Houston PetSet, a nonprofit working to end animal homelessness in Houston, hosted a news conference Feb. 22 on the state of animal welfare in the city at the Houston Crime Stoppers building in Midtown.

The big picture

Mayor John Whitmire spoke at the conference on how he said his administration will work to make Houston a leader in animal welfare. Whitmire touched on topics, such as:
  • Dealing with stray animals
  • What to do about an increase in animal aggression on Houston streets
  • The possibility of consolidating animal shelters run by Harris County and the city of Houston
  • Possible funding sources for animal welfare initiatives
"What we need to do is provide education, show that there is a need and an interest of the public in providing for our animal friends," he said. "After that, we need the resources."

Whitmire, who spoke out about animal welfare during his campaign for mayor, said the city has very limited resources but consolidating the county's shelter and the city's shelter could help with some financial challenges. He also proposed making the potentially combined shelter into a nonprofit.

"We could build a first-class shelter if we reached out and made it a nonprofit," he said. "People want to support their pets."


Put in perspective

Before Whitmire's address, co-owners of Houston Petset, Tama Lundquist and Tena Lundquist Faust, gave an overview of the city's status with animal welfare funding and initiatives.

The city of Houston trails behind other major cities, including Dallas and San Antonio, when it comes to animal control budgets, according to presentation data.

Houston
  • Population: 2.3 million
  • Fiscal year 2023-24 budget: $15.7 million
  • Funding per capita: $6.93
  • Field service staff: 34
Dallas
  • Population: 1.3 million
  • FY 2023-24 budget: $19.2 million
  • Funding per capita: $15.25
  • Field service staff: 85
San Antonio
  • Population: 1.5 million
  • FY 2023-24 budget: $27.9 million
  • Funding per capita: $18.18
  • Field service staff: 98
"Although it seems insurmountable, we know there is hope," Lundquist said. "We are so grateful that our new mayor comes into this role with a long history of prioritizing animal welfare in his many years in the state legislator. His presence here shows how he is committed to ending this crisis."


Learn more

During a Q&A portion of the event, Whitmire, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and Houston PetSet representatives responded to a variety of questions regarding animal welfare in the city.

Do you support a spay and neuter ordinance at some point?

Whitmire: It is certainly something that we need to work towards. Several cities have successfully done it, and that's the ultimate solution to overcrowding and stray animals.


What are the areas in Houston with the highest number of stray animals?

Tena Lundquist Faust: 95% of stray animals are coming from 5% of the ZIP codes. It is somewhat concentrated, but since COVID, and since there has been a limit placed on intake in the shelters, that has spread greatly.

If privatizing our shelters is a priority, is there a timeline? Have other cities looked into this?

Whitmire: I think it's a novel idea. We are trying to look for additional resources, partner with friends and citizens that have money that directly give to charities. We can go to corporate Houston and have serious sponsorships. When will I be able to do it? As soon as I can. I will certainly work with my colleagues on council to set up a time frame. I hope by this summer we will be able to have a plan that we can initiate.


Has there been an increase since COVID-19 in aggressive animal calls and bites?

Gonzalez: Yes. It's a growing problem. We need to be better, but we aren't unique. Everyone is struggling with this. We are seeing more abuse, more dog fighting, and it leads toward more aggressiveness.