Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care

BARC Is Overflowing with Cats, Y'all!

If you've been sitting around your pad, thinking to yourself, "Gee, I really should adopt a cat, but I should probably wait until the shelter is freaking overloaded with like a gazillion of 'em," then you're in luck! Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care took in 82 cats Tuesday -- 29 of wh ... More >>

Annise Parker Running From Her Promise To Increase Spay-Neuter Programs, Critics Say

Three Houston animal rescue groups are accusing Mayor Annise Parker of going against a plan to tackle animal overpopulation she came up with in 2007, when she was still the city's controller. Calling themselves Unity for a Solution, the groups -- Corridor Rescue, Forgotten Dogs of the 5th Ward Proj ... More >>

Houston Chicken Farmers Trying to Escape the Coop

Ken Cousino knows exactly when the move to legalize chicken farming in Houston took off. Isabella, a nearby nine-year-old, had been a steady customer at Cousino's Quality Feed and Garden, picking up fodder for her few pet chickens. One day, she entered in tears. The city had arrived, she said. Tol ... More >>

Check out the Plans for BARC's Bitchen Adoption Center

Mayor Annise Parker joined other officials in unveiling designs for a planned $12 million adoption center for the historically troubled Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care Tuesday. Scheduled to break ground in October, the initial phase of the center will be funded by $4.1 million in capital impro ... More >>

Secret Santas Covering BARC Adoption Fees For Long-Termers

Some animals could sure use a home this Christmas. Hint freakin' hint. ​Some anonymous Good Samaritans and a local business have stepped up to cover adoption fees for some long-term cats and dogs at Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. In a remarkable display of awesomeness, one se ... More >>

Controversial Ex-BARC Vet Accused Of Botching Surgeries (With Graphic Photos)

Sad kitten is sad​A veterinarian who left the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care after he was caught dispensing controlled substances without proper registration is now accused of botching routine surgeries on four kittens last week at his new job at a low-cost clinic. Marie Melancon told H ... More >>

BARC Inaugural Adopt-A-Thon Saturday

Resist me! I dare you.​Are you a big fan of dog parks, but are tired of the sideways glances you get just because you show up without a dog? Do you have a closet full of gigantic balls of yarn, with no cats to wage war upon them? There is no better time to fill these yawning voids than by ado ... More >>

BARC Supervisor, On Tape, Squelches Employee Complaint And Says Mayor Has His Back

BARC, making sad puppies everywhere​When Chatauqua Allen, a supervisor at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, was shut out of certain meetings, she got the nagging notion that it may have to do with her race.The feeling was compounded when Allen, who is black, w ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): TV Pilot Edition

Hair Balls was excited to learn that one of its favorite old TV shows, Hawaii 5-0, is returning to the air this fall. That show's success was attributable not just to the swaggering awesomeness of Jack Lord and his haircut, but because the show included a certain timeless element that appeals to peo ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Back To School Edition

School's only been in session for two days, yet some teachers are already piling on the homework. This isn't a huge deal for home-schooled kids, who pretty just much have to memorize which animals God created on which day, but it can be a real pain in the neck for those in public school.The dogs in ... More >>

BARC Sued By Another Whistleblower; Still Stonewalling On Releasing Information

You said you would change, BARC​A former Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care employee filed a whistleblower suit against the City of Houston Tuesday, claiming she was fired after she notified investigators of animal cruelty and record-tampering. Hope Bennett's complaint states that she  ... More >>

BARC Has A New Cat Building, And We Are Avoiding All Double-Entendres

Photo by Robyn AroutyGo, or get the Cat Look of Death​Hey you -- yeah, you: You know what you need in your life? A cat. Or a kitten. Or several of each. And you know the best way to procure one? By going to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's grand opening for its new cat building Saturday, ... More >>

Gil Costas: Fired BARC Whistleblower Gets $70K From The City

Photo by blue_sharpieThis guy's got questions​Houston City Council members Wednesday approved a $70,000 settlement with a former Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care veterinarian who filed a whistleblower suit against the city in 2009.Gil Costas was fired in February 2009 for what a BARC spokesper ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Return Of The Haiku

After several months of highlighting some of the adoptable critters at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, we thought we were used to all the sad stares these dogs and cats display while awaiting their fates. But somehow, our intrepid photographer, Robyn Arouty, managed to capture an espe ... More >>

Overcrowding Crisis Hits BARC

Photo by Robyn Arouty​The Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care is packed to an "unsustainable" level, so if you've been thinking about fostering or adopting, get thee to the shelter, stat.The facility "has experienced a drastic increase in the number of animals turned into the shelter in the previ ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): One For You, Nineteen For Me

Ah, April 14 -- the last day before taxes are due. If you listen closely, you can hear the frantic panic of folks who waited until the last minute to file. And this tax season was especially rough, what with the Obama administration's new mandate that even domestic animals have to pay taxes. Does th ... More >>

BARC Vet Who Helped In Controversial Case Has A Reprimand On Her Record

​The Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's chief vet, who was instrumental in the decision to operate in-house on a severely injured dog -- who did not survive surgery -- was reprimanded by Virginia's veterinary board in 2007.According to documents filed with the Virgina's Department of Health Pr ... More >>

Keiko, The Injured BARC Dog, Gets A Second Opinion

​We don't know what made them change their minds, but the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care had Keiko, the severely injured dog we wrote about Thursday, checked out by an outside vet and opthamologist. Both agreed with the BARC vets that Keiko's eyes should be removed, according to the city's s ... More >>

A Dog With Horrible Eye Injuries Creates BARC Controversy

​With a history of mismanagement, reckless disregard and outright abuse under its belt, the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care has its work cut out for it when it comes to righting wrongs.Houston's devoted and vocal animal rescue community has been integral in instituting a change in command -- ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (or Cat): Resolution Time

New year. New decade. New mayor. New director of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. But same old problem: Too many awesome dogs and cats stuck behind bars, the clock ticking as they wait for a good home. Hair Balls is hoping that, along with the traditional new year's resolutions of goin ... More >>

BARC Gets A New General Manager -- Update

David Atencio, a former regional sales manager for 24 Hour Fitness, has been hired as the general manager for the embattled Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. A press conference will be held at 1:30 at City Hall, according to an e-mail from Mayor Bill White's Office. Atencio's name has been ... More >>

R.I.P. La Strada

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

How Much Are Taxpayers Spending For Trite Analysis? No One's Saying

​If there's one thing Gerry Fusco, the interim bureau chief for the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, loves, it's hiring consultants. If there's one thing he and BARC spokeswoman Elena Marks don't love, it's telling the public how much taxpayer money is going to those consultants -- and ju ... More >>

BARC's E-Mails Detail Neglect, Mismanagement & A Change Agent's Thin Skin

​Internal e-mails among Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's new administrators and volunteers from September 20 to October 9 show a newly independent city agency plagued with miscommunication and continued animal negligence -- the same problems BARC suffered under its f ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Singing This Song For You

Hair Balls was talking the other day with an acquaintance who has incredible luck with the ladies. Scratch that -- it's not luck, really, because "luck" suggests that a dude who looks like Quasimodo could get lucky some day and hook up with Heidi Klum.No, this dude's situation is based more on confi ... More >>

Adopt Yourself A Cat This Weekend

​If you're in the market for cute, cuddly cats and kittens, then you're in luck: No Kill Houston and Frisky Paws Rescue are organizing an adoption drive Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at 11173 Westheimer. (It's in the Whole Foods shopping center, by the Houston Cat Hospital). "No Kill Houston org ... More >>

La Plus Ca Change At BARC

Photo by wsilver​People who aren't fans of dogs accidentally strangling themselves with their leashes aren't going to like this story: On Wednesday, a dog at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care died after, as previously mentioned, it got caught up in its leash while a staff member c ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): 5-7-5 And Gift Certificates!

Whenever there's a seasonal change (or what passes for a seasonal change in Houston) Hair Balls tends to get a bit wistful. With the holidays approaching and the weather cooling a bit this week, we couldn't help but turn inward and examine our own soul, even as we try to help the animals at the ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Updates, Both Good And Bad

Due to some technical difficulties having to do with the stimulus package, global warming, and the war on terror, Hair Balls isn't able to present a brand new batch of adoptable critters this week.Instead, we thought we'd tell you about some dogs who've been adopted, and some who are on death row. H ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Listen Up, Class

Alright class, settle down. We have a lot of work to do, as we were all off last week. Today's vocabulary lesson only includes canine breeds available for adoption at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care -- we didn't want to blow anyone's mind the first day back. But you still need to pay a ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): It Was A Dark And Stormy Night At BARC...

Because Hair Balls has been busy shopping for a decent Halloween costume this week, we needed help in writing about this latest batch of lovelies available for adoption at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. So we turned to members of our fantasy cricket league, which happens to include e ... More >>

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Fat Dogs, Happy Dogs, All-Knowing Cats

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe," Rutger Hauer says at the end of Blade Runner, a film which Hair Balls has never actually seen in its entirety, because we've fallen asleep during every attempt. But in looking through this week's batch of amazingly adoptable animals at the Bureau of An ... More >>

Some Good News Comes Out Of BARC

​Some awesome news coming out of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care today: The City has secured $3.3 million to vastly improve the dilapidated buildings that process more than 20,000 animals each year. But that's not all -- BARC's also planning the construction of a new facility, complete wi ... More >>

BARC's Change Agent Finally Gets A Contract

City Council unanimously approved hotly debated 6-month contract for Gerry Fusco, interim chief for the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. The unanimity was a bit of a surprise, given the sharp critcism doled out two weeks ago by Councilwoman Jolanda Jones, who said she felt Fusco had refused to ... More >>

The "No-Kill" Advocate Issues A Report Showing All's Still Not Well At BARC

Photo by wsliver​Hair Balls has just been making our way through "no-kill" advocate Nathan Winograd's just-released assessment of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, and we have one question for city officials: When are you going to sue this guy for libel?!We ask that because the BARC descri ... More >>

Former BARC Vet Sues City Over His Firing

​Veterinarian Gil Costas, fired from the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care last February for an alleged registration violation, has sued the City under the Texas Whistleblower Act.Filed today, the suit accuses the city of "trying to hurriedly squelch Dr. Costas and discredit him" after Costa ... More >>

Animal Cruelty Can Be Fun!

Regular readers of the Houston Press and Hair Balls have been following the saga of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care for some time as we've tried to raise awareness about mismanagement and abuse at the facility. Change is slow to come by, as the City and City Council continue to sit on their ... More >>

City Council Once Again Considers BARC; Once Again Does Little To Nothing

Photo by abcrumley​City Council delayed voting again on extending the contract for Gerry Fusco, the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's interim chief. Council members Ronald Green and Pam Holm asked that the vote be tabled. (Green told Hair Balls earlier this week that he hadn't read the contra ... More >>

Council Hears About More BARC Stuff, This Time Some Nasty Divorce Allegations

​It seems a day can't go by without some drama regarding the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. Today's edition involves a 2006 allegation of abuse against BARC Interim Bureau Chief Gerry Fusco made by his then-wife. The Harris County Sheriff's Office report was posted on an online animal- ... More >>

Complain About BARC, Find Yourself Charged With A Crime

Photo by bf_photos The Harris County District Attorney's Office has charged a BARC volunteer for filing a false police report regarding animal abuse he said he heard while at the city's animal control facility. Shelby Kibodeaux was charged July 1 with the class B misdemeanor, which ca ... More >>

A Q&A With The Man Who Oversees BARC Leaves More Q's Than A's

Photo by mary_thompsonWhen it comes to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, Stephen Williams is a man who does not like to dwell on the past. As the director of Houston's Department of Health and Human Services, he said in an interview Monday that while he was aware of years of criticism of BAR ... More >>

You'll Be Shocked To Learn BARC Doesn't Much Seem To Care About Its Dead Dogs, Either

Fido's dignified last ride, thanks to the City of HoustonSo you're a higher-up at Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, which has experienced public relations problems for the last...um, decades...and then one of your employees comes to you in February with a concern: An exposed-bed Solid ... More >>

City Still Hiding BARC Documents, Despite AG's Ruling

Photo by Daniel KramerAs Hair Balls has previously noted, the City of Houston apparently doesn't want its citizens knowing what's going on at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. For the past few months, advocates concerned for the health and safety of the more than 20,000 animals BARC processe ... More >>

BARC's Firing Of Vet Doesn't Add Up

On Tuesday, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care veterinarian Gil Costas was fired for what Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Kathy Barton said was not having proper state certification.Barton said Costas did not have "site-specific" Texas Department of Public Safety controlled-su ... More >>

BARC Sucks

The city's animal shelter just can't get its act together

Man The Barricades For Dogs And Cats

Have some free time at noon today? If so, and you feel the city is ignoring problems at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, you might want to scoot down to a demonstration at City Hall.No Kill Houston wants the city to approve a contract to bring a supposed "no-kill" animal shelter consultant ... More >>

Zero Tolerance, Puppy Scams and Strange Bedfellows

No outside liquids for Hightower High

Anyone Out There Like Unconditional Love?

The Fido Solution

The ultimate answer to too many strays, cash-strapped budgets, animal shelter abuses and starving people