BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — A rally will be held in Bell County next week to push for the animal shelter to be a no-kill shelter, after new documents show there were 975 animals euthanized in 2025.
Documents provided to 25 News by Bell County Commissioner Louie Minor reveal a breakdown of animal intakes, deaths, euthanizations, returns, transfers, and adoptions from Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025.
Animal Shelter Breakdown
In the summary, it says there were a total of 3,421 animals brought in to the shelter. Included in that intake number are domestic, feral, livestock and non-domestic animals that were brought in to the shelter, returned from adoption or reclaimed, and transfers.
The total number of animals out of the shelter was 3,436, which includes transfers, adoptions, deaths, euthanizations, animals that were reclaimed, released to the wild and escaped.
Call to Action
Commissioner Minor said in a press release that public outrage is intensifying after revelations of these numbers from 2025, and that the shelter continues operating under, "outdated, inhumane practices."
"The community is demanding a full transformation of the facility into a genuine no-kill shelter — one that prioritizes life-saving programs, transparency, and humane care. Residents are calling the current situation unacceptable. The killing of nearly one thousand animals is a clear sign that the Sheriff’s current model is broken beyond repair."
The rally is being held by Commissioner Minor, along with Public Accountability for Animal Welfare (PAAW), Happy Tail Rescue, Journey Home Rescue, and members of the public to demand change from Bell County Sheriff Bill Cooke.
The rally is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Bell County Animal Shelter, located at 209 S. Loop 121 in Belton.
