*Editor's note: We first reported that PAAC sterilizes stray dogs and cats, but they sterilize animals owned by community members. PAAC performs this service, not the city of Kingsville, as previously reported.
Experts say sterilizing pets can decrease a community's animal population. In September 2022, the city of Kingsville partnered with People Assisting Animal Control to do just that.
KRIS 6 News checked in with city officials to see if it's made a difference in their neighborhoods.
"Since that time to now we've done 911 animals that have gotten sterilized through PAAC's grant program," said Kingsville Health Director Emilio Garcia.
Garcia said PAAC has sterilized 393 dogs and 518 cats that are owned by Kingsville residents.
Beyond preventing unwanted pregnancies, Garcia tells KRIS 6 News, sterilization offers additional health benefits for pets.
"It reduces cancer and certain infections in dogs, improves their behavior, so which is a good plus,” Garcia said. “Other benefits would be, you know, reduce aggression of, of from being aggressive, and keep them from roaming around. You know, looking for other females.”
Cheryl Martinez, the president of PAAC, said this partnership begins with community outreach.
"They choose the streets and then we give it to them, email them, and then they print them out,” Martinez said. “And they go and take it to the areas and they pass it out by doing that they're informing the community and then their residents contact us and they schedule and then when they come over here then obviously everything is free."
PAAC is offered in the following locations:
- Alice
- Aransas County
- Aransas Pass
- Austwell
- Bayside
- Beeville
- Ingleside
- Kingsville
- Mathis
- Nueces County
- Portland
- Refugio
- Ricardo
- Riviera
- Robstown
- San Patricio County
- Sinton
- Taft
- Tivoli
- Woodsboro
“We're able to provide this access to care for the people in these communities, and by doing that, we're gonna be making a difference and keeping animals out of shelters, and that also decreases euthanasia,” Martinez said.
Prior to the PAAC program, Kingsville was seeing approximately 20 to 25 stray dogs per week.
Garcia said that number has now dropped.
"We're bringing in maybe, I don't know, 10 to 15 dogs per week, but it's still a lot,” Garcia said. “People need to still be responsible to pet owners and keep your animals confined on your property.”
Garcia emphasized that keeping animals confined is the next crucial step after sterilization to prevent overpopulation in the area.
To learn more about PAAC or if you qualify for this free service, click here.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
