BARC euthanizes more adoptable dogs and cats than any other shelter in Texas, says nonprofit

Nonprofit says BARC euthanizes most adoptable Texas pets

A nonprofit says that BARC is euthanizing most adoptable pets in Texas. FOX 26's Randy Wallace explains. 

HOUSTON - Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) says it compiled data from 390 shelters across Texas.

Nonprofit says BARC euthanizes more adoptable dogs, cats than any other Texas shelter, BARC disagrees

What they're saying:

When comparing 2024 to 205, the nonprofit says Texas leads the country for killing healthy, treatable pets.

"BARC has the unfortunate title of the highest killing shelter in Texas and one of the highest in the country," said Sophia Proler, South Region Director for Best Friends Animal Society. 

It's the second year in a row the nonprofit says BARC has had that dubious distinction.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, BARC euthanized more than 4,000 healthy adoptable pets in 2025, killing nearly 400 more pets than 2024.

Meanwhile, BFAS says Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso and San Antonio all saw decreases in the number of animals euthanized.

The other side:

In a statement, BARC said, "The data lacks important context. BARC does not turn away animals regardless of condition or circumstance."

BARC's entire statement:

"The data being shared lacks important context. 

As Houston’s open-intake municipal shelter, BARC does not turn animals away regardless of condition or circumstance. We serve the fourth-largest city in the country and respond to more than 51,000 service calls annually, including high-priority public safety cases. In 2025, intake increased to 22,445 animals, up nearly 8% from the year prior. At the same time, the animal rescue community remains saturated and has not fully recovered since COVID, reducing transfer capacity as intake continues to rise. Euthanasia is a heartbreaking last resort, but not a policy choice.

BARC has proactively attempted to engage with Best Friends Animal Society through multiple meetings, operational walkthroughs, and sharing specific opportunities for funding and program support. As recently as January 2026, BARC reached out to Best Friends Animal Society to discuss opportunities for Best Friends to collaborate and assist the shelter, particularly with content gathering of at-risk pets and intake diversion. BARC also applied for grant funding from BFAS, to no avail. 

Despite these pressures, BARC is making progress. Adoptions increased from 5,316 to 5,765, an almost 9% increase, and our live-release rate has improved to a projected 82.9% based on year-to-date data. These gains reflect expanded partnerships, targeted adoption efforts, and continued investment in foster and transfer programs. We have hired an executive director for the BARC Foundation to help us raise funds.

BARC remains committed to both lifesaving and public safety. We do not limit intake, restrict services, or reduce enforcement to influence outcomes. Our responsibility is to respond to dangerous situations, care for injured and abused animals, and make humane decisions when animals cannot be safely placed.

We continue to apply for other grants and find different funding mechanisms for BARC. We are willing to partner with anyone who can help us save these animals. 

Dig deeper:

"It's not just because BARC takes in more animals as is, because other shelters in Texas, in big cities, take in the same, if not more, and we're not seeing that same trend," said Proler.

BFAS says it wants to help BARC improve.

For example, the nonprofit says nationwide 35% of lost animals find their way back home.

"At BARC, fewer than 5% of the more than 15,000 dogs entering BARC are finding their way home," Proler said. "There's a huge opportunity there to reunite pets with their people. We are also seeing nationwide where adoptions are trending up and at BARC they are lower than the national average."