EL PASO, Tx., July 3, 2026: A controversial shift in municipal animal shelter policies has sparked a severe animal welfare and public safety crisis across El Paso, according to local independent rescue leaders.
At the center of the controversy is the transition by El Paso Animal Services away from traditional “open intake,” where shelters are required to take in all stray animals to a “managed intake” or “capacity of care” model. According to Ron Camo, founder of local nonprofit Lucy’s Dream Rescue, the change was meant to reduce shelter crowding but has instead abandoned thousands of animals to the streets.
The Fallout of “Managed Intake”
Ron Comeau, who runs Lucy’s Dream Animal Rescue and began his advocacy work by volunteering for local shelters in 2014, detailed the stark contrast in the city’s intake numbers over the last several years. According to him, during the peak of community collaboration in 2019, the city shelter took in approximately 29,000 animals. Under the new managed intake policy, which prioritizes turning away healthy strays, intake has plummeted to roughly 13,000 in 2022 and 17,000 in 2023.
“I don’t understand why any professional person or any intelligent person would ever get up one morning and say leaving unaltered, unvaccinated strays on your streets is going to solve your problem,” Camo stated…