March 2026 Newsletter

March brings longer days, fresh energy, and new opportunities to change lives. As we head into one of our busiest seasons, we’re so grateful for the compassion, consistency, and commitment each of you brings to this work. Every walk, photo, foster stay, transport assist, and event shift adds up in powerful ways.

Let’s take a look at what we accomplished together last month.

• Animals Placed in Foster: 124

• Silcox Shelter Total Volunteer Hours Logged: 474

• Henry’s Animal Campus Total Volunteer Hours Logged: 282

• Total Pets Transported: 88

• Offsite Event Adoptions: 4

• FWACC Live Release Rate: 91.95% - SAY.THAT.AGAIN..........

We’re excited to officially welcome Slade Preuit to the team at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control — serving on the Foster side at Henry’s Animal Campus!

Slade brings two years of experience as a Customer Service Representative at a private veterinary practice in Amarillo, Texas. During his time there, he learned how to care for both clients and their beloved animals in a long-standing small animal practice. Beyond client service, Slade stepped in as a kennel tech and vet tech when needed — assisting with animal care, administering treatments, and closely monitoring patients.

His long-term goal? To return to school and become a counselor or psychiatrist — a path that speaks volumes about his heart for helping others, both human and animal.

At home, Slade has:

• An American Staffordshire Terrier named Archie

• An American Shorthair cat named Harvey

And if you’re ever wondering his coffee order: XL Dirty Chai Tea Latte ☕

If you’re at Henry’s Animal Campus and see Slade, be sure to say hello! He’ll be working closely with our foster program and helping us continue moving animals into loving homes.

Offsite adoption events are one of the most impactful ways to help our animals shine in the community. These events give foster pets increased visibility and offer volunteers the opportunity to take a dog out of the shelter for the day — providing enrichment, socialization, and meaningful connections with potential adopters.

Whether you’re showcasing your foster or helping a shelter dog get a much-needed break, your participation plays a direct role in helping pets find homes.

We’re especially excited for PetSmart National Adoption Week at:

• PetSmart Alliance

• PetSmart Hulen

📅 March 28 & 29
We will have extra dogs at both locations and will need strong volunteer coverage and foster participation to make this event a success.

National Adoption Week is one of the BEST opportunities to get your foster adopted due to increased foot traffic, national promotion, and expanded adoption exposure. We need fosters and volunteers to help us show up strong and move more dogs into homes.

For information and signups for all March events,

👉 Foster Sign-Ups: Click Here
👉 Volunteer Sign-Ups: Click Here

Be sure to check the calendar regularly, as new adoption opportunities are added throughout the month.

Let’s make March a month of momentum.

We have many ways to foster — and Event Fostering is one we’re especially excited to grow.

You may have noticed a new column on our Foster Trello Board highlighting shelter dogs we’d love to see attend upcoming adoption events. These dogs will range in age and size. Puppies are always a big draw at events — and often, they bring in adopters who end up falling in love with a shy large dog instead of the squiggly little one.

For puppies to attend events, they’ll need to spend a couple of weeks in a foster home and receive their 2-week booster. Even a short stay outside the shelter does wonders for their development and confidence.

And the impact is real.

A 2023 study published in the journal Animals analyzed data from 51 shelters across the U.S., reviewing nearly 2,000 dogs who went on short outings or temporary foster stays compared to over 25,000 dogs who remained in the shelter.

The results were powerful:

• Dogs who went on a brief outing (just a few hours out of the kennel) were 5 times more likely to be adopted.

• Dogs who spent 1–2 nights in a temporary foster home were over 14 times more likely to be adopted.

Most importantly, those adoptions were not typically by the temporary caregivers. The increase came from improved visibility, positive human interaction, and a break from kennel stress — helping dogs present better when meeting potential adopters.

When we identify dogs for events, we’re also evaluating them as strong candidates for our Adoption Centers and even transport partners if they aren’t adopted onsite. Event fostering helps open multiple doors.

And if you’re not looking to continue fostering after the event — that’s okay. They can return to the shelter with all the valuable information you helped us gather, giving them an even stronger chance at placement.

A short stay. A weekend. A couple of weeks - It truly can change everything!

This weeks events candidates are:

• Buddy– Henry’s Animal Campus 👉 View Trello card HERE

• March – Chuck Silcox Animal Shelter 👉 View Trello card HERE

Some people quietly change the trajectory of dozens of lives — and Lisa McCullough is one of them.

Lisa joined Fort Worth Animal Care & Control as both a volunteer and foster on December 30, 2021. Since then, she has:

• Helped at countless adoption events

• Walked dogs and cleaned kennels at the shelter

• Stepped up time and time again for dogs who needed extra support

• And is now on her 106th foster — Suge Nero!

Lisa has carved out a special niche in working with German Shepherds, a breed that often struggles in the shelter environment due to stress, sensitivity, and high intelligence. These are the dogs that can shut down in a kennel. The ones who are often misunderstood. The ones others sometimes pass by.

Lisa doesn’t pass them by.

She brings them into her home, gives them structure, patience, and advocacy, and helps them show the world who they really are. Many of her fosters go on to adoption or transport out of Texas — a fresh start made possible because someone believed in them first.

Fostering over 100 dogs is incredible. Specializing in the ones who need the most support? That’s extraordinary.

Lisa, thank you for being steady, compassionate, and fearless in saying yes.

This month we are proud to highlight one of our incredible volunteers, Traci Pockrus, whose dedication continues to make a meaningful impact on the animals in our care.

So far this fiscal year, Traci has generously given 85.85 hours of her time as a Dog Walker, helping provide enrichment, exercise, and much-needed mental breaks for shelter dogs. But her impact goes far beyond simply walking dogs. During her time with them, Traci carefully observes behavior and personality traits, capturing valuable behavior notes and photos that help our team better understand each dog. This information is incredibly important — it allows us to promote pets more effectively online, network them with rescue and foster partners, and ultimately help them move toward placement faster.

Traci’s dedication to helping animals doesn’t stop there. Since 2023, she has also been a committed foster caregiver, opening her home to pets who need a temporary place to decompress and thrive. In just a short time, she has fostered an incredible 49 pets, giving them the opportunity to recover, learn, and show their true personalities outside of the shelter environment.

Volunteers like Traci are essential to the lifesaving work we do every day. Through her time, compassion, and willingness to go the extra mile, she helps give animals the visibility and support they need to find their next chapter.

Thank you, Traci, for everything you do for the animals and our community. Your impact truly makes a difference.

Everyone, meet the one and only Lady Godiva! 

This beautiful girl’s journey has been nothing short of incredible. When she first arrived at South Campus back in June 2025, she was in rough shape. Her skin was dry and raw, and she had hardly any hair left on her fragile little body. Despite it all, her spirit still shone through — she was gentle, loving, and so ready to trust again.

Our vet team suspected she might have alopecia, but we knew one thing for sure: Lady Godiva deserved to feel good in her own skin again. That’s when her amazing foster stepped up and changed everything. From medicated baths to special food, cuddles, and endless love, her foster poured her heart into helping Lady G heal — inside and out. 

For months, they worked tirelessly to help her find a home here in Texas, even taking her to adoption events at PetSmart and cheering her on every step of the way. When an opportunity for transport came up last month, fate finally said, “It’s your turn, Lady Godiva.” 

Today, this once-sick pup is radiant, healthy, and full of life — a true testament to what love and second chances can do. She’s officially on her way up North to her forever home!

Let’s give a huge shoutout to her incredible foster and everyone who played a part in her transformation. You helped Lady Godiva find the life she always deserved. 

Want to learn more about Transport Fostering and the immeasurable impact it has:

The Heartbeat of Hope - Transport Fostering

Thank you for everything you did in February to support the animals in our care. Your time, compassion, and advocacy make a lasting difference. As we move into March, we’re excited for the events, opportunities, and lifesaving work ahead — and we’re grateful to have this incredible community beside us.