Three dogs were shut inside a sweltering North Austin garage with barely any airflow and waste covering the floor. By the time Austin police showed up on a call about a loose dog, one of the three was already dead. The other two survived and are expected to recover before being adopted into new homes.

A 64-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office must now pursue it to the fullest extent of Texas law. A dog died in conditions no animal should ever endure, and a weak outcome would tell anyone neglecting animals out of sight that they can get away with it.

This case is not a one-off. The Austin Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit filed 11 arrest warrants in September, slightly above its normal monthly pace, according to KVUE. These cases are tough to build. Animals can’t explain what was done to them, so detectives lean on evidence like vet exams, necropsies and photos of the conditions they find. That work takes time, training and money.

Rescue groups such as PAWS of Austin say much of this suffering stays hidden inside homes, backyards and garages where neighbors rarely notice it. “We want to get them to help before it’s too late,” said Prima Mosi of PAWS of Austin.

The Austin City Council can make that happen. It should give the Animal Cruelty Unit the detectives and forensic resources it needs, and fund a citywide campaign that teaches residents how and when to report suspected neglect through Austin 311.

Sign the petition to demand justice for the dog who died in that garage and make sure the next animal in danger gets help in time.