Illegal Immigrants' Dogs Are Being Abandoned in 'Droves' at U.S.-Mexico Border

Madeline Leesman | February 06, 2024 4:45 PM

Dogs belonging to illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States are being abandoned at the southern border in “droves,” according to the New York Post.

Reportedly, some illegal immigrants either bring their pets or pick up animals on their journey to the border without realizing that the rules about crossing the border with an animal are strict. Pets are not permitted inside federal processing facilities, causing many illegal immigrants to abandon them altogether (via NYP):

The Post spotted dozens of domestic breeds of dogs, now strays, wandering on both sides of the border at Eagle Pass, Texas, this month.
Many were simply abandoned like the piles of clothes, backpacks, shoes and children’s toys discarded all along the banks of the Rio Grande.
Some were injured. Many looked terrified and flinched even when just being passed a bowl of water.
Most were starving and reduced to scrounging for food wherever possible.

Authorities and members of the National Guard often feed and care for the dogs they encounter. But, the problem is escalating day-by-day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires dogs to have a microchip and to be vaccinated against rabies, among other things.

Reportedly, countries that are high-risk for rabies include Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, and Peru. If the dogs get through the border with their owners, most buses will not allow them to ride cross-country to other parts of the United States.

Last month, several sources told the Post that the illegal immigrant community at Colony Ridge has more than 1,000 neglected animals.

Chase Scott, a spokesperson for Big Dog Ranch Rescue (BDRR), told Fox News that the Biden administration is doing nothing to address the number of abandoned dogs at the border. He called on FEMA to provide "a dozen spay [and] neuter vans to stop the overpopulation" and "transport and medical supplies," so they "can heal and rescue the dogs and get them into loving homes."

"We need to act now before this becomes completely out of control," Scott said. "Colony Ridge is a huge migrant shanty town with starving dogs trying to eat chickens and livestock, so the migrants shoot them and attack them with machetes. The local communities are heartbroken and overwhelmed. They are turning into a Third World [country] with roaming packs of dogs."