Top dog: Brownsville animal shelter wins national award

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The Brownsville Animal Regulation and Care Center’s dramatic turnaround over the last two years has earned it national recognition.

A BARCC team is in Las Vegas this week to receive the 2025 Outstanding Agency of the Year Award from the National Animal Care & Control Association. NACA, founded in 1978, is the nation’s largest professional association for animal care and control professionals.

BARCC’s Outstanding Agency award recognizes the shelter’s “unwavering commitment to both animals and the community they serve,” according to the Kansas-based organization, which added that BARCC “faces the unique challenges of a border city with creativity, compassion and grit.”

“In 2024 alone, they were honored with the Best Friends Animal Society Transformational Change Award after saving 2,476 more lives than the previous year,” NACA said. “From hosting free microchip clinics at the local farmers market to creating pet shelters from donated pallets during cold snaps, BARCC’s dedication shines through in every initiative. This agency doesn’t just respond to the needs of the community — they anticipate them.”

BARCC’s Pet Pantry serves more than 300 families, while the shelter’s team transports as many as 50 animals a month for timely spaying and neutering surgeries. BARCC’s outreach efforts include educational partnerships with local schools, Rotary clubs and corporate teams, “all while actively working to return pets home with targeted canvassing and microchip checks,” NACA noted.

“Their animal control officers, shelter staff and volunteers embody the mission to save every life possible and keep Brownsville safe,” according to the organization.

BARCC Deputy Director Antonio Caldwell said the shelter has seen profound change in a short time, noting that when he joined two years ago BARCC was putting down more animals than any shelter in the Rio Grande Valley and probably all of South Texas.

“Two years ago we were euthanizing upwards of 400 animals each month,” he said. “That is astonishing. … It was just that many animals coming into the shelter. Space was limited. Unfortunately euthanizing for space was a common occurrence. Now we’re partnering up with local rescue groups and rescue groups across the nation to get animals out as quickly as we can.”

BARCC also partners with local institutions to promote adoption and fostering, Caldwell said, noting that “our foster program went from almost nonexistent to upwards of … 80 to 100 animals that are in foster homes across the city.”

To go from such a dismal record to positive national recognition is humbling and exciting for the BARCC team, Caldwell said. A lot of it is keeping animals out of the shelter in the first place, which is why animal control officers are instructed to microchip scan every stray they encounter and make an effort to find the owner before bringing them to the shelter, he said.

“That makes a huge difference in our ability to save lives,” Caldwell said. “In terms of lifesaving, we do everything that we can to get the animals out and keep them from coming into the shelter to begin with.”

BARCC has also worked to increase the visibility of the services it offers such as microchipping, while the shelter also holds annual vaccine clinics, underway right now in conjunction with local veterinarians and the Brownsville Independent School District, he said.

Changing public perceptions of the shelter has been a focus the last two years, Caldwell said, noting that BARCC has been transformed to a place where families bring their kids and teachers take their students on field trips. However, none of it would have been possible had the people of Brownsville not stepped up, he said.

I just want to make sure that the community knows that they are a big part of our success,” Caldwell said. “We could not have done it without our community coming to the rescue. We really want to thank them for all that they’ve done to support the animal shelter.”

Brownsville District 1 city commissioner and BARCC board member Bryan Martinez said the NACA award is “testament to the dedication of our amazing team.”

“The unwavering support from our citizens has propelled the animal shelter to reach unprecedented milestones through community-based programs and initiatives,” he said. “The work at BARCC is important for so many reasons, and I want to thank the board and staff for their dedication.”

Art Rodriguez, director of the city’s Public Health and Wellness and Animal Care department, which is over BARCC, said the NACA recognition “motivates us to keep moving forward, building trust in the community and delivering the high standard of care that animals and residents deserve.”

City Manager Helen Ramirez said the award highlights the BARCC teams “vision and tireless work.”

“It reflects our city’s deep commitment to public health, animal welfare and innovation in service,” she said. “BARCC’s leadership has transformed the quality of care locally and has helped set a new benchmark for excellence across the field. Congratulations to our Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Caldwell.”

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