Originally Published in: The Texas Tribune
Published on: Oct. 3, 2024
Written By: Berenice Garcia
Image Courtesy of The Texas Tribune
McALLEN — The phone calls at Yaqui Animal Rescue were non-stop. On the other end of the phone were requests to help with abandoned puppies or pick up stray dogs roaming the streets. The Rio Grande Valley ranch used to temporarily house and care for animals was getting hourly requests by email and social media, too.The pleas even reached the personal Instagram account of Rebecca Chavez, Yaqui’s development director. She estimates she’s tagged daily in at least five social media posts about dogs that are dumped in the middle of nowhere.It became too much. In early September, the rescue’s staff announced on social media that the rescue would be — for the first time in 11 years — closed for intake until further notice.
“We don't have enough staff to take on the demand,” Chavez said. “Mentally and emotionally, it's taking a toll on us.”
The decision was made in an effort to get a handle on the “crisis-level overcrowding” of more than 250 animals at the rescue, they wrote in the social media post.
Animal shelters across Texas are — and have been — overcrowded, say advocates, who are urging the public to help by fostering or adopting these animals.
The more pressing challenge is convincing pet owners to spay and neuter their pets, animal welfare advocates said.
Chavez said that local governments could be doing more to invest in low-cost spay and neuter services, especially in places like the Valley, home to many low-income communities.
To that end, Chavez and other animal advocates across the state will take the issue to Austin when lawmakers reconvene for the next legislative session in 2025.
The Texas Humane Legislation Network, a network of leaders of animal rights groups across the state, are eyeing changes to current state regulations that would allow cities to regulate the sale of puppies and make it easier for shelters and nonprofits to access money to help cover the costs of spay and neuter services, hoping to slow the growing number of stray animals in the state.
“The No. 1 issue in Texas is clearly shelter overpopulation and, quite frankly, overpopulation of dogs throughout our state," said Shelby Bobosky, executive director of the humane legislation network. "It doesn't matter if you're in an urban or rural area, it's just happening everywhere.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Cara Gustafson at 561-797-8267 or [email protected].