Citizens of El Paso:  I urge you to take a moment to read the details of this petition carefully.

Currently the City of El Paso has adopted a program regarding animals that are lost, abandoned, injured etc.  The program is called Human Animal Support Services aka HASS.  Before I proceed, please understand that Animal Services has a $9,370,000.00.  We do not need a program that does not work and that is not PROTECTING THE MANY LIVES OF INNOCENT ANIMALS!!!  Aside from this plus size budget, our tax dollars are going towards services that are way underutilized!

As we know the problem regarding animals is growing.  People are discarding innocent animals like trash.  For example the recent story on the Husky discarded in Horizon on July 20, 2021.  When this husky was taken by the witness, to 2 different police departments (with kennels) in the county, neither wanted to do an intake.  Sad, right?!?  It took some complaining by the witness who picked up the discarded husky, to get them to take possession of this precious animal.

Now to the problem:  Animal Services!!!  When a citizen calls 311 to ask for assistance from Animal Services, with a found, injured or lost animal, the 311 operator promptly advises the citizen to either keep the animal or further advises that IF it is picked up, it will be euthanized!  311 also advises that if the citizen keeps the dog for more than 2 days, they are now the legal owners!  This is an outrage!  The fine people of El Paso, are helping as much as possible to keep these animals from being run over, used as bait dogs, starving and/or dying a painful death. 

The local rescues in El Paso are being hit hard.  Many of these rescues are 501c3’s and work solely from donations and personal funding.  The personal funding comes because some of these folks really care and hate to see the animals suffer. 

The bottom line here is, we need to see HASS get out of El Paso; and Animal Services needs to do the jobs they are being paid for.  They need to answer calls and complaints, start fining offenders, stop illegal breeding, etc.  Our shelters in El Paso should be no-kill shelters!  Animal Services, has a huge budget. But if $9,370,000.00 is not enough, they should be looking for grants to help build a bigger facility if necessary.  Oh yea, and an X-ray machine and more than one veterinarian is a must!!!!

El Paso, we deserve better.  Make the City Government answer and put our tax dollars to work!!!

Note:  Animal Services, we all have a common goal; the ANIMALS!  Treat your rescues EQUALLY and with the same respect.  Don't pick and choose who you may or may not assist!  After all, they are doing YOUR JOB!