The Valley Participates in Nationwide “Clear the Shelters” Day

            On Aug. 17, animal shelters nationwide opened their doors for Clear the Shelters, an event dedicated to giving every homeless animal a home and family. NBC and Telemundo stations have been teaming up in order to help over 1,900 shelters across the country. The Rio Grande Valley had the likelihood to participate with both the Palm Valley Animal Center and the Laurie P. Andrews PAWS Center.

            Future fur-parents and families flooded into the facilities, both of them flying past maximum capacity at about 4,000 patrons. Volunteers stood outside, shaded from the Saturday heat, helping adopters with applications and paperwork.

            “I heard about this Clear the Shelter event through Facebook,” University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Junior, Mariana Garcia shares. “I was always the person to buy dogs, and I realized that events like this are more beneficial, so you get strays out of the shelter.” A waiver for the adoption fee was also listed through the shelters’ social media. “Not only is it an incentive to get people to come out to adopt, but it’s also the fact that they come with their vaccines, they’re microchipped and fixed.”

            The shelters not only advocated to give all their animals a home, but to make sure they are in the best condition to go home with their new families. The animals come with everything needed, and they do their best to educate the owners on how to properly care for their new pet. The owners leave with not only their new family member, but a folder full of information, a collar and a bag of food for them.

            A recent outbreak of canine distemper, a viral disease that affects all of a canine’s bodily systems, was minimized by about 30% according to Luis Quintanilla, Shelter Manager of Palm Valley.

             It’s a regional problem,” Quintanilla states. “We partnered with the University of Florida and they are very graciously paying for distemper testing.”

             Within 24 to 48 hours, the shelters are able to determine if the animal either has an allergy, a cold or if it could be something much more serious.

             Palm Valley and Laurie P. Andrews bring in about 30,000 animals per year. A year ago, today, PVAC AND LPA was at a 33% live saving rate, which means that close to 70% of them are dying due to low adoption rates.

             “It’s really daunting to try and get them out into homes, either through adoption or through rescue. Fosters are a massive need that we are constantly promoting,” Quintanilla shares, urging for locals to either volunteer or adopt. “We’ve increased our life-saving rate by double in just one year, and we’re hoping to add another 30% next year.”

            Quintanilla also hopes to put the Valley on the map, and for good reason. Out of the whole country, Texas is number one for the killing of animals in animal shelters, California following close behind. Within Texas, the region that kills the most is in the Valley.

            “We are the frontline of animal welfare. If we can get to no kill, which is surpassing 90%, then there is no excuse for a municipality,” said Quintanilla.

            By 2021, Palm Valley is planning to get to no kill status, and they’re even planning to beat the deadline. “If we can do it,” says Quintanilla, “everyone can.”

            A total of 312 adoptions—from both locations— were recorded from Saturday, Aug. 17. 133 cats and 179 dogs found new homes and loving families. The Palm Valley Animal Center and Laurie P. Andrews Paws Center encourages not only UTRGV students, but everyone within the RGV to help volunteer at their locations.

If interested in adopting, fostering or volunteering, you can find their animals & applications here: https://pvactx.org/