On June 20th, 2014, City Manager, Sylvia Carrillo initiated a 'no adoption' policy at Aransas Pass Animal Control facility. She states that this is required to insure public health which is an untrue statement on many levels. Public health is not improved in the least by this measure. She explained that a dog with parvo virus had been adopted from their facility. She adds that dogs had been found to be used in dog fighting.

These are excuses that do not support her poorly thought out decision. There is not a shelter in the country that has not, at one time, mistakenly sent out an ill dog or put an innocent dog in the hands of corrupt people. These errors do not constitute the right for mass slaughter of animals. They deserve a chance to find homes and provide the companionship to human beings for which they had been painstakingly bred.

Her remedy to aid public health is a mishapped solution to difficulties in their budget and have nothing to do with public health. The deeper problem is an obscure Texas law  which requires each dog at a shelter to be treated at the level of a private veterinarian, thereby disallowing volunteers and foster to perform the routine care - e.g., administering needed vaccines during intake - without a trained veterinarian present. In this manner, every shelter would require the availability of a private-level veterinarian around the clock.

The budget of the Arsansas Pass Animal Control facility cannot support the enforcement of this obscure law that was recently pushed forward and emphasized in August by the Texas Board of Veterinarian Examiners. Other towns, such as Austin and San Antonio, have circumvented this archiac, costly law by allowing city ordinances that provide the right of shelter staff and volunteers to provide needed medical care by training them, adequately, to take on the role of 'caretaker' upon the animals' admissions into their facility. 

Representative Jessica Farrar, D-Houston - a well known animal rights advocate - predicts that the above-described situation would only exacerbate the states, already, high numbers of high-kill shelters. She dishearteningly points out: "They're just going to turn into euthanasia centers." 

This month, there will be a public meeting on July 10th, 2014 at 6pm at the Aransas Pass Public Library located at 110 North Lamont. Please attend if you can and let your humane voice be heard amongst the dinn of injustice and animal cruelty. Please sign this petition and do all that you can to make our voices heard in this very important matter. 

Imagine if your dog where taken into the Aransas Pass Animal Control Shelter and did not make it out after only 3 days due to a multitude of possible reasons. As things stand: death would be a certainty. There would not be enough due process in reuniting your beloved pet to you. Less fortunate animals need to time to adjust and experience humane care before they can find placement. This is what a humane society would do. Nothing less. 

http://spcasanpatcounty.com/9_events/publicMeetings/index.html​

http://www.kztv10.com/news/aransas-pass-no-longer-adopting-out-animals/​

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/30/texas-rule-could-threaten-no-kill-shelter-movement/

Sylvia Carrillo's website: 

http://wp.aransaspasstx.gov/city-administration/city-manager/