Urgent requests for dog food for the Laredo Animal Shelter were broadcast today through radio networks.

When we contacted the City, they had no idea the shelter was running low on food, and we checked with shelter officials and the board for the Laredo Animal Protective Society. They too claimed they had adequate supplies of food, but admitted for a while they were running very low:

"The economy is hitting everybody pretty hard so they can't afford to take care of their animals so they're assuming we can afford to take care of their animals."

They're taking care of their animals the best they can.

"Typically they eat one meal a day, the large dogs do. Puppies we always feed twice a day and we have nursing mothers that need extra food as well."

Jennie Reed is a LAPS board member, and admits times are sometimes tough but says they have a generous donor who replenishes their food supply each month.

But do they have enough food to feed all of these hungry pups?

About 90% of the animals are dropped off here by animal control; their owners, who can no longer afford to take care of them, surrender to others:

"Sometimes we have to give them extra can food to fatten them up a little bit and some extra dry food and sometimes it gets a little rough."

"This is news to me that you're telling me the dogs are going hungry."

City Manager Carlos Villarreal immediately contacted Director of the Health Department Dr. Hector Gonzalez to find out what's going on:

"They’re going out on radio programs, indicating that they have no food what so ever. Has this been brought to your attention?"

According to Dr. Gonzalez he visited the shelter two weeks ago and they had plenty of food, and a state veterinarian was there last week and saw adequate food supply:

"The City would be very supportive to be able to make sure these animals get food. That is a basic staple that we're not going to be denying anybody."

Shelter officials say they were running very low, close to nothing, but thanks to their monthly donor they were able to purchase the bags of food we saw there today.