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Representatives of Palm Valley Animal Society have expressed concern with the city of Edinburg euthanizing hundreds of animals recently despite the shelter having space at the time to care for the animals and possibly getting them fostered or adopted.
Among the many concerns the Edinburg-based shelter faces day-to-day, such as requiring monetary and food donations as well as pet beds and blankets to remain operational, one issue raised last Wednesday by a representative is their partnerships with Rio Grande Valley cities.
PVAS Director of Operations Faith Wright said in an interview that the shelter has room for animals while the city of Edinburg has been euthanizing nearly 300 this year alone, and feels “disrespected” as a result.
In April, for instance, Wright said the city euthanized 102 animals.
“We do feel disrespected,” Wright said. “We are saying we have this many kennels open and then we hear reports of [them euthanizing] 102 animals. Why?
“We have been offering you kennels. We’ve had cat space. We’ve had dog space. We’ve had puppy space. Why are you killing them?”
A report from the city of Edinburg’s assistant senior animal control warden, from the health and code department, shows that the city has euthanized 285 animals between January and May of this year.
When asked for comment, Roxanne Lerma, spokesperson for the city of Edinburg, issued a statement saying that the city is committed to treating all animals humanely.
“We understand and share the concerns regarding animal euthanasia and strive to minimize such actions through our various animal welfare programs,” the statement said.
“Recently, our city, like many others, has faced significant challenges with an overpopulation of stray animals,” the statement continued. “This situation has been exacerbated by an influx of cats, many of whom were unfortunately ill, aggressive, or feral. Despite our best efforts and collaborations with organizations such as PVAS, we have had to make difficult decisions in the interest of public health and the well-being of the animal population.
The report does show that 646 animals were dropped off at PVAS.
Wright said there are certain criteria that must be met for animal euthanasia, such as aggressiveness. The city of Edinburg doesn’t detail those situations in the report.
“They need to start being called out for that because everybody thinks Edinburg is great,” Wright said.
This also comes at a time when PVAS has been dealing with hundreds of animals, mainly dogs, being sent to the shelter after being rescued from homes where they were being hoarded.
These cases amounted to nearly 300 animals recovered from several Upper Valley homes.
