A few short years ago, more animals were killed in shelters in the Rio Grande Valley than anywhere else in the entire country and there was no hope of ever achieving let alone maintaining a no-kill shelter in South Texas. It was simply thought to be impossible, and yet, the Humane Society of Harlingen has been a no-kill shelter for over two years now. In fact, the Humane Society of Harlingen is the ONLY no-kill shelter in the entire Rio Grande Valley.
Since 2020, The Humane Society of Harlingen has been the leader for animal welfare in the Rio Grande Valley. Thanks to our community’s support over the last 2 years, approximately ten thousand cats and dogs are alive and sharing their unconditional love with the world today.
Our team may make it look easy, but the work is incredibly difficult, and our no-kill community is fragile. We have earned a save rate of over 90% for two years now, but that number is not static. That number is dynamic and can change with each day. Each year we find ourselves fighting against the flood of stray animals pouring into our shelter. While it is true that our shelter is no-kill, our work has only just begun.
The Humane Society of Harlingen is not just an animal shelter. If we were, our work would be done. The Humane Society of Harlingen is a community resource center, and it is our mission to serve our community.
· In the past 2 years we have provided low-cost vaccinations, medications, and microchips to over 8 thousand pets throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
· In the past 2 years we have given thousands of pounds of food to thousands of pet owners in need through our pet food pantry.
· In the past 2 years we have provided over 4 thousand spay/neuter surgeries for the community at absolutely no cost to them.
The Humane Society of Harlingen intends on making the next 2 years even bigger and brighter.
We would be not making any meaningful progress in our mission if we were to merely react to the animals arriving at our shelter. What we must do instead, together, is become more proactive about keeping animals from ever coming to the shelter in the first place.
There is a solution. The solution is spay/neuter.
There is a common misconception that people in the Rio Grande Valley don’t care about pets. The Humane Society of Harlingen is here to tell you, that notion is complete nonsense.
People can shout “spay/neuter” at pet owners in the Valley all they want but unless the severe lack of access to veterinary care is addressed, that shouting does not really accomplish anything at all, and the animals ultimately pay the price. This is not to say that we do not have outstanding veterinarians here in the Valley, because we do. We simply have far too few of them. We intend on tackling this problem head-on.
The Humane Society of Harlingen is excited to announce that we will be offering low cost spay/neuter surgeries to the public beginning in April 2022.
There is simply no other shelter in the Rio Grande Valley serving the community the way that the Humane Society of Harlingen does, and you can be a part of this movement and help us save even more homeless pets.
We have made Harlingen a safe place for pets, and we challenge you all now to help us make a positive change for the entire Rio Grande Valley. There is no reason for us to delay and tens of thousands of helpless cats and dogs are waiting for us to step up. Donate and spread the word today and help us lead the charge. Help us make the change.
Harlingen is a safe place for pets, but this is just the beginning.