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Over 100 shelter pets displaced in California wildfires arrive in North Texas

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Over 100 shelter pets displaced in California wildfires arrive in North Texas


FORT WORTH — All eyes were on the runway at Fort Worth’s Meacham airport Sunday for a very special arrival: two planes filled with passengers—the kind with four legs.

One-hundred seventy-six unowned dogs and cats were flown in from Los Angeles Sunday afternoon thanks to Wings Of Rescue. It’s part of a massive effort by several North Texas animal rescues to ease the burden on animal shelters in California which have had to take in hundreds of pets because of the wildfires.

“These pets were already in the Los Angeles system waiting for adoption so we are pulling these pets from these shelters in order for evacuees and their pets to be reunited,” said Cassie Davidson, of the Humane Society of North Texas.

Shelters in the Los Angeles area are 300-500% overcapacity so by sending these pets to Texas they’re making space for pets who were injured or separated from their families. 

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Cassie Davidson with the Humane Society of North Texas has been on the ground in Los Angeles working to help shelters there.

“You’re gonna make me cry because I’m gonna tell you it is gripping,” said Davidson. “So to see that they are so overcapacity and they’re intaking pets that have been burned.”

Before they caught their flight, these dogs and cats received medical care and were temperament tested and groomed. Now they just need their fur-ever homes.

“What we need right now from our community is to really step up; foster, donate, volunteer it all will make a difference in the lives of these pets,” said Davidson.

The Humane Society of North Texas said this will not displace pets already in Texas shelters. That’s because more than 400 people have already stepped up to become emergency fosters for these dogs and cats.

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“I just want to remind everybody that California stood in the gap when we had hurricanes here in Texas and so were going to give back,” said Davidson. “At the heart of the Humane Society of North Texas’ mission is pets and people saving each other and we are going to stand in the gap.”

The Humane Society of North Texas, just one of the organizations that led Sunday’s efforts, will be holding an adoption event this coming weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at their Fort Worth location where you can meet and adopt these California pets.



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Texas

Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz

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Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz


Watch parties erupted nationwide after today’s win, including a packed crowd at Texas Live celebrating the team’s move to the knockout stage. North Texas is already buzzing ahead of World Cup matches returning Monday, with fans gathering in Sundance Square to watch a key Group D matchup that could help decide whether the United States wins the group. The U.S. leads with six points after a 2–0 victory earned without its star forward.



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New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy

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New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy


AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.

Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.

The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.

According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.

The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.

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The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.

Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:

  • Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
  • Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
  • Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
  • Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
  • Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
  • Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
  • Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.

Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.

For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.

For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.

More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.

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Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas

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Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas


More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.



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