LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – Stray animals roaming Laredo streets have become a major concern, prompting frustration from city officials and residents alike. Stray animals are frequently featured in social media posts, revealing the harsh reality of unwanted litters and inhumane acts like kittens being abandoned on roads. The challenge is exacerbated by the high costs of spaying and neutering, which are often beyond many residents’ means. “Having a spay or neuter pretty much at any veterinarian, it is expensive,” Bluestone explains. “It can be anywhere from your monthly car payment, possibly up to what people would pay for rent.”
Community Perspective:
A member of the Animal Care Services Advisory Committee attributed the stray problem to the community’s lack of prioritization of sterilization. “Hopefully, one day we can make the community responsible enough in that they see sterilization as a priority,” the member stated. However, Bluestone refutes this, emphasizing that community expectations must align with available resources. “The expectation that we have on the community can only go so far,” Bluestone said. “We can only expect from the community what resources we have or what resources the community has,” she added.
Cost of Sterilization:
Spaying and neutering costs range from $250 to $500, depending on various factors like the animal’s weight and additional services. This expense includes fees for the surgery, rabies vaccinations, and other optional costs. We also found that the average cost for services is about the same as in other Texas cities.
Solutions and Future Plans:
While costs are comparable to other Texas cities, Bluestone is exploring partnerships with non-profits to provide mass spay-neuter days, similar to recent efforts by Texpet and Laredo Pets Alive. “What we are looking for, again creative solutions, having agencies or large organizations, partnering with their vet crews and vet teams come down, and do mass spay-neuter days,” Bluestone said. Unfortunately, current contracts with city veterinarians, like Dr. Victor Lopez, focus solely on shelter animals, limiting their ability to assist private pet owners. “We have over 7 to 8,000 animals that come in annually, and while we would love to dedicate time to other areas right now, it’s almost playing catch-up,” Bluestone added.
Assistance for Pet Owners:
The City of Laredo’s current veterinarian on contract is Dr. Victor Lopez of Rio Grande Veterinary Clinic, which recently provided a $394 quote to neuter one male cat. Although we attempted to speak with Dr. Lopez about the cost of services, we were informed he was not available. An open records request and an interview with the city manager revealed that Dr. Lopez is being paid $250,000 annually to care exclusively for shelter animals.
When available, the city will offer vouchers to pet owners to help reduce the out-of-pocket cost of spaying and neutering. United Way also offers discount coupons to help offset the cost of sterilization. Both vouchers are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and pet owners will need to call vet clinics around town to find out who accepts them.
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