To become a no-kill shelter, at least 90% of the animals need to leave the shelter alive. BARC is currently at 72% — and falling — even as the national no-kill movement has reached an all-time high: 68% of U.S. shelters are no-kill, and the national save rate hit 82.5% in 2025.
That gap represents thousands of healthy, treatable pets losing their lives every year in a city full of people who want to help. Houston is falling behind, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Communities across Texas and the country have shown that no-kill is achievable when leadership commits and the community shows up.
