Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic Opened by AARC to Tackle Pet Overpopulation

Barbara and Herman Rathke were the “original dog and cat advocates of Del Rio,” according to Katelyn Hargrove Hurta, Director of the Animal Advocacy & Rescue Coalition of Del Rio (AARC). Over the last seven years, the former Rathke Veterinary Hospital has been converted into a permanent low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinic for the community. The clinic will expand AARC’s rescue and foster program, addressing what the organization reports as the root of the problem: pet overpopulation.

In 2018, Howard Fletcher purchased the former Rathke Veterinary Hospital building at 404 Converse Street and signed a 100-year lease with AARC for only one dollar. Since then, the AARC team has been chipping away at building renovations, which are now complete. Clinic services are set to start as soon as possible. An open house is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 4:30 PM.

The AARC website states, “our team works tirelessly each day to contribute their part in rescuing the lost and reuniting the found.” However, Hargrove explained that rescuing animals is not enough. She argues, “spay and neuter is so important for Del Rio because it’s the root of the problem.” Hargrove added, “we can’t euthanize or adopt our way out of the overpopulation problem.”

AARC reports that animals are reproducing faster than the organization can facilitate rescues. “We have this combined explosion of puppies and kittens, and we can never control it. We don’t have enough people wanting to adopt that many puppies and kittens,” said Hargrove. To address this issue, the AARC Spay/Neuter Clinic was established. The clinic will allow AARC to take a proactive approach, by limiting the number of unwanted animals being born in the first place.

The AARC Spay/Neuter Clinic was designed to help low-income families control pet overpopulation in Del Rio. The organization aims to provide spay/neuter services for free, but it will depend upon the donations acquired to subsidize costs. Hargrove explained that if services are not free, they will be at the lowest cost possible. For example, a neuter surgery might cost a client $20 through AARC, compared to the USA standard rate of $80-$250.

They will host pop-up clinics, offering services to residents based on a pre-registered waitlist. AARC aims to have a pop-up clinic once a month but promises at least six pop-ups annually. Each event is designed as a “high-volume push,” serving as many individuals as possible within a one-day or one-week period. The facility is equipped with two surgical tables and an anesthesia machine. The clinic will focus strictly on spay/neuter services, not diagnostic care.

Eventually, AARC also plans to expand services to include vaccination and microchipping drives at the clinic. The frequency of pop-ups will depend upon the availability of volunteer veterinarians. AARC is working with Dr. Pat Martin of Martin Mobile Veterinary Service, and other out-of-town providers, to establish a regular rotation.

The clinic will serve as the administrative headquarters for AARC but will not have regular office hours. While AARC will run its rescue program and process their fosters through the clinic, they will not house animals or accept surrenders there. AARC’s rescue program is more like an “extraction team,” said Hargrove. Most of the animals rescued by AARC in Del Rio are being sent out of the state for adoption. AARC finds the animals, gets them vaccinated, neutered, and then transported to other rescues in places like Washington State and Oregon.

Hargrove stated, “we can’t keep sending our problem to another state, because now that state is full. So, it’s so imperative to spay/neuter animals here locally so that we don’t face the problem, and the whole country doesn’t continue to have this bumper crop of puppies and kittens with nowhere to go.” She attributed the nationwide increase in strays to several socioeconomic factors.

“A lot of people adopted pets during COVID when they were working at home, and now they decided that since they are back at the office that they can’t keep their pet… or because of inflation people are facing problems with finances and it is unfortunately extremely expensive to be a pet owner,” said Hargrove.

Beyond rescues and clinic services, AARC conducts fundraising and educational outreach. They will offer transportation to and from the clinic for those otherwise unable to visit. The clinic has a small area where they are selling merchandise for fundraising, and a thematic mural on the front of the building made possible by Casa de La Cultura and Art by Bianka.

AARC invites the community to join them for an open house on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 4:30pm. It will take place at the Rathke Building at 404 Converse Street. The event will feature a live raffle, door prizes, and a coffee pop up by Everlast Coffee.