Meet Henry, Fort Worth’s black lab mascot dog credited with helping raise $4.8 million

The City of Fort Worth recently lost its most popular employee to retirement. He served as a lead marketing officer for the city and also was the city’s top fundraiser.

His name is Henry. He’s a 14-year-old black lab who represented the city at official functions and was partly responsible for raising almost $5 million to expand the city’s animal shelter and build a second shelter.

The story of Henry is an example of how cities can break the norm, take risks and be creative.

The idea of a canine municipal mascot came from city staffers in 2011 who wanted to see if a dog, representing all the dogs and cats in the city shelter, could help raise awareness. But which dog?

“We spent over three months trying to find the right dog,” code compliance director Brandon Bennett recalls. Then he saw Henry.

Henry, then a year old, had been running with a neighborhood pack. He suffered from malnutrition, Bordetella, pneumonia, goopy eyes and kennel cough. After a visit to an animal hospital, Henry was put on the euthanasia list. He was too risky to keep and too frail. He had hours to live.

Bennett saw him. “There was something about that dog,” he said. “This is the one.”

“We looked at him and said he represents the average dog that we have a hard time finding a home for. If you want to take an animal home, are you going to pick the really skinny malnourished dog with kennel cough and pneumonia? Or are you going to pick the one that’s alive and happy? The little puppy that sits in your lap.”

Prolific fundraiser

It took months for Henry to heal. He spent that time in isolation in Bennett’s house. The city officially adopted Henry. Bennett is listed as “next of kin.”

At this time 13 years ago, I reported on critics who questioned if city taxpayers should be paying $2,500 for Henry’s vet bills. Also, should the city pay for Henry’s food and other incidentals?

These seemed like legitimate questions. Now, they no longer are. When Henry’s health improved, his strong personality emerged. “You spend five minutes with this dog, and you know there’s something special about him,” Bennett says. “And that drives people to action, to either help us raise money or donate money themselves.”

Bennett credits Henry with helping to raise $4.8 million on the strength of his personality. Spending $2,500 to make $4.8 million? Right on.

How did Henry do it? The first million came in part from some of Fort Worth’s wealthiest donors. Bennett would bring Henry, a former street gang member, to the prospective donor’s house for a play date with the wealthy person’s dog.

Most of the money came from donations, grants and business partnerships.

Henry made it cool to be a watchdog and work to improve animal welfare and help find his friends a good home.

“We found the perfect dog for the job,” Bennett said. “We’re trying to do something different in a way we market our animals. Try to build excitement over how much fun shelter pets are.”

Henry, wearing his official city uniform, accompanied Bennett in his daily routine. He followed him around City Hall and to community meetings. “He will go to City Council meetings with me, building standard commission meetings, things like that. The whole idea is to put Henry out as much as we can in the public eye to show what we’re doing with the shelter.”

Henry visited an estimated 10,000 students in schools. He accompanied Mayor Betsy Price to schools and other appropriate functions.

“The mayor just loves Henry,” Bennett said. “Henry sees the mayor, and he just goes crazy.”

City spokespup

Bennett retired after 20 years. Same goes for Henry, now ending his 13-year city career. The dog has cancer and deserves a rest. The “spokespup,” as he is sometimes called at City Hall, will live with Bennett.

Bennett chokes up when he talks about this, as he did at his last City Council meeting. Their last. Henry, of course, was there, too.

Bennett says, “Henry became the face of all that is possible.”

The city announcement about spokespup Henry stepping down ended by saying, “You are, without a doubt, an exceptionally good boy.”

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