Fort Worth Animal Care & Control has saved over a thousand dogs this year thanks to its transport program.
The Fort Worth Shelter collaborates with other rescue groups across the country, particularly in New England and the Pacific Northwest, where pet overpopulation is less severe. FWACC’s transport team takes animals to partner shelters with more space or resources to provide care.
On September 20, 27 dogs from the Fort Worth Shelter were loaded onto the “Bark Bus” and taken to New England. The canines were of all sizes, and six were on an urgent pet placement list. Many pets on the list have either immediate medical concerns beyond the care that the shelter can provide, behavioral concerns, or are unable to fit in the shelter due to capacity concerns.
FWACC’s transport program has saved a total of 1,053 dogs in FY 2024 alone, which is the highest number since 2020.
“Our goal was 800 (almost a 50% increase), but I knew the team was going to surpass it,” Transport Program Manager Nia Hernandez said in a statement. “It’s an amazing feeling knowing that the team was up for the challenge and never gave up. I also loved all of the support we gave one another, a very wholesome feeling for sure!”
FWACC is Fort Worth’s only open-admission animal shelter, which sees over 18,000 animals annually. The city has two other shelter locations, each holding over 800 animals and running consistently at capacity.
Animal shelters in the Dallas metroplex have struggled with a capacity crisis for months, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
On September 24, Dallas Animal Services reported a critical overflow of total dog kennel space and a high overflow of total cat kennel space.
The Facebook group Urgent Pets of Dallas Animal Services highlights pets that face euthanasia if not adopted. The group frequently posts pictures of pets, often seniors or pets with medical issues, that are in dire need of adoption.
Of the 379 animal shelters in Texas, 142 are no-kill shelters. In Dallas County, 10 out of 21 shelters are no-kill. In neighboring Collin County, two of its six shelters are no-kill shelters. Some counties, like Kaufman and Ellis, do not have any no-kill shelters.