PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Pennsylvania animal rescue organization is trying to save as many dogs as possible from a Texas shelter’s euthanasia list.

It’s a race against time to find foster or adoptable animals in Western Pennsylvania, and Bark About It Rescue isn’t giving up on these dogs in need.

The rescue organization said a one-year-old mixed breed named Alina was scheduled to be euthanized after 2 p.m. Wednesday at BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions in Houston. It is a municipal shelter that cannot close its intake capacity. Alina and two other puppies, sweet Rin Tin Tin and cheerful Polo, were all rescued just in time.

“We have rescued 172 dogs so far, all in one year,” said Katelynn Mickey, president of Bark About It Rescue.

All of these dogs are still alive because Bark About It Rescue gave them a second chance at life.

“We work with a lot of great volunteers at BARC and they send us dogs that they love. And they say, ‘Hey, is there any way you can pull this dog?’ And if we can do it, we do it,” said Mickey, who lives in Somerset.

Nicole, a five-year-old pit bull, will be on the kill list on Thursday. Many cats and dogs in kill shelters are being euthanized to make room as overpopulation is at an all-time high.

“Depending on the day, there are sometimes 30 on the list,” Mickey said.

Mickey said the rescue organization has come close to taking a dog off the list before, and unfortunately they were unable to get any puppies by the deadline. The rescue organization is doing its best to spread the word on Facebook and Instagram.

“A lot of these are really done at the last minute because we don’t usually get much done in Pennsylvania without having a plan for it,” Mickey said.

Several dogs the rescue organization recently saved are being fostered in Texas until a foster home in Western Pennsylvania comes forward. At the same time, about 30 foster puppies are waiting to be adopted in temporary homes in the Pittsburgh area.

Cheyenna Pelligreno, the rescue organization’s operations manager, cared for Luther at her Bellevue home for three months after he was nearly euthanized.

“It’s definitely very rewarding. I loved being able to give him a nice home while he was able to find his forever home, and now he’s at his forever home,” Pelligreno said.

This rescue organization is all about giving dogs a good life after difficult experiences.

“Seeing them go to a happy home, get their puppy basket, go to the park or whatever. It’s just worth putting all the time and energy into it,” Mickey said.

“We’re kind of their last hope for a loving home. And since most of the dogs that come to BARC were once someone’s pet and were abandoned by people, I try to make amends for all the bad people out there,” Pelligreno said.

Pelligreno said if you’ve ever thought about fostering, now is the time to do so because shelters are in desperate need of more foster dogs. And for them, that’s often the deciding factor in whether they can take a dog off the kill list. You can fill out foster applications or adoption applications or volunteer on Bark About It Rescue’s website.