HOUSTON – This week, Houston Mayor John Whitmire delivered his first ever “State of Animal Welfare” address and introduced a new initiative aimed at reducing the stray pet population and improving the health and safety of residents.
The event was hosted by Houston PetSet.
“I think its a success that we’re all gathered here today, that would not have taken place five years ago,” Whitmire said during the address.
Whitmire started off Thursday’s address acknowledging that animal welfare has not been a priority and he wants to change that.
“Animals are family members and they need to be protected,” Whitmire said.
With his strong record on animal welfare in Austin, the former senator now wants to make big changes here in Houston.
“What we have to do and what you’re doing by your presence today is make animal welfare a priority. I’ve spoken out during the campaign or even as a senator about the lack of prioritizing BARC. We’ve got to do better,” Whitmire said.
So what does that look like? First up, Whitmire wants to make Houston’s animal shelter, BARC, a non-profit, freeing it from the confines of the city’s revenue cap. As it stands right now, Houston spends the least on animal services than any other major city in Texas.
“I know for a fact that corporate Houston would get behind animal welfare and help us run a first class shelter if we would reach out and make it a non-profit. I can start naming the CenterPoint’s, the NRG’s, the Astros Foundation, I could go on and on, people want to support their pets,” Whitmire said.
Second, Whitmire wants to do away with duplication of services between Houston and Harris County and find a way to combine resources to better serve animals and the community.
“I’m in the process of working with county officials to see if we can consolidate or certainly collaborate the county shelter and the city shelter,” Whitmire said.
It’s an effort Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says he supports as the county also deals with stray and loose-owned pets.
“Our deputies are often called to many of these scenes where we see aggressive dogs or stray dogs. Our animal control process up there in unincorporated Harris County obviously needs a lot of improvement as well, so it’s not just a city issue, it’s really a regional issue,” Gonzalez said.
Whitmire also said he is open to the possibility of a spay/neuter law in Houston and recognizes it has worked for other big cities.
“I don’t want to announce things until I have the resources, the support of the council, and we go to the public and get public opinion.” Whitmire said. “But certainly other cities have successfully done that and that’s the ultimate solution to overcrowding and stray animals.”
What Whitmire has proposed thus far is supported by animal welfare non-profits like Houston PetSet. They’ve advocated for legislation at both the state and local level and say without resources to support those gains, progress is stalled.
“What we have learned is that these laws and ordinances are useless if our municipalities are not given the proper resources to enforce them,” said Tena Lundquist Faust, Co-owner of Houston PetSet. “Shelters are full, rescues are full, fosters are full, volunteers are maxed out.”
Advocates say they’re hoping for lasting change with this new administration.
“As a friend of our pets, support this initiative and lets go to work,” Whitmire said during the address.