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Hays County proclaims MLK Day and Spay/Neuter Month and backs local rabies clinics amid regional outbreak
Summary
The court ratified proclamations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, heard from animal‑welfare partners, and authorized county partnerships and modest clinic funding after health officials described shifting rabies transmission patterns.
Hays County Commissioners Court adopted proclamations recognizing Jan. 19, 2026, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and February 2026 as Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, honoring local organizers and animal-welfare partners. The court also ratified partnerships to support free rabies clinics and authorized funding not to exceed $600 per clinic to back nonprofit vaccine and microchipping efforts.
Speakers from the Dunbar Heritage Association recapped a large MLK walk and youth events and thanked county support. Animal-welfare speakers, including Julia Guerrero of PAWS Shelter of Central Texas and representatives of local TNR groups, outlined recent spay/neuter and targeted TNR work (PAWS reported aiding hundreds of animals last year) and described voucher and outreach programs.
Health and emergency‑management officials briefed the court on a regional rabies uptick. Hays County Health Department director Matthew Gonzales told the court that oral rabies vaccination (baiting) is a state- and federal‑led program coordinated with the USDA and Texas DSHS; that exceptional funding requests for expanded regional baiting were denied during the last budget cycle; and that local baiting is not a county-administered option. He and commissioners said skunks historically have been the main transmitter locally, but recent testing shows more fox positives in some areas, which has altered response plans. Given those trends, the court supported county nonprofit partner clinics to provide vaccines and microchipping to pets, and staff said they hope to schedule more clinics across precincts.
Commissioners praised local shelters, volunteers and partnerships and urged residents not to harm wildlife. The court also thanked partners for vaccine voucher availability and outreach that has already led to dozens of vaccinations at recent clinics.
What happens next: the county and partners will schedule additional clinics in targeted precincts, continue coordination with state public-health agencies, and monitor DSHS/USDA actions regarding baiting and regional responses.
