City Council finally
faced San Angelo's third world loose dog problem after an Animal Control Officer was brutally attacked by several large dogs. The City Council member with the longest tenure, having served multiple terms over several decades, asked "why do we even have Animal Services?"
For a brief moment it looked like Council might wash their hands of the whole mess by contracting it out. Beleaguered Council members receive frequent calls and emails from constituents regarding animal related issues, including other major dog attacks that have not been reported in the news.
Animal Services chose to serve dogs in the shelter and those that come into contact with Animal Control Officers over the general public and did so with Council's blessing. Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's slide shows that history. She mentioned a few intake numbers but she did not show:
Morgan disputed the city has a "let them roam unaltered" policy in her presentation but that contention was refuted by the many citizens offering public comment. Citizens said over and over, Animal Control instructed them to "let the loose dog roam."
Chegwidden reluctantly spoke to the large numbers of dogs leaving the Animal Shelter still able to reproduce. That has been happening for years, thus San Angelo effectively has "let them roam unaltered."
Urgently needed shelter renovations, once expected to be completed in August 2023, may be finished in November 2025. Mayor Brenda Gunter noted her displeasure with unfulfilled commitments on this project.
Council decided to form a task force and delegated this task to City Manager Daniel Valenzuela. Staff recommended shelter leadership and PAWS work on the issue with "additional stakeholders designated as needed." Mayor Gunter expressed her desire for a game plan within 45 days.
City Council is clearly divided on this issue. Some stated their desire to do the minimum and focus on Animal Control. Others said we can serve citizens and pets simultaneously, while enforcing city ordinances, ramping up spay-neuter and getting dangerous dogs off the street.
It was odd seeing PAWS Director Jenie Wilson compliment Council during her public comment, especially after stirring up the public for days that Council might cut "lifesaving programming."
Wilson should have been next to Morgan during her presentation, answering questions about PAWS role. She wasn't so Morgan could just say "I cannot speak for PAWS" in response.
It remains to be seen who Valenzuela appoints to San Angelo's Loose Dog Roundup Task Force other than Morgan and Jenie. It took years to create third world levels of loose dogs and will take years to undo. Can the pair who got us there get us out of the current mess?
Update 12-13-24: Critter Shack Rescue's Sharon Halfmann wrote on Facebook:
The failure of the City of San Angelo to enforce the spay/neuter/vaccination ordinance is one of the problems at the heart of the animal overpopulation issue. Very few citations are given and the backlog of tickets is months if not years long.
The failed “no-kill” movement here and other places in Texas and throughout the US has resulted in record numbers of strays on the streets, where they are often run over, die of starvation, dehydration or illness, become pregnant or impregnate other dogs, or become dangerous packs.
Local rescues are overwhelmed, adoptions numbers are down, resources are limited and the shelter is often completely closed to intake.
If the City can admit that recent policies have failed and that real, wide-reaching change needs to take place, that spay/neuter ordinances need to be strictly enforced and education and low-cost alternatives for pet owners is absolutely necessary, perhaps we can move forward to address these issues as a community - City, pet owners, rescues, concerned citizens.
We so desperately need to move forward to better the lives of area animals, and that can only happen if entities and citizens work together cooperatively for that common goal, in a realistic manner that brings about real, positive changes.
