HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A no-kill shelter serving Harlingen is changing its name as its services continue to help pet owners across the Rio Grande Valley.

If you hear mention of the Rio Grande Valley Humane Society, don’t think it’s a newcomer to efforts to save pets in South Texas. Instead, the Humane Society of Harlingen on Friday announced it was changing its name to reflect a regional mission.

“The Humane Society of Harlingen is the Rio Grande Valley’s only no-kill animal shelter and community resource center,” Executive Director Luis Quintanilla told ValleyCentral. “While we only have a shelter in Harlingen, we have provided services across the Valley.”

The shelter has not killed an animal for lack of space in three years, Quintanilla said. And although the shelter is contracted with the city of Harlingen to serve its local community, the organization has for the past few years expanded its vaccination and spay-and-neuter programs to residents from across the Valley.

Quintanilla estimated those programs have helped tens of thousands of pets from across the Valley in recent years, supporting the rationale behind the new name.

“While exclusively receiving animals from the city of Harlingen, for years, the Humane Society of Harlingen has served the greater Rio Grande Valley community through monthly wellness clinics and weekly spay and neuter surgeries,” Quintanilla said.

The organization listed the following milestones over the past three year:

  • Remaining the Rio Grande Valley’s only no-kill animal shelter;
  • Offering access to low-cost spay/neuter to thousands of people across the community;
  • Keeping tens of thousands of pets healthy through monthly wellness clinics; 
  • Partnering with local school districts to offer educational opportunities for students; and
  • Successfully advocating for progressive animal legislation at both local and state levels.

“From this day forward, The Humane Society of Harlingen will be known as The Rio Grande Valley Humane Society,” the organization announced. “Together with its community of volunteers, adopters, fosters, and donors, RGVHS will make the entire Rio Grande Valley a safer place for pets.”