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BARC Calls on Community to Help with Stray Animals

ABOVE: Eli Perez, Cory Stottlemyer, and Laura Spivey ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ initiative seeks to address this ongoing crisis that is affecting streets across the Greater Houston area Hey, Houstonians… as you go about your day, have you noticed a lot more stray dogs and cats roaming around your neighborhood than usual? The answer should […]
The post BARC Calls on Community to Help with Stray Animals first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

August 16, 2023

Forward Times Staff

ABOVE: Eli Perez, Cory Stottlemyer, and Laura Spivey

‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ initiative seeks to address this ongoing crisis that is affecting streets across the Greater Houston area

Hey, Houstonians… as you go about your day, have you noticed a lot more stray dogs and cats roaming around your neighborhood than usual?

The answer should be yes, and no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. There is a reason you’re witnessing such an influx of stray animals taking over the streets of the city of Houston.

Statistics show that while the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in pet ownership, it also contributed to a massive uptick related to the breeding of animals. This rampant increase in animal breeding has led to a self-perpetuating crisis of stray animals that have infiated Houston area streets in an unprecedented way.

Just late October, the City of Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care—or BARC as it is more commonly referred to—informed the community that they had been operating at their 300-animal capacity limit for several months, and that they were being forced to euthanize more animals than customary because of those limited capacity issues, and because adoption and foster care numbers were at an all-time low across the city.

It is important to note that BARC is the City of Houston’s Animal Shelter and Adoption Facility and is the only city shelter in Houston that is required by law to accept every single animal that comes through its doors, regardless of breed, temperament, health conditions, or circumstances.

Attendees at BARC Briefing Event

Fast forward to today, and BARC still finds itself facing similar challenges, which is why they launched the ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ initiative to address the stray animal crisis at its source—by providing free spay and neutering services, as well as other programs.

On August 8th, several officials from BARC participated in a monthly roundtable discussion at the Southwest Multi-Service Center to share key insights with attendees about their ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ initiative. The event was supported by the Houston Endowment.

The purpose of this important briefing, which was hosted and facilitated by Ethnic Media Services, was to address the ongoing crisis of stray animals affecting Houston area streets, as well as discuss the economic factors exacerbating the crisis, the public health issues involved, the safety issues surrounding the issue, and what responsible pet ownership requires.

The featured panelists included Cory Stottlemyer, who serves as the Shelter Director at BARC, overseeing the Outreach, Customer Service, and Registration teams, and as the Director of Communications for the department of which BARC is a division, Administration and Regulatory Affairs; Laura Spivey, who serves as an Animal Enforcement Officer for the City of Houston; and Eli Perez, who serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator for BARC, and who also runs the Community Cat Colony and Trap Neuter Release programs, and helps manage the ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ program.

On average, BARC takes in between 20,000 and 30,000 animals annually, and has introduced pioneering programs to help address the address the stray animal issue, such as offering no- and low-cost spay/neuter services, mobile adoptions, transfer/rescue, and community outreach.

It is also important to note that while choosing to spay/neuter an animal is a viable and proven solution to help reduce animal overpopulation, many citizens in Houston do not have access to, or can’t afford, professional veterinarian services.

Per the panelists, the ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ initiative provides those spay/neuter services for free to more than 200+ pets every month, particularly in neighborhoods across the city of Houston with large stray animal populations.

The panelists emphasized the importance of Houstonians working collaboratively with BARC to help address the stray animal challenges they are facing before things get even worse.

“It’s a crucial time right now because in the past we’ve had some limited capacity to go out,” said Stottlemyer. “Our enforcement team, our outreach team has been able to go out in the past, but we don’t really have a focused community outreach team. Here in Houston and cities in the south, we have a stray problem all year because we have temperatures that allow strays to continue to roam and not face those harsh winter months.”

Stottlemyer stated that a part of what they have tried to look at in the past is educating youth and trying to build a new generation of responsible pet owners to help with the issue, but he acknowledged that it is going to take a lot of work.

“We are trying to get the word out, breaking down some mentalities of those who may oppose spaying or neutering their animals, not understanding the need, not understanding the stray animal crisis we have,” Stottlemyer continued. “Some owners let their pets roam freely out in the community, and they are not spayed or neutered, so then, for instance, a male dog can go out and have many litters in a short amount of time.”

Stottlemyer indicated that because of the overpopulation of pets, coupled with the other factors that were mentioned, the clock is working against many of the animals, specifically as it relates to euthanasia as a final possible outcome.

“Animals with lengthier stays might qualify for euthanasia,” Stottlemyer informed the attendees. “It’s usually the medical and the behavior that are the first factors we look at for euthanasia, but we do reach those critical capacity times. They are adoptable and a lot of times they have no issues, they just have the clock working against them.”

According to Spivey, when it comes to the stray issue, many people don’t understand that if a person feeds an animal for more than three days, per the law, that animal technically becomes their animal. She vehemently warned against it, for a variety of reasons.

“You may think you are doing a great thing by feeding the strays, but you are congregating the strays in that area, increasing the strays in that area and then they procreate and make more animals,” said Spivey. “You can call 3-1-1 and let them know about the strays. Once we know what areas to aim for, such as the ones that are the most populated with strays, then we will go in and do sweeps, mostly on Wednesdays, and pick up all the strays that we see.”

According to Perez, there is an unfortunate veterinarian shortage nationwide, and because many veterinarians are trying not to go into shelter medicine and are going into more rural or cultural medicines instead, it has become increasingly more difficult to find veterinarians who want to work with high capacity.

“If you’re going to a private vet, say for spay or neutering services, it can range from $200 to $600, depending on the size and weight of the animal,” said Perez. “With the City of Houston’s ‘Healthy Pets, Healthy Streets’ program, as long as you reside within the city limits, the services are free no matter the size or the weight.”

As stated earlier, BARC must take in any animal brought to the shelter, by law. In addition to having a legal mandate to protect the public from a safety standpoint, they are also tasked with removing dangerous, sick, and stray animals from the community, and taking in animals who are surrendered by their owners for various reasons.

There is a stark disparity in the number of pets in need and the overcapacity of the BARC animal shelter. Rough numbers indicate BARC’s intake of 6,000 in 2022 has nearly tripled this year.

“The total number was like 18,000, because that includes the owner turn-ins as well. Ten thousand was just enforcement,” Stottlemyer explained.

BARC is not just limited in taking in dogs and cats. They take in horses, chickens, snakes, other reptiles, and recently they even rescued and brought in a frightened and injured pet monkey.

According to the panelists, donations at BARC are desperately needed, which include, but are not limited to:

Used bedding. Don’t discard it, donate it.
Used towels, linens, quilts, and blankets that can be used for the animals.
Food of any kind, even open containers, and bags, are accepted.
Food is distributed to foster families. Rotisserie chicken and hot dogs are a big hit with the dogs! These food items are used for treats.

The BARC Adoption Center is located at 3300 Carr St. Houston TX, 77026, just a few minutes from downtown Houston off the Eastex Freeway (Hwy 59/69) and by taking the Collingsworth/Calvacade/Kelly exit.

The BARC Adoption Center is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12 pm-5 pm and closed on Mondays. You can also help BARC in the following ways:

TO VOLUNTEER: https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/get_involved.html

TO FOSTER: https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/foster_a_pet.html

TO ADOPT: http://www.houstontx.gov/barc/adopt_a_pet.html

TO DONATE: https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/donate_landingpage.html

TO HELP URGENT PETS: https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/urgent-pets.html

For more data and information from BARC, please visit https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/stats-reports.html.

The post BARC Calls on Community to Help with Stray Animals appeared first on Forward Times.

The post BARC Calls on Community to Help with Stray Animals first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

1 week ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

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New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.