Crossing State and International Lines

Yaqui Animal Rescue's Pets are being Adopted Outside of Texas

By Alyssa Cerroni

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is home to one of the largest stray pet populations in the nation. Thousands of stray cats and dogs roam the streets without access to food, shelter, or medical care. This issue not only affects public safety but also increases the burden on local shelters and contributes to the spread of disease.

Yaqui Animal Rescue experiences a much higher intake of stray or surrendered domestic animals than they can adopt out locally. Warmer climates, like those in South Texas, allow stray animals to survive and reproduce more frequently. Additionally, the Rio Grande Valley lacks affordable, accessible spay and neuter services, leading to more unwanted litters.

In recent years, Yaqui Animal Rescue has changed its adoption strategy. Since northeastern and northwestern states have lower intake rates and higher adoption rates, healthy animals can be transferred to areas with low stray populations. Transporting a healthy, adoptable animal to another qualified and reputable rescue alleviates the burden of sheltering the animal and gives them a second chance at life in a different state.

Transferring domestic animals is no easy feat and requires the animal to be deemed healthy by a veterinarian before travel. Before crossing state and international lines, the animal must be fully vaccinated, preferably spayed or neutered if of age, free of parasites, on flea and tick preventatives, and heartworm-negative, depending on the receiving state. The health certificate can only be issued by a licensed veterinarian, ensuring it is free from contagious diseases, up to date on vaccinations, and healthy enough to travel.

Once the animal is deemed healthy, transport must be scheduled. Yaqui Animal Rescue works with both professional and volunteer transporters to move healthy animals to other states and Canada. The journey typically takes two to three days by van or car. Yaqui has also flown animals to other states with volunteer pilots who are passionate about saving animals and helping them find their forever homes.

However, these efforts come at a cost. Vetting and transportation can cost over $500 per animal for Yaqui Animal Rescue. Despite the costs, the rescue believes that stray animals from South Texas have a better chance of a long life if adopted outside the Rio Grande Valley. Since 2013, they’ve transported thousands of healthy, adoptable animals to rescue partners across North America. Seeing a once-abandoned and discarded animal find a home in the beautiful Canadian landscape makes all the hard days worthwhile. For these animals, they are no longer invisible — they are part of a family.

To help Yaqui Animal Rescue transport more pets, visit www.yaquianimalrescue.com