March 10th - March 17th

Dear FWACC Volunteers,

Thank you for being a vital part of our volunteer team! This week we have several volunteer opportunities across both shelters, upcoming events, and special ways to help our dogs enjoy socialization and community outings. Check out the details below and see how you can make a difference this week!

We are excited to share that Silcox Outbound Supervisor Melanie Pena has been promoted to Shelter Superintendent at our Henry’s Animal Campus!

Melanie has been a passionate advocate for animals throughout her life. Her dedication to animal welfare, combined with her leadership and commitment to creating lifesaving opportunities for shelter pets, has made a tremendous impact on Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. Through her work with our outbound programs, especially transport partnerships, Melanie has helped countless dogs and cats find placement and a second chance outside of Texas.

Her compassion for animals and vision for improving their lives continue to inspire those around her, and we know she will do incredible things in her new role.

While Melanie will certainly be hard to replace in the Outbound Supervisor role, we are excited to see the positive impact she will have leading operations at Henry’s Animal Campus. We have officially posted the Outbound Supervisor position and will begin the search for someone to continue building on the strong foundation she helped create.

Please join us in congratulating Melanie on this well-deserved promotion! 🐾

Our March Volunteer Newsletter has officially been published! Be sure to take a few minutes to check it out for program updates, upcoming opportunities, volunteer highlights, and important shelter news.

It’s a great way to stay connected with everything happening across the shelter and see the impact volunteers are making every day.

Click here to read the March Newsletter.

Not every shelter pet arrives with the skills they need to succeed in a home. Many have never walked on a leash, experienced new environments, or learned how to cope with unfamiliar sounds and situations. Others may begin to show stress-related behaviors simply from living in a kennel.

This is where Life-skills Enrichment Volunteers make a powerful impact.

By working with dogs and cats on basic manners, confidence-building activities, and positive interactions, volunteers help animals develop the skills they need for everyday life. These sessions are especially helpful for pets experiencing fear or kennel stress, helping them relax, build trust, and show their true personalities.

When animals gain confidence and practice real-life skills, they not only become more appealing to adopters — they’re also more likely to succeed in their new homes.

👉 Learn more about becoming a Life-skills Enrichment Volunteer - CLICK HERE

Each week we highlight volunteer opportunities where a little extra help can make a big impact for our shelter pets. These roles directly support adoption efforts and help animals get noticed by potential adopters. If you’ve been looking for a way to jump in and help, this is a great place to start!

Henry’s Campus – Pet Photographers Needed

We are incredibly close to having Pods A, B, C, and E fully updated with new photos, and we need a final push to get there! Updated photos help animals stand out online and give adopters a better look at their personalities. Our goal is to have every animal in these pods photographed so that moving forward, we can maintain a steady pace updating photos for incoming animals in D Pod (our intake pod).

If you enjoy photography or just love capturing pets at their best, this is a great way to make a direct impact on adoption outcomes.

👉 For more information on this volunteer opportunity and link to sign-up:

CLICK HERE

Silcox Animal Center - Urgent Pet Advocate

This week we especially need our Urgent Pet Advocates! These are the volunteers who help shine a light on dogs and cats that urgently need visibility and support. By taking photos, spending a little time with them, and helping network them, you give these pets their best chance to be seen by adopters and rescue partners. Sometimes one great photo or one shared post can be the difference between an animal leaving the shelter or running out of time.

👉 For more information on this volunteer opportunity and link to sign-up:

CLICK HERE

We have several upcoming adoption events where volunteer support will be essential. These events rely on dedicated volunteers to help showcase our shelter pets, assist with handling, speak with potential adopters, and support overall event operations. Adoption events are one of our most impactful outreach efforts — and they truly cannot happen without you.

We also want to give everyone a heads up that PetSmart National Adoption Week is right around the corner! We will need strong volunteer support at both PetSmart Alliance and PetSmart Hulen on March 28th and 29th. These are always high-traffic, high-impact events, and we are excited to show up strong for our pets.

📅 Mark your calendars now — more details and sign-ups will be coming soon!

👉 For more information on upcoming events and link to sign-up:

CLICK HERE

Help make our pets’ last few days in Texas extra special before they head to their new homes! We’re looking for volunteers to assist with dog walking and light cleaning during our upcoming transport preparation days.

Your support helps reduce stress for the animals, keeps them comfortable before their journey, and ensures everything runs smoothly as they prepare for travel.

Upcoming Transport Support Dates:
March 16 – March 18

Every walk, clean kennel, and moment of attention helps these pets start their next chapter feeling safe and cared for.

👉 For more information and to sign up to assist with Transports: CLICK HERE

A few hours outside the shelter can make a huge difference for a dog’s well-being and adoption chances. Our Doggy Day Out program gives dogs a break from the kennel environment while helping them practice real-world experiences like riding in the car, walking through new places, and meeting new people.

Research in animal welfare has shown that even short outings can significantly reduce stress behaviors in shelter dogs, helping them relax and show their true personalities. These outings also create photos, stories, and social media moments that help potential adopters connect with them in a more natural setting.

This week, we’re highlighting two long-stay dogs who would benefit tremendously from a day outside the shelter. A walk along the Trinity Trails, a patio lunch, or a visit to a dog-friendly coffee shop could be exactly what they need to shine.

You can visit the Volunteer Resource Center to learn more about the program and explore our article featuring dog-friendly restaurants, parks, and businesses around Fort Worth — perfect places to take your Doggy Day Out adventure.

Doggy Day Out Program

This week's Spotlights are:

Birdie at Henry's Campus - CLICK HERE

Hugo at our Silcox Animal Campus - CLICK HERE

Thank you for continuing to show up for animals who need it most by opening your homes, your time, and your hearts. Foster care is one of the most powerful ways we save lives, and we are deeply grateful for the commitment you make every day.

Keep an eye out for next week’s updates!

FWACC Volunteer Team