County approves agreement with Briscoe Animal Resource Center to hold county animals; commissioners and rescuers debate intake scope

Uvalde County commissioners voted to accept an agreement with Briscoe Animal Resource Center to house county animals at the city shelter under specified terms.

Staff described the arrangement as providing 18 dedicated spaces for county animals with a $20 daily charge for the county that covers the first four days of holding; if animals are determined adoptable the shelter will continue care at no county cost beyond that; the shelter will charge $100 per animal for euthanasia when required. The county will prepay part of its annual $10,000 contribution as a monthly prepayment and must determine how animals will be delivered to the shelter (the agreement does not allow public drop-offs).

City and shelter representatives described an intake triage (level 1 bite/quarantine cases; level 2 aggressive animals) and said the county currently lacks a comprehensive animal‑control collection program for strays. Local rescuers urged the court to allow broader intake to assist unincorporated areas, noting ongoing stray and neglected-animal issues.

The court motion to accept the agreement was made by Commissioner Vargas, seconded, and passed by voice vote. Commissioners and staff were explicit that the prior county resolution (adopted in 2022) creates a reclaim period and a mechanism for transfers to rescue groups but does not legally obligate the county to pick up strays; the agreement is the county’s first step toward providing shelter services.

Actions recorded: the court accepted the Briscoe agreement and authorized staff to finalize terms; the sheriff’s department and county staff will coordinate intake procedures and enforcement responsibilities.