Animal Care Services Issues Fewer Citations in Years Leading to Fatal Dog Attack
New findings suggest that Animal Care Services (ACS) in the city had not been meeting its own citation targets in the years leading up to a fatal dog attack in the Southwest side.
Reports from ACS’s quarterly filings indicate a decrease in the number of citations issued by the agency, with a drop in the past three fiscal years.
These citations can be given for issues such as dogs escaping from their gates or a lack of rabies vaccine or basic care.
The recent attack involving an 81-year-old man killed by dogs with a previous history has raised concerns among residents like Heather Ginsburg, who feel that ACS is not taking enough action to prevent such attacks.
Ginsburg has reported dangerous dogs in her neighborhood for months, and while the owners have received citations, the dogs are still there.
She fears being left to handle the situation on her own.
ACS is required by city code to report citation numbers each quarter.
However, the agency missed its citation goal for fiscal year 2020 by a few hundred and missed its goal by a few thousand in fiscal year 2021, with just over 6,000 citations handed out.
The agency has been aiming to lower the number of repeat citations issued in fiscal year 2022, with target numbers lowered in November, resulting in just 177 citations, the lowest monthly total in years.
The decrease in the number of citations issued by ACS has raised concerns about the agency’s effectiveness in preventing dog attacks and ensuring the safety of residents.
Requests have been made to speak with ACS officials about the drop in citations and its potential impact on neighborhoods.
More information will be provided in the coming days.
Fox San Antonio’s Jordan Elder has gone through years of reports and uncovered these findings.
