Shelter’s Brittany Parker secures animal transport partnership

Published on January 21, 2024

A group in the Pacific Northwest picked Fort Worth Shelter as their sole animal rescue partner of choice in Texas. They point to Parker, along with her valiant team of volunteers, as the reason behind their decision.

Like countless facilities across the country, space is at a premium at City of Fort Worth Animal Shelters. Staff are inundated with intakes on any given day.

To help alleviate the capacity issue, the shelter teams with rescue groups in other regions that are less affected by pet overpopulation and can take in animals for adoption in their facilities. Largely located in the Pacific Northwest and New England, these transport partners are part and parcel to the shelter’s ability to free up valuable space and save precious lives.

Unfortunately, the overpopulation epidemic is also hitting these regions, forcing organizations to cut back the number of non-local dogs they can accept. One such group recently scaled back drastically, dissolving all but two of their nationwide partnerships. The Pacific Northwest-based entity chose one in California and the other in Texas.

The person behind the decision

That Texas shelter just so happens to be the Fort Worth Animal Shelter. The organization points to Brittany Parker, Senior Code Compliance Officer with the Outbound Team, as the reason why.

“I chose Fort Worth simply because working with Brittany is far and above better than any shelter transport coordinator we have ever worked with in Texas,” a representative with the organization said. “I absolutely trust her evaluation of [the shelter’s] dogs, know the medical will be fully transparent and, most of all, she is not knowingly sending me unadoptable dogs.”

Why it’s worth it

For as long as she can remember, Brittany Parker has loved animals. But it wasn’t until she joined the Fort Worth Animal Shelter four years ago that she realized just how much she loves them.

“I want to make a difference for these animals and help them have a good life,” said Parker, who moved here from Connecticut 11 years ago. “Seeing that bus or that plane leave with our shelter dogs, including some who were on the Code Red list, makes every single moment worth it.”

All hands on deck

While Parker is grateful for the praise, she is adamant that it’s a group effort.

“It’s important for people to know it takes a village, and this all happens only because so many people are involved,” she said.

Those people include the shelter’s all-volunteer foster network, a tightknit group that Parker describes glowingly.

“It’s such a community effort, and it’s important for fosters to know how important they are to this lifesaving mission. Opening kennels for incoming dogs saves lives,” she said. “We are so grateful and couldn’t do it without our fosters.”

Her favorite part of the job is developing relationships with fosters and other volunteers while building trust and transparency with the transport organizations. “It’s a massive group of likeminded people who want to save lives and are in it for the same reason: transporting animals out of Texas so we can continue to save more,” she said. “It’s hard to understand that level of love until you’re around others who feel that same type of love.”

Saving lives is 24/7

Although she doesn’t have specific numbers, Parker estimates that 2,000-3,000 dogs have been transported from the Fort Worth Shelter over the past two years.

The job, she concedes, is a constant churn.

“It’s never-ending. Everybody in the shelter is worn out and tired. We get calls, texts, Facebook messages after hours all the time,” Parker said. “If you can’t give it your all, it’s really hard to be in this position.”

Clearly, Parker, her staff and her cherished foster network are giving it their all.

For more information on becoming a short- or long-term foster with the Fort Worth Animal Shelter, email the foster team.

Parker with her rescue pups, Cornelius and Tamotsu. Sadly, she lost Tamotsu, an Akita, to cancer in June.

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