Texas Border Business
Edinburg, Texas – Palm Valley Animal Center is the shelter of record for Hidalgo County and 6 municipalities. Their intake is one of the highest in the U.S., but recent opportunities for development have helped the organization turn a new page.
Palm Valley Animal Center is pleased to announce a name change! In keeping with a renewed commitment to being the standard-bearer for lifesaving in the Rio Grande Valley, the organization will now be known as Palm Valley Animal Society (PVAS). Its two facilities, located on Trenton Rd and Expressway 281 in Edinburg, will now be known as PVAS Trenton Center and PVAS Laurie P Andrews Center. Changes to their website and social media are forthcoming.
In July 2019 PVAC entered into a formal partnership agreement with Best Friends Animal Society (bestfriends.org). Supported by funding provided by Maddie’s® Shelter Embed Project in the Rio Grande Valley (maddiesfund.org), the partnership provides staffing, equipment, and supplies for the organization to advance its mission to reach a 90% live-release rate, or “no-kill.” Efforts have been informally underway with Best Friends staff working on-site in Edinburg since 2017 and will continue through 2020. PVAS’s live release rate has grown from 34% to 69% since Best Friends’ arrival, one of the highest increases in the nation.
PVAS also recently partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to implement a Community Cat Program that includes staffing, equipment, and vehicles in support of organized trap-neuter-return efforts for the purpose of reducing community cat populations and feline shelter intake. Goals include achieving a 90% save rate for cats and spay/neuter and vaccinations for 16,500 cats. The program is funded through 2022, after which PVAS will assume operation.
Mike Bricker, PVAS Executive Director, writes: “We’re thrilled with the positive changes we’re seeing at PVAS and the communities we serve, and proud of the hard work of our staff, volunteers, and board members. We’re confident that by working together we’ll reach the point when we can save every animal that’s able to be saved and look forward to the day when the Rio Grande Valley is a strong example of responsible, sustainable lifesaving for Texas and the rest of the country.”
