Operations

Pet Circle is Proud to Serve the Majority of Central Texas

  • The City of Waco, McLennan County, and 12 other cities: Beverly Hills, Hewitt, Lacy Lakeview, Lorena, Mart, McGregor, Moody, Riesel, Robinson, West, and Woodway, all partner in Pet Circle.
  •  Contracts with each of these cities allow both Animal Control Officers (ACOs) and residents to bring animals to our shelter.
  •  Up-to-date intake stats for each city are always available on our website.

Our Team & Budget

  • A dedicated staff of 40 people (including a shelter veterinarian) care for 3,500–4,000 animals each year.
    • Rain, shine, snow, or holiday — we work every single day of the year to provide food, shelter, and medical care to animals in need.
  • Starting October 1st, our annual budget for shelter operations is $3.34 million. 
  • Last year, we cared for 3,697 animals. That’s about $900 per animal, or roughly $30 per day on average, for every animal that passes through the doors.
  • For that cost, each animal receives food, safe housing, flea and heartworm prevention, vaccines, microchipping, spay/neuter surgery, veterinary care if sick or injured, and transportation to rescue groups when needed.
    • Larger animals stay with us about 30 days on average.

Shared Budget & Animal Calculation Formula

  • Rather than each smaller city operating its own costly shelter, participating cities and the county share Pet Circle’s budget.
    • 1,831 animals were brought in last year (2024) by ACOs.
    • 1,866 animals were brought in directly (2024) by residents (of all partner cities) at our Adoption Center.
  • Each city’s contribution is calculated based on the percentage of ACO animals they bring in.
    • All contracts also include the ability for residents to bring in strays or owner surrenders.
  • Cost-sharing ensures fairness across all city/county partners and makes high-quality sheltering accessible and affordable for smaller cities.

Why This Matters to the Community Overall

  • The payment partner cities make is not simply per animal. It represents their community’s full access to our shelter’s services — both for ACO intake and for residents who need to surrender or reclaim an animal.
  •  This allows staff to provide consistent, professional animal care across the region while keeping costs lower than if each city attempted to run its own facility.

 

How You Can Help Pet Circle Operations

  • While our team works hard to keep costs low, the best way to help is to reduce the number of animals needing shelter care.
  • Microchipping and spaying/neutering pets is required by law and is the most effective way to reunite lost pets with their families.
  • Low-cost services are available through the Animal Birth Control Clinic and other providers listed on the Waco Animal Coalition website.
  • Visit PetCircleWaco.org to adopt, foster, volunteer, donate, or learn more. Together, we can keep families and pets together.

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