San Antonio cracks down on "irresponsible pet owners"
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San Antonio will now sterilize loose pets and increase fines for owners of dogs repeatedly found roaming and who fail to prevent bites.
Why it matters: The new policies are the latest response to two fatal canine attacks last year that left the public stunned and put pressure on the city's Animal Care Services (ACS) to prevent similar incidents.
The latest: The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved the changes to city code, which took effect immediately.
Flashback: District 7 Councilmember Marina Alderete Gavito filed a policy proposal in May seeking the updates, standing with the families of victims of dog attacks.
- Ramon Najera, 81, died in February last year after he was attacked by dogs on the West Side.
- Max De Los Santos, then 77, underwent more than a dozen surgeries and lost both his legs after an attack last year.
The big picture: San Antonio has long had a problem with roaming animals and a low rate of pet sterilization.
- A 2019 study found that at any given time, there were about 34,636 unrestrained dogs in the city — and that the majority of those had owners.
- Plus, only about 30% of owned animals in the city are sterilized, according to ACS. That's compared with 80% to 90% of owned cats and dogs nationally, per the Humane Society of the United States.
"This is not a secret — we have too many dog bites in the city," interim ACS director Michael Shannon told the City Council. "We have irresponsible pet owners that are not doing what they need to do."
How it works: Before, the city issued a sterilization order to pet owners if their animal was found roaming or was involved in a bite case, requiring the owner to spay or neuter their pet within 30 days.
- But now, ACS can sterilize pets before the owner comes to get them. The cost will be added on to reclaim fees.
- The city can still issue a sterilization order instead if it doesn't seem feasible to perform the surgery before returning the pet — like if the animal is returned without a stay at ACS.
Reality check: There will be challenges to the city performing more spay and neuter surgeries. ACS' shelter has often been overrun with animals in recent years.
Plus: Sterilization orders have historically resulted in only a fraction of the pets receiving the surgery, ACS figures show.
- In the last fiscal year, the city issued 1,825 sterilization orders. Of those, 215 pets were sterilized.
By the numbers: ACS fines for people whose pets are repeatedly found roaming will increase from $200 to $500 for a second offense and from $300 to $750 for third and subsequent offenses. The first-time fine of $100 will remain the same.
- Fines for owners who fail to prevent bites will increase from $100 to $1,000 on the first offense, from $200 to $1,500 on the second offense, and from $300 to $2,000 for third and subsequent offenses.
What they're saying: "I pushed for these changes on behalf of the Najera and De Los Santos family and everyone in our community who has suffered or died because of negligent dog owners," Alderete Gavito said.
- If you don't want ACS to sterilize your pets, "then don't let your dogs get out, it's that simple," she added.
What's next: Jonathan Gary, who has worked in the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division for 25 years, will take on the role of ACS director on Dec. 30.
- The previous director, Shannon Sims, retired in May.
- The city will again look to the Texas Legislature to make changes to the "dangerous" dog process in the session that begins next month.
The bottom line: "It's time for the culture of dog ownership to change in San Antonio," Alderete Gavito said.