Fort Worth’s new mobile Chip & Snip Community Pet Clinic will soon roll into neighborhoods, offering free spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and more.
Operating from a trailer, it aims to improve pet health and reduce overpopulation, city staff told members of Fort Worth’s Animal Shelter Advisory Committee at their April 22 meeting.
Documenters empowers people like you to help fill the gaps in reporting on Tarrant County public meetings. Find out how you can join here.
Dates will be posted across city social media platforms once they’re confirmed, city staff said.
In other items:
- Rescue tags: Nia Hernandez, superintendent at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control, explained the rescue tag process: Adoptable shelter pets are “tagged,” meaning a rescue group or individual formally claims them and assumes responsibility for care and rehoming. Tagged animals then enter foster homes for at least two weeks.
- Bond program: Fort Worth voters on Saturday night approved a $59.87 million proposal to replace the city’s Chuck & Brenda Silcox Animal Care & Control Center, which opened in 1998.
- Animal control budget: The largest expense category is medicines and lab work, which cost $1 million annually. The budget also covers salary and benefits for 135 employees.
- Grants: Committee member Kristina Valentine asked about funding. Staff said businesses such as PetSmart and Petco, along with private donors, provide grants — some with spending restrictions. The City Council approves their use. Cowtown Friends of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control supports city shelters through fundraising and adoption events.
- Protecting pets: Chairperson Cindy Boling shared ideas for future agenda items. She’d like to know how Fort Worth works with organizations that provide a safe place for those seeking refuge from violence who don’t want to leave their pets behind. She would also like to know how the veterinarians who will volunteer with Chip & Snip like the program.
- Adopting shelter and foster pets: Join Fort Worth Animal Care & Control 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. May 9 at Rodeo Plaza to meet adoptable pets from the city animal shelter and fostering groups.
Fort Worth Animal Shelter Advisory Committee meeting
Documenter: Lisa Gayle Markham
Date: April 22, 2026
To learn more about this meeting, click here. For the agenda, click here.
Lisa Gayle Markham is a member of the Fort Worth Report Documenters crew. If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at news@fortworthreport.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
Related
Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.
Republish This Story
Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details.
Janna Franzwa Canard is associate editor for the Fort Worth Report. She’s happiest when she’s reading and crafting words and has been fortunate enough to turn this love into her career. She has worked…
More by Janna Franzwa Canard