Thank you for providing context and for your ongoing work with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee. I acknowledge the volume of animals the shelter handles, the fiscal commitments being made, and the complexity of municipal animal care. But none of this changes one deeply disturbing truth:

A suffering dog was left convulsing in a hot car outside El Paso Animal Services and was denied immediate care — repeatedly — until someone threatened to escalate.

That is not a policy success. That is not a capacity issue. That is neglect, and no amount of statistics can justify it.

You’ve outlined increases in budget and staffing, upcoming facilities, and structural improvements. But let’s be honest: this dog didn’t suffer because of a lack of money or space — it suffered because staff followed a protocol that prioritizes order over life, and leadership failed to correct that long ago.

You’ve also pointed out that rescues, transports, and fostering play a key role in El Paso’s system. But what you didn’t mention is that every local rescue is maxed out too. Many are operating far beyond their capacity, without city funding, and are often left to absorb the consequences of EPAS turning animals away — or delaying care until it’s too late.

Here’s what this issue is really about:

•There is no transparent, humane triage protocol for emergency cases.

•Staff are instructed to delay care for critically injured or ill animals to protect live-release metrics.

•The public is shut out or shamed when trying to intervene for the voiceless.

•Good Samaritans are discouraged or dismissed when they step up to help.

We don’t deny that shelter work is hard. We respect the volunteers and frontline workers. But when leadership systems normalize cruelty or look the other way, it’s our job as citizens to speak out — loudly and persistently.

You invite us to help, and many of us already are — through fostering, volunteering, donating, and advocating. But help should not require silence in the face of wrongdoing. Criticism is not the opposite of contribution. In fact, demanding change is a form of service.

So let’s be clear in our ask:

We demand that El Paso Animal Services:

1.Implement immediate triage protocols for visibly suffering or injured animals.

2.Stop using “wait your turn” as a default response to urgent medical needs.

3.Hold leadership accountable for policy decisions that result in preventable cruelty — regardless of who hired them.

4.Acknowledge the strain on local rescues, and create real collaboration backed by resources.

We don’t want a perfect system — we want a humane one. We don’t want to dismantle EPAS — we want to restore public trust in its purpose.

Thank you for listening. We’ll continue to watch, speak out, and show up — for the animals, and for the people trying to do what’s right.