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Brenham asks Washington County to join subsidized spay-and-neuter program
Summary
City of Brenham officials described a $10,000 city-funded spay-and-neuter program that provides low-cost surgeries, rabies vaccines and microchips and asked Washington County to consider participating for county residents.
The City of Brenham asked the Washington County Commissioners Court on Tuesday to join a city-funded spay-and-neuter program that provides low-cost surgeries, rabies vaccines and microchips to residents who pay a $25 deposit.
The request came during item 4 of the court's meeting when Gina, identified as the City of Brenham city secretary and director of administrative services and director of animal services, described how the program operates and the city's $10,000 budget allocation for it. "Last year during the budget process, the city council approved $10,000 to be earmarked for Brenham Animal Services to start a spay and neuter program for city residents," Gina said.
She told commissioners the city partners with Animal Friends of Washington County to provide low-cost surgeries. Residents apply at the shelter, pay a $25 deposit to hold an appointment, and when the surgery is completed the city is invoiced and pays the provider. "With that $25, they get their pet microchipped. They'll also get a rabies vaccine, and then their pet will be spayed or neutered," Gina said.
Gina said the program had a slow start but has picked up and that county residents already contact the city requesting service: "We do get a lot of calls from county citizens, asking, hey, you know, why can't we do this? Why don't you take county residents?" She noted the shelter handled 58 animals from the county in May, many of them puppies and kittens, and said the rabies-vaccine component grows more important as bite reports rise.
Commissioners asked several operational questions. Gina said the shelter requires adopted animals to be spayed or neutered and that the $10,000 pot is exhausted as invoices arrive; how long the funds will last depends on the animals and volume. She also said county residents who bring in stray animals that the shelter accepts are treated as surrenders and that the shelter encourages, but cannot force, repeat users to use the program.
Gina asked the court to consider participating so county residents could access the same services; she offered to provide the county with the application and waiver documents used by the City of Brenham. The court took no formal vote on funding during the meeting.
Why it matters: county participation would expand a city-run, taxpayer-funded program that the city says helps reduce shelter intake and disease risk by ensuring pet sterilization and rabies vaccination.
For follow-up: the City of Brenham offered to provide the court copies of the application, instructions and waiver used for county residents if the court indicates interest.
