Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold
Thousands of Texas shelter animals remain in limbo as states tighten import rules and veterinarians add inspections to block the parasite’s spread.
- The New World screwworm crossed from Mexico into Texas for the first time in 60 years, prompting 44 states to restrict pet movements and halt thousands of adoptions, leaving shelters overcrowded and increasing euthanasia risks.
- Federal officials prioritized containment to protect the nation's $113 billion beef industry from the flesh-eating parasite, closing the border to cattle movements and inadvertently disrupting pet transport logistics.
- Many states shortened health certifications from 30 days to as little as three days, creating bottlenecks. In Corpus Christi, Gulf Coast Humane Society's population climbed to nearly 450 as out-of-state transfers stalled.
- Shelters in Texas faced space constraints long before the parasite returned, with about 439,000 stray dogs and cats in 2025. Director Aaron Grady of Houston's Humane Society noted that limited capacity forces difficult euthanasia decisions.
- Authorities are reviving 1970s eradication strategies by releasing sterile flies, with a $750 million fly factory set to open in April 2027 to breed billions of sterile males across the United States.
53 Articles
53 Articles
Thousands of dogs and cats remain stranded in Texas shelters after the return of the New World screwworm to the United States, following a six-decade absence, prompted restrictions on pet travel and put a pause on…
Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on
Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm , an insect that has crossed the border from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years. The flesh-eating parasite threatens the nation’s $113 billion beef industry, prompting federal officials to close the border to cattle movements. Because…
Associated Press News
Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold
The first New World screwworm outbreak in Texas in 60 years is hindering efforts to move rescued dogs and cats out of crowded animal shelters to states where they would be adopted.
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