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Heading into the new year, Chris McAllister wants to keep up the momentum Fort Worth built up in saving as many dogs, cats and other animals as possible.
This past year included some difficult challenges but also notable wins for the city’s animal care and control division that he oversees.
For starters, McAllister’s team celebrated steady growth in its live-release rate, the measure of how many animals leave shelters through adoption, transfers to rescue groups and returns to pet owners. Shelters are considered “no-kill” when they reach a live release rate of 90%.
Fort Worth’s two animal shelters reached an average live release rate of 85.47% during the 2025 fiscal year, which ran from October 2024 to September. That’s up from 79.77% the previous year.
The improvement came after a spike in canine euthanasia this spring, caused by a viral canine disease that broke out in the shelters. McAllister said the staff’s swift work to contain the virus’ spread, coupled with new programs, helped the shelters recover and improve the live-release rate.
“I didn’t think some grand idea was going to get us to 90%,” McAllister said. “It was a lot of little things, and just over time, all these little things will add up and make a difference. I think that’s what we’re seeing now.”
The shelter epidemic ultimately infected 93 animals and forced veterinary staff to euthanize 38 of them. Fort Worth closed its animal shelters for nearly a month, halting the intake of animals during the outbreak.
Reflecting in December on the shutdown, McAllister maintained that there’s nothing the staff could have done to avoid the infection, noting that municipal shelters’ obligation to take in strays naturally poses the risk of bringing in diseases.
“Any shelter, regardless of their cleaning protocols, they’re going to deal with this — because you just never know,” McAllister said.
Today, the shelters remain at capacity with more than 800 animals in their care daily, McAllister said. But the number of animals entering the shelters is declining.
Fort Worth recorded 17,209 intakes this fiscal year, a 13.3% decrease from the previous year. Typically, fewer intakes lead to higher live-release rates, McAllister said.
Several new programs, implemented last year or on this year’s horizon, are expected to help reduce the shelters’ populations and tackle the number of strays on Fort Worth streets, McAllister said.
At the newly launched Chip Spot at Winslow’s Cafe, Fort Worth residents can scan lost pets for microchips to identify and reunite them with their owners.
The animal care division’s P.A.W.S. for Patriots program pairs shelter dogs with veterans for therapeutic volunteer opportunities to benefit both the people and canines. P.A.W.S. and Think aims to educate students about responsible pet ownership and give hands-on learning with puppies.
Next year, the city will launch Clip & Snip, a pilot program to offer free spay and neuter surgeries, as well as vaccinations, through a mobile trailer that travels in Fort Worth’s neighborhoods in need. McAllister declined to share more information about the program until its rollout, tentatively planned for January.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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