A Bexar County deputy walked onto a property on Bartell Point and found a dog already dead. Six more were still alive, but barely: skin and bone, according to Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) spokesperson Noah Diaz. There was food in the house. The dogs just never got any of it.

Sarah Thompson, 30, and Julian Salazar, 32, now face six counts of animal cruelty, each a Class A misdemeanor. That is the maximum charge Texas law allows for this kind of neglect, even when the outcome is a dead animal and six others clinging to life. BCSO is also investigating whether this couple is responsible for three additional dog deaths while the animals were in their care, which means the seven dogs found this week may not be the full extent of the harm.

The six surviving dogs are now in Animal Care Services custody, but custody alone does not guarantee they get the veterinary treatment, nutrition, and follow-up care they need to actually recover, or that Thompson and Salazar are barred from owning animals again once this case closes.

We are asking the Bexar County District Attorney's Office to pursue the maximum penalties available under these charges, and to seek a court order permanently barring Thompson and Salazar from owning or caring for animals. Seven dogs is not a number anyone should have to become to get real accountability.

Sign the petition to demand full prosecution and a lifetime animal ownership ban for Sarah Thompson and Julian Salazar, before more animals pay the price for a system that lets repeat neglect go unchecked.