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Kinney County Animal Advocates (KCAA)

We are a grassroots group of community members advocating for humane animal control policy and promoting responsible pet ownership through public education and pet health initiatives. Our immediate goal is to raise the standard of our animal control facility and policies, to ensure that every pet owner and animal is given an opportunity for a successful outcome. Below is information on current animal control practices and procedures, followed by six proposals addressed to the City of Brackett on behalf of KCAA and citizens of Kinney County who have signed this petition. We ask that immediate action be taken on these proposals, and that those items which require a council vote are added to the next city council agenda for discussion and possible action. 

 

Pictured above is our city animal control facility. Narrow kennels are concealed in dark cloth and there are no fans. Temperatures reach over 100 degrees in summer.

 

Current City of Brackett Animal Control Procedures

• Dogs are baited with food and trapped by the Animal Control Officer. The animal control facility (pictured above) where dogs are impounded has no ventilation and reaches temperatures over 100 degrees in the summer. Kennels are fully covered in dark cloth so it is impossible to see any animals from the outside. 

 

• Owners must provide proof of rabies vaccination to claim their dog. Currently there is no vet in Kinney County to administer vaccinations and the city is only transporting dogs for euthanizations, not vaccinations. If you cannot locate a vet to travel to Kinney County and administer a rabies vaccine within 5 days (including holidays and weekends), your dog will be transported to Uvalde to be euthanized.

 

• Pictures of impounded dogs are posted at City Hall, which is closed on weekends, holidays, and evenings. Citizens must go in person to view photographs, so transportation is required to know if your dog is impounded. City staff will not call owners if an animal is wearing a tag with contact information. 

 

• Contact information for the Animal Control Officer is not made available to the public. An after hours number is provided to inquire about an impounded animal, but upon calling this number you will be instructed to inquire with City Hall during business hours to reclaim your dog.   

 

Our Proposals for City of Brackett Animal Control Procedures and Policies

1. City staff will allow KCAA to donate and help install fans in each kennel, as well as cut windows in cloth to allow for visibility of impounded animals.

2. If a current vaccination certificate can not be presented by the owner, the owner must prepay at the veterinarian of choice for the rabies vaccination, and must provide proof for the release of said animal back into their care. The owner shall then provide proof of vaccination within 10 working days or be subject to a $50 fine. 
Alternatively, the Animal Control Officer will transport unvaccinated dogs to Uvalde for rabies vaccinations if the owner is attempting to claim them. Currently, each unvaccinated or unclaimed dog is transported to Uvalde anyway to be euthanized.

3. City staff will post photos of impounded dogs to The City of Brackett Facebook page and their official website to spread awareness of impounded dogs and mitigate unnecessary euthanizations, while accommodating citizens who do not have reliable access to transportation. 

4. If an animal is wearing a tag or chip with contact information, the Animal Control officer will call the number listed upon impoundment of the animal. 

5. A two day adoption period will be added to the 5 day impoundment period. If an animal’s owner does not claim them within 5 days, the animal will be available for adoption within the two following days. 

6. The City of Brackett will co-organize a rabies vaccine drive with KCAA and a veterinary service provider, where a vet will come to Kinney County and administer rabies vaccinations for all dog owners in Kinney County at a reduced cost. This will promote the health, safety, and general welfare of residents of the City of Brackettville, Spofford, Fort Clark, and county and prevent unnecessary and costly euthanizations.

See City of Brackett Animal Control ordinances linked here. Current procedures for impoundment are not outlined in the ordinances. 

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“The greatness of a community and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”