Hundreds of animals have pushed Fort Worth shelters far past their limits. From tiny kittens to large dogs, the city faces an unprecedented space crisis.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth Animal Care & Control is urgently calling on the community for help as both of its shelter campuses have exceeded capacity. The city is in critical need of adopters and foster families for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens.
Shelters face severe overcrowding
At the Silcox Animal Campus, feline occupancy has reached an alarming 253% capacity. The shelter is caring for 165 cats and kittens despite having only about 65 standard cat enclosures. A significant portion of these are kittens younger than 8 weeks old, many of whom are staying in temporary accommodations not intended for long-term care.
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An additional 56 cats and kittens are being cared for at Henry’s Animal Campus, which is also at capacity.
The situation is equally urgent for canines. Silcox Animal Campus is housing 442 dogs, filling all 321 available short- and long-term kennels and pushing occupancy to 137% capacity. Many dogs are being housed in temporary outdoor kennels due to the space shortage. Meanwhile, Henry’s Animal Campus is caring for 382 animals, including 250 large-breed dogs.
How the community can help
Every adoption and foster placement creates space for new animals arriving at FWACC shelters each day. To support foster families, FWACC provides essential supplies, including:
“By opening their homes, even temporarily, community members can make an immediate and meaningful difference for animals in need while helping the shelters continue to care for incoming pets,” a city release said.
Residents interested in adopting or fostering are encouraged to visit either shelter campus or go online.
Crisis mirrors Dallas Animal Services
The overcrowding in Fort Worth comes as neighboring Dallas Animal Services also reaches critical capacity, asking the community to take action to save lives.