About Us
Learn more about us and our mission.Friends of Rescue Animals (FRAs) is a 501(c)(3) all volunteer non-profit organization founded in 2004.
Our mission is to provide resources, programs and education to promote adoption and care of homeless pets in our community.
FRAs’ vision is a world where every companion animal has a safe and loving forever home.
The organization was founded as “Friends of the Rowlett Animal Shelter”, and it started with 4 volunteers who wanted to support the Rowlett Animal Shelter. These volunteers sponsored one or two pets per month and reduced their adoption fees in an effort to increase adoptions for the Shelter.
After the devastation of the December 2015 tornado, we distributed supplies directly to pet owners through the generosity of businesses, other non-profit organizations, and citizens both near and far, with our volunteers even going into the disaster areas with supplies.
Our organization has grown to 300+ volunteers, and with this growth, we now support both the Rowlett and Garland animal shelters and operate our own cat rescue program. Our name Friends of Rescue Animals reflects the expansion of our impact over the last 20 years. In part due to our efforts, both shelters have an average live release rate that exceeds the 90% benchmark to be considered “no-kill”, which is difficult for a city shelter in Texas.
In 2016, FRAs began a cat rescue program where cats were able to be adopted from PetSmart in Rockwall. Cats are vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to adoption. Currently, FRAs has cats for adoption at PetSmart in Rockwall and Rowlett, adopting out 375 cats in our fiscal year 2023!
FRAs became the liason for the City of Rowlett’s Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Program in 2019. TNR is the safe, humane way to manage the outdoor cat population. Colony Managers (anyone caring for outdoor cats) can receive vouchers for vaccinations & spay/neuter surgery as well as borrow humane traps.
In 2020, FRAs officially began assisting the Garland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center by marketing their pets in need, assisting with emergency care and sponsoring one dog each month for heartworm treatment. We now manage the volunteer program and help more pets in need of emergency care & heartworm treatments.
As community support continues to grow, so do the programs that we can sponsor to increase the life saving impact. In July 2024 we started covering the fees to transport dogs out of state, and in October 2024 sponsored our first Community Cat Fix Day for City of Rowlett and Garland residents.
FRAs has not only grown in volunteers, but we have expanded our scope to meet the needs of animals in our community. Learning from leaders in the animal welfare community like Austin Pets Alive! and Best Friends, we share best practices and influence policies for success at the shelters we support.
Meet the Team
Deana Seigler, President
Deana has lived in Texas over 30 years, with the last 23 years being in Rowlett. She recently retired from the Aerospace & Defense industry where she was a Senior Director of Software Engineering. She first became involved with FRAs in 2014 where she started as a volunteer at the Rowlett Animal Shelter. Her husband, Frank, became a foster fail on the very first foster, a Beagle named Minnie. Since then she has fostered over 800 animals, most of which have been cats since her husband falls in love with any dog that comes home. She enjoys fostering kittens, especially the bottle babies or nursing mamas or any cat that is orange (her kryptonite).
She has been a Board Member supporting several animal welfare non-profits since 2015. Once she retired, she decided her passion was in the local community, and she returned to FRAs. She has completed the Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer certification and the Feline Right at Home Behavior Modification program for cats. In 2023, she obtained a Nonprofit Management Certificate from Arizona State University.
Sherial Millsap, Vice President
Sherial has lived in Texas for 43 years and has called Garland home for over 20 years. She retired from the Telecommunications Industry in 2021, allowing her to embark on new endeavors.
Throughout her life, Sherial has always had a deep love for animals, and her home has always been filled with a variety of pets including German Shepherds, Rabbits, and Lizards. It was through a Facebook post by Archangel Animal Network that she discovered Friends of Rescue Animals (FRAs), an organization that aligns with her passion for animals. Since then, Sherial has actively engaged with FRAs and found the experience to be both exciting and fulfilling.
Looking ahead, Sherial eagerly anticipates future opportunities to contribute her skills and passion to FRAs. She is committed to making a positive impact and is enthusiastic about the possibilities that lie ahead in her journey with the organization.
Mary Ward , Treasurer
Mary was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Texas in March 2021 with her husband John and senior cat Cuvee. Cats were always in the house and she grew up with an awesome rescue named Clyde that was in the family for 15 years She was introduced to FRAs by a friend who needed help with days old kittens that were found in the snow. Hearing her story made a strong impression and introduced Mary to what a great organization FRAs is. Fostering was a good choice after Cuvee passed away in April 2021 since she was not ready to make a permanent decision to adopt. Mary became foster fail with the second set of kittens in December 2021 – Cosmo (brown tabby) and Pepper (black). She started volunteering at the Rockwall Petsmart after the foster fail and has a really hard time leaving the cats each week and not bringing any home. Mary stepped into the role of Treasurer in September 2022. Mary loves all animals but cats, any size – domestic or wild just have an extra special place in her heart.
Sue Rabinowitz, Secretary
Sue has resided in Rowlett, Texas since 1996, after moving from Garland, where she resided for 18 years. Her love affair with dogs began with her German Shepherd ‘Santana’, Over the years, the home was always filled with ‘rescue’ dogs, parrots, parakeets.
Having served 40+ years as Senior Accounting manager, it was time to retire in Jan 2021. Friends of Rescue Animals is a perfect fit for volunteering time. What could be more fulfilling than being able to help homeless cats and dogs in Rowlett and Garland. Sue’s journey of volunteering for FRAs began in May 2021, starting with walking dogs at the Rowlett Animal Shelter and then transitioning to helping in the ‘back office’. Cat Rescue, FUNdraising, microchip clinics, adoption events, data entry, Pooch Plunge; the variety of opportunities is endless! There is nothing more satisfying than spending volunteer time helping the cats and dogs in Rowlett and Garland. The very best part of volunteering with FRAs is the people. A great organization, a great mission, and great people, all in it together for a great cause.
Tiffany Tormey, Member at Large
Tiffany has been a resident of Garland, Texas her entire life. Her love of animals started at the age of 6 when she got my first dog, Sara, and she has always had a dog in her home. It wasn’t until she met her husband Peter that she got her first kitten, Anastasia, who is now 11 years old and still with them!
Tiffany started volunteering at the Garland Animal Shelter in January 2024 after her Husky Sabastian was returned home by a shelter after being lost for 7 years. She realized then just how important animal shelters are in creating and reuniting families. Currently, she has four dogs and three cats, all of which have come from a shelter. Her and her husband both volunteer as cat care team members ensuring our feline friends get much needed socialization while they wait for their forever home.
Kristi Stratton, Member at Large
Kristi grew up in Lubbock, TX and moved to the “big” city of Dallas after high school. Cats were always a big part of the family. One morning after a storm, she was on her apartment balcony and heard a tiny meow. When she looked over the railing, she saw two little kittens poking their heads out of the shrubs. She immediately brought them inside even though pets were not allowed. Through the years she’s had several more cats plus a German Shepard mix which she named Freeway after finding him in her office parking lot on LBJ Freeway.
After retiring from the oil industry, it was time to do something she had always wanted to do which was volunteering at a shelter. It has been one of her best decisions. The joy she receives from all the dogs and cats has been immeasurable.
Ray Dietrich, Member at Large
Ray grew up on a large ranch in Southwest Oklahoma and moved to Texas in 2000. Loving and caring for animals has always been in Ray’s blood. His parents, especially his mother, was known for rescuing any animal from a small bird to an elk name Elko. Growing up Ray helped raise orphaned sparrows, hawks, as well as many bottle fed baby deer. His favorite rescue was an injured owl named Hootie. He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated with a degree in marketing and advertising. Ray has also had the privilege of serving on the board of directors for several non profit organizations nationwide.
Being a member of the FRAs organization has been one of the most fulfilling activities of his life, just seeing a happy dog find his forever home is so rewarding. In the future he hopes to see the FRAs organization grow with more volunteers and making an even larger impact with animal adoptions.