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More than two dozen representatives from diverse ethnic media outlets converged on Tuesday in a concerted effort to combat an ongoing crisis plaguing Houston’s streets.

Ethnic Media Services orchestrated a pivotal monthly roundtable briefing, featuring prominent officials from the City of Houston’s BARC, who shared invaluable insights into their groundbreaking “Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets” initiative.

This endeavor aims to tackle the distressing escalation of stray animals taking over city streets, a situation exacerbated by the surge in pet ownership and uncontrolled breeding during the pandemic.

Recognizing the urgency, BARC, the city’s municipal animal shelter program, launched the visionary “Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets” campaign. This initiative encompasses multifaceted solutions, including free spaying and neutering services, alongside comprehensive programs addressing the root causes.

The session, which was held at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, featured a distinguished panel, moderated by Sandy Close, Executive Director, Ethic Media Services.

Panelists included:

  • Cory Stottlemyer, Deputy Shelter Director & Director of Communications for the Administration & Regulatory Affairs (BARC)
  • Laura Spivey, Animal Enforcement Officer (City of Houston)
  • Eli Perez, Community Outreach Coordinator (BARC)

Stottlemyer voiced the importance of the present moment, emphasizing, “It’s a crucial time right now. Our enforcement team, our outreach team has been able to go out in the past, but we don’t really have a focused community outreach team.”

He further highlighted their efforts to cultivate responsible pet ownership through education and advocacy, acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead.

According to Stottlemyer, “We are trying to get the word out, breaking down some mentalities of those who may oppose spaying or neutering their animals, not understanding the need, not understanding the stray animal crisis we have.”

He explained that unchecked breeding often leads to an overflow of strays, intensifying the issue.

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Spivey underscored a key aspect of the problem. Her plea to the community was to redirect efforts toward reporting strays, as feeding them inadvertently contributes to population growth.

“When it comes to the stray issue, people don’t understand that if you feed an animal for more than three days, per the law, it is technically your animal,” she explained.

Perez shed light on the larger veterinary challenge, stating, “Unfortunately, nationwide, we are facing a veterinarian shortage. Not many veterinarians are trying to go into shelter medicine.”

He extolled the significance of the “Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets” program, which offers free services regardless of the animal’s size, thereby breaking down financial barriers for responsible pet owners.

The heartrending issue of euthanasia was also addressed. As Stottlemyer put it, “It’s usually the medical and the behavior that are the first factors we look at, but we do reach those critical capacity times. Animals with lengthier stays might qualify for euthanasia. They are adoptable and a lot of times they have no issues, they just have the clock working against them.”

The session shed light on the magnitude of the issue and the efforts being undertaken to alleviate it.

As Houston grapples with a surge in pet populations, “Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets” stands as a beacon of hope and a blueprint for a more compassionate, responsible future.

For more comprehensive statistics and information, visit BARC’s official website: https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/stats-reports.html