Copyright CBS News
Fort Worth Animal Care & Control is celebrating a major step forward this year as more pets leave the shelter alive than ever before. New data shows the city's live-release rate has climbed to more than 85%. That shift means more dogs and cats are being adopted, reunited with their families, or transferred to rescue partners rather than remaining in overcrowded kennels. Behind those rising numbers are stories of new beginnings — including one family who believes their adopted dog found them at exactly the right time. After the De La Cruz family lost their 10-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever to unexpected cancer last summer, their home felt different. Even their senior dog seemed lost in the silence. That's when they came across a photo of Gunnar, a dog who had survived a cruelty case and was posted online during Clear the Shelters. "There was just something that all three of us really liked about him," said Amy De La Cruz. "We needed somebody to help us heal." Despite everything he'd been through, Gunnar's personality shone through. Volunteers described him as gentle, sweet, and always ready with a tail wag. When the family met him, they felt the connection instantly. "He wiggles all the time when he gets excited," De La Cruz said. Today, Gunnar is fully part of the family. He races through the yard doing zoomies, cuddles on the couch (even though dogs weren't originally allowed up there). "He's just brought us so much joy," De La Cruz said. "We talk about him all the time, we laugh with him, and we all feel so loved by him." Fort Worth Animal Care & Control says stories like Gunnar's are becoming more common thanks to new community-centered programs: Chip Spot at Winslow's Café, where neighbors can scan lost pets for microchips P.A.W.S. for Patriots, connecting shelter pets with veterans for therapeutic volunteer work P.A.W.S. and Think, bringing education and hands-on learning into local schools These efforts help reduce strain on the shelter while giving more animals a real chance at adoption. For the De La Cruz family, that chance made all the difference. "He became a part of our family instantly," De La Cruz said. "He's essentially a perfect dog to us."
