Animal shelter: Falling through the cracks

SAN BENITO — When the family pet wanders away and goes missing, many people don’t remember to check the Cameron County animal shelter.

Tucked away behind the Precinct 3 highway barn, at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 510 and Rio Rancho Road, it harbors the thousands of animals that do end up at the facility.

And, as happens at the more high-profile shelters in Harlingen and Port Isabel, many of those pets never leave.

It’s a familiar story. Animal shelters in the Rio Grande Valley are overwhelmed with stray dogs and cats, and the county facility is no exception.

One local dog lover blames the situation on irresponsible pet owners,  and on the misplaced priorities of local government agencies.

Luis Perez, an insurance agent and Vietnam War veteran, has a soft spot for unwanted dogs but knows the number of homeless animals in the Valley has exploded beyond the ability of shelters to house them all, he said.

The real answer to the problem of unwanted animals overcrowding public and private shelters is to spay or neuter animals when they are young, not to wait until they are having their own litters of unwanted offspring, eating from garbage cans or roaming the countryside, he said.

“What we need is a facility to take them to where they can be spayed or neutered either for free or at low cost,” Perez said.

Although organizations such as the Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals sponsor periodic spay/neuter clinics, and veterinarians sometimes donate their services or offer reduced fees, cities and counties should participate in those programs, he said.

Instead, local governments try to fix the problem on the back end, spending lots of money on animal control officers and euthanization, rather than on prevention, Perez said.

Raquel Castillo, of the Cameron County Environmental Health Department, said the county has an adoption program for animals.

“Our program is in operation,” she said. “We do have one in place.”

Although there are limited facilities at the animal shelter for housing animals, there is someone available on weekdays to assist those looking for their lost pet or who want to adopt one, she said.

Gustavo Olivares, assistant director of the department, said there are several steps the county must take before offering a dog or cat for adoption, including health checks.

Some animals that arrive at the shelter are not available for adoption, like those that are quarantined to determine if they have rabies after they’ve bitten someone. Nor are feral animals available for adoption, Olivares said.

“We have one supervisor and four animal control officers,” Castillo said.

“We do assist some cities with animal control. Our officers are trained and we have someone on duty at the shelter during business hours.”

Information about the county’s animal adoption program, including an adoption form, are available on the county website at www.co.cameron.tx.us under the environmental health department section.