TEXAS CITY — As the number of dogs placed at the county's animal shelter grows, so too does the determination of a group of volunteers looking to end a cycle of communicable disease leading to euthanasia.

Tom English and his wife, Ann English, spend thousands of dollars each year in food, medicine and veterinary care on the dogs rescued by a group of volunteers called Shelter Buddies.

The Englishes of Texas City and two other volunteers say puppies, because of their undeveloped immune systems, have a good chance of dying simply by entering the Joe Vickery Animal Shelter, 3412 25th Ave. N., in Texas City.

"The emotional toll is very stressful," Tom English said. "What we do is a drop in the bucket. Every time we take a dog from the shelter, there's a 1-in-3 chance the dog will be terminally ill."

Ann English said shelter operators know of the problem and call them on a regular basis to see if they have room for highly adoptable dogs.

The Englishes have so far this year rescued 85 dogs from the shelter. Of those, 40 that never entered the shelter survived. But nearly 30 percent of the remainder, those rescued from within the shelter, died of disease. All but two of the 13 were puppies.

Volunteer Lynne Mattingly of Texas City said the shelter doesn't have enough room to accommodate the county's population growth.

"It's a petri dish," Mattingly said. "The people there don't want to let the puppies in the building. The manager really cares for the animals, and the people love them, but it's disheartening for them."

Volunteer Mike Franklin of Dickinson said he's had the same luck with adopting animals that are sick. He said the shelter develops a bad public image when adopted dogs die.

"Parents will probably never take their kids back to adopt a dog," Franklin said.

Funding Solutions

County leaders acknowledged the challenge, and county commissioners on Wednesday approved more than $10,000 in improvements for the shelter.

The volunteers call the improvements a step in the right direction.

Shelter Buddies and County Commissioner Stephen D. Holmes share some of the same aspirations. Holmes, who is on the shelter's advisory board, said he would like to see funding for a modern shelter, with adequate space designed to keep animals healthy, included in a bond issue that is being discussed for November.

"We had a disease outbreak a month or two ago, and what (officials) were proposing in the fiscal year 2009 budget — we saw two things we could do right now to try to alleviate some of that disease being spread throughout the center," Holmes said.

Isolation Unit

The Galveston County Health District, which operates the shelter, will use the money to convert a receiving bay into an isolation unit with high-power fans and heaters. The money will also fund the purchase of Kuranda beds.

Kurt Koopmann, a health district spokesman, said the isolation unit would separate newly arriving dogs from the general population for 24 hours, giving staff time to administer vaccinations.

The 38 Kuranda beds will allow animals to sleep six inches above the ground and help prevent transmission of disease, Koopmann said.

"What we really need is a whole new shelter," Holmes said, noting the board has contemplated moving healthy animals up for adoption to a separate location. It could resemble a store front in a strip mall, he said.

Tough Sell

Shelter Buddies is working on becoming a nonprofit agency and holds fundraising events, but the funds collected and space found for rescued animals is never enough, the group said.

Mattingly said it's hard to recruit volunteers and find foster homes for the animals they place for adoption.

"It's hard when we tell them the dog might be sick and your dog might get sick, too — and you're responsible for the medical bills," Mattingly said.

Franklin said it's important that the public talk to elected officials about the shelter.

"The goal is a new shelter," he said. "It may not be feasible now, but down the road, it will make economic sense."

Holmes said if the shelter is included in a November bond referendum, funding would depend on the will of the people.

"It's a situation where you know you're doing some good," Franklin said. "You know you can't solve the world's problems, but you just do your part."

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Kurt Koopmann