As many people celebrated Mother’s Day on May 9, a group of This is Houston animal rescue volunteers immunized and treated 75 dogs at a pop-up animal clinic in the communities of Colony Ridge south of Plum Grove. By 11 a.m., the influx of people seeking treatment for their animals had used up all the medicine that had been given to the animal rescue, and the clinic was forced to close early.

The dogs were dewormed and vaccinated, and tested for other medical problems. Each dog owner left with a small amount of dog food, flea, tick and heartworm prevention products, along with a leash and collar.

Jenny Rodriguez, spokesperson for This is Houston animal rescue, said the group is now planning a return trip to the Colony Ridge area this Sunday. With concerns that they will again be inundated with people seeking help, the location of the clinic is only disclosed by email and after people have been screened by volunteers.

“Our rescue has welcomed approximately 30 dogs from the Cleveland area this year alone. We have 5-10 fosters in the Houston and Kingwood area and all of them are overcapacity, ”she said.

The needs of the community outweigh the ability of the rescue, Rodriguez said, which is why she is challenging other dog and cat rescues to get involved. This Houston animal rescue only works with dogs.

“We need more rescues to step up. We cannot accommodate all the pests there. This area is a high traffic area for animal dumps. There is no one there to see them do it, so it goes unnoticed and without interruption, ”she said. “Then there are other people who are evicted from their properties and who leave their pets to fend for themselves.”

What adds to the concern is that most of the animals that came to the Mother’s Day clinic tested positive for parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that has a high death rate if not. treaty.

“Almost all the little ones we took in had a parvo. This is a big concern because people don’t want to help parvo dogs because it’s so expensive to process and can be passed on to other dogs, ”Rodriguez said.

They also discovered a case of canine brucellosis, a bacteria that in rare cases can be transmitted to humans. Because the bacteria are so difficult to eradicate, lifelong treatment may be necessary. The bacteria were found in a dog named Ozzy, whose condition was made worse because he was already suffering from two broken legs. Rodriguez said Ozzy was shot by someone in the neighborhood and then abandoned.

“We don’t know if we’ll ever be able to adopt Ozzy. We are determined to fight for the life of a dog, ”she said, adding that euthanasia is a last resort used only for desperate cases.

This is Houston is an all-volunteer animal rescue that relies on donations to purchase medicine and vaccines. Information on donating to the clinic or to learn more about the May 23 clinic can be requested by emailing [email protected]