Residents Call for ACS Action as Stray Dog Issue Plagues San Antonio Neighborhood

Stray and roaming dogs have become a distressing issue for residents in the Central Los Angeles Heights neighborhood of San Antonio. The problem has been growing for several decades, leading citizens to alter their daily lives and live in fear for their safety.

Stray Dogs Affect Daily Life

Normally bustling streets are now empty, basketball hoops abandoned, and porches devoid of the usual jovial chatter. All this due to packs of stray dogs that have made the neighborhood their playground. Local resident Yolanda Garza testifies, “If you see people walking down the streets, they’ve got a stick. We’re always watching each other, especially when we hear the dogs barking like crazy.”

Residents’ Calls to Animal Care Services Fall on Deaf Ears

Residents have lodged many complaints with Animal Care Services (ACS) about the escalating issue. They report irresponsible dog owners who leave their gates not secured and that there have been more incidents of people abandoning dogs on their street. However, Garza notes that despite these reports, the community has not seen enough action from ACS.

Response Expected from ACS

Garza has been calling ACS for over four months about two German Shepherds who habitually leave their yard to roam the neighborhood. She followed the dogs in an attempt to give ACS an address, a task she believes ACS should have carried out. “What ACS is supposed to be doing, I’m doing their job. Why aren’t they paying me something?” she states.

An Increase in ACS Budget Yet No Improvement

With ACS recently having received a major budget increase and more officers, Garza and other residents are frustrated with the service’s lack of efficient response. The police have also been involved but admit that ACS holds responsibility for issues regarding dogs.

Residents Demand Urgent Action

Neighborhood inhabitants are calling for urgent attention and action toward the stray dog issue. “So what do we have to do? Wait for somebody to get bit? Or killed?” asks Garza. She hopes that the attention of the media will place sufficient pressure on ACS to actively address and resolve the problem.

Reporting Stray or Roaming Dogs

The city has provided a website for residents to submit photos of stray dogs and give a specific location. Calling 311 is another alternative to report stray or roaming dogs. ACS recommends providing information regarding the owner (if known), a detailed description of the dog, photos or videos, and your phone number to allow officers to follow up on the complaint.

Future Plans for ACS

ACS plans on conducting a survey in the summer which aims to count all the stray and roaming dogs in San Antonio city. This is part of ACS’s strategic plan and is meant to increase the frequency of such surveys, following one done in 2019.