Austin Pets Alive! warns growing fear and misconceptions surrounding the New World Screwworm could create a local backlog of stray animals and increase the risk of euthanasia in under-resourced shelters across the state.
While much of the concern over the flesh-eating parasite has focused on its threat to livestock, animal rescue groups say the fallout is already hitting rescue shelters in Texas, including Austin. Some states have begun restricting Texas animal transports, including cats and dogs, raising fears that fewer strays will make it out of overcrowded rural shelters. Austin Pets Alive!, based in Travis County, said expanding restrictions could force it to take in fewer animals from smaller shelters across the state, leaving more at risk of euthanasia.
“These are thousands of animals that people want to adopt that will die,” said Lindsay O’Gan of Austin Pets Alive!. “We estimate 20 to 40,000 animals across the state are going to potentially lose their lives each year if the entire state of Texas’ transport programs closed.”
Until several weeks ago, the parasite, which threatens to cost Texas’ cattle industry millions if not billions of dollars, was eradicated in the U.S. An infestation starts when a New World Screwworm fly lays her eggs in an animal’s open wounds. The eggs then hatch into larvae that burrow and aggressively feed on the animal’s living tissues. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 18 reported screwworm cases in Texas affecting livestock such as cattle and sheep, but none in Travis County. Screwworm infections are not contagious.
Despite inspection requirements and preventive treatments that APA! says greatly reduce the risk of transporting infected animals, O’Gan said some states, including New York and Florida, have imposed restrictions on livestock and pets entering those states.
“Some of these states are just doing knee-jerk legislation,” she said.
The restrictions have already led to one cancelled flight headed to New York, leaving 20 dogs and cats bound without a place to go and left APA! scrambling to find an alternative. The group is now working with the ASPCA to encourage state leaders to adopt what O’Gan described as “common-sense restrictions” rather than outright bans on animals entering from Texas.
“We need to be careful,” she said, “but it doesn’t need to be a complete ban.”
How Austin Animal Services is responding to screwworm
At the city, Austin Animal Services said the screwworm threat is unlikely to affect its operations for now, citing no local cases, required parasite treatments for incoming animals and shelter conditions that make infestations less likely.
The shelter said if an animal has a screwworm infestation, shelter staff would quarantine it and medically treat the infection.
“We have an ICU here where animals can stay in separate kennels,” said Elizabeth Ferrer, a spokesperson for Austin Animal Services. “The good thing about screwworm is it’s not communicable like an upper respiratory illness or like the COVID virus — it is totally treatable.”
While the shelter is not sounding alarm bells, Ferrer said pet owners, especially those whose animals predominantly stay outside, could adopt habits to minimize the risk of infestations, such as reducing what attracts flies.
“You want to just make sure that you’re not leaving wet food out that’s attracting flies,” she said. Also, ensure “you’re picking up your pet’s poop, whether it’s your pet’s poop or someone else’s pet’s poop, you should pick it up and just try to minimize the amount of flies that are in the backyard.”
