Adoptions have been put on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas due to efforts to control the spread of the New World screwworm, an invasive insect that has crossed from Mexico into the United States for the first time in six decades. This situation poses a significant risk to the welfare of these animals, as shelters face the looming threat of euthanasia without the possibility of adoption.
The New World screwworm is a flesh-eating parasite that threatens not only pets but also the nation’s $113 billion beef industry, prompting federal officials to impose restrictions on cattle movements across the border. With most states limiting the transport of animals from infested areas in Texas, state shelters are experiencing overcrowding, making it increasingly difficult to find homes for these animals.
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“It’s thrown a wrench into things for small rescues as well as the bigger shelters,” said Mia Bendixsen, executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network. This organization is dedicated to promoting animal welfare laws and addressing the challenges faced by shelters during this crisis.
The screwworm can lay eggs that hatch into larvae in the wounds or mucous of mammals, and there have been several reported infections in dogs across southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico. As a result, 44 states have enacted restrictions on the movement of pets from these infested areas, creating significant hardships for shelters that typically rely on transporting animals to other regions of the country for adoption.
In Corpus Christi, the Gulf Coast Humane Society faced a backlog in transporting rescued dogs to New York state for several weeks. This delay caused the shelter’s population to surge from approximately 325 to nearly 450 animals. Normally, the shelter sends around 500 dogs out of state each year, but they have had to create additional space in outdoor exercise areas while waiting for New York to allow dogs from Texas again, contingent on veterinary certification to confirm they are free from the screwworm.
“If we don’t have space to take animals from municipal shelters, then they have to euthanize more animals,” explained the shelter director.
Texas has a significant surplus of dogs and cats looking for adoption. Moving these animals to other states, particularly in the Northeast or Great Lakes region, is essential for alleviating the strain on local shelters. In 2025, Texas transferred more unadopted dogs out of its shelters than any other state—nearly 89,000—according to data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The state also euthanized approximately 45,000 dogs, more than any other state.
In addition to dogs, Texas led in the number of cats transferred out of shelters—nearly 53,000—and ranked second to California in the number of cats euthanized, with almost 29,000. The state ranks second only to California in the total number of stray dogs and cats, with an estimated 439,000 in 2025. Factors contributing to this issue include Texas’s large population, warm climate, and a culture that is less inclined to spay or neuter pets.
Veterinarian Lori Teller, executive director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, noted that many owners of working ranch and farm dogs believe spaying or neutering could diminish their animals’ drive, contributing to the high rates of unaltered pets.
Both shelters and the animals they house are feeling the strain of the current situation. In Houston, Humane Society shelter Director Aaron Grady reported that the inability to send animals out of state has increased stress levels among the animals. “If an adopter comes through and they’re going from kennel to kennel and they see one dog who may be sitting calmly and contentedly in one kennel and then in the next kennel, there’s one dog who’s bouncing off of the walls and barking because of how stressed they are, the first one may seem more desirable,” he explained.
The Houston shelter has been proactive in managing its animal population, which consists primarily of cats and dogs, by utilizing a network of foster homes that can accommodate up to 300 additional animals and by assisting pet owners in retaining their pets a little longer.
In response to the screwworm crisis, various states have tightened regulations regarding the importation of animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented measures to prevent the New World screwworm from spreading further, including the construction of a $750 million fly factory in southern Texas. This facility is set to breed billions of sterile male flies and is expected to open in April 2027. Historically, the U.S. successfully eradicated the fly by the early 1970s using a similar sterilization strategy.
Following the first reported case in Texas this year, Florida imposed a ban on the import of rescued dogs and cats from Texas and New Mexico. Other states have implemented requirements for veterinarians to inspect animals and certify them as free from the parasite, with many reducing the validity period of such certifications from the usual 30 days to as few as three days.
The consequences of these restrictions have compounded existing challenges faced by an already overburdened animal welfare system. Delcianna Winders, director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at the Vermont Law and Graduate School, emphasized the urgent need for shelters to receive increased funding and resources, as well as community support for spaying and neutering initiatives.
“If we could provide them just with some basic support, they might be able to keep those animals in their homes, and that’s one less animal in a shelter,
