MISSION — Dog owners, city officials and Mission Police Department K-9 units gathered for a “paw-ty” here at the Bannworth Dog Park on Monday in celebration of the city receiving a Better Cities for Pets certification.
From huskies to chihuahuas to McGruff the Crime Dog, the event saw plenty of pets and their owners enjoying the doggie treats and ice cream as means to combat the heat and a way to celebrate the city’s accomplishment.
Mission is the second city in the Rio Grande Valley to receive the designation of Better Cities for Pets, which is recognized nationwide.
The only other city south of Houston to have received the certification is Edinburg, according to Mission Mayor Armando O’Caña.
“The Better Cities for Pets program really recognized us for our unique partnership with the rescue organizations that we have been doing on a daily basis,” O’Caña said. “We create real change for animals in need and we do that through rescuing or re-homing those pets.”
Better Cities for Pets looks for 12 traits in a city in order to be considered for the certification — having warm and welcoming pet shelters that encourage adoption is just one of those traits.
Another trait the program seeks is whether the city considers the pet’s needs, parks and green space planning which Mission meets with its 25 parks where dogs are welcomed so long as they are leashed, and two dog parks where pets can roam freely.
Mission resident Raquel Cruz considers her white husky, Ghost, as a family member in her household and appreciates what the city does for residents and their pets.
“There’s a lot of abandoned dogs and there’s people who can’t feed their pets or care about their nutrition,” Cruz said in Spanish while at Monday’s event. “But the city of Mission is trying to teach their residents in that aspect and it’s very motivating.”
According to the City Manager Randy Perez, the city plans on adding more green spaces in the future where pet owners can visit and let their pets loose.
Perez also challenged local businesses to collaborate with pet supporting organizations and pet owners to welcome pets into their businesses in order to make Mission more pet friendly.
He believes that allowing pets and their owners into a business could help increase profits as it would be a place people would want to go to while running errands with their pets.
“I always wanted to bring [my dog] places,” 17-year-old Vianca Treviño said. “I feel like that would be a good change since my dog is big and I always wanted to include her as if she was a little dog.
“She’s my other half and I would like to take her everywhere with me.”
The paw-ty ended with the unveiling of a plaque recognizing Mission’s Better Cities for Pets certification as Baha Men’s 2000 hit “Who Let the Dogs Out” blasted through large speakers, while O’Caña did a little dance.
