Weatherford animal shelter wins $50,000 Petco grant; city-funded renovations and updated Parker County contract advance

Weatherford’s animal shelter announced new funding, staffing and facility upgrades at the advisory committee meeting on March 12.

Levi Liao, the shelter’s animal services manager, told committee members the shelter received a $50,000 Petco grant that the shelter is using to provide Petco Academy subscriptions for adopters, PetHub QR tags for animals leaving the shelter and martingale collars and leashes to reduce returns. "We're hoping by doing all these things, we're teaching and educating on how to keep animals at home," Liao said.

The grant will cover three main adopter supports: a free month of trainer and behaviorist support through Petco Academy, a PetHub QR tag with contact information attached to each adopted pet, and a new collar and leash package for adopters. Liao said staff encourage adopters to register PetHub tags at the shelter but that owners can also register them on their own; the shelter will continue to offer microchipping.

The meeting also reviewed renovation work already completed and plans for a broader Phase 2. Liao showed before-and-after photos of Buildings A and B, noting new floors, added insulation, replaced kennels, handwashing sinks at entry points and an automatic sanitation dishwasher. "It's been good for morale," he said, adding that the city is funding the work and that Phase 2 will be presented to City Council in April.

Liao described an update to the intergovernmental contract with the Parker County Sheriff's Office — the first revision in about 25 years — that clarifies on-site responsibilities, defines owner-surrender language and updates fee schedules. He used a proportional-exchange example to explain the financial terms: "If Parker County brings 70% of the annual animals to the shelter, Parker County will be paying 70% of the animal shelter budget," Liao said.

Staffing and intake trends were highlighted. The shelter increased authorized positions from 15 to 17, adding an animal care specialist and an animal control officer. Liao reviewed October–December comparison slides and pointed to a large drop in owner surrenders for October (283 the prior year versus 74 this year), which he attributed to the updated contract terms and proactive interventions the shelter can now offer before accepting surrenders.

Liao also described an emergency intake in which staff received 23 cats from a single RV in one day; he credited rapid assistance from Garland Animal Services and rescue partners who removed the cats the following morning. He praised staff who maintained operations through a recent winter storm, noting contingency measures such as trucks fitted with ice chains to ensure animals continued to be fed and sheltered.

The meeting closed with community and outreach highlights — recent events included a fall festival, National Night Out partnerships with police and fire, and the annual "angel tree" gift program for adopted animals — and two "happy tail" updates about animals named Roxy (renamed Gracie) and Sammy who received veterinary care and foster support after severe neglect and injury.

Chair closed by announcing the next committee meeting tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 4; the session adjourned at 1:30 p.m.

What this means: The Petco grant funds immediate adopter supports aimed at lowering returns and improving reunification; the contract changes clarify cost-sharing with Parker County and give staff more discretion over owner surrenders; renovations and staffing increases are intended to improve capacity and operations.