Dog Attacked Man at His Mailbox

On Tuesday October 15th I sent San Angelo City Councilmembers data on animal to human bites for the last six years.  One person responded, Mayor Brenda Gunter.  

Six days later Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden wrote members of City Council.  Morgan stated:

On Saturday October 19th, 2024, ASO responded to 102 E. Riverside Dr. for a significant bite case – dog to person. SAPD was first on scene. 

• The resident observed a loose dog while checking his mailbox at the curb. 
• The gentleman turned his back to walk into his home.
• The dog bit his lower leg and would not release his hold.
• The gentleman drug the attached dog to his front door and attempted to slam the door on the dog. 
• The dog released his bite and followed the resident into the home. 
• The dog resumed biting the gentleman’s feet knocking him to the ground. 
• The resident’s own dog responded and attacked the stray dog. 
• The resident’s brother responded and struck the stray dog with a cane. 
• The dog retreated and ran from the residence with injuries. 

We patrolled and knocked doors of neighboring properties Saturday attempting to locate the dog and identify the owner. Today, we patrolled and spoke to neighbors again. Seeing no dog, we connected with a willing resident to set a live trap. Another neighbor who feeds the dog reports seeing the dog with injuries this morning 10/21/24. The resident sustained significant injuries and was hospitalized for treatment.

On October 16th a citizen sought help from Councilman Harry Thomas and Mayor Gunter regarding two aggressive Dobermans.  That resident wrote:

I have previously contacted Animal Services via the COSA website, as well as directly emailing to Morgan Chegwidden last week (and l have never received a response from her). My church, and my daughter's private elementary school, is at 1700 N. Chadbourne. Somewhere between there and Reagan Elementary school are two aggressive Dobermans. These dogs have chased our school kids into the building multiple times, to where the school has had to order "dog spray" and the teachers carry a 5 foot long piece of rebar outside for recess and PE to be able to protect the kids if dogs come. Animal Services has been called multiple times. 

Last night my husband and one of our pastors returned from a ministry outreach around 7pm, and the dogs were loose again and bothering others in the neighborhood. They called the police department and were told by the officer who responded that he couldn't really do anything but keep calling, keep reporting to the PD and Animal Services so maybe they'd have to do something. My husband has previously had to take a folding metal chair out with him to the parking lot to just safely get to his car, several months back. These animals are out of control. 

Therefore I am just trying to reach out to additional city officials, as well as reporting any instance when the kids are chased in at school on the COSA website, to see why we aren't seeing anything change when someone is allowing their dogs to be loose and they're being reported over and over as being aggressive towards people. I am definitely not for government intervening constantly with private citizens but we can't have someone getting hurt either.

People are getting hurt by loose, aggressive dogs.  It's happening over and over.  

September 18, 2024: This morning around 8:00 am, an employee of The Lighthouse for the Blind was attacked by three dogs on N. Malone behind the Lighthouse building. It was a brutal attack and the victim is currently at the Emergency Room, blood everywhere, tore up his arm and face. This was disturbing, but the police officer could not get animal control to respond to capture the animals. When asked when the animal control would show up the officer could not give a time of arrival and so he went to the ER to get a statement from the victim. In my opinion, an attack would warrant an immediate response to capture the animals. We are now keeping our employees in the building. 

On March 8th an eleven year old boy was attacked by a 72 pound pit bull after getting off the bus. The child screamed for help and was assisted by two men, one of whom also sustained injuries from dog bites. 

I recently requested information on the number of dog to person bites that resulted in trips to the ER, surgery and hospitalization.  The City did not provide that.  

It's time for elected officials to ask many more questions about dog attacks and get the trajectory moving away from exponentially higher.  That is if public safety is really a priority...

New ASAC Members Motivated

The recent Animal Shelter Advisory Committee had one regular agenda item on it, an orientation for new board members given by an Assistant City Attorney.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden created the agenda, saying she wanted to give Committee members ample time for that discussion.  

Two members expressed concern about the limited agenda, believing their representation mattered for a shelter facing multiple issues.

Morgan became Shelter Chief in summer 2017 and has seven years experience onboarding new ASAC committee members.  This was the second meeting for new appointees.  

The August ASAC meeting saw new members asking questions about items that could not be discussed as they were not on the regular agenda.  Morgan said those would need to be saved for a future agenda.  It's hard to save them for a future meeting if they are not included in the minutes, which they were not.

Items not discussed in last Thursday's meeting include:

1. Recent closure of the shelter for dog intake due to distemper outbreak 10-11-24
2. The rapid increase in animal to human bites over the last two fiscal years
3. Status of preparation of temporary shelter
4. Timeline for seeking bids for shelter renovation (Council originally approved financing in March 2023, funds received in April 2023)
5. Shelter capacity 
6.  Enforcement of ordinances 
7.  Budget 
8.  Barriers for the public to access shelter services

Items 5-8 were the "off topic areas" raised by new ASAC members in the August meeting.  

Morgan stated the committee's sole aim is to ensure compliance with Texas law, making it sound like discussing the arrangements with Concho Valley PAWS off limits.  That ignores the committee's history:

On October 17, 2019 the ASAC met to tackle agenda item "new RFP for an expanded scope of services for shelter adoptions."  One ASAC member turned to PAWS Executive Director Jenie Wilson and said, "You are going to bid on it again." A motion was made to approve the RFP as presented. PAWS Wilson seconded the motion, then said "Oh, I shouldn't do that." Assistant City Manager Michael Dane said the Committee needed to give the appearance of an arm's length handling of the process.

That was two years into Morgan's current job.  

In 2021 Morgan "educated" the ASAC on the history of the Community Cat ordinance, which is not Texas law.  She was not the Shelter Chief when that ordinance was adopted and had virtually no contact with the only area rescue that stepped up to serve as a Community Cat sponsoring organization.  Morgan's storytelling was generally unanchored from reality.

Last week the public heard the real story behind highly attended ASAC meetings that failed to reach a quorum.  "The people that did not show up (Chair and Vice Chair) were very aware of the public comments that were coming."

I imagine new ASAC members may never get a chance to talk about issues important to area citizens, City Council members, veterinarians and people who want to walk their neighborhoods and not be approached by loose dogs (much less physically attacked).  That's a growing but unreported problem in our community.

So much is not being talked about.

ASAC Chair's Stunning Admission

Yesterday's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (ASAC) meeting included a stunning admission by the Chairperson that a prior planned meeting did not reach a quorum because the top two officers wanted to avoid planned public comment and "did not show up."

The closed captioning for that admission is below:

It's likely the Chair referred to the June 2017 meeting where the public turned out to speak to a number of animal related issues.  However, nearly the same thing happened in October 2023.  

The 2017 meeting was not held because ASAC Chair and PAWS Director Jenie Wilson resigned by letter six days before the meeting.  Wilson sat in the audience the day the meeting did not occur.  She later rescinded her resignation, so the practical impact of her action was denying citizens their right to speak.

A February 2018 meeting did not happen because there was no agenda posted, meaning there was not a room full of disappointed people.  However, the intent may have been the same. 

The October 2023 non-meeting occurred with several vacant board positions.  Communications from the Chair and Vice Chair show both "forgot" about the meeting.  The public was turned away despite having a majority, three of the five current ASAC members, in attendance.  City staff conspired not to hold another ASAC meeting in 2023 which meant the city did not meet its own ordinance requirement for three meetings per calendar year.

City boards cannot get public feedback or input if they do not meet.  Gaming a quorum to avoid hearing from the public seems devious, even despicable.  A functional, accountable City Council should be appalled by this prospect, even more so by its historical admission. 

ASAC Agenda Missing Issues Raised by New Members

The October Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (ASAC) agenda has been posted.  It includes:

3. Consent Agenda 

a. Consider approving the August 15, 2024 Animal Shelter Advisory Committee regular meeting minutes (Morgan Chegwidden) 

b. Consideration of monthly shelter performance for August 2024 (Morgan Chegwidden) 

c. Consideration of monthly shelter performance for September 2024 (Morgan Chegwidden) 

4. Regular Agenda 

a. Committee member orientation (Presentation made by Assistant City Attorney Kathleen Dabbert) 

In August new ASAC members asked questions/raised issues during the meeting (which the agenda did not accommodate).  Oddly, Director of Neighborhood and Family Services Bob Salas talked about the new temporary shelter during public comment and even mentioned they had identified a location.  When a new member asked about that location they were told they could only talk about items on the agenda.

Shelter Chief, staff liaison and ASAC board member Morgan Chegwidden verbally placed the non-discussion of the following topics into "future agenda items."  They include: 

Shelter capacity 

Enforcement of ordinances 

Budget 

Barriers for the public to access shelter services

The August minutes do not reflect items raised by new committee members and they are missing from the October agenda, which simply has a board orientation by the new Assistant City Attorney Kathleen Dabbert.  Dabbert is new to supporting the ASAC as "City attorney Holly Voth announced her resignation from the City of San Angelo" (August meeting minutes).

The next time these stated concerns can be discussed in the ASAC meeting is January 2025.  That's a full five months after they were initially raised.  

Stonewalling is not "excellence" for citizens donating their time and expertise to City of San Angelo boards.  It makes me wonder if staff even want their input.   When did ignoring board members become a "best management practice?" 

Animal Bites Soar in San Angelo

 

Animal to human bites soared in San Angelo over the last two fiscal years.  The period of rapid increase coincided with City Council's decision to enact a maximum cap on the Animal Shelter population,

City statistics showed animal to human bites had fallen  to 169 in FY ended 2022.  The COVID-19 pandemic changed animal ownership patterns and more responsible pet ownership may have contributed to this decline.  

Animal to human bites rose by 95 or 56% in FY ended 2023 and 80 or 30% more in FY ended 2024.  

Since City leadership and City Council enacted the hard cap on shelter population animal to human bites have more than doubled (up 103%).  That's a telling statistic for a city citing public safety as a top priority.

City Attorney James' Lasting Impact

City Attorney Theresa James finished her last day of employment in San Angelo.  She is headed to Fort Worth to serve as Deputy City Attorney, responsible for legislative affairs.  

The City of San Angelo Facebook page recognized her contributions with:

Together with her staff, she leaves a lasting impact in this community. Theresa was an integral part of undertakings like ADA compliance/accessibility upgrades within the city, the newest trash contract negotiations, executing contracts for the purchase and sale of the Ford Ranch, and so much more.

City Attorney James was instrumental in imposing restrictions on public information requests and the recent move to restrict public comment to those who register prior to meeting.  That effectively prohibits someone sitting in Council Chambers (who did not register) from making public comment based on deliberations by the Mayor and Council members.  Citizens do not know what elected officials will say prior to the meeting.     

James also led the special citation effort for citizens who'd retrieved their pet from the Animal Shelter but had not yet gotten the required spay/neuter surgery.  Council approved a part time position for that project, which was completed by Attorney James daughter.  Getting information on that effort was a significant challenge. 

Council inquired as to "high volume" public information requestors issues.  In my case most PIRs involved Animal Services.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden speaks often about being "data driven," however remarkably little information is provided on the city website or shared with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.  Public information requests are often the only tool available to citizens seeking further information on any topic.

I did check out Fort Worth's PIR policies.  That City tries to put information on its website for the public to access.  

Fort Worth is recruiting a full time veterinarian.  Their job posting included:

The City of Fort Worth has a progressive animal welfare program that enjoys broad based support from elected officials, industry, residents, and animal welfare agencies.  On April, 23 - 25, 2021, the city celebrated the grand opening of its new state of the art North Animal Campus paid for by a $13.5M bond program approved by the residents of Fort Worth in 2018.  The new campus boasts a fully equipped veterinary hospital for shelter pets along with five separate dog kennels, each with 10 enrichment yards, a cat ward with windows for every cat and staff and volunteer space overlooking the 7.5 acres campus.  At the Fort Worth Animal Shelter, each day is filled with diverse opportunities. We work closely with veterinary technicians, customer service representatives, kennel technicians, animal control officers, and partner organizations to be at the forefront of animal welfare. Come see why over 120 dedicated animal welfare staff call The City of Fort Worth home. The Fort Worth Animal Campuses are open seven days per week.

James oversaw the legal side of the shelter's "no kill" evolution which choked off shelter intake (starting in 2019) and resulted in third world levels of loose pets on city streets.  Animal to human bites soared as city streets became a dumping ground and irresponsible owners allowed their dogs to breed.

The Augusta Chronicle reported:

When no-kill shelters are full, workers are forced to turn away people surrendering their animal – even in dire circumstances, Sites said. Often it leads to more crowding in the shelter and more stress on the animals and on the staff, she said. And there would be more strays living in the streets creating a dangerous situation for the animals and humans.

San Angelo has been there for quite some time.  

a taxpayer-supported shelter is obligated to take any animal

Not in San Angelo.  Yes, the City Attorney's impact is lasting in the Animal Services arena, but clearly not in a good way.

Update 10-19-24:   The current ASAC Chair stated that a prior quorum did not occur because the Chair and Vice Chair stayed away to avoid providing a forum for public comment.

Animal Shelter's July Request to Council

Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's memo to her boss Michael Dane was shared with City Council members.

Morgan cited the large number of loose dogs but ignored the shelter's role in chocking off shelter intake over the last five years and returning unaltered dogs to irresponsible pet owners.

Council seems unable to do the most basic problem solving in the animal arena.  They approved borrowing $2 million for two projects in early 2023.  One was an urgently needed Animal Shelter renovation.

The traffic light at Knickerbocker and Twin Mountain Road progressed quickly.  By City Council's April 4, 2023 meeting the traffic light had been bid and a vendor recommended.

That same April 2023 Council approved the budget amendment relative to the $2 million short term bond.

The bond has long been repaid.  Shelter renovations are 18 months late relative to staff's original representation.  Morgan's timeline in her July 10, 2024 memo to council makes it sound like it will take nine more months before shelter renovations are complete (July 2025). 

City Council's patience is puzzling to many citizens, especially those concerned about San Angelo's loose dog problem.  It's only grown each year.