Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold
- Thousands of dogs and cats in Texas are facing delayed adoptions because states have restricted animal movement from areas affected by the New World screwworm.
- The parasite has crossed from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years, prompting federal officials to close the border to cattle movements.
- Forty-four states have limited pet transfers from infested areas of Texas, disrupting the normal flow of shelter animals to other states.
- Shelters in Texas say the restrictions are leaving them crowded and could increase the risk of euthanasia if space runs out.
- In some cases, shelters have resumed transfers only after veterinarians certified that animals were not infected with the screwworm.
Texas animal shelters are delaying adoptions and interstate transfers after concerns over the New World screwworm spread beyond Mexico and into the United States. The parasite can infect mammals, including pets, and the outbreak has led many states to restrict animal movement from affected areas.
The restrictions have interrupted a long-running pattern in which Texas shelters send large numbers of dogs and cats to other states for adoption. Shelter operators say the limits have left them with more animals than they can place locally and have made it harder to clear space for incoming rescues.
In Corpus Christi, one shelter said it was unable to move dogs to New York for weeks and saw its animal population rise sharply. Some transfer programs have resumed only after veterinarians certified that the animals were not infected.
Officials and shelter workers say the situation is straining local capacity and could force some shelters to euthanize more animals if the backlog continues. The outbreak has also prompted federal action affecting cattle movements because of the threat to the livestock industry.
新世界螺旋蝇担忧令得州宠物领养一度停滞
由于担心新世界螺旋蝇扩散到美国，得州动物收容所正推迟宠物领养和跨州转运。这种寄生虫可感染包括宠物在内的哺乳动物，疫情已促使多个州限制来自受影响地区的动物流动。
这些限制打乱了得州收容所长期以来将大量狗和猫送往其他州领养的做法。收容所工作人员表示，转运受阻让本地待领养动物越积越多，也更难为新救援动物腾出空间。
科珀斯克里斯蒂一家收容所说，数周内无法将狗送往纽约，导致收容动物数量明显上升。部分转运项目是在兽医确认动物未感染后才恢复。
收容所和相关官员表示，持续积压正在挤压本地收容能力，如果情况拖延下去，一些收容所可能不得不增加安乐死数量。与此同时，这次疫情也因对畜牧业的威胁而引发了联邦层面的应对措施。