Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris County Pets (HCP), in tandem with the tremendous support from residents throughout the community, completed another successful year in saving the lives of thousands of pets. The municipal open intake facility achieved an unprecedented annual live release rate of 98.8 % in 2020.
Live release rate, or save rate, is the percentage of animals that have been adopted, transferred to other live-saving organizations or returned to their owners out of all healthy or treatable animals within a facility’s custody.
HCP’s live release rate (LRR) has steadily improved each year since 2012 when the LRR was only 15.5% to reach the “no kill” status (90% or higher) in 2019.
“Despite the COVID restrictions our resource center has enforced since last March to ensure the safety of our customers and staff, we continue to receive the steadfast support from caring residents throughout the community,” said Dr. Michael White, DVM, MS, director of Harris County Veterinary Public Health, which operates Harris County Pets. “The success of our live release rate is attributed to our adopters, fosters, rescue groups, partners, staff and volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves in these challenging times to save our pets and ensure they find a forever home. On behalf of everyone at Harris County Pets, we deeply thank them all for their commitment to these animals.
“Harris County Pets is an open-intake facility which means that we are required to accept all dogs and cats from our jurisdiction – regardless of breed, temperament or health condition, and it is our mission to provide the very best care possible for all the animals that are housed here,” Dr. White added.
In addition, the Harris County Pets Wellness Clinic, also located in HCP’s new resource center at 612 Canino Road in Houston, promotes a healthy and safe pet community by providing basic low-cost veterinary care, pet licensing, microchip, vaccinations and other services for pet-owners.
For more information on monthly and annual live release statistics at Harris County Pets, as well as adoption and wellness clinic hours, visit www.CountyPets.com.
