Low-cost clinic, ordinance look to reduce unwanted animals

McALLEN — The clincher for Amber Valinski was the Rio Grande Valley’s huge pet shelter.

Contemplating two job offers, the veterinarian planned to take one in Arizona until she flew down to check out McAllen.

On Valinski’s tour, the directors at the city’s new nonprofit pet sterilization clinic took her to the Palm Valley Animal Center to pull on her heart strings and close the deal.

Valinski called Arizona soon after to turn down that job, telling them she was needed here more.

The long-awaited RGV Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic opened this past week with Valinski at the helm as its veterinary surgeon.

In just a week, Valinski has neutered or spayed 100 dogs and cats that otherwise might have been on the street, contributing to the Valley’s pet overpopulation problem.

Palm Valley bears the brunt of the problem as it takes in 40,000 animals annually and is forced to euthanize 100 each day.

But Valinski and the clinic’s directors hope their low-cost option — along with an animal control ordinance being considered by Valley municipalities — help reduce those numbers.

“(Palm Valley is) doing a fabulous job of doing the best they can with what they have,” said Valinski, who previously worked in Illinois. “The numbers are just staggering.”

Hurricanes and staffing setbacks delayed the clinic that was originally scheduled to open last year, but it’s already drawn a steady stream of clients who eagerly awaited access to the low-cost surgery for their pets.

Low-income pet owners avoid regular veterinarians because of fears of how much they cost, Valinski said. This week, she spayed a 4-year-old dog who already had 40 puppies; the owner told her the regular vets were out of her price range.

But using a high-volume model, Valinski and the technicians at her clinic can sterilize animals for at least half the regular price.

The most expensive surgery at the clinic is $75 for a female dog compared to an average of $225 for other veterinarians, said Victoria Villanueva, a clinic board member. By reducing costs, Villanueva believes more pet owners will pay for a surgery they realize is important but can’t afford.

Villanueva said the clinic won’t have a marked impact on the pet overpopulation overnight but will cause the number of animals at the shelter to go down over time.

“Every animal we get, we know we’re making a difference there,” Villanueva said. “That’s a litter or more that’s not going to end up dumped on the streets or at the shelter.”

The clinic will work with a model animal control ordinance approved by the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, an association of Valley cities.

The proposed ordinance prohibits roadside sale of pets, makes it unlawful to allow dogs to run free without a leash and requires pets to be licensed and vaccinated, said McAllen City Commissioner John Ingram, whose city will vote on the ordinance this month. But it provides an incentive for owners to get their pets spayed or neutered by reducing the costs for licenses and citations.

The ordinance was drafted from the “bottom up” by breeders, veterinarians and other interested parties who wanted to reduce pet overpopulation, Ingram said. His concerns are also about the bottom line: McAllen’s contribution to Palm Valley has doubled in the past five years.

Other cities will also be asked to consider the model ordinance, which Ingram said encourages responsible pet ownership.

It’s a comprehensive approach to creating less unwanted animals, said Valinski, who had never seen such a large animal shelter before she came here.

In her mind, increasing the number of spayed and neutered pets has a direct effect on the number of animals euthanized each day at the shelter.

“We need to do something about it,” she said. “What’s going on in the streets is just cruel, frankly.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.