MISSION — Locally owned business the 5X5 Brewing Company hosted a fundraiser and food drive here Saturday to help Yaqui Animal Rescue, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter based in Sullivan City, while also raising awareness about the only North American marsupial and the Rio Grande Valley’s unofficial mascot — the opossum, or tlacuache, as they are better known throughout South Texas.
Saturday’s event featured food trucks, vendors, music, as well as activities such as doggie yoga and races. The event was also marked by the special limited release of 5X5’s new opossum-themed brew, “Tlacuaches Trokiando Cuh.”
The event marked the third collaboration between the brewery and the animal shelter in recent years, as 5X5 recently hosted Barktoberfest on Oct. 9, 2021, an event that also helped raise $12,000 for the shelter.
“In conversation with George (Rice), he’s a big advocate for opossums, and we just talked about it and said, ‘Let’s partner up and do this,” Esmer Garcia, rescue coordinator for Yaqui Animal Rescue, said during Saturday’s event. “I don’t think it’s ever been done before. I’ve never seen a benefit for opossums, at least not in the Valley. We’re super excited about this.”
“Tlacuaches Trokiando Cuh,” is a juicy India pale ale brewed in collaboration with Andrew Crowe, the head brewer at Golden City Brewery in Colorado and a Sharyland native.
Rice, co-founder and owner of 5X5, said that the brewery wanted to tie their beer into a fundraiser. He was quick to think of Yaqui Animal Shelter as the beneficiaries due to his fondness for the work that they do.
“I love how they do business. I love their approach,” Rice said. “They never directly tell people, ‘Hey, give us money.’ They never ask for money up front. They’re like, ‘What can you do to help us, and what can we do to help you?’ I love that.”
Rice said that the brewery had been sitting on opossum artwork for roughly a year. At one point, the brewery had even considered making the opossum their new mascot. When the collaboration with Yaqui Animal Shelter came to fruition, it was decided to use the artwork for the design of the can.
The brewery only brewed five barrels of “Tlacuaches Trokiando Cuh,” or about 7,000 pours, and only had about 300 cans available for sale.
Aside from accepting pet food donations Saturday, 20% of the proceeds from “Tlacuaches Trokiando Cuh,” sales went to Yaqui Animal Rescue.
“What sets us apart is, aside from cats and dogs, we do rescue horses, pigs, we have cows, rabbits, ducks, chickens, and we’ve also rescued opossums,“ Garcia said.
“What typically happens is we’ll be notified of an injured opossum,” Chris Sotelo, ranch manager for Yaqui Animal Rescue, said. “There’s no real resources for the community and the Valley. What happens is the community will get in touch with us, so we have to kind of network. We get in touch with certified rehabbers because you do have to have certifications for it. To keep (opossums) as pets is illegal in the state of Texas.”
The shelter, which sits on 80 acres of land, serves over 200 animals. Garcia and Sotelo said that one of their main efforts as an organization is to dispel misconceptions about the marsupials while also raising awareness about how they benefit the local ecosystem.
“They’re seen as rodents and pests, but actually they’re very beneficial to the environment,” Garcia said. “They can rid your backyard of ticks.”
“They’re very cleanly,” Sotelo added. “They don’t do very well with fleas, but they clean themselves of ticks. They clean up the environment a little bit. They eat road kill — they’re omnivores, so whatever opportunities are presented to them, they follow their nose to the next food source.”
Sotelo said that litter on the side of the road can prove hazardous to opossums, usually resulting in the animals getting killed or severely injured by oncoming traffic.
Garcia and Sotelo also said that people often fear that the presence of opossums could result in the transfer of rabies to their pets. In reality, it is extremely rare for opossums to carry the virus due to their lower body temperature.
“With all wildlife, it’s not about getting extra comfortable with them — going up and petting them and getting them docile,” Sotelo said. “We need to respect them as well, but it’s a good thing that they’re not as prone to rabies. It’s extremely rare for them.”
To make a monetary or food donation, or find more information about Yaqui Animal Shelter, visit www.yaquianimalrescue.com, their Facebook and Instagram pages, or call (956) 600-4212.
