"Failure to thrive" was Half Pint's status at the shelter after being surrendered by her owners due to another dog severely attacking her. In addition to her extensive physical wounds requiring immediate medical care, Half Pint was also suffering from emotional wounds as a result of her attack. She was fearful in the shelter and was refusing to eat. However, staff at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control never gave up on Half Pint - they moved her into a quieter area, sat in her kennel, hand-fed her until she would eat, and showed her kindness she never knew. Half Pint (HP for short) was able to spend time in the behavior room - a 1,200+SF area of the shelter that was converted into a quiet space in late 2020 for fearful or frustrated shelter pets. With time, dedication, and lots of treats, HP became a completely different dog. Her tail wags non-stop and even though she is 60 pounds, she tries her best to fit perfectly in your lap. 

In 2020, 976 dogs were brought into FWACC by their owners due to behavior issues. Because of the behavior team, all 976 of those dogs received daily in-kennel enrichment to keep them sane while they were at the shelter. Of these dogs, 239 of them were identified as "Code Red", meaning they were most at risk for euthanasia without a dedicated behavior team that could work with them on fear, frustration, or reactivity. Already in 2021, 20 dogs have been able to decompress and work on daily behavior plans in the new behavior room. In most large, open admission shelters, these animals would be euthanized or deemed "unadoptable" - but not at FWACC. In fiscal year 2020 (October-September), FWACC's live release rate was over 97%. All of the behavior support staff at FWACC is paid for through grant funding and is not part of the city's operational budget. Thanks to grants and donors last year, they were able to bring on 4 contracted behavior support team members - but that costs around $10,000 a year. Without donations to fund the program, the shelter would not be able to support behavioral needs of animals in the shelter or post-adoption. 

Here at Cowtown Friends of FWACC, we believe "all dogs are good dogs". That's why this campaign is dedicated to dogs like HP and ALL of the proceeds made will benefit the behavior program at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. This program is crucial to helping harder to place dogs make it out of the shelter and into their forever homes.

Cowtown Friends of FWACC exists to support Fort Worth Animal Care & Control and enhance its efforts to save the lives of pets in need. Our vision is that every pet who comes into the shelter is supported with the behavioral resources needed to find a loving home.