Texas pet adoptions stall as New World screwworm concerns limit animal transfers
- Adoptions for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas have been put on hold as officials try to stop the spread of the New World screwworm.
- The parasite has crossed from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years, and federal officials have also closed the border to cattle movements because of the threat to the beef industry.
- Because screwworm can infect pets, 44 states have restricted the movement of animals from infested parts of Texas.
- Shelters in Texas that usually send animals to other states are becoming crowded, and some say they may have to euthanize more animals if space runs out.
- In Corpus Christi, the Gulf Coast Humane Society said delays in transferring dogs briefly raised its animal population from about 325 to nearly 450.
Texas shelters have paused adoptions and transfers for thousands of dogs and cats as authorities work to contain the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that has appeared in the United States for the first time in six decades. The outbreak has disrupted the usual flow of shelter animals from Texas to other states where they are often adopted.
The parasite can infect any mammal, including pets, and the response has led 44 states to restrict movement of animals from affected parts of Texas. Federal officials have also restricted cattle movements because of the risk to the country’s beef industry. Shelter operators say the limits have created crowding and added pressure on already strained facilities.
In Corpus Christi, the Gulf Coast Humane Society said it was unable to send dogs to New York for weeks, pushing its population sharply higher. Some shelters have expanded temporary space, but workers warned that if outgoing transfers remain blocked, more animals could face euthanasia because incoming animals from municipal shelters will have nowhere to go.
新世界螺旋蝇担忧导致得州宠物领养受阻
德克萨斯州的收容所已暂停数千只犬猫的领养和跨州转运，因为当局正在遏制新世界螺旋蝇的扩散。这种食肉寄生虫60年来首次出现在美国，也打乱了德州动物通常被送往其他州领养的流动。
这种寄生虫可感染包括宠物在内的任何哺乳动物，因此44个州限制了来自德州受感染地区的动物流动。联邦官员还因其对美国牛肉产业的风险，限制了牛只运输。收容所运营方表示，这些限制让原本就紧张的设施更加拥挤。
在科珀斯克里斯蒂，海湾沿岸人道协会表示，几周内都无法把狗送往纽约，导致收容数量明显上升。一些收容所已临时扩展空间，但工作人员警告，如果外运持续受阻，随着市政收容动物继续进入，更多动物可能面临安乐死，因为没有足够位置安置。