On behalf of the citizens of Brownsville I am asking citizens to join Bishop Reymundo Pena's effort to provide humanitarian relief to the people of Haiti by donating $5.00 or more, per PUB account holder through their PUB monthly bills. Residents, let's show the world that we can come together in a humanitarian effort to help those who have been devastated by a natural disaster such as has been done with this killer earthquake. Citizens can donate when they pay their PUB bill by writing Haiti on the bill and the amount of money they wish to add on to their utility bill when making their PUB utility payment. The donations will be collected and forwarded to Bishop Pea's relief fund. The devastation is real, the pain and suffering are real, and the urgency to raise funds is real. We all know what is needed during this natural disaster, which we have seen in our own homeland and all the more reason for Brownsville citizens to join Bishop Pena's effort to assist the people of Haiti. Those watching the news are feeling the death, destruction, and hopelessness, but more so by our fellow human beings who are going through this devastation. Please respond by donating at least $5.00 per household when paying your PUB utility bill and by specifying the amount you wish to donate. No donation is too small or too large so please join Bishop Reymundo Pena's humanitarian call to relieve the pain and suffering this devastating earthquake has caused the people of Haiti.

PUB has approximately 54,000 accounts. At $5.00 per account we can raise $270,000 in one month, provided we commit as a community to answer this humanitarian call for those in need. $270,000 is very little when compared to the devastation, but it is a lot coming from a community which may be someday subjected to a hurricane that could cause similar devastation and we would hope others would come to our assistance. So let's join together to help those in need today. A press release will be posted on Channel 12 and I will ask that PUB do all it can to assist those who want to donate the needed money to provide the relief needed.

Thank you,
Pat Ahumada.

To All Concerned:

Below is another press release from our chairman with Brownsville PAWS asking that people seriously consider adopting a cat or dog from the animal shelter with urgency to spare the lives of strays and dogs brought in during the arctic cold front and not reclaimed due to the recession or other reasons now that the weather has improved.

Included in this email is today’s Herald article on the animal cruelty case asking people to write letters to the editor, call the D.A. at 956-544-0849 or 956-465-9429 and leave message informing him that you want this barbaric act of a crime against a defenseless animal upgraded to a felony to ensure we as a community send the right message that Brownsville will not tolerate minimizing the inhumane treatment of animals.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/new...

The unwarranted criticism by a minority that does not like me speaking out for pets and minimizes everything else I do for doing so is what is wrong with communities that are not doing enough to ensure we address legitimate concerns of overpopulation of pets, lack of spaying/neutering, vaccination education, and general pet care to reduce the number of pets roaming our streets scavenging or pets being inhumanely treated. I challenge all to do as I have done, along with the help of so many volunteers, towards fulfilling my campaign promise to change the pet culture in Brownsville and South Texas through education and awareness to build a better community for humans and animals. I have made this pet issue one of my many priorities, which is not costing the city anything, but on the contrary Brownsville PAWS has contributed so much to the betterment of our community by staying focused and working on the pet issues.

Brownsville's infrastructure, utilities, housing, job issues and the many other quality of life needs and concerns are a priority and are being addressed, but this too is a priority that for far too long has been constantly put on the back burner. Just go look at the Cameron County Shelter to see the deplorable conditions pets are subjected to and please tell me that this should not be a priority. Not to address these issues like the many other issues speaks poorly of us as a community and as long as I am mayor, pets will be one of my many priorities that will be consistently addressed because it is the right thing to do.

I hope this issue regarding the pets is one that you will agree needs to be addressed and that together we can all transform our community from a perception of almost third-world when it comes to pets running loose to the perception of a community that is addressing the problem with limited resources and is improving. Adopt a pet today at your local animal shelter and save a life.

Thank you,
Pat Ahumada

-----Original Message-----
Subject: need help adopting dogs

Great effort in rescuing dogs from the cold weather!!!

As it looks now, some of the dogs that were placed at the shelter to protect them from the cold weather are NOT going to be claimed by their owners. The problem is that the shelter is too small and now these dogs left behind by their owners run the risk of being put down.
We need volunteers to help Lavice at PetSmart on Saturday and Sunday to try to adopt as many dogs as possible to make room at the shelter and save dogs. You know every new incoming dog needs to stay at least three days and if all kennels are full, the shelter needs to make room for incoming dogs by putting down those already at the shelter that have been there more than the official three days. As long as we have a shelter with a capacity for only 60 dogs, more will die.

Dee Labunski from Tip-O-Tex K9 Rescue has been helping by taking dogs from the shelter. She does a very good job of finding them good forever homes. Connie Walters from Recycled Rovers has started helping taking big dogs, the ones that sometimes are more difficult

I am getting e-mails and calls to see if I am going to do anything regarding the cruel and unmerciful killing of a puppy in Brownsville. My response is that I cannot do it alone. Unfortunately, the City Commission in the past has not been very willing to deal with problems regarding pets in the city, or with problems related to pets and the lack of staffing at the animal shelter. So the community needs to stand up to be heard on this matter against cruelty.The community should urge the City Commission to start addressing the primary problems to change the pet culture in Brownsville. Cruel and inhumane treatment of animals is a symptom of what is wrong.
Poverty, abuse, overpopulation, pet care, spaying, neutering, pets running loose — all are being addressed by Brownsville Pet Advocates With Solutions, but on a limited scale due to lack of funds and support from the prior City Commission, which can change with the two new city commissioners. But the community needs to make it known that these matters need to be addressed by making them a priority.
PAWS has sent out 120,000 flyers to educate citizens and is working on ordinances with the Health Department to address some of the problems we have regarding pets and pet owners. PUB is owned by the city, which makes it easy and less costly for the city to send out literature every billing cycle urging citizens to report cruelty, inhumane treatment and teach residents about pet care to help control the overpopulation (more than 80,0000 pets, with thousands more running loose) in our city and thousands slaughtered annually at our dog pound due to lack of space.
The City Commission should no longer ignore this and must be receptive to addressing or improving conditions at the animal shelter and fix the pet problems in Brownsville.
If you want to help, please write a letter to the editor and copy the district attorney and mayor, voicing your position against cruelty, demanding justice by expecting prosecution and the maximum sentence against the perpetrator.
PAWS and the community need to make it known to the legal community to punish this individual with a maximum sentence if he is convicted. Letters voicing this position will help a lot.
I also ask you to urge the City Commission to adopt the funding necessary for the animal shelter to expand from 60 to 300 dog pens, plus an adequate number for cats.
Fund educational materials and programs to go to the schools and address the inhumane treatment of animals, make it known that it is illegal to chain a dog for more than four hours and that the tether must be a minimum length; the importance of vaccinations; spaying and neutering; heartworm monthly treatments; general pet care; and to value pets by providing good homes, shelter and food.
I hope to be of service to you in this matter by doing my very best to address the cruelty concerns being brought to me as mayor and to continue with my many other duties and efforts to build a better Brownsville.

Pat Ahumada, Mayor of Brownsville