'Cowtown Friends' Working With Fort Worth Animal Control To Find Pets Their Forever Homes
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — Approximately 17,000 animals passed through Fort Worth Animal Care and Control in 2021. In just two years, a local non-profit helped more than 800 of those animals. Cowtown Friends of Fort Worth Animal Care and Control is a group of volunteers focused on improving the mental health of dogs waiting for their forever homes.
"Our shelters are completely full, we are often times at or over capacity," said Kayla Gonzalez with Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
Limited capacity isn't the only struggle facing shelter dogs, it's also boredom.
"I always saw that there was a greater need," said Kristen Morrison, the President of Cowtown Friends.
Kristen started out volunteering for the shelter for over a decade. Once she met her co-presidents and they got to talking, they realized they could make an even greater impact.
Together they created Cowtown Friends with a goal of bettering the lives of as many animals at the shelter as possible through enrichment.
"We purchased 200 Nylabones and 800 Kongs for them, so every dog at the shelter is able to have a bone in their kennel so they can focus on that as opposed to just how their life is kind of being turned upside down," said Morrison.
And the four legged critics immediately gave rave reviews.
"The kennel just got silent, and dogs that were kind of losing their mind in the kennel that we saw previously are so focused on chewing the bone it was just a joy to see," said Morrison.
Cowtown Friends volunteers return week after week to refill and distribute the Kongs.
They even built a behavior room complete with cages, slow feeders and an obstacle course.
"It's a quieter space for dogs that are struggling more so than other ones. More one on one time with them, teach them trust and we've seen huge benefits with it," said Morrison.
"The volunteers will come and take them out and just kind of cuddle them and just reassure them that it's going to be okay, this isn't such a scary place and it, I have seen a tremendous like 180 turn around with dogs on their behavior after they do that," said Gonzalez.
Shelter visitors notice the difference too.
"It was crazy the last time I saw it and now it's a whole new dog," visitors have told Gonzalez.
Cowtown friends also donated space heaters to keep animals warm in the winter. During the summer they donated oscillating fans, kiddie pools and portacools for the dogs outside. And even water tins to attach to cages so they wouldn't get knocked over by the animals leaving them without water. They are providing tools to help numerous animals at the shelter year after year.
For more information on donating and how you can volunteer, visit the Cowtown Friends of Fort Worth Animal Care & Control website and follow them on social media below:
