I am a resident of Lubbock, TX, who is deeply involved in the trap-neuter-return (TNR) process for community cats. Community cats are cats that are born into the outside world, through no fault of their own, and do not have an owner. Rather, kind caretakers in the community provide community cats with access to food, fresh water, and shelter.

One of my own colony members was viciously killed by two dogs while she was asleep on her caretaker’s porch. This tragic incident is not an isolated case. Every day, community cats in Lubbock are dying due to dangerous dogs roaming off leash and killing them. In the past 48 hours, I have seen numerous instances of this happening in multiple areas of the community.

Lubbock Animal Services and the City of Lubbock need to step up and hold dog owners accountable for not following the leash laws that are already in place! Leash laws should be ENFORCED along with requiring adequate fencing for all pet owners in our city. It is not just about protecting our beloved community cats; it's also about maintaining public safety and order. Animal owners who do not follow the leash law should be held accountable by the law!

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), free-roaming dogs pose a significant risk not only to other animals (including other, smaller dogs) but also humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also states that approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States. Indeed in Lubbock in 2022, a roaming pack of dogs killed a human.

The time has come for us as a community to ask ourselves - how many more innocent lives have to be lost before we take this issue seriously? Let's demand that Lubbock Animal Services and the City of Lubbock enforce the leash laws that are already in place strictly and require that adequate fencing measures are taken by all pet owners.

At the heart of the problem is a lack of resources available to Lubbock Animal Services. LAS faces tremendous resource constraints such as time, material, and financial resource scarcity. The City of Lubbock should allocate more resources to LAS to adequately address the animal welfare crisis occurring in our city. Furthermore, education on the importance of spay/neuter, vaccinations, ear tipping, and microchipping should be a priority for the city. Backing from city officials is CRUCIAL to improving animal welfare in Lubbock.

The pictured cat was chosen because it emphasized the importance of TNR and ear tipping. The video is of my precious colony member Shelby at the vet after her attack. We had hope she would pull though, but as you can see her injuries were just too extensive.

Please sign this petition if you believe in creating safer streets for everyone - humans and animals alike - in Lubbock.