The Mesquite Animal Shelter has recently garnered national attention, being honored by the Best Friends Animal Society for a significant achievement—saving more than 90 percent of its animals in 2023. With a 92 percent save rate, the shelter is edging ever closer to its strategic plan goal of maintaining a 95 percent or greater annual save rate, setting a laudable standard in animal welfare.
This level of achievement marks Mesquite as a leader within the national benchmark, which recognizes that a 90-percent save rate is indicative of an agency that deals responsibly with the approximately 10 percent of pets entering shelters with severe medical or behavioral issues. According to the City of Mesquite, Texas, Hugo Espinoza, Manager of Animal Services, attributes their success to community support, highlighting the dedicated staff, rescue group partners, donors, and volunteers who contribute to their efforts.
Recognition from Best Friends Animal Society not only congratulates the shelter but also serves as a call to action for other shelters to emulate Mesquite's compassionate and effective approach to animal welfare. Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, commended the Mesquite Animal Shelter’s leadership role in the broader movement toward ending the killing of cats and dogs in shelters by 2025.
In pursuit of its ambitious goals, the Mesquite Animal Shelter is undergoing a $4 million expansion project set to be completed in the late summer of 2024. This project will increase the shelter’s capacity by adding one-third more adoption kennels, a new clinic for veterinary services, five outdoor play yards for pets, and a renovated lobby to improve the adoption experience. As of July, the shelter has also introduced reduced adoption fees as an incentive for potential pet owners to provide homes for dogs, cats, and kittens, while puppies under six months old are available for $100.
Those interested in adopting can view the pets currently in need of a home by visiting the Mesquite Animal Shelter’s website. The shelter also encourages community members to contribute through volunteering, as well as making financial contributions or donations of needed items. Situated at 1650 Gross Road in Mesquite, the shelter operates from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 1-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, closed on Wednesdays and Sundays, as per the City of Mesquite, Texas.
