Corpus Christi Animal Care Services Division, in conjunction with People Assisting Animal Control (PAAC), will kick off the 2013 ASPCA Rachel Ray $100,000 challenge by hosting a four-hour adoption event this Saturday, June 1st at the Animal Care Services Building 2626 Holly Road. The event begins at 1:00PM and continues until closing.

Over 100 dogs and 65 cats will be available for adoption, and over 75 of those animals will have all or a portion of the adoption fees paid by PAAC sponsors.

Students from the Del Mar College Kinesiology Department will provide fun activities for young and old, including teaching the “Adoption Wave” dance step to anyone interested. The “Adoption Wave” may just be the most exciting dance craze to hit Corpus Christi since the “Harlem Shuffle”, and besides being fun it promotes a great cause. PAAC volunteers will be keeping a keen eye out for aspiring dancers to join them on Saturday July 20th at Cole Park, when they film the dance for video production and distribution.

In addition to the fun activities, Animal Care and PAAC will have socialization areas set up for people to interact with prospective adoption animals, as well as trained advisors available to help you select the right pet for your family.

PAAC is a non-profit organization that assists Animal Care Services and promotes responsible pet ownership and adoption. If you are not in a position to adopt, PAAC encourages donations to help sponsor needy animals. If you cannot adopt or make a donation, Animal Care Services and PAAC are also seeking volunteers to help us win the Rachel Ray Challenge 100k Challenge.

The 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is 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 is competing against nine other similarly sized animal shelters nationwide. The shelter that demonstrates the largest increase of live release (return to owner and adoptions) during the months of June, July and August in comparison to 2012, wins $100,000 from the ASPCA to spend on increasing live release and targeted spay/neuter programs.

Corpus Christi Animal Care Services and PAAC are committed to winning this year’s Challenge, but cannot reach this goal without your help. So please, come on by Saturday, enjoy the entertainment and adopt a pet or sign up to volunteer on the Challenge. Your contribution will help save the life of a needy pet.

The Corpus Christi Animal Shelter set an all time record for adoptions during the month of September, 2012, finding new homes for 108 deserving dogs and cats.  According to department officials it is the first time the shelter has exceeded the century mark for adoptions, and continues a steady increase of adoptions during recent months.

The increased number of adoptions can be attributed to several factors, according to Animal Care and Control Division staff.  In July, the Shelter remodeled and expanded the Adoption Kennel Area from 26 to 58 kennels.  Besides adding additional kennel space for adoptions, the remodeling allowed the public to tour the adoption kennels unescorted by Animal Shelter staff.  People Assisting Animal Control (PAAC) donated two dog runs, allowing customers a safe place to get acquainted with their prospective new pets.  On September 15th, PAAC sponsored the first ever “free adoption” event at the Shelter, where PAAC paid the city adoption fees for all dogs and cats adopted during a two-hour period.  56 dogs and cats were adopted on that day alone.

Perhaps the most significant factor contributing to the increase in adoptions was the hiring of Interim Veterinarian Dr. Melissa Draper DVM in early August.  Dr. Draper has an impressive resume in shelter medicine and comes to Corpus Christi after serving as the Medical Director for the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans.  Prior to that, Dr. Draper served as the Chief Veterinarian for the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services and the Chief Veterinarian for the Animal Defense League in San Antonio.  Dr. Draper earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science at Louisiana Tech University and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Louisiana State University.  Dr. Draper has already implemented numerous improvements to the standard operating procedures at the Animal Shelter, and has worked tirelessly to provide vaccinations and spay/neutering services to enable the Shelter to increase adoptions.  With her invaluable assistance, the Animal Care and Control Division hopes to continue the steady increase in adoptions and improve services to the community.

Vector Control Officers this afternoon conducted a house by house survey of the 400 block of Bartlett Street, following several positive tests in that area for mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus.  Officers discovered standing water with mosquito larvae at four separate locations and treated the water with a solution to kill them.  Only live adult mosquitoes are tested for the virus, so it is unknown if the larvae were carrying the virus.  Vector Control officers have checked numerous storm drain inlets, storm sewers and other potential sources of standing water during the past several weeks, but thus far have been unable to locate the source of the mosquitoes.  Tonight Vector Control will spray the area for a third night in a row, in a quest to eradicate the mosquitoes carrying the virus. Citizens living in this neighborhood are strongly urged to properly dispose of old car tires, and empty all containers that may hold standing water.

On Tuesday September 11, at 9:00 AM, the Corpus Christi Police and Fire Departments will co-host a 9/11 remembrance ceremony to honor the police officers, firefighters, military personnel, and civilian men and women who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers,  the Pentagon and United Flight 93.  The ceremony will be held at Sherrill Park in the 100 block of South Shoreline at Kinney Street and will begin promptly at 9:00 AM.  Police Chief Floyd Simpson and Fire Chief Robert Rocha will speak.

Corpus Christi Police Detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for a San Antonio man suspected of a brutal assault and carjacking that left a local woman with serious injuries late last year.  On November 9, 2011 a 30 year-old waitress was walking to her car after completing her work shift at a restaurant on Corpus Christi Beach when she grabbed from behind by an unknown man.   The suspect, who was armed with a knife, viciously assaulted the woman when she refused to leave the parking lot with him.   The suspect then fled in the victim’s car, leaving her behind severely beaten in the restaurant’s parking lot.  Her car was later found floating in the Inner Harbor of Corpus Christi Bay.  The suspect, despite an intensive search of the area by officers, was not found.

Corpus Christi Police Department Robbery Detectives assigned to the case submitted evidence found at the scene of the attack to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab.   Detectives were informed that DNA obtained from the crime scene matched that of a known offender from San Antonio.  As a result, Corpus Christi Police Department Robbery Detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for David G. Vasquez Jr. (D.O.B. 09-12-85), charging him with Aggravated Robbery.  Vasquez is an Hispanic male, about 5’7”, weighing approximately 150 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes.  Vasquez’s last known address is in San Antonio, but he may still be in the Corpus Christi Area.   He is considered armed and dangerous.  Anyone having any information about his whereabouts is urged to call the Corpus Christi Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS.  The information could result in a reward up to $1000 in cash.