CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Animal cruelty appears in many different ways, but no matter how you look at it, it's against the law in the state of Texas.
In Texas, abandoning a dog is considered a serious animal cruelty offense that carries strict punishments. Abandoning a dog is a Class A misdemeanor in Texas and if convicted, a person can face up to a year in jail and up to $4,000 in fines.
"Animal abandonment violates animal welfare laws in the state of Texas and a City of Corpus Christi ordinance. It poses a serious risk to the animal’s well-being," officials with CCACS said.
A Padre Island resident, Bobby Stevens, says he recently found three abandoned puppies near Padre Bali Park. Stevens said he and his son went for a walk on the beach with their three dogs and saw the puppies running from the distant dunes.
"The puppies are not feral and they came right to us. To me, this means they could not defend themselves from coyotes and they were raised by humans. That’s why they came running up to me. In addition, they were very thirsty. If they drank salt water, they could have died a painful death, or let alone painful deaths from the coyotes," Bobby Stevens said.
Stevens said he hears packs of coyotes every night on the beach and knew the three puppies didn't stand a chance if he left them out there in the wild.
Stevens and his son decided to take the three puppies home so they could take them to an animal shelter, however after making several phone calls, they learned all the local shelters were at capacity.
"I reached out to Gulf Coast Humane Society, Animal Care Services and my wife reached out to Pee Wee's Pet Adoption. The first two agencies said they couldn’t take any more dogs because they were at capacity. Pee We wouldn’t take them because they would grow into bigger type dogs. They only accept dogs under 15 lbs.," Stevens said.
Stevens shared a social media post in hopes that dog rescue groups in the Coastal Bend could step in to help the three puppies.
And according to city officials, with Corpus Christi Animal Care Services being at maximum capacity, they offer different avenues for dealing with lost, stray, or abandoned animals.
"For lost animals, we encourage citizens to find the animals’ owners before bringing them to the shelter. We suggest asking around the neighborhood and posting on different social media platforms. If citizens choose to bring animals to the shelter during regular business hours, we do accept the animal if it is microchipped, injured, or sick, regardless of space. If the animal is healthy or a stray, we offer additional local resources for them to contact including the Gulf Coast Humane Society and The Cattery," added city officials.
City officials said when dealing with stray or abandoned animals, they want to emphasize citizens should leave the animals where they are and call Animal Care Services at 361-826-4630.
"This allows animal control officers to safely handle the animal, minimize any potential risk to citizens, and properly complete an investigation if needed," said city officials.
Corpus Christi Animal Care Services (CCACS) is also partnered with the Home-to-Home program to offer pet owners the opportunity to find new homes for their pets. This free service reduces stress on the animal and relieves overcrowding at the shelter. To participate in the program, visit https://home-home.org/shelter/cacs/ [home-home.org].
Bobby Stevens said he still has the puppies at his house although he can't keep them because he already has three dogs of his own. He says anyone willing to foster or adopt the three puppies can contact him at stevensbobby4@gmail.com.
