Metro Animals

 Our Mission

 Metro Animals is dedicated to providing an environment that promotes the health, safety, emotional well-being, and social needs of dogs in our care. 

How we give~

• We are a dog-food drop-off location for Don't Forget To Feed Me, and initiative through the Tarrant Food Bank to provide dog food to needy families. 

• We hold Chain-Off events for Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit group that works toward making chaining illegal. Last year, we raised several hundred dollars and made the evening news during our all-day chaining of ourselves to dog houses near the Fort Worth Zoo.

• We work with local rescue groups such as German Shorthair Pointer rescue to provide daycare and socialization for foster dogs. 

• Charlsye attends and participates in City of Fort Worth ASAC board meetings (Animal Shelter Advisory Committee) 

• We sponsor several local dog events and festivals each year.

Who We Are

Wynton

Wynton is a Weim/ Pointer mix who was rescued from a shelter outside Austin, Tx. It was love at first sight when we spotted his face among hundreds on Petfinder.com over five years ago. He had a rough start with a few health issues, but he has triumphed to become the sparkle of our eyes. His favorite activities are rough-housing with his sister, Ella, playing ball for hours on end, and whipping rope toys around till they are no longer recognizable.

Ella

Ella has a similar story. She was left at the Humane Society as a puppy because it was thought she and her litter mates were deaf. We wanted to provide a good home for a challenged dog who may have otherwise been skipped over. After a few weeks with us, it became obvious that she wasn't deaf, but must have been extremely scared or shy at the shelter. She is in her third year with us and has become a real dog's dog among her daycare dog friends. Ella is Catahoula Leopard/Border Collie.

Turtle 

Turtle, a Catahoula Leopard/Staffy mix, is a recent addition to our family.  She was born via emergency c-section from a rescued, abused mother.  The puppies in the large litter were adopted out one by one, and Turtle was the last to find a home.  She loves making friends at daycare, chasing a laser pointer, and snuggling with people and dogs alike.  

Charlsye Lewis, Owner

Charlsye has been a neurotic animal lover from as far back as she can remember. In addition to her pet dogs and cats, there were possums, snakes, birds, hamsters, and yes, even spiders. As an idealistic high-schooler, she was so distraught over the daily tragedy of squirrels being run over by cars on her street, that she actually petitioned the city council for a "squirrel-crossing" sign to be put up by the city. And the funny thing is-she was successful! While the sign didn't last long, her love of animals only grew stronger.
Charlsye's original career ambitions focused on becoming a veterinarian. She maintained a position as a veterinary technician in high school. The summer before starting college at Texas Christian University, she was delighted to have been chosen for an intensive summer veterinary clinic at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Ultimately, her ambitions led her in the direction of Metro Animals and the service of Fort Worth dogs and their busy owners.  Charlsye has her master's degree from TCU and was also recently honored by the Business and Professional Women of Fort Worth as a notable Female Native American Entrepreneur. 

Marcus Brunt, Owner

Take one look at the scars on Marcus' hands and you will begin to understand his love of animals - one baby Blue Front Amazon parrot in particular. In the process of training this seemingly schizophrenic addition to the family, Marcus endured just a few love bites. His endless patience overcame any frustration with Odie, and they have since formed a lifelong bond going on 17 years.
Marcus loves nothing more than spending time in the company of feathered and furry companions. His ability to understand animals makes him indispensable to the canine customers at Metro Animals. Marcus has called Fort Worth his home for over 16 years, pursuing degrees at TCU and UTD, living and working in the area. He welcomes the opportunity to get to know all the special dogs living in and around Fort Worth. 

Raquel Peterson, Manager

Raquel Peterson grew up in Irving, TX but has called both Austin and Fort Worth home over the years. She enjoys a simple life with her husband, her two rescue dogs, Angel, a blue heeler/beagle mix adopted from Mixed Breed Rescue in Austin and Oscar, an abandoned dachshund they rescued from a park one blistering summer day. She loves good books, live music and absolutely loves to travel.

Several years ago she and her husband sold most of their possessions, bought a VW camper and left their life in Austin to spend the year traveling around the country with their dog Angel. After a year on the road they settled back down in Fort Worth and she decided to follow a childhood passion of working with dogs. She worked at PetSmart as a pet bather with plans to go on to grooming school but found most dogs don't exactly enjoy going to the groomer and determined to work in an atmosphere that is both fun and rewarding for the dogs. Then she discovered her dream job in doggie day care. After working in a small dog day care in Fort Worth, she moved back to Austin and worked as a Personal Assistant (where she was also responsible for caring for dogs) and volunteered with the Austin Humane Society. In 2009, Raquel returned to the DFW area and took an office job but dreaded going to work each day. She missed the joys of working with dogs and was so excited to find an opportunity to join the team at Metro Animals.  She now looks forward to going to work and making sure your best friend has a fun and safe place to play all day.

Tami Anderson

She wasn't born in Texas but she got here as quickly as she could!  Tami finds love in three things... her husband, her Chihuahua, and her other Chihuahua!  She grew up in the Seattle area and developed a loving passion for all animals; however, she'll happily admit she's more of a 'dog person' than anything.  After arriving in Fort Worth about four years ago, she keeps herself busy working with animals and volunteering at local horse ranches specializing in therapeutic riding for the handicapped.  Her hobbies include motorcycle riding with her husband, being an internet junkie, caring for her family, and swimming.  With her heart of gold and a magic touch, we're proud to add Tami to our highly qualified and dedicated staff.

Cheryl Barber- Engel

Cheryl was born in Del Rio Texas and has lived all around the state but calls Fort Worth her home. One of her first memories is when her dad brought home a new cocapoo puppy. From that time there were all kinds of pets from dogs to hermit crabs always around. She currently shares her home with her husband and her three dogs Chelsea, a lab mix that was adopted from the Humane Society, Alphie who is a true Heinz 57, and the baby Nina, a 4 year old chihuahua mix. Cheryl has worked in office jobs over the last 10 years. She is very happy to now be working with dogs and helping to bring peace of mind to their owners while they carry on their busy days. 

Krystal Ford

I’ve always had a love for animals since I was a little girl.  At my parents home in Garland, we had a cat, two dogs, chickens and a duck named “Mary”.  And having animals around me has continued through the years.  After marriage we moved to Fort Worth. When the birth of our son, Louis, came, I decided to open a in home Childcare which I ran for 15 years.  During that time, I not only had my kids that came each day but I felt it was important to have animals around as well.  I had a Golden Retriever, a black Labrador, a rabbit, a hamster, a guinea pig, fish and a tarantula.  Sharing my love for animals with the kids was very rewarding.  Currently our family includes four yellow Labradors, my “Kids in fur”.  Scout and Kaylie and one of their son’s, Red live with me and their other son, Tuff goes to and from Lubbock to college with our son.  Together I have my own dog pack and have implemented similar techniques from my childcare to my “Kids in fur” such as sharing toys, playing nice, food schedules and setting boundaries.  My Labs are a treasured part of our family and hold a special place in my heart.
I love the outdoors and spending time at the lake with my husband, David, Louis, the Labs and our friends.  Another favorite thing is fishing Bass tournaments with David in the ArkTex region of CAST each year.  Occasionally, we take one of our “Kids in fur” with us to the tournaments and they always love being on the boat.  I believe it is important to socialize my “Kids in fur” to other dogs, people and places.  It’s good for all of us to get out and get some exercise and fresh air!!  And what a better way to do it then with our “best” friends and family; Scout, Kaylie, Red and Tuff!

Noah Lanteigne

I am an animal lover at heart and my first dogs were named Deogee (D-O-G) and Okie. We had barbed wire and cows around our house and when I would get too close to the fence Okie would drag me back by my diaper. So… I’ve been working with dogs all of my life (or at least providing exercise). More recently, I have been involved with PAWS of HOPE, an organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of abused, abandoned, and otherwise unknown history dogs who have been rescued from euthanasia in animal shelters. Almost every dog becomes a favorite. My compassion for animals is very great and it breaks my heart to know that a dog understands when it’s not loved, but doesn’t understand why. I bring to Metro Animals several years of dog training experience and knowledge, ranging from teaching basic commands to agility training, housebreaking, and proper socialization. I believe in and use positive reinforcement techniques and am a natural leader, so I do not find it difficult to get most dogs to respond quickly, and have endless patience for when they do not. I am very playful and engaging, your dogs(s) and I will have lots of fun together at Metro Animals.