This is among the dogs at Yaqui Animal Rescue in Sullivan City. Fatima Gamez Lopez/FOR THE RIDER
In observance of Responsible Pet Owners Month, Hidalgo County Precinct 3 launched a pet supply drive earlier this month that continues through Feb. 16 to help with Yaqui Animal Rescue.
All collected items will be donated to the rescue organization, Yaqui Animal Rescue.
Items needed include dog food (wet and dry), cat food (wet and dry), chicken feed and cleaning supplies, such as Dawn soap and bleach.
Alyssa Cerroni, a lecturer in the UTRGV Department of Communication and media director of Yaqui Animal Rescue, said they have 250 animals, “including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys and ducks.”
“Per month, we use 4,100 lb of food on all the animals,” Cerroni wrote in an email to The Rider.
Donations can be dropped off in the Precinct 3 office lobby, located at 724 N. Breyfogle Road in Mission.
Yaqui Animal Rescue is a no-kill nonprofit organization located at 500 Venecia Drive in Sullivan City.
Everardo Villarreal, Precinct 3 Hidalgo County commissioner, said this is their second annual pet supply drive.
“I have been in office for only three years,” Villarreal said. “So, in my first year, I learned of this major issue with stray animals that we have and started making sure that we did something to try to help these nonprofits that help everybody by taking care and picking up these animals.”
Villarreal said the precinct has partnered with its local school districts to collect items.
Hidalgo County Precinct 3 is accepting dog food as part of its pet supply drive in observance of Responsible Pet Owners Month. Estefania Ramirez/THE RIDER PHOTOS
In an interview with The Rider, Cerroni said the mission of the organization is to rescue animals, adding that Yaqui is a no-kill, nonprofit that relies on donations.
“Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and save as many homeless animals as we can in the Rio Grande Valley,” Cerroni said.
The organization recommends individuals spay or neuter their pets to become more responsible pet owners.
“[Our area] is home to one of the largest stray populations in the nation,” Cerroni wrote in her follow-up email, citing veterinarians.org. “Texas has the highest number of animal shelter kills with over 61,000 animals euthanized per year.”
She reminds pet owners to keep their animals up to date with vaccines and provide shelter.
“[Keep] them out of extreme weather, [including] very cold and hot weather, and [ensure] they have regular access to food and water,” Cerroni said.
Rebecca Chavez, director of development for Yaqui Animal Rescue, said there have been previous success stories of Responsible Pet Owners Month.
“We had a woman that needed help with her dogs,” Chavez said. “She knew that if she hadn’t gotten them spayed or neutered they would eventually have puppies. She was financially strapped, so she reached out to Yaqui to see if we could help, and we offered assistance. And, we got her dogs spayed and neutered.”
Chavez said volunteers at Yaqui Animal Rescue are always needed.
“If people are interested in volunteering, just … reach out to us,” Chavez said. “And, if people ever want to visit the ranch it’s not open to the public, but we can always schedule time for people to go. We always love for people to visit the ranch to see how wonderful it is.”
Villarreal said it is an “amazing feeling” to help Yaqui Animal Rescue.
“It gives me a lot of satisfaction to be able to help them,” he said. “… I think it’s important for them to know that we appreciate all of their hard work and sacrifice, and that we do care.”
For more information, call the Precinct 3 office at 585-4509.
