Residents discuss need to address stray animal population during Rio Grande City town hall
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Residents pleaded with Rio Grande City leaders to help lower the number of stray animals roaming their streets.
Those who spoke during a Monday town hall included members of the Rio Grande City animal control team, which is made up of two officers.
The team said they have to find new ways to handle the 20 to 40 calls they get every day.
“We have a total of 10 kennels,” Rio Grande City Assistant Police Chief Jose Solis said. “Three of them have to be empty in case there's a dog bite or we need to quarantine an animal, so technically we have seven."
Longtime resident and animal foster parent Cindy Bustamante says a lack of resources in Starr County previously forced them to go to other parts of the Rio Grande Valley, and even Mexico.
"We only have one clinic here, and it's very limited,” Bustamante said. “We have to go out of the city, for example McAllen, or sometimes to our neighboring city here, Camargo."
The town hall wrapped with several action items for the city to address the issue. The items included a requiring permits for backyard breeders, offering more free and low cost spay and neuter services, and adding more animal control officers and, an investigator, to handle cruelty cases.
Rio Grande City Interim City Manager Gilberto Millan says the city is working on creating more room to house animals by adding more kennels, and renovating another building.
The city has set aside $300,000 for that project.
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