Monty and Chevy might not know it, but Kurt Sacks is determined to be the dogs’ best friend and help find them homes.
Well, scratch that — at least behind their ears. They do know his affection for them, says Sacks, a volunteer at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control’s North Animal Campus near Haslet.
“I love dogs. I just love dogs,” he said during a recent visit to the campus, where Monty and Chevy have resided since July. “They just want to be your friend, and they love you so much, especially the shelter dogs. Many of these dogs never really had a true friend. And I can tell they feel that. If you care about them, they feel that.”
“His compassion, selflessness, and big heart continue to make an immeasurable difference for both our dogs and our team.”
Lana Newberry, volunteer coordinator, Fort Worth Animal Care & Control
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Monty and Chevy, 2-year-old mixed breeds who’d been waiting since July for furrever homes, were more than grateful for the attention — and treats — from Sacks and other volunteers and staff.
Volunteers put in an estimated 9,453 hours for Fort Worth Animal Care & Control last year, shelter officials estimate. They play a critical role in finding homes for the shelters’ animals, officials said.
Sacks is this week’s Fort Worth Report “52 Faces of Community” featured volunteer. 52 Faces of Community honors our neighbors who quietly make our lives better every day.
Sacks’ reputation as a volunteer precedes him.
“In the short time Kurt Sacks has been volunteering with us, he has become a true lifesaver for FWACC dogs, walking priority pups, helping at events like the Mega Adoption Event, and fostering six dogs, four already this year,” Lana Newberry, animal care’s volunteer coordinator, said.
“When I first met Kurt, his love for pit bull type dogs was immediate and undeniable. His compassion, selflessness, and big heart continue to make an immeasurable difference for both our dogs and our team.”
Sacks works mostly with large dogs, taking them on walks to help relieve the stress of being in kennels. He also uses his social media to try and find homes for dogs that are running out of time before euthanasia. After his sessions, he gives shelter staff feedback on each dog.
“Kurt is a phenomenal volunteer,” Melanie Peña, the shelter’s outbound supervisor, said.
Sacks, 70, retired eight years ago from a long career as a financial adviser. He had a part-time gig for awhile, but a bad back meant he couldn’t work anymore, so he started volunteering at the shelter six months ago.
“It was natural for me,” he said.
Sacks has three dogs — Maya, Lavender and Kevin — he’s adopted from the shelter, all pit bulls or mixes.
“They were what’s termed urgent placement, meaning they were out of time,” he said. “In fact, I got all three of them on what appeared to be their last day.”
Monty, a 2-year-old terrier mix, sniffs the camera while Kurt Sacks tries to wrangle him back Aug. 25, 2025, at the Fort Worth North Animal Care & Control Campus in Haslet. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Sacks, when he’s not nursing his back as he has been in recent weeks, estimates he volunteers with dogs several days a week at the shelter for two hours at a time.
“What I like to do is not just walk them but give them some love, scratch their ears and pat them on the head, talk to them,” he said.
More than a week ago, Sacks used his Nextdoor account to put up a post, looking for a home for Monty.
A good number of shelter dogs are at least pit mixes, a breed that gets a bad rap, he said.
Monty, a stray pickup on July 30, is a terrier-pit mix. Chevy, surrendered by his owner July 21, is a terrier-American Staffordshire mix. Both are listed as “urgent placement pets” by Animal Care & Control. While in the pen with Monty and Chevy, Sacks started reading their attributes from each dog’s shelter papers.
“Super friendly, good around other dogs, loveable, well-mannered, easy to walk, calm and easy going,” he said.
Kurt Sacks poses with Chevy, a 2-year-old terrier mix, Aug. 25, 2025, at the Fort Worth North Animal Care & Control Campus in Haslet. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Every adopted dog is a victory. After Sacks’ most recent visit, Chevy was taken to a potential new home under “deferred adoption,” or trial basis.
“It’s sad that not all of them get out of here,” Sacks said. “It hurts. It hurts me to lose my friends. I’ve made a lot of dog friends here, and the ones that don’t make it, it hurts. But I’ve been able to help get a few dogs into good homes.”
Scott Nishimura is a senior editor for the Documenters program at the Fort Worth Report. Reach him at scott.nishimura@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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