San Juan Votes Tonight on Moving Stray Dogs to La Joya After Weslaco Fees Jump 71%

San Juan has sent its stray and impounded dogs to Weslaco's animal shelter since 2018. Tonight the city commission will vote on whether to end that arrangement and take them to La Joya instead, after Weslaco raised its price for the coming year to about $428 per animal.

The deal is on the agenda for the commission's regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Amigos Del Valle on W. 1st Street. Police Chief Leandro Sifuentes is presenting it.

What Weslaco wants now

According to the staff summary in the meeting packet, Weslaco's fees have climbed quickly. In 2018-2019 it charged $55 per live dog. By 2022-2023 the fee was $65. It rose to $150 in 2023-2024 and to $250 per live or quarantined dog in 2025-2026.

For 2026-2027, Weslaco proposed a flat $15,000 a month for a maximum of 35 dogs, or about $428 per animal. Staff call that an increase of about 71%. Paid for 12 months, the flat fee would come to $180,000 a year. The memo says plainly that "The City of San Juan does not intend to renew this agreement."

What La Joya offers

Under the proposed three-year interlocal agreement, San Juan would pay La Joya:

• $175 for each live animal received at the shelter

• $225 for each animal held in quarantine

• $75 for each dead animal accepted for disposal

Staff say the disposal service is not expected to be needed for now. The two cities anticipate a maximum of 520 animals per contract year, though La Joya may take more if it has room. At the $175 rate, 520 live animals would cost $91,000 a year.

Staff figure the change saves $253 per live dog, about 59%, and say the three-year term locks in the rates for budgeting. The agreement could be renewed once for another three years. Either city could end it without cause on 60 days' written notice.

Illustrative: a dog is checked in at a temporary shelter on Galveston Island after Hurricane Ike in 2008. This is not the La Joya or Weslaco shelter. Photo: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA, Public domain.

The trade-off is the drive

La Joya is farther away. Staff put the round trip at about 44 miles, against about 22 miles to Weslaco, and about 30 minutes of extra travel each time. They conclude the savings outweigh the added fuel and time.

The draft agreement also sets limits. La Joya's regular drop-off hours for animal control would be Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. La Joya could limit services to emergency intake when the shelter is at critical capacity, or close it in an emergency. Each city would remain the local rabies control authority within its own limits, and La Joya would provide a quarantine facility that meets state rabies law. Animals that are sick, injured or unweaned with their mother may be humanely euthanized when appropriate under the law and shelter rules.

Also on the agenda

The commission has several other items Tuesday:

• Retirement: A first reading of an ordinance that would raise city employees' contribution to the Texas Municipal Retirement System from 6% to 7%, effective Jan. 1, 2027. It would also grant a one-time 100% updated service credit. Staff say employees reviewed the plan and gave positive feedback.

• Apartments on Minnesota Road: A public hearing and first reading on rezoning 20 acres at 780 E. Minnesota Road from single-family to multifamily. The land was annexed in May 2026. Staff recommend approval, but the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-1 on Aug. 20 to recommend denial.

• Banking: Four banks answered the city's request for depository proposals. Staff recommend staying with the current bank but say they will support the commission if it awards the contract to the highest-ranked bank.

• Federal grant: A public hearing on how to spend the $279,722 in Community Development Block Grant money expected for fiscal 2027.

The finance department's monthly report in the packet shows September sales tax up 27.35%, or $142,427, over last year. It also notes the city manages a $37.7 million budget across its funds.

Residents who want to speak must register with the city secretary 15 minutes before the meeting, and comments are limited to three minutes. Readers with pets can review what to do after an animal bite in Texas. For more from the Valley, see how McAllen is paying for its desalination plant.

Fair-minded people will note that a cheaper contract is only good if the animals are cared for and the officers are not stuck on the road. The commission should get both answers on the record before it votes.