Johnson County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a 30-day interlocal agreement with the City of Fort Worth on Oct. 2 to provide limited animal-control services while volunteers continue efforts to remove and rehome a group of dogs found on private property in Godley.

The action followed a public comment from volunteer trapper Dory Cox, who said she is working with Texas All Creatures Rescue and other volunteers to remove animals from the site. "What I'm asking for is an extension of time," Cox told the court, and later said, "We count 13. 13." She said volunteers had removed two adult females and that the rescue director, Twyla Piles, had trapped a female and nine puppies. Cox said she expected that, by the weekend, volunteers would have removed eight adults and nine puppies in total.

The agreement the court approved authorizes limited animal-control services from the City of Fort Worth and grants the county judge signature authority. County Judge Christopher Bedeker told the court the short-term contract was capped at $6,000 and "this contract is only good for a month." The judge said he would sign and return the agreement to the City of Fort Worth.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the county lacks shelter capacity and that short-term arrangements and nonprofit partnerships may be needed instead of building a large, costly shelter. During discussion commissioners raised the possibility of coordinating with municipalities and nonprofit rescue groups to expand bed space; one commissioner said building a new shelter could cost well over $32,000,000. Several commissioners also praised the volunteer rescuers and Godley residents who have donated supplies.

Details of the volunteer effort and county response
Dory Cox identified herself as a professional dog trapper from Arlington working with Texas All Creatures Rescue and said volunteers have visited the property daily, are feeding the animals and have not observed aggression. She requested an extension so volunteers could place more dogs in foster homes. Cox said the community of Godley had donated about 400 pounds of dog food to the effort.

Court members discussed the agreement as a temporary measure and debated whether the county should pursue longer-term solutions with neighboring cities and nonprofit organizations. A commissioner who spoke during discussion said he was initially hesitant to move forward but that once the short-term cost and 30-day term were clarified, he withdrew his objection.

Formal action and next steps
A motion to approve the interlocal agreement with the City of Fort Worth was made and seconded on the record; the court voted unanimously in favor. Judge Bedeker said he would sign the agreement and follow up with the county's primary contact for coordination. Commissioners asked staff to collect contact information for local volunteer groups and discussed the possibility of developing broader partnerships to handle future animal-control capacity issues.

The court recorded no other conditions or amendments to the contract during the meeting. The rescue volunteers remain engaged in trapping, fostering and rehoming animals while the county's short-term agreement is in effect.