Animal shelter’s ‘freedom ride’ hits major milestone

Animal shelter's 'freedom ride' hits major milestone

Published on September 25, 2024

The zoomies were in full force during the early morning hours of Sept. 20. That's when 27 happy canines said adios to Texas, thanks to the collective efforts of the Fort Worth Animal Care & ControlTransport Program team.

The Fort Worth Shelter collaborates with rescue groups in other regions of the country, particularly in New England and the Pacific Northwest, where pet overpopulation is less severe. These partnerships are essential to freeing up space at the shelter and saving lives.

FWACC is always looking for transport fosters to help the program thrive. Transport fosters play a crucial role in bridging the gap between a pet leaving the shelter and embarking on their journey to a new life. Pets must be fostered for at least two weeks before they are eligible for transfer.

Team members loaded the precious cargo onto the "Bark Bus" and off they went to a new start in New England. The group included a mix of small, medium and large breeds, with six dogs from the Urgent Pet Placement list. All were pulled from the Fort Worth Shelter for transport to the Northeast.

With this transport, a total of 1,053 dogs have been saved through the Transport Program in FY2024 alone - the highest number since 2020 and surpassing the team's initial goal.

"Our goal was 800 (almost a 50% increase), but I knew the team was going to surpass it," said Transport Program Manager Nia Hernandez.

She credits the hard work and support of shelter staff, volunteers, fosters, rescue partners and transport partners for helping save record numbers of lives through this invaluable program.

"It's an amazing feeling knowing that the team was up for the challenge and never gave up," Hernandez said. "I also loved all of the support we gave one another - a very wholesome feeling for sure!"

The next transport leaves Oct. 3. All told, 272 urgent dogs have left on transport this fiscal year.

For information on becoming a transport foster, email the foster team.

Tagged as:

• Animals