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Farmers Branch animal shelter reports fewer dog intakes, expands trap‑neuter‑return program
Summary
Animal shelter supervisor Valerie Pena told the City Council the shelter saw a drop in dog intakes, seasonal rises in cat intakes, and new partnerships and donated traps to expand a trap‑neuter‑return program to reduce feral cat populations and boost live releases.
Valerie Pena, animal shelter supervisor, told the Farmers Branch City Council on Dec. 9 that the shelter’s dog intakes have decreased compared with the prior year while cat intakes remain seasonally high. She credited new staff outreach, partnerships with organizations such as Best Friends and the Cuddly platform, and off‑site adoption events for improved outcomes.
The shelter recorded tangible results from recent initiatives: Clear the Shelters adoption discounts produced adoptions and fosters, off‑site events helped place kittens, and a microchipping event on Oct. 4 added 15 microchips to the city’s pet database. Pena said the shelter received 20 donated traps from Best Friends to support an expanded trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) program and that staff are conducting door‑to‑door outreach to educate residents about trapping and fixing feral cat colonies.
Council members asked how the TNR program would interact with businesses and whether removing cats would increase rodent problems. Pena said the program’s goal is to reduce reproduction and that outreach has included business districts (notably the Sanlac warehouse area) where feral cats are present; she did not anticipate a spike in rodents, noting the program focuses on preventing litters. Councilmembers praised staff for 24/7 availability, volunteer efforts and the work of the veterinary partners.
Pena outlined next steps: increase on‑site and off‑site microchipping events, expand volunteer fostering, coordinate with partners to advertise hard‑to‑place animals, and continue trap‑neuter‑release operations to reduce long‑term community cat populations. No formal council action was requested at the presentation.
The council thanked shelter staff and volunteers for the year’s work; Pena and Director of Community Services Sam Chavez answered council questions during the presentation and Q&A.
