Fort Worth’s animal shelters need your help. How to adopt, foster or volunteer today.

Emily Brindley
·3 min read
2
Emily Fagan of Burleson looks at a dog available for adoption at the Chuck Silcox Animal Care & Control Center on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, in Fort Worth.

The city of Fort Worth’s overcrowded animal shelters have hundreds of dogs and cats up for adoption — plus a few less expected animals, too. If you want to get involved with the shelter, you can adopt an animal or sign up to be a volunteer or foster. Here’s how.

Fort Worth animal shelter adoptions

The city’s website lists hundreds of cats and dogs available for adoption, on the “Adoptable Pets” page. If you see an animal you like, you can click on that animal’s profile to see which location they’re housed at.

If you’d rather meet animals in person, the city houses them at four locations: the two city shelters, plus two PetSmart adoption centers.

If you’re specifically interested in adopting an animal that’s at risk of euthanasia, the city website has a “Code Red” page that lists animals in urgent need of a placement, and typically have some type of complicating health factor. Shelter volunteers maintain a similar Facebook page, called Code Red Animals of FWACC, where they post animals that are scheduled for euthanasia or soon will be. Those posts include animals whose primary reason for euthanasia is the lack of space in the shelter.

To claim an animal on the euthanasia list, you can email FWACCTAG@fortworthtexas.gov. Each animal on the list has a deadline by which it must be claimed. Some animals may have adoption restrictions if they have health or behavioral concerns.

To adopt an animal at the shelter or one of the PetSmart sites, you’ll need to bring a valid photo ID and fill out an application, which can be done on site. Adoption fees are typically $49 per dog and $25 per cat, but currently those fees are waived — meaning that adoptions are free.

Here are the adoption locations and times:

  • Chuck & Brenda Silcox Animal Care & Adoption Center: 4900 Martin St., Fort Worth. Monday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

  • North Animal Campus: 351 Hillshire Drive, Fort Worth. Monday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

  • Hulen PetSmart: 4800 SW Loop 820, Fort Worth. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

  • Alliance PetSmart: 2901 Texas Sage Trail, Fort Worth. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Fostering and volunteering at Fort Worth animal shelters

The city shelters are looking for fosters and other volunteers.

Fosters take shelter animals into their care on a temporary basis. The Fort Worth shelters allow for a range of foster situations including standard fostering where the animal lives at the home, as well as short-term fostering including a one-night sleepover or an “out and about” field trip.

Even short trips out of the shelter for a few hours can help an animal’s stress levels and provide valuable information on an animal’s behavior.

To become a foster, fill out an online application. If you have questions about fostering, you can email FWACCfoster@fortworthtexas.gov.

To volunteer in other ways — including playing with animals or helping with adoptions, office work or shelter cleaning — you can apply online through the Animal Care & Control website.

For more information, go to fortworthtexas.gov/departments/code-compliance/animals.

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