunteers Relle Austin and David Maldonado found four dogs in a parking lot, which they followed to a soccer field.

That led them to what became known as "the pack" — a family of 29 dogs and puppies living under a trailer on a property near the Goat Island Preserve. All the dogs were related to two that had been dumped in the fields years earlier after an area breeder closed up shop, and DSDA would spend the next four months rescuing them.

DSDA was started a year ago by a small group of volunteers who wanted to combat Dallas' stray dog problem.

"After it was disclosed what a horrible street problem they have with loose dogs and stray dogs, and after Antoinette Brown was mauled by loose dogs, we decided to do something about it," said Elise Bissell, the group's president.

This year, the group — whose founders all have years of experience rescuing animals — has gotten more than 100 strays off the streets, Bissell said. DSDA works to place them in new homes, as well as educate owners about spaying and neutering their dogs and not allowing them to get loose.

When DSDA began rescuing the pack, it first targeted the females, to make sure they couldn't continue to breed and that their puppies got necessary medical attention.

Most of the dogs were friendly — two even hopped right into the rescuers' vehicle.

But usually it took more effort, sitting with the dogs for long periods of time to gain their trust and leaving food regularly until they formed an association between the volunteers and their meals. They also left food, including SPAM and sardines, in traps.

One dog hid nearly a dozen of her pups in a storm drain, and volunteers spent an entire day in early July pulling them out. Volunteer Jessica Bolton would crawl into the drain headfirst to grab a puppy and then had to be hoisted back out by her feet.

However, two of the dogs died before they could be rescued: a "very feral" female dubbed Dawn and a puppy who volunteers believe may have had a genetic deformity.

Aug. 13 was the first day of school for Austin's children, and she hadn't planned on visiting the pack that day. But at the last minute she and Maldonado made the decision to round up the final two dogs, Liam and Lester.

They picked up tacos from a taqueria in Garland on the way — some residents who use the soccer fields feed the dogs, giving them an affinity for Tex-Mex, the volunteers said.

The pair placed the tacos in a trap and decided to circle back in 15 minutes. Sure enough, when they returned, Liam was captured. Both dogs left the fields that day.

Now, every rescued dog from the pack has been treated for infections, vaccinated and bathed. Some have been adopted, and the rest are in foster homes.

But DSDA's work continues.

Last week, Austin spotted two new female dogs who have moved into the fields since the pack left. One may have puppies.

"They're my next project," she said, smiling.