Free Spay-and-Neuter Clinic Open for Sign-ups in Del Rio This Month

Border Animal Mission has opened sign-ups for a free five-day spay-and-neuter clinic set to run March 27–31 at the Chihuahua Neighborhood Facility, 1401 Las Vacas St., Del Rio, TX 78840, giving Val Verde County pet owners another chance at no-cost veterinary care just weeks after a similar event served hundreds of animals.

The clinic is organized by Border Animal Mission (BAM), described as Del Rio's newest animal rescue organization, in partnership with Helping Paws Across Borders, a national nonprofit whose volunteers joined from New Mexico for the previous event. Services will include spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and a variety of other medical care, mirroring what was offered at the January clinic.

Sign-ups opened March 17–18 for the upcoming event. The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce has listed the clinic on its community calendar; residents can reach the chamber at (830) 775-3551 or frontdesk@drchamber.com with questions about the event.

The March clinic follows a documented January effort that drew volunteers from across Val Verde County and across the country to the 4-H shooting barn at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, 1601 N. Main St., where the coalition provided free surgeries, vaccinations, and other medical care to hundreds of local pets between Jan. 16 and 20. That event illustrated the scope of collaboration behind the program: Ellen Kroninger, traveling from Escondido, Calif., trained Del Rio volunteer Susan Jenigen in sterilizing and packaging surgical instruments on-site.

Jessica Halprin, who heads BAM, reached out to both Helping Paws Across Borders and Wings of Rescue to build the clinic partnership. Wings of Rescue, which already works with Halprin to transport adoptable dogs from Val Verde County to placement locations elsewhere in the country, also helped BAM secure a grant to fund the clinic program.