Access to vet care helps Texas shelters reach no-kill

Behold the house hippo in his natural habitat. Stocky, blocky-headed, and sporting an irresistibly squishy face, Gabriel is a prime example of these lovable dogs known for their couch-potato tendencies and hearts of gold. And Gabriel takes the house hippo life seriously. His days are filled with snacks, cuddling on the couch with his canine and human besties, more snacks, playing with his favorite toys, and following his people around to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing. You’d never guess that not long ago, he was fighting for his life.

When Gabriel arrived at the Watauga Animal Services Center in Texas, he needed extensive veterinary care that the small shelter didn’t have on-site. But thanks to a new collaboration, Watauga staff knew who to call.

Watauga is one of many small shelters in north Texas without access to regular veterinary care, including spay/neuter surgery.  

“Oftentimes, the only vet options they have are private practices where they charge hundreds of dollars for veterinary services, so it’s not really something they’re able to afford,” says Laura Cox, a Best Friends staff member who works with shelters in the region.  

But shelters like Watauga now have another option: They can call the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) for help.  

HSNT mentors Watauga and three other area shelters through Best Friends’ Prince and Paws Shelter Collaborative Program. Through this program, Best Friends connects no-kill shelters (mentors) with shelters working toward no-kill (fellows), providing funding, training, and hands-on resources to help them get there. This kind of collaboration is just one of the ways Best Friends is helping shelters nationwide reach no-kill.

Seeing the need for cost-effective veterinary services, HSNT found a way to help fill the gap. With funding provided in part through the shelter collaborative program, HSNT can now offer veterinary care at no cost to its fellow shelters.

“This is such an important thing to offer,” says Laura. “HSNT sets aside appointments with their veterinarians specifically for these shelters for spay/neuter surgeries, heartworm tests, and other veterinary care that could otherwise be very expensive. All the fellow shelters have to do is send HSNT the information they have on their animals, bring them in for their appointments, and pick them up when they’re ready."

Local animal shelters unite to save lives in Texas

That support removes a costly hurdle for shelters while helping to ensure that pets are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready to head to new homes. It's also added up to some huge wins: The four fellow shelters reached save rates (the percentage of animals who leave a shelter alive or are still there waiting for an outcome) of 90% or higher — the benchmark for no-kill — for the past year.

“We have truly enjoyed being part of this initiative and helping our fellows prepare more pets for adoption through access to essential veterinary care,” says Crystal Morgan, senior manager of shelter collaboration at HSNT.

She adds, “We noticed an increase in adoptions among our fellows. It was incredibly rewarding to see pets come to us for surgery and care, return to their shelters adoption-ready, and then quickly find homes.”

And for one house hippo named Gabriel, that collaboration made all the difference.

When Gabriel arrived at Watauga, he was very thin, weak, had pressure sores on his elbows and hips, and couldn’t walk very well. Knowing he needed veterinary care that was beyond the resources they had, Watauga staff contacted HSNT for support.

“I had to put a towel under him to help him walk,” recalls Crystal. “I named him after the angel Gabriel. Of course, we all fell in love with him. He was our sweet little angel.”

HSNT veterinarians prescribed a special diet to help him get back to a healthy weight, medicine for the sores, and therapy to help him with his muscle weakness.

As Gabriel healed and gained weight, volunteers made sure he still got to enjoy some adventures. They tucked him into a doggy backpack for trips to the park, where he could smell all the smells and even stop for the occasional pup cup.

Texas animal shelter goes from hidden to hopeful

In no time at all, he was looking and feeling a whole lot better. And best of all, he was adopted into a loving home, where he’s living his best house hippo life.

“If it weren’t for the shelter collaborative program with Best Friends and the relationships it created, I can 1,000% assure you that Gabriel would not have made it,” Crystal says. “He had a hard-knock story for sure, and then he had such a great glow-up. It’s so exciting he’s home now and loving life.”

Gabriel is just one of the many pets whose story has changed through the shelter collaborative program. Across north Texas, more pets are getting the veterinary care they need, shelters have more options when an animal needs help, and more dogs and cats are moving out of shelters and into happy new homes with loving families, cozy couches, and all the good stuff they deserve.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.