This petition is to bring attention to the loose animal problem that is getting worse in Van Zandt County, and in turn causing a public safety nightmare. We are respectfully requesting your assistance to address the fact that there is no county shelter or animal control officer, yet the stray dog and cat crisis grows daily.  The purpose of this petition is to seek from the elected officials of Van Zandt County a strategic plan to build a county shelter within the next two years.  

In 2019, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office (VZCSO) responded to 50 “reported” dog bite complaints (many more go unreported) and in the same year, the VZCSO reported officers were dispatched an additional 80 times to address complaints of loose dogs on the street. The VZCSO responding to 130 calls about stray dogs in 2019 alone, with close to 40% of those calls for aggressive dogs.  

This represents a health and safety concern to the citizens of Van Zandt County. For those in the rural part of the county, stray dogs and packs of stray dogs threaten livestock and put livestock at risk not only by the dogs but also by people shooting at the dogs. A missed or misplaced shot also puts people at risk when shooting at these dogs, as well as their own pets (cats, dogs, chickens, etc.).  We are very concerned about children playing outside or children waiting at the bus stop.  This county is extremely lucky that no child has been mauled by a pack of stray dogs.  But this is putting everyone on notice that this could happen in the near future.

We know the safety and well-being of Van Zandt County citizens must be a concern for all the county's residents, and we would like to urge you to sign the petition to encourage the Van Zandt County officials to consider a solution to the county’s stray epidemic – a strategic plan that includes the building of a county shelter within the next two years.

According to the 2021 US Census, there were 61,275 Van Zandt County residents in 2021. When compared to other counties of similar size:

· Hardin County has a population of 57,356 with Kountze Animal Control, a no-kill shelter.

· Rusk County, with a population of 53,988 has Henderson Animal Shelter.

Van Zandt County citizens are asking for the same respective services that other similar-sized counties offer their citizens.

In closing, we are recommending the development of an animal shelter to house the stray population of Van Zandt County and actively advocate for permanent homes for adoptable animals, with a genuine rehoming effort. We are also recommending at least one dedicated animal control officer for Van Zandt County.

Thank you in advance for your signature on this petition to urge our Van Zandt County officials to build an animal shelter for Van Zandt County to help alleviate our stray animal crisis.