RAYMONDVILLE — The city wants to cut down on the numbers of stray dogs and cats roaming the streets.
But yesterday, the Harlingen Humane Society made an offer that might be too high, Mayor Gilbert Gonzales said.
Under the proposal, the city would pay $50 for every stray dog and cat the organization would hold in its Harlingen shelter, said Pat Turman-White, the Humane Society’s president.
As part of the agreement, she said, the organization would provide Raymondville residents with spay and neutering services at a charge of $30 for dogs and $20 for cats.
If the city does not enter into the agreement, the Humane Society would continue to offer Raymondville residents spay and neutering services at a charge of $85 for dogs and $55 for cats, she said.
Gonzales said he will review the city’s budget to determine whether he would enter into the agreement.
“It might be too pricey,” Gonzales said. “Nothing is settled yet. We have to look at the dollar figure.”
Turman-White said the plan, which the organization offers the city of Mercedes, would help the city cut down on the number of strays euthanized here.
Every month, she said, the city euthanizes about 110 dogs.
Turman-White said the proposal would also curb the number of stray cats here.
Last year, the Humane Society recovered 200 stray cats here during a six-week period, she said.
“If they don’t find a way to get animals spay and neutered, the problem is going to get worse,” Turman-White said.
Harlingen Humane Society’s proposed agreement
• The city of Raymondville would pay $50 for each stray animal the Humane Society holds in its shelter
• Raymondville residents would receive spay and neutering services at charges of $30 for dogs and $20 for cats
