On Tuesday, Waco’s City Council received updates on the current challenges and initiatives at the City of Waco’s Animal Shelter, as the facility struggles with overcapacity and limited resources despite strong community involvement.
Melissa Sheldon, director of Animal Services at Pet Circle Regional Animal Center, said that the shelter is over capacity and spread thin, even with the help of the foster program.
“Fosters are an integral part of the shelter. They increase the capacity without having to build more capacity and enable us to save more animals,” she said.
But, Sheldon said, the increase in fostering comes with its own challenges.
“However, the explosion of the foster program compounded with a full shelter can put a strain on resources,” she said.
To maintain its no-kill status, which it has upheld since 2016, The Pet Circle has launched awareness initiatives, donation drives, and volunteer programs to keep up with the growing demand.
Notable programs include “Bark Break,” which allows volunteers to “check-out" a dog for the day. This gets the dogs out of the shelter, even temporarily. It also implemented community events designed to increase engagement and adoption opportunities. The Pet Circle has also expanded its social media presence to attract more donations and foster families.
The Pet Circle relies on volunteers, fosters, and donations to care for animals in Waco and the surrounding areas.
For more information, visit petcirclewaco.org.
Abby Roper is a journalism student at Baylor University. She provided city council coverage as part of the KWBU-Baylor Student Journalism Collaboration.