EL CENIZO, Tex. (KGNS) – The City of El Cenizo has issued a public health and safety emergency declaration due to a growing crisis involving stray dogs.
City officials say the problem has escalated to a point where action is now critical.
From shih tzus to mixed breeds, stray dogs roaming the streets of El Cenizo have been an ongoing issue for years, according to city officials.
Many of its residents are elderly who don’t drive and children who walk to school. However, for many of them, the stray dog crisis is more than just an inconvenience.
According to one citizen, Mayela Lopez, “I walk from my home to the store, and to all the places I need to go here in El Cenizo. There are a bunch of dogs around that come out of nowhere and start barking. I have not been bitten by any of them, but I am scared they will one of these days.”
Lopez adds that she would like the city to bring someone who could help them solve the issue.
Adding, “I wish the city could bring a sort of program or person that could take the stray dogs to a safe place so they don’t roam the streets anymore. If any of them have owners, the owners should be responsible and collect their pets.“
The city says it has now reached a crisis level with this situation, issuing a public health and safety declaration to address the problem.
“We’ve been working on an animal shelter for a little bit over a year. The process has been a little longer than we expected, and I know that it’s frustrating for some of the residents. More requirements are asked from us and we’re hoping that by this month we’ll have an update on the animal shelter,” said Mayor of El Cenizo, Carina Hernandez.
Hernandez says they hope to expedite the process of completing the animal shelter with the help of the declaration of emergency.
Adding that during the first week of the year, she received many calls from her constituents alleging damages to their properties had been made by the stray dogs.
“It’s mainly the dogs going into their properties and damaging their fences. There are also other animals attacking each other, so it is concerning,” Hernandez added.
Stricter rules will be applied according to Hernandez so this problem does not repeat itself in the future.
“We are going to enforce ordinances where we’re gonna require each resident to register their animals, microchip them, vaccinate them and it’s gonna be a requirement if you have a pet. A pet is a big responsibility,“ Hernandez said.
The city is urging residents to report stray dogs and properly secure their pets to help ease the crisis.
Additionally, the city will prioritize personnel, equipment and funding to address the stray dog crisis effectively.
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