There is quite a problem with stray animals in the county. The San Marcos Animal Shelter is constantly posting that it received more than 20 animals on any given day. With the need for responsible pet ownership in mind, Hays County Commissioners Court proclaimed Feb. 2024 as Spay/Neuter Awareness Month. The court encourages the community to spay or neuter its pets in order to decrease the amount of stray pets and relieve some of the strain on the shelter.
“When sixty-six percent of us own pets, we should be responsible for their health,” Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said. “Spay[ing] and neutering our pets helps reduce incidents of homeless animals and some life-threatening diseases. I’d be willing to do that for my pets.”
The proclamation stated that in 2023, 66% of U.S. households, 89.6 million homes, own a pet.
“About 378,000 dogs and cats were killed in our nation’s shelters just because they didn't have safe places to call home,” the proclamation stated. “More cats than dogs are euthanized annually. While dogs and cats enter shelters at about an equal rate, cats made up 55% of the killing, while dogs were 45%.”
The proclamation stated that across Texas in 2022, 579,567 companion animals entered animal shelters, and 68,945 dogs and cats were killed in animal shelters.
“Spay and neuter initiatives reduce incidents of homeless animals, certain life-threatening diseases and even curb negative behavior,” the proclamation stated. “The regional animal shelter reported that there were 3,053 live dogs and cats impounded in FY 2023, of which 36%, 1,109 animals, were from Hays County.”
The proclamation stated that the court is in support of the No-Kill Initiative.
“Spay and Neuter of pets and Tray-Neuter-Vaccinate- Return of unowned community cats are integral components of the No-Kill equation,” the proclamation stated.
