Community Support

The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy has recently conducted a study as to why animals are surrendered to shelters. Top 10 reasons dogs and cats are surrendered to the shelter: moving, too many animals in the household, cost of pet maintenance, owner having personal problems, no homes available for litter mates, illness, biting, house soiling, allergies, and incompatibility with other pets. Sending any pet to a shelter in South Texas for refuge is sadly no longer an option for many residents. Government funded open intake facilities that garner huge grants and millions of dollars in donations claiming to be open in-take facilities, actually limit and close intake. Despite the fact that some shelters receive government funding of over $300 per pet from their contracted jurisdictions, the shelters will also charge huge fees to the owner or good Samaritan attempting to help animals find refuge at the facilities. In a community where the average resident is at or below poverty, this leaves the very poorest of residents with nowhere to turn. Even worse than the double dipping on funds, these facilities limit or close intake and refuse to provide refuge for animals in need. NGRGV aids our very underserved community by offering pet retention services, access to veterinary care, respite care, behavior training & modification, and other services. We offer advocacy to help combat the exploitation of our community funds and other resources.

Pet Retention Services

Pet Retention Services are vital to keeping pets in their loving homes. We can achieve this through our programs that offer Pet Pantry services, low-cost preventatives, low-cost pet supplies, and free home visits for those that are home bound and may need additional assistance with their pets (nail trims, brushing, walks, rides to pet appointments, etc). Most of our services are free or have a nominal fee. If you’d like to donate to this program, we would be happy to let you know our current needs. If you know of someone that may benefit from this program, please let us know.

Low-Cost Vetting and Grooming Referral Service

We understand that emergencies arise, and unexpected life events happen. Our team is comprised of experienced veterinary technicians, experienced dog groomers, and trained animal handlers. We are knowledgeable in first aid and performing initial examinations. We do have limited services that we can provide within our scope of practice that are free of charge or have a nominal fee. Our professionals can refer you appropriately. Saving money is important to many of us. Rest assured that we will refer you to the most affordable services available. Our vetting and grooming referral services are free of charge.

Respite Care Services

Keeping families together during difficult times is so important to us. Whether you are temporarily homeless, serving our country through military service, or hospitalized, our respite care program is one way to help keep your family together. Some rescues may require owners to relinquish their pets, but NKRGV, Inc. will try to find temporary foster placement so that you and your pet(s) may be reunited once your crisis or military tour is over. Each situation is unique and may require a solution that is tailored to your particular case. If you are experiencing a crisis or have recently come on orders for military service, and you have nowhere for your pets to go temporarily, please reach out to us to see if we can help. We may also be able to refer you for low-cost rescue boarding as a final option.

Behavior Training and Modification

Paying a dog or cat trainer can be very expensive, especially when you consider that many trainers use “pain to train” methods or “punishers” to modify the behavior of the animals. While this is not illegal in the state of Texas, these methods are not encouraged by NKRGV, Inc. or any of our partners. Animal welfare laws in Texas are flimsy, to say the least, and often go unenforced. The other little-known fact about animal training, is that 90% of the education is for the person, and only about 10% of the training is for the pet. If your pet is trained, but you are not, it will do little to improve your situation. We can offer a variety of low-cost referral options for behavior training and modification. All of the partners with whom we collaborate use positive reinforcement training. For those who qualify, you may also receive coupons or discounts with our community partner, PetSmart. For more serious cases, we can offer free behavior training and modification plans by our certified behavior specialist. Each pet parent will be trained on how to work with their pet to correct or modify unwanted behaviors. Training can make a world of difference when it comes to your relationship with your pet. Please contact us for more details.

Advocacy

Advocacy has become a hot topic in the animal welfare industry here in South Texas. To be clear, we do not officially support candidates for office, nor do we lobby. What we can do is attend public meetings, provide much needed data and statistics, and speak on the matter as credentialed persons in the animal welfare industry. If you or your group have a specific animal welfare concern and would like our assistance with guest speaking for advocacy, please contact us. Each request will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

If you are an individual and have a specific concern for an animal or animals that are currently in an abuse/ neglect situation, we will do our best to advise you. We will advocate for any animal in need. NKRGV, Inc. is not animal control, and cannot go out into the community and remove animals from private property. We are not authorized by the state to conduct any criminal investigations. We may be asked by government officials to provide behavior assessments or other statements, but that information would not be disclosed to the public.

Housing Referral Service

Moving to a new home is a common occurrence in life. Even if you own your home, there may be Homeowner’s Association restrictions, the same as there may be for rental properties. Some properties limit the number of animals you may house in your home. Cities also vary in the number of owned pets you may have on your property. Other times there are breed or size restrictions. If you must move and you are having difficulty finding housing that will accommodate all of your family, please contact us before you sign a rental or lease agreement. Our housing referral service is free. We may even be able to help negotiate pet deposits to be split into several monthly installments, where we can assist with the payment of the final installment.

Networking Services

Another vital service we offer is networking. The only open intake facility for our area is Weslaco Animal Care Services. We share animals that are listed at Weslaco Animal Care Services on our Facebook page. The animals from the facility are looking for their owners or in need of rescue. If you have found or lost an animal or need to surrender a pet(s), please reach out to us by call, text, email, or Facebook messenger. We will give our best advice on how to handle your individual case. NKRGV, Inc. will aid you in networking your animal(s) for rescue. If you have found an animal, we will assist you with looking for owners. If you have lost a pet, we will assist you in finding your missing pet. Our organization will also use it’s social media platform to share the fundraisers and the pleas for help of other rescue partners. We will not share personal fundraisers.

Pet Surrender

Our organization strives to keep families together, but we understand that some circumstances are outside of your control and you may have no other choice but to surrender your pet. Other people wishing to surrender may have pets that they recently found in the street and they are unable to keep them. While both situations are different, they are handled in the same manner.

How No-Kill RGV Intakes Animals

We are NOT a government funded open in-take facility. We are a foster based, community help organization. If we should be lucky enough to have an available foster home, we ONLY pull from government funded open in-take facilities. We cannot take owner surrenders because we do not have a facility to accommodate this request, nor do we receive government funds to facilitate the request. In addition, we are not contracted with any jurisdiction to intake directly from the community. We will NOT pull from government funded shelters that limit or close in-take as this is extremely harmful to the community and leaves taxpayers and residents with nowhere else to turn. This forces some to make the heart wrenching decision to dump pets in the street to fend for themselves. Our organization does not condone the misappropriation of funds by government funded shelters or municipalities that continue to provide funds to those shelters. Further, we do not condone the neglect, abandonment, or abuse of any animal.

Stray Pets

Your tax dollars, community donations, and grants fund the in-take facilities. Those facilities must be given the opportunity to appropriate their funds in the manner necessary to serve their community. Stray pets that you have found must have the opportunity to be reunited with their owners. By taking the strays to the government funded intake facility, you have given the pet’s owners the opportunity to find them. Because pets are considered property, no rescue can legally take a pet before the stray hold is up. The shelter must hold and appropriately house the pet while it waits during that time. Once the pet is no longer on stray hold, it is up to the shelter to decide if they will transfer the pet to a rescue, place the pet into local adoptions, or euthanize the pet. The good news: many local shelters in South Texas claim they only euthanize the pet if it is extremely aggressive OR no medical treatment is available for a pet that is suffering tremendously. These shelters also boast of having many employees and volunteers (including hundreds of foster homes). If you suspect that the pet you found has been dumped, this is a crime. The pet must go through animal control to the in-take facility. Only animal control can start an investigation with the assistance of local law enforcement.

Owned Pets

Owner surrenders are not given a 3-day stray hold at the government funded intake facilities. The shelter will decide if your surrendered pet will be transferred to a rescue, enter into local adoptions, or be euthanized as soon as it is surrendered. Often times, shelters will have you sign a document that says in the fine print that you are requesting euthanasia. The good news for the shelter is that owner requested euthanasia does not count against their no-kill numbers. Even if you wait for an appointment and pay a “donation,” your pet is subject to owner requested euthanasia. Despite euthanizing pets under this “exception” shelters can maintain their no-kill numbers and bragging rights. This makes them eligible to continue to garner government funding, grants, and donations. The only ones that pay the price are the pets who are surrendered by their owners. Any stray pet that did not previously have an owner that has been in your care for more than 72 hours is legally your pet.

NKRGV Rehoming Program

*Unavailable at this time due to the tremendous number of individuals and fake rescue scams that have abused our program.

NKRGV has limited options for owned pets that need rehoming. It is a state law that adopted pets must be spayed or neutered. In addition, most of the venues that invite us for adoption events require that pets be healthy and up to date on vaccines and preventatives. Dogs and cats of any age or breed are welcome to participate in this program. In order for your pet to qualify for our Rehoming Program they will need the following:

1. You must be the legal owner of the pet. All pets must stay with their owner until they have been adopted.

2. All pets must be spayed/ neutered, up to date on vaccines, and up to date on preventatives. If your pet is not yet spayed or neutered, you may participate in our Spay/ Neuter Assistance Program. Check out our Facebook page for instructions and sign up information.

3. Cats must be negative for feline AIDS and feline leukemia. NKRGV can provide a test for the nominal fee.

4. Dogs must be negative for heartworms and tick disease or have veterinary proof that treatment has been completed. We are able to provide the test for a nominal fee. We also offer heartworm prevention for pets that have tested negative for a nominal fee. For pets that test positive, NKRGV will gladly refer you to a low-cost clinic where treatment is available.

5. All pets must pass a behavior and medical evaluation provided free of charge by NKRGV. Prior to scheduling the free evaluation, copies of veterinary records must be reviewed to ensure that pets are healthy for the final assessment. All pets must be social and able to be handled by our volunteers. Pets must be kept indoors and clean so they are ready to attend events. Cats may be placed in the Every Day Cat Adoption Center at PetSmart. Any pet in need of medical attention will not be permitted to participate in the program until they have received veterinary care. Any pet that does not meet the behavior requirements will be given a free behavior modification plan along with any enrichment items we may have on hand.

6. All pets must be microchipped. NKRGV can provide microchips for pets in our Rehoming Program, free of charge.

7. Attending events is most important for dogs participating in the program. The adoption center can only accomodate cats. The only way for dogs to be seen would be at events. It would be your responsibility to ensure that your pet attends as many events as possible for the best chances of finding the right adoption match.

8. We could never predict how long it would take for any pet to get adopted. Some pets may be adopted their first day in adoptions, others may take weeks or months to find the right adoption match. You must be committed to staying with your pet until it can be responsibly adopted to another person.

9. We cannot accommodate pets for which the owner is actively looking for other rescues. We are a very small rescue and we do not have the time or money to help prepare pets for adoption for other rescues/ shelters.

If you are interested in participating in our Rehoming Program, please send us an e-mail with the following information: Name, age, sex, species, breed, and color of your pet. We will also need an individual photo of your pet. The subject line should say Rehoming Program so that we can prioritize your request in a timely manner. You will be interviewed to ensure that our program is a good match for you and your pet.

Commonly Asked Questions:

What is/ are the chances that the pet I have surrendered to the shelter will be euthanized? As we mentioned before, many local government funded shelters here in South Texas boast about being “no-kill”. You would need to ask the shelter what their euthanasia rates are. You may also ask how many owner requested euthanasias they perform each month/ year. Those numbers can change seasonally or even month to month.

What can I do if I don’t want to surrender my pet to a shelter? The good news is that you have several options!

1. You can keep your pet. If the problem is financial, you can donate plasma or even pawn an item to come up with the money you need for your pet. Some pet owners have had success in applying for care credit. Others may not realize there is low-cost veterinary care available. If the problem is medical or behavioral, we are always glad to assess and refer you to get the help you need.

2. You can find rescue placement your own. This option can be more difficult. You need to do your research on any rescue you entrust with your pet. Check their website or social media. If they say they help lots of animals each month but show few to no adoptions or adoptions follow ups, be cautious. Ensuring your pet is house trained, spayed/ neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped will help increase their chances of being selected by a rescue. We are unaware of any local rescues that are currently intaking. You may need to do a google search of rescues within the state of Texas and rescues throughout the country in order find one that may be able to take your pet.

3. You can find an adopter on your own. Be cautious with local adopters. Many people use “free” or “low rehoming fee” pets for bait in dog fighting or as food for other animals to eat. Take the pet to their new home. Ask lots of questions and have the adopter sign an adoption contract. Ensuring your pet is house trained, spayed/ neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped will help increase their chances of being selected by a potential adopter. To find a local adopter, there are pet search engines you can use such as adoptapet.com. You can also try listing your pet on various RGV pet adoption pages on Facebook.

What can I do if my government funded shelter refuses to help me? We have been informed by many clients that they have had difficulty getting appointments or coming up with the fees that some of the government funded shelters require. These are diversionary tactics designed to make it difficult for you to surrender your pet. This tactic is very hard on pet owners who are already in a dire situation and have had to make the hard decision to give up their pet. This is also very difficult for good Samaritans that have found a lost/ sick/ injured pet that needs immediate help and they cannot house the pet themselves or afford a veterinary bill. They simply didn’t want the poor pet to suffer in the streets. Your city is already providing their shelter with funds. The shelter that serves the most jurisdictions in our community receives about $300 per pet from the city. So if a mama dog comes in with nine babies, the shelter would receive $3,000 for the entire family. In addition, the shelters receive grants and donations to help cover the cost of the animals in their care. If they are charging a fee (or requiring a donation) you should document with whom you spoke and the amount and contact your city manager right away. If the shelter puts you off with appointments for a pet that needs immediate help, you should document with whom you spoke and report to your city manager. If this is happening to you, it is most likely happening to other residents. Whatever happens, do not give up! You may be the only person that will advocate for your pet or the stray that you have found. We have included some articles below to give more insight on the growing problem of government funded intake facilities that limit/ close their intake and the impact it has on their communities.

Turned Away: A Closer Look at ‘No-Kill’ Animal Shelters - This article shows exactly what happens to animals in communities where intake facilities turn animals away.

Is Your Shelter Putting Out the ‘Unwelcome’ Mat for Animals? - This article includes steps on how to advocate for the animals in your community.