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Our community of people, businesses, animal welfare organizations and shelters can work together to keep our community pets safe. We know the Rio Grande Valley is a community that already comes together to support each other. By joining and sharing this effort with your neighbors and family, you can amplify the work being done in the Valley and continue to spur change. In the year 2021, multiple cities across the Valley utilized the City of Weslaco for animal control services (Weslaco, Alamo, Donna, Edcouch, Elsa, La Villa, Mercedes, Penitas, Pharr, and San Juan). During that time, Weslaco Animal Care Services took in 5,288 dogs and 2,265 cats from those cities. Only 2.7% of cats and 35% of dogs who entered the shelter left alive. Overall, the Weslaco shelter had a 26% save rate — meaning 26% of the animals who entered the shelter left alive. In comparison, the combined save rate for Texas was 80.8%. Your voice is important. You can help advocate for change in the Valley, ensuring residents of your city have access to programs and resources that have been successful across Texas and the country. Find your city below to join a local effort to increase life-saving and get timely information that impacts you, your neighbors, and the pets you care for. Want to get more involved or have questions? Email us at [email protected]

Apóyanos en salvar vidas en el Valle del Rio Grande

Nuestra sociedad, organizaciones de bienestar animal y albergues pueden trabajar juntos para mantener a las mascotas de nuestra comunidad seguras. Aunque la población ya se une para apoyarse los unos con los otros, queremos que el Valle del Rio Grande sea un área que realmente sirva a toda la comunidad, incluyendo a las mascotas. En el año 2021, la ciudad de Weslaco fue utilizada para los servicios de control de animales (Alamo, Donna, Edcouch, Elsa, La Villa, Mercedes, Penitas, Pharr, y San Juan). Durante ese tiempo, Servicios de Cuidado de Animales de Weslaco recibió 5,288 perros y 2,265 gatos de esas ciudades. Sólo el 2.7% de los gatos y el 35% de los perros que entraron en el albergue salieron vivos. La ciudad de Weslaco tuvo una tasa de salvación de 26%, lo que significa que el 26% de los animales que entraron en el albergue salieron vivos. En comparación, todo el estado de Texas combinó una tasa de salvación de 80.8%. Dar tu opinión es fácil. Simplemente encuentra tu ciudad a continuación para participar en la lucha local para salvar más mascotas. También recibirás información oportuna sobre eventos que impactaran a tu comunidad y a las mascotas que más amas. ¿Quieres participar más o tienes preguntas? Envíenos un correo electrónico a [email protected]

Community cats (aka stray or free-roaming cats) risk losing their lives simply because they've made a home in the outdoors. In many cases, they are brought to local shelters, where they are unlikely to get adopted because many of them aren't socialized to people. Community cat programs use trap-neuter-return (TNR) to save cats. The process is simple: Community cats are trapped, evaluated by veterinarians, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and returned to their outdoor homes, unable to have kittens.

In Alabama, 17 counties have no animal services at all - no veterinarians, no animal shelters, no animal clinics. Across the state, only five low-cost spay/neuter clinics serve Alabamians. This is considerably fewer clinics per capita than other states in the southeast. Current laws say it is unlawful for a licensed veterinarian to be an employee of a non-licensed person. For this reason, veterinarians must be treated as outside contractors when they provide services in animal shelters and low cost spay/neuter clinics which limits employment opportunities. This takes away the freedom of veterinarians to seek employment of their own interest and hampers individuals and animal shelters access to animal services. Alabama’s current veterinary practice law overly restricts affordable access to essential veterinary care for community residents and animal shelters. This creates unnecessary risk to public health. The people and animal shelters in Alabama need the ability to give basic, affordable veterinary services to the animals in their care. You are a critical part of ensuring that pets and people receive essential resources and our community stays safe. The people and pets in Alabama deserve access to basic veterinary care. It is important you tell your representative that saving cats and dogs, and keeping communities safe, is important to the people of Alabama. By advocating for access to care and continued collaboration with other community organizations, you are a part of creating a healthier community for pets and people. Show your support by signing and sharing today!