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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].

We all want safe and humane communities for people and pets. But some government officials in Central Arkansas wrongly believe that certain breeds of pet dogs are automatically dangerous. This leads to arbitrary and inconsistent decisions where a pet dog can be legal in one city but illegal in the next town. Batesville, Beebe, Caraway, Cotter, Dardanelle, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, Lake City, Lonoke, Sherwood, Little Rock, and North Little Rock all have their own versions of breed-specific legislation on the books. This legislation is an outdated, ineffective approach to public safety. It wastes our money because it’s expensive to enforce and violates our rights as dog owners. Breed-discriminatory laws infringe on our property rights. All Americans who follow the safety rules should be allowed to own whatever breed of dog they choose. It’s that simple. Indeed, a 2014 national survey revealed that 84% of Americans believe the government should not tell them what kind of breed of dog they can own. (2) It can also lead to families having to give up beloved pets that end up at our animal shelters and risk being put to death. Laws and policies should be fair and consistent. Cities should enact comprehensive breed-neutral ordinances that focus on the behavior of the dog and the behavior of the owner. The goal of public safety should be achieved in the most effective and most thorough way possible. Breed restrictions also prevent well-mannered dogs from being adopted and infringe on a family's right to choose the best dog for them. Research on breed and behavior: (1) Studies done in countries with breed-discriminatory laws, including the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany, found that these laws didn’t reduce the number of dog bites or improve public safety. “World-Wide Failure of Breed Specific Legislation,” National Canine Research Council, http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Worldwide%20Failure%20of%20BSL.pdf (2) Luntz Global Omnibus Poll, January 2014 * Researchers at Tufts University concluded that factors associated with actions of the owner —like the absence of an able-bodied person to intervene — are the primary cause of dog bite-related fatalities while the breed is not a factor. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24299544 * A recent study asked 16 animal shelter workers to guess the breed of 120 dogs. While the shelter staff collectively identified 52% of the dogs as pit bull-type dogs, DNA tests proved that only 21% had any pit bull mix in them. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331500310X * A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior compared aggression between banned dog breeds and a control group of golden retrievers using temperament tests. Comparing the results of golden retrievers and breeds affected by breed discriminatory legislation, no significant difference was found. The researchers concluded that "A scientific basis for breed-specific lists does not exist." Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S155878780700264X

Around two-thirds of the animals being killed in shelters nationwide are cats. 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. Many of these cats are thriving living outdoors because someone in their community cares for them. We, the people of Pasadena, can help these cats and our community with trap-neuter-return (TNR) methods. Community cat programs utilize TNR and the process is simple: Community cats are trapped, evaluated by veterinarians, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, and returned to their outdoor homes, unable to have kittens. This is an animal-friendly, veterinarian-approved, and cost-effective method for keeping free-roaming cats safe, healthy, and out of shelters — while reducing their numbers over time. Sign here to show that we, the people of Pasadena, support this method for managing the cats living in our communities. **************************************************************************** ACTUALIZACIÓN JUNIO 2023: Por favor, ayuda a correr la voz para mostrar tu apoyo a los programas comunitarios para gatos en Pasadena, TX. Es imperativo que nuestra comunidad tenga acceso a este recurso esencial como tantas otras comunidades de Texas. Necesitamos tu ayuda y tu voz para liderar el esfuerzo y mostrar al consejo municipal que quieres recursos que ayudan a la gente con animales en Pasadena. Por favor, firme y comparta esta petición para demostrar que apoyas un cambio seguro, humanitario y positivo para los gatos de su comunidad y para quienes los cuidan. ¿Por qué es importante? Alrededor de dos tercios de los animales que son sacrificados en los albergues de todo el país son gatos. Los gatos de la comunidad (también conocidos como gatos callejeros) corren el riesgo de perder la vida simplemente porque han encontrado un hogar en la comunidad. En muchos casos, son llevados a los albergues locales, donde es poco probable que sean adoptados porque muchos de ellos no están socializados con las personas. Muchos de estos gatos prosperan viviendo al aire libre porque alguien de su comunidad los cuida. Nosotros, los habitantes de Pasadena, podemos ayudar a estos gatos (¡mientras mantenemos nuestras comunidades seguras!) con la técnica de Atrapar, Vacunar, Esterilizar, Regresar (AVER). Los programas comunitarios para gatos utilizan el AVER, que incluye un proceso sencillo: Los gatos de la comunidad son atrapados, evaluados por veterinarios, vacunados, esterilizados o castrados, con las orejas tapadas y devueltos a sus hogares al aire libre, sin poder tener gatitos. Se trata de un método respetuoso con los animales, aprobado por los veterinarios y económico para mantener a los gatos callejeros seguros, sanos y fuera de los albergues, al mismo tiempo que se reduce su número con el tiempo. Firme aquí para demostrar que nosotros, la gente de Pasadena, apoyamos este método para gestionar los gatos que viven en nuestras comunidades.