What We Do

Statistics show that each year approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are put to death in animal shelters throughout the United States. The overpopulation of pets in the Wharton County area is staggering and there aren’t enough homes to handle the volume of unwanted cats and dogs.

The mission of Wharton County Stray Pet Outreach Team or "SPOT" is to "Educate the public on the plight of abandoned pets, and to provide humane care, treatment and suitable homes for animals without owners." We fulfill that mission by working with residents who rescue stray and unwanted dogs and cats in our community.

Once a homeless dog or cat is brought into SPOT, he enters our “Adoption Prep Program.” This is the rehabilitation component of our organization. In the Adoption Prep Program, he receives appropriate vet care, vaccinations by SPOT volunteers (called “SPOT Shots”), treatment for worms and other parasites, preventative medication (to prevent fleas, heartworms, etc.), heartworm test (if 6 months or older) and, most importantly, a collar and SPOT ID tag. We believe a collar and tag document the transition from “homeless” to “adorable adoptable.” If a rescued or surrendered animal is an adult, they also receive a behavior assessment by an animal expert and may be spayed or neutered.

Once the rescued dog or cat is healthy, we contact our partners and request a transfer. We partner with no-kill shelters throughout the country to relocate these rescued animals and place them in loving, caring homes. This program of rescue, rehabilitate, and relocate means our partners, with trained, professional staff, screen adopters and ensure our rescues are fixed prior to adoption. This allows SPOT to focus on rescue and our Spay-Neuter and Barn Buddies (Trap-Neuter-Return) Programs, all of which address the animal overpopulation issue in our country.

SPOT does not have a shelter facility; we rely on the help of friends and supporters in our community. Your involvement through donations or sponsorships, fostering and/or volunteering helps us continue to find appropriate placements and loving homes for Wharton County’s unwanted animals.  Please help us continue to make a difference in our community.