Posted on 06/20/2025 11:54:47 AM PDT by yelostar
AUSTIN, TX – In a historic win for animal welfare and public health, the Texas Legislature has appropriated $13 million over the next two years to launch a statewide pilot program aimed at reducing the population of unvaccinated, unsterilized dogs and cats. The program, to be administered by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), is designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and leptospirosis. The funding awaits final approval by Governor Greg Abbott.
“This is a crucial step forward in protecting both animals and people in Texas,” said Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN). “Shelters, veterinarians, and local communities have long struggled with limited resources to manage stray and feral animal populations. This funding is not only indispensable, but it also reflects a clear understanding by the Legislature that animal welfare is a vital part of our public health infrastructure. We’re incredibly grateful for their leadership.”
As a pilot program, DSHS will begin developing the rules and procedures necessary to implement the state-funded initiative over the coming months. THLN will be monitoring the development process and working to collect input from stakeholders statewide to help inform the agency’s implementation. In the weeks ahead, THLN will host conversations with animal shelters, veterinary professionals, rescue organizations, and local municipalities to aggregate feedback and identify needs that can be shared with DSHS as it prepares to launch the program.
This pilot initiative builds on a recent legislation led by THLN: the passage of Senate Bill 1568, which enhances the Animal-Friendly License Plate Program, an existing funding mechanism for spay and neuter services. Signed into law by Governor Abbott in May, the new law authorizes the Department of State Health Services to create an additional specialty license plate to increase public participation and expand funding for local spay/neuter initiatives.
“Together, these efforts reflect a growing momentum in Texas to tackle pet overpopulation and improve community health in a sustainable, humane, and cost-effective way,” Bobosky added. “THLN is committed to ensuring that this pilot program succeeds and will continue advocating for long-term solutions that support both people and animals.”
The treatment of animals throughout the world - in too many instances - is criminal.
Agreed.
I think of the suffering of some many dogs and cats who never found good homes and it saddens me.
Spay and neuter all pilots?
Ok, but I wouldn’t call them animals.
your title didn’t say whom they were spaying and neutering. I was hoping it was leftists - though those people are so interested in LBTQLMNOP, they’re really neutering themselves.
Is spaying and neutering pilots really going to make air travel safer?
😆
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It is mostly a southern USA problem. Meaning poorer areas of the SE, SW and South Central USA. Generally outside of the hood most people in the northeast, upper midwest and Northwest spay or neuter their dogs.
All those pitbulls that end up at shelters come from mostly down in the southern USA.
There are companies that provide transport to bring these dogs up north. Where the rehome/adopt(SELL)them to stupid liberals DUMB ENOUGH to buy a Pit Bull pup. I’m sorry, its not a Pit Bull, its a Lab Mix(sure looks like a Pit Bull).
This is how all the shelters up here in New England make money. The only positive thing they do is spay or neuter the “lab mix” prior to sending home with the dopes that bought it.
I don’t know where the funding comes from, but there are numerous programs to help get feral cats neutered/spayed where I am. The humane society where I volunteer here in Idaho has vouchers that can be purchased for $35 & we generally sell about 60 per month.
Why don’t they just give male animals vasectomies’?
The neuter/spay programs seem to be prevalent around here also (NE PA).
😳 🤣
Winner !
alternatives?
Doesn’t Texas have coyotes?
The rural area I live in a tourist/snowbird place-there are several air B&Bs cabins and RV spaces on every road near the river, and the people who book those are notorious for dumping their unwanted pets to fend for themselves...
For several years, I have been feeding, sheltering and finding good homes for cats and kittens that are abandoned, at the end of Summer and after every holiday, hungry and frightened -to be fast food for the coyotes, mountain lion and other predators in the woods. Some are neutered/spayed-most are not-but we do have a couple of free/low cost places that provide that service-they are supported by donations from people like myself and my neighbors who are animal lovers. One of my neighbors takes in abandoned small dogs-lots of those get dumped in the RV parks, too-lots of chihuahuas and terriers...
No one out here is wealthy-these are the cheap seats-but we give whatever we can in donations and/or rescues. My own indoor cats are rescues-I have never had a cat that was not either rescued or from a shelter. People who abandon pets should be fined, serve jail time and never able to have a pet again-animals are God’s innocent creatures...
Wouldn’t it be cheaper if’n we just imported some Haitians?
Lots of them right here in the woods near the river bank and everyplace else where there are woods and other places with small game. You would not be joking about that if coyotes had ever carried off a pet of yours-or a few of the chickens you keep for income from fresh eggs, etc-both happen here a lot, even with fences-not funny at all...
No lo creo, senor-we have enough coyotes already-and Haitians are just rabid human coyotes that don’t work for los carteles...
We have no shortage of coyotes and missing pets here.
I’m sure that is so-the only safe place for a pet in coyote country at night is indoors, snoozing...
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