Pet Help in the Rio Grande Valley

← All help in Texas

In the Rio Grande Valley and need help now? For an emergency, go to a 24-hour hospital below and tell them if cost is a barrier. To lower costs, start with the spay/neuter programs and low-cost clinics. For a bill you can’t cover, get a free funding plan.

Want what’s closest to you? Search by ZIP code or your location.

Spay, neuter and vouchers

• Let's Fix Brownsville Now! Spay and Neuter Program
  416 FM 511, Brownsville, TX 78575 · (956) 544-7351
  City of Brownsville Animal Services spay and neuter program run with the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation and BISSELL Pet Foundation's Fix the Future program. When surgery spots are full, residents can join a waitlist for future dates.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic
  2451 N US Expressway 281, Edinburg, TX 78541 · (956) 720-4563
  Low-cost spay and neuter clinic for dogs and cats, held over three days once a month at the Laurie P. Andrews Center for families facing financial barriers to veterinary care. Vaccinations and microchips are available at extra cost. Pets must be at least 8 weeks old and 2 pounds. Proof of rabies is required for surgery (rabies can be given at the clinic).

Low-cost clinics and vaccines

• Brownsville Animal Regulation & Care Center - Microchip Program
  416 FM 511, Brownsville, TX 78575 · (956) 544-7351
  Low-cost pet microchipping at the Brownsville Animal Regulation & Care Center to help lost pets get home. Proof of a U.S. rabies vaccine is required under city ordinance.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Monthly Community Wellness Clinic
  Rio Grande Valley · (956) 686-1141
  Monthly low-cost preventive care clinics for dogs and cats, staffed by licensed veterinarians and technicians, offering select vaccinations and microchipping. Open to all pets, not just PVAS adoptions. The clinics do not treat emergencies.
• San Benito Animal Control - Vaccination Clinics
  San Benito · (956) 361-3880
  Periodic low-cost vaccination clinics run by San Benito Animal Control offering rabies, parvo/distemper and Bordetella vaccines, flea and tick pills, dewormer and city pet registration (registration requires proof of rabies vaccination). Clinic dates are posted on the city's Facebook page.

Veterinary hospitals and clinics

• Harlingen Urgent Vet
  6710 W Expressway 83, Ste 106, Harlingen, TX · (956) 654-4887
  Urgent care veterinary hospital open seven days a week with evening hours. Spanish spoken.
• McAllen Urgent Vet
  101 W Expressway 83, Ste 140, McAllen, TX 78501 · (956) 803-0191
  Urgent care veterinary hospital with extended evening and weekend hours, also offering dental, soft tissue, orthopedic and reproductive services. Spanish spoken. Payment plans available through Cherry and CareCredit financing.

Pet food

• Palm Valley Animal Society - Drive-Thru Pet Food Pantry
  Rio Grande Valley · (956) 720-4563
  Drive-thru pet food pantry run by PVAS to help families keep their pets and prevent abandonment. There are no set dates; pantry dates are announced on PVAS social media.

Keeping your pet, end-of-life care and pet loss

• Brownsville Animal Regulation & Care Center (BARCC)
  416 FM 511, Brownsville, TX 78575 · (956) 544-7351
  City of Brownsville animal shelter offering adoptions, rescue transfers, lost-pet reclaims, microchipping and city pet licensing. Adopted dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated including rabies, microchipped, dewormed and licensed. A discounted adoption rate is available for those who qualify.
• City of Brownsville Animal Control
  City of Brownsville · (956) 546-4357
  Division of the Brownsville Department of Health, Wellness and Animal Services handling impounded and stray animals, deceased animals, animal ordinance violations, cruelty reports, animal bites, nuisances and farm animals inside city limits.
• City of Edinburg Animal Care Services
  1301 N Doolittle Rd, Edinburg, TX 78542 · (956) 316-2185
  City animal holding facility and animal control. Stray, surrendered or impounded animals found in Edinburg city limits are held here to be reclaimed by owners, then transferred to Palm Valley Animal Society for adoption, rescue or foster. Officers scan found pets for microchips and quarantine biting animals for rabies observation.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Laurie P. Andrews Center (Adoptions)
  2451 N US Expressway 281, Edinburg, TX 78541 · (956) 720-4563
  PVAS adoption center. Walk-ins welcome, no appointment needed, same-day adoption. Adopted dogs and cats come spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed and flea treated; adult dogs are heartworm tested. Fees are waived for dogs at the shelter 60+ days. Pet food donations for the PVAS pantry are accepted here.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Pet Resource Center
  2501 W Trenton Rd, Edinburg, TX 78539 · (956) 329-0128
  Free help for pet owners thinking about surrender: staff connect owners with resources and guidance to keep pets at home before surrender becomes the only option.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Trenton Center
  2501 W Trenton Rd, Edinburg, TX 78539 · (956) 686-1141
  Nonprofit shelter, the largest south of San Antonio, taking in more than 20,000 animals a year. The Trenton Center handles intake, lost-and-found reclaims and quarantine holds for the cities PVAS contracts with and Hidalgo County at large. Visit in person to look for a lost pet; bring proof of address or photos of your pet to reclaim it. PVAS also offers microchipping and accepts end-of-life surrenders.
• Palm Valley Animal Society - Working Cats Program
  2501 W Trenton Rd, Edinburg, TX 78539 · (956) 249-0117
  No-fee placement of healthy, independent cats as working cats for barns, businesses, warehouses, churches and back yards. Cats are vaccinated and spayed or neutered and often placed in pairs or threes. PVAS provides an acclimation enclosure.
• City of Harlingen Animal Care Services
  502 E Tyler Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550 · (956) 216-5220
  City animal control division under Environmental Health. Officers handle stray and vicious animal concerns, bite investigations and rabies quarantine at the Harlingen Animal Shelter, cruelty cases with Harlingen Police, bee complaints, animals at large and dead animal removal. The city holds low-cost rabies clinics for Harlingen residents, historically in March and/or April.
• Harlingen Animal Shelter (Harlingen Animal Services)
  1106 Markowsky Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550 · (956) 216-5250
  City of Harlingen animal shelter, established as a city department in 2024. Adopts out and fosters out dogs, cats, puppies and kittens and reunites lost pets with their owners. Adoptable and lost-and-found animals are listed on the city website.
• City of McAllen Animal Care Services
  City of McAllen · (956) 681-1919
  City animal control under Health, Code Enforcement and Animal Care Services. Impounds dogs running at large (taken to Palm Valley Animal Society), handles rabies reports and 10-day bite confinement, vicious animal cases and excess-animal permits.
• City of Mercedes Animal Control
  City of Mercedes · (956) 565-3114
  City animal control. Officers patrol daily for animals at large and remove dead animals, reunite lost pets and facilitate adoptions; available animals are posted on the PawsOfMercedes Facebook page. Residents can report animal cruelty and request animal traps through the city website.
• Mission Animal Shelter (City of Mission Animal Control)
  227 Abelino Farias St, Mission, TX 78572 · (956) 580-8741
  City-run animal shelter and animal control under the Health, Code Enforcement and Animal Control Department. Handles stray and loose animals, owner surrenders, injured or dead animals, dog bites and wildlife concerns, and offers adoptions, fostering, spay/neuter services, microchipping and vaccines.
• City of Pharr Animal Care Services
  1015 E Ferguson, Pharr, TX 78577 · (956) 402-4213
  City animal care division of the Public Health Department. Enforces animal ordinances, responds to stray or dangerous animal reports, investigates neglect and cruelty, manages animal intake and sheltering, and reunites lost pets with owners. An on-call officer responds after 5 pm when needed.
• City of San Benito Animal Control
  City of San Benito · (956) 361-3880
  City animal control. Officers investigate bites, patrol for animals at large, remove dead animals and work with San Benito Police on cruelty cases. Impounded dogs are posted on the city's shelter Facebook page.
• City of Weslaco Animal Care Services
  1912 Joe Stephens Ave, Weslaco, TX 78596 · (956) 447-3406
  City animal shelter and animal control. Takes in stray, unwanted and homeless animals, runs a relocation program with nonprofit rescue partners, offers adoption and fostering, accepts owner relinquishments by form and enforces the city animal ordinance. Lost pets are listed through Petco Love Lost.

Paying for a bigger bill

Ask any hospital about payment plans, CareCredit or Scratchpay, and apply to more than one assistance program. Ways to pay a vet bill in Texas lists the programs that are open now, and a free funding plan puts them together for your pet, with a free fundraiser page if you want one.

Every listing was checked on the provider’s own website. Know a place we’re missing? Tell us.