Solving the animal homelessness crisis in Houston was at the core of the recently concluded conference.
Hosted by Houston PetSet, a local nonprofit organization working to end animal homelessness, The State of Animal Welfare Address spotlights the actions needed to be taken in order to solve the animal homelessness crisis. Houston PetSet co-presidents Tama Lundquist and Tena Lundquist-Faust gave an overview of the current state of animal welfare in Houston, TX. Their remarks were bookends to Mayor John Whitmire, who spoke about how his new administration plans to make Houston a leader in the animal welfare community by dedicating resources and implementing consistent standards for all Houston-area animal shelters.
“We are grateful our new mayor comes into this role with a long history of prioritizing animal welfare during his many years in the state legislature,” says Lundquist-Faust. “His very presence here today shows how committed he is to ending this crisis.”
Mayor Whitmire expressed the desire to work closely with City Council and Harris County Commissioners to pool resources and avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts across city and county jurisdictions. Members of law enforcement also committed to making animal welfare a priority in the name of public safety, and making sure access to safety resources is equitable across all Houston communities.
“Obviously, you can’t solve a problem until you admit you have one,” says Whitmire. “The press conference this morning established that we have an animal welfare crisis in the City of Houston… we took a giant step today with all the stakeholders–law enforcement, service assemblies–to say stray animals [is] a problem, animal welfare is underfunded in the City of Houston.”
In attendance were Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankorious, who opened the address; City Council members Sallie Alcorn (At Large Position 5) and Mario Castillo (District H), Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, and representatives from the Houston Police Department.
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