Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter

Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter (FOGAS) was founded in 2004 as a 501(c)(3) with a simple mission: help reduce the number of homeless pets in Gonzales County through spay/neuter support, and help animals find loving homes.

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That same year, we opened the Cat Adoption Center in central Gonzales and began what would become nearly two decades of hands-on shelter work. Over the years, our small, dedicated team of volunteers accomplished more than we ever could have imagined — helping fund spay/neuter surgeries for over 2,800 pets belonging to low-income families, finding new homes for more than 4,300 shelter dogs and cats, and bringing in over $500,000 in grants to support animals across our community.

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As our volunteers — some of our most active in their 80s — reached a point where running a physical shelter was no longer sustainable, FOGAS made the decision in 2023 to step back from day-to-day shelter operations. Today, cats in our community are cared for by Gonzales Paws & Whiskers (GPAW) and dogs by Gonzales Dog Adoptions (GDA)  — two wonderful organizations carrying that work forward.

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What FOGAS does today

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FOGAS's focus now is funding spay/neuter surgeries countywide — including for smaller communities like Waelder and Nixon that don't have their own animal care resources. It's quieter work than running a shelter, but it strikes at the root of pet homelessness before it starts. So far in 2026 alone, we've helped fund over 200 surgeries, totaling roughly $22,000.

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Looking to adopt? Visit our friends at GPAW (cats) or GDA (dogs). Want to help prevent homelessness before it starts? Donate to support spay/neuter surgeries → 

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