On Monday May 12th, the Corpus Christi Police Department, Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, and the Port of Corpus Christi Police Department will gather together to host the eighth annual Regional Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony. This year’s event once again will be held at 10:30 am at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center Outdoor Pavilion, 402 Harbor Drive, Corpus Christi. This year’s keynote speaker will be Corpus Christi Mayor Nelda Martinez. The ceremony is a tribute to all Peace Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, specifically recognizing those officers from the Coastal Bend who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their community. The public is cordially invited to attend.
The Peace Officers Memorial Day Planning Committee continues to seek current addresses for family members of the fallen officers so they can be invited and properly recognized during the ceremony. If you are a family member, or can provide the address for a family member of any of these fallen officers please contact:

Captain Russell Sherman
Corpus Christi Police Department
(361) 826-2834
RussellS@cctexas.com

Tom Brown
Corpus Christi Police Department
Volunteer Coordinator
(361) 886-2832
TomB@cctexas.com

NUECES COUNTY FALLEN OFFICERS

Corpus Christi City Marshal
Elias Mussett Jr.
END OF WATCH: May 6, 1892

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Luther B. Prather
END OF WATCH: September 14, 1919

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Joseph L. Moon
END OF WATCH: June 10, 1938

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Roy N. Smith
END OF WATCH: April 20, 1953

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Frank E. Dolan
END OF WATCH: February 12, 1960

Corpus Christi Police Officer
John W. Sartain
END OF WATCH: August 20, 1971

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Ruben T. Almanza
END OF WATCH: July 27, 1984

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Joseph D. Bock
END OF WATCH: September 9, 1987

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Juan R. Prieto
END OF WATCH: February 2, 1993

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Matthew Thebeau
END OF WATCH: January 20, 2008

Corpus Christi Police Officer
Stuart J. Alexander
END OF WATCH: March 11, 2009

Port Of Corpus Christi Police Officer
James Saavedra
END OF WATCH: December 19, 2007

Nueces County Sheriff’s Deputy
Thomas Nolan
END OF WATCH: August 13, 1860

Nueces County Sheriff
Matthew Nolan
END OF WATCH: December 22, 1864

Nueces County Sheriff
Dennis J. Kelly
END OF WATCH: June 13, 1870

Nueces County Sheriff’s Deputy
Thomas Shaw
END OF WATCH: September 1877

Nueces County Sheriff’s Deputy
Alexander S. Downs J.
END OF WATCH: October 16, 1932

Nueces County Sheriff’s Deputy
Irvin M. Brown
END OF WATCH: February 13, 1995

Nueces County Constable Pct 1
Patrick  Freely
END OF WATCH: March 25, 1917

Nueces County Constable Pct 1
R.R. Bledsoe
END OF WATCH: July 5, 1925

Nueces County Constable Pct 1
Carl M. Bisbee
END OF WATCH: July 6, 1925

Nueces County Constable Pct 6
Patrick S. Runyon
END OF WATCH: February 7, 1981

Over 80 students  and volunteers from Kaplan College joined Animal Care Services staff Thursday afternoon as they canvassed the neighborhoods around City Hall to raise awareness on responsible pet ownership.  The neighborhood is a source of frequent complaints to ACS and City Hall staff about stray dogs and cats.  Volunteers and staff went door to door, met with homeless shelters employees and their clients, as well as local businesses owners to drop off flyers and educate the public on:

• Responsible pet ownership and city ordinances
• Leash law and fencing
• Pet overpopulation and the importance of spay/neuter surgery
• Importance of rabies vaccinations
• Proper nutrition for pets.

ACS staff and volunteers met with many homeless pet owners to encourage them to vaccinate and spay or neuter their pets.  ACS staff were able to schedule free spay/neuter surgeries for many pet owners.  The money to pay for the surgeries will  come from the $30,000 ASPCA Rachael Ray award that Animal Care Services won last August . Homeless pet owners were given bags of dog food, leashes, and educated on animal wellness. In addition to the responsible pet ownership advice, Kaplan students took vital signs and gave wellness advice to the homeless.

Kaplan students will be at Animal Care Services, 2626 Holly Rd, today at 10:00AM to volunteer throughout the facility. Students will bathe, socialize, and assist with adoptable pets. Students will also be invited to watch spay/neuter surgeries and assist in the shelter veterinarian clinic.

Corpus Christi Citizens who transport trapped opossums to Animal Care Services are not in violation of the regulation prohibiting the transport and release of nuisance fur bearing animals, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Assistant Commander Kevin Davis. According to Davis, “Since the City of Corpus Christi has obtained necessary authorization from the department to allow a mechanism for release of nuisance furbearers to the wild, it is the position of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division that individuals transporting nuisance opossums to the city for disposal as allowed under the city’s letter of authorization is permissible.” Animal Care Services will still be responsible for the reporting guidelines required under Texas Administrative Code Chapter 65.

The message from Assistant Commander Davis, Wildlife Law Administrator for TXPWD, came in response to a concern raised by a Corpus Christi resident during public comment at last week’s city council meeting. The resident informed the city council that citizens who transport trapped opossums to the Animal Care Services facility were in violation of this regulation. Animal Care Services had requested and received a waiver from Texas Parks and Wildlife in March, allowing staff to release trapped opossums back into the wild on city owned property. According to Davis, as long as citizens are abiding by the terms set out in the city’s program and transport the opossums directly to the city facility, they are covered under the letter of authorization issued by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The waiver only applies to citizens transporting nuisance opossums said Davis. Citizens who have trapped high risk rabies carrying wildlife such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes should continue to call ACS for transport. ACS employees will pick up these animals regardless of whether they are caught in a city or privately owned trap.

Corpus Christi Animal Care Services will be hosting a Valentine’s Day Adopt-a-thon today from 1:00pm to 10:00pm  at  the Animal shelter, 2626 Holly Rd.
More than 20 cats and 60 dogs are currently available for adoption. Most adoptable animals have either been sponsored or have waived adoption fees. All adoptable cats have waived fees.  All other adoptable animals will have a reduced adoption fee of $14.
For more information on the adoption process, go online to: http://www.cctexas.com/government/ccpd/animal-care/adoption-fees/index
All impounded animals can be viewed at http://www.petharbor.com or the CCACS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristianimalcareservices
All available animals are spayed or neutered, microchipped, have their first set of vaccinations and dogs will be tested for heartworms. These total services may cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere, but CCACS has already taken care of preparing these animals for a happy, healthy life in their new home.

If you have a deep love and respect for all animals and would like to spend time helping some furry friends, the City’s Animal Care Services is looking for you.

On Saturday, February 8, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., Animal Care Services (ACS) located at 2626 Holly Road is offering its first City-sponsored volunteer orientation.  Participants will be given information regarding the opportunities for volunteering in different areas of the shelter including:

• Cleaning cages and kennels
• Social Media
• Cruelty Investigation (trained volunteers only)
• Outreach and community education
• Donation drives
• Providing food and water for the animals
• Washing food and water bowls
• Laundry, floor washing and general housekeeping
• Adoption counseling
• Answering the phone
• Socializing animals
• Grooming and bathing animals
• Other duties as assigned

ACS relies on volunteer support in almost every aspect of its operations from walking dogs to socializing cats, to fundraising and data entry.  Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, unless accompanied by an adult, or a member of a youth educational or community service program, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Explorers.  For more information contact Animal Care Services at (361) 826-4630 or via email at animalcareclinic@cctexas.com.

Animal Care Services Officers returned to the 3500 block of Bluebonnet Street this morning and recovered the female pit bull mix with a collar partially embedded in its neck. Animal Care Services and Corpus Christi Police Officers had responded to the home Friday afternoon to investigate a complaint of animal cruelty. The dog had been tied to a fence in the back yard of the home. Officers attempted to contact the owners, but were unsuccessful at that time.
ACS transported the dog to a local veterinarian for treatment. Other than the wound in the neck caused by the collar, the dog appears to be in reasonably good health. The dog will be held by ACS until it can be legally adopted. Charges of Animal Cruelty against the dog’s owners are being pursued.

Due to the recent heavy rains, City of Corpus Christi Vector Control personnel are being inundated with requests from throughout the city for pest mosquito adulticide spraying.  Vector employees are responsible for a number of other key tasks besides mosquito spraying: from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM they are responsible for pesticide treatment of all city buildings, collecting and processing mosquitoes from the various traps throughout the city, and swarming bee eradication.

Vector Control can only spray for mosquitoes when it is not raining and the wind speed is low.   The pesticide dissipates quickly when it comes in contact with the ground, especially if there is any dew.  Even then, the fogger only kills the mosquitoes that are airborne at the time of the spraying, so it is not effective for any great period of time. Since the fog only kills the airborne mosquitoes, spraying only occurs during evening hours, usually between 7:00 PM and Midnight.  It is estimated that the fog only kills one third of the total mosquito population. The three Vector employees have been working 12 to 14 hour days seven days a week for over the past two weeks to try to keep up with this demand.

The areas of the city to be sprayed are determined by the number of mosquitoes found in any of eight traps spread throughout the city.  Vector Control Officers will spray the routes surrounding any trap that exceeds 50 mosquitoes.  The routes to be sprayed are determined by the number of mosquitoes caught in traps, not by the number of complaints coming into the city call center.  Currently all traps in the city are exceeding the 50 mosquito threshold, so Vector Officers are conducting a patterned approach to spraying across the entire city.  The routes to be sprayed are posted on the City Website daily under the Health Department Vector Control page: http://archive.cctexas.com/Health/MosquitoSchedule/MosquitoSchedSearch.cfm

Vector Control is asking for the public’s patience as they work to reduce the recent increase in pest mosquitoes.  As always, citizens are encouraged to take the following precautions to avoid being bitten:

• Use  an approved insect repellent every time you go outside and follow the instructions on the label. Approved repellents are those that contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Regularly  drain standing water, including water that collects in empty cans, tires,     buckets, clogged rain gutters and saucers under potted plants. Mosquitoes  breed in stagnant water.
• Wear  long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Use air conditioning or make sure there are screens on all doors and windows to keep mosquitoes from entering the home.

The Corpus Christi Animal Care Services Division is proud to announce that they have placed second in their Division in the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100,000 challenge. In addition to placing second in Division four, CCACSD placed fifth in the country, earning the “Most Improved Player “award. On Monday Animal Care Services was presented with a check in the amount of $30,000 from the ASPCA for their accomplishments. Animal Care Services will use the prize money to expand our Targeted Spay/Neuter Program and provide humane housing for cats at the Animal Shelter.

The 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge was a nationwide competition for animal shelters (and their communities) aimed at getting more animals adopted or returned to their owners than ever before. Corpus Christi Animal Care Services competed against nine other similarly sized animal shelters nationwide in our division and 49 shelters overall. The shelter that demonstrated the largest increase of live release (return to owner and adoptions) during the months of June, July and August in comparison to 2012, earned $100,000 from the ASPCA. In placing second, Corpus Christi Animal Care Services saved 858 dogs and cats during the three month period, an increase of 553 lives saved over 2012! The ASPCA reports that nationwide 56,379 lives were saved—an increase of 12,050 over last year.

Corpus Christi Animal Care Services worked closely with People Assisting Animal Control to win this award. PAAC is a non-profit organization that assists Animal Care Services and promotes responsible pet ownership and adoption. Without the hard work and dedication of staff and PAAC volunteers, this award would not have been possible. CCACS and PAAC wish to thank all the volunteers, donors, and sponsors who contributed tremendously to the success of this competition. Most of all, we thank those in the community who saved the life of a needy dog or cat through adoption.