How a tiny Texas animal shelter reached no-kill

With his tongue lolling out and a goofy grin plastered on his squishy face, Balboa's the picture of an endlessly lovable, utterly adorable, gives-you-smooches-all-day dog. You'd never guess that not long ago, he looked very different.

When Balboa arrived at Lyford Animal Shelter in Texas, he was very thin and couldn't walk due to a broken shoulder and fractured pelvis. On top of all that, he also had heartworms.

He needed veterinary care that the tiny shelter didn’t have on-site. In the past, a dog like him might not have made it out of the shelter alive. But thanks to a new collaboration, help was already on the way.

The shelter is just 12 outdoor dog kennels tucked behind City Hall with minimal staffing and resources. Lyford can only take in dogs because there just isn't any room or resources to care for cats. There are few local adoption opportunities, and until recently, the shelter had no foster or volunteer programs. And like many small shelters with limited resources and lots of animals coming in, Lyford doesn’t have the means to save every dog who needs help.

But Lyford has a friend in Valley Dog Rescue of Texas, one of more than 6,000 organizations participating in the Best Friends Network Partner program. The small rescue organization has been helping the shelter for years by providing much-needed supplies and moving dogs out of the shelter and into their adoption program. But Lyford continued to need more support than they could provide, so they reached out to Best Friends Animal Society for help.

It’s exactly the kind of situation where Best Friends' Prince and Paws Shelter Collaborative Program can make a world of difference and support shelters in saving animals’ lives. Best Friends connected Lyford with Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) in Texas, a mentor in the program, which connects no-kill shelters (mentors) with shelters working toward no-kill (fellows), providing funding, training, and hands-on resources to help them get there.

And that support is making a huge difference: Lyford's save rate (the percentage of animals who leave a shelter alive or are still there waiting for an outcome) soared from 55% in 2024 to above 90% — the commonly accepted benchmark for no-kill — by May 2025. Lyford has held that save rate ever since.

Madi Heil, an APA! staff member, says one of the main ways they help Lyford is by moving dogs like Balboa out of the shelter and into APA!’s care.  

"We send a staff driver down to Lyford in a van every other week," explains Madi. "They spend the night since Lyford is about four and a half hours away. Then, they pick up the dogs early the next morning and make their way back up to us in Austin."

Once there, the dogs receive veterinary care if needed and have opportunities to meet adopters in Austin and other communities.

Matchmaking, animal shelter style

APA! also provides vaccines and flea and tick preventatives for dogs at the Lyford shelter, so Lyford staff can administer them. And APA! is helping Lyford build volunteer and foster programs and explore fundraising opportunities, so the shelter can continue saving even more dogs' lives.

"They do an amazing job with the few resources they have," adds Madi.

And with APA!, Best Friends, and Valley Dog Rescue of Texas in their corner, Lyford staff now have more resources and a network of support to lean on when dogs need help.

"They might be in a desert in the middle of South Texas, but they are not alone," says Laura Cox, a Best Friends staff member who works with shelters in the region.

For an endlessly lovable pup named Balboa, that support made all the difference.

Balboa went to APA! for the critical veterinary care he needed.

"Our veterinarians quickly determined that while he was in critical condition, he wasn't facing advanced disease; his body had simply been pushed to its absolute limits," says Jordana Moerbe, who manages medical care at APA!. "This dog had been through something devastating, and yet from the moment he arrived, he was nothing but sweetness. Our staff and volunteers fell completely in love with him."

After APA! veterinarians stabilized his fractured bones, prescribed medication for heartworms, and started him on a special diet to help him gain weight, Balboa moved into a foster home, where he continues to gain weight and heal.

Access to vet care helps Texas shelters reach no-kill

His foster caregiver reports that Balboa is a consummate snuggle bug who loves car rides, lounging on the couch, and sleeping in bed with her. She describes him as a "low-energy lounger who enjoys easy living."

Jordana says, "He is a reminder of why this work matters — of what's possible when an animal in crisis is given the chance he deserves."

Balboa is just one of many dogs whose lives have changed thanks to this collaboration. And with other organizations in their corner, the small but mighty team at Lyford can help more dogs get the care they need, meet adopters, and enjoy all the good things that come with being part of a family.

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.